Miscellaneous Setting Information

[Dark Lord]

Introduction to Phase World: End of Days

For almost two thousand years, the Atorian Empire was one of the preeminent powers of the galaxy. Competing with both the CCW and the UWW in their heyday, the Empire’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in the last 300 years or so, following a disastrous war against the Kreeghor. The TE now controls the Atorians and their former empire, but such control is limited at best. After an initial 100 years of quiescence, a new, bold generation of Atorians has come of age upon their homeworld. This is a generation for whom the Kreeghor victory is ancient history, and whose heads and souls are filled with the glorious tradition of the Atorian Empire. Already, rumor has spread from the TE to Center to all across the Three Galaxies. The Atorians are malcontent. They grumble and mutter and riot. Where before, the Free World Council (and its predecessor, the Niamese Coalition) was a no-name group filled with inept hacks, making the news only when their losses reached a new record after a particularly bloody battle, now they are trained. Organized. Funded. And they are winning battles. Already, some of the elders in Atorian society plot and scheme as to how they may best take advantage of the current situation. Other, younger Atorians take matters into their own hands- a dime-a-dozen resistance cells can be found on nearly every street corner. Their members range from the young and foolish, to the bored, the desperate, and the fanatical.

All is not quiet elsewhere in the Galaxy, either. The Consortium of Civilized Worlds is the predominant power, ever since the end of the Kreeghor-Atorian war. Facing a (then) united superpower, the Federation of Allied Races had unanimously agreed to CCW membership. When their technological, biological, and economic resources were merged with the CCW, they took a firm lead that the Kreeghor have yet to be able to surmount. Nonetheless, the Consortium has it’s own problems, as there are days when it seems beset on all sides by monstrous creatures from the void of space.

Strange intruders using technology previously unknown in the Three Galaxies have apparently attacked all manner of targets, at random, throughout known space, although for some reason the CCW has been taking the a slightly higher number of attacks than anyone else. Worse yet, attacks by Rianthor, Dominators, Space Hives, and other such fiends are up, and the Consortium’s recent First Contact with the fledgling Toogarth Empire is threatening to spiral out of control into yet another war (though it’s one the CAF could win handily, the issue of the Toogarth is a big bone of contention among certain CCW member races). To make matters worse, a strange, dark nebula has appeared in space not too far from Phase World. None who have entered this nebula have survived, but a few traders passing through the area have reported attacks by homicidal robots that are easily destroyed. The Thissera-Micean Cooperative, a longtime Consortium ally, has been investigating these threats and strange occurrences as best they can. However, with the call for the latest quest for the Cosmic Forge having gone out only just a few years ago, the TMC is extremely shorthanded as close to half their members have sought out this powerful artifact.

A new line of Naruni weapons hit the market last year, and while the Tagoniglomerate has yet to answer this latest offering, tensions are already heating up as reports of industrial espionage occasionally trickle out of Center and other markets where the two industry giants are in open (and fierce!) competition. Undoubtedly, it is only a matter of time before the situation escalates and draws innocent people and governments into the conflict. Rumor has it that both companies are already seeking mercenary groups for all sorts of work.

Finally, people in some corners of the governments of both the CCW and Phase World have noticed a large, rapid increase in the number of Splugorth minions abroad, both in the “civilized” regions of the Three Galaxies and the wilder regions closer to the galactic cores. No one knows what their purpose is (although a few whisper of the cosmic forge), but everyone who knows is sure they’re up to no good.

[Cyber-Maestro]

Character Name: Kruxxis Lomm
Alias: Krux
Race: In’Valian
O.C.C.: CAF Scientist
Occupation: Former Lieutenant Commander in the CAF Discovery Corps, now freelance adventurer
Alignment: Unprincipled
Sentiments/Non-Humans: Since Kruxxis is a non-human himself, it would only be logical that his sentiments would be positive. Kruxxis knows all too well about judgments based on one’s appearance. Judging on behavior is another matter; he cannot stand Splugorth or Kreeghor, and isn’t too fond of T’Zee either.
Sentiments/Coalition: The who?
Disposition: Kruxxis is best described as an “adventure junkie.” During his first tour of duty with the CAF Discovery Corps, Kruxxis was caught up in enough harrowing experiences to last an average In’Valian several lifetimes. When he was posted to a research station in a quiet, out-of-the-way sector, the relative boredom almost drove him insane. Kruxxis is also impossibly upbeat and likeable compared most of his fellow In’Valians; he feels for the most part that there’s not much point in wallowing in self-pity over the raw deal his race received from the universe.
Insanity: Kruxxis is infatuated with women -- particularly humans and near-humans (Catyr, elves, etc.). This include shapeshifting creatures that can assume a female human form.

PHYSICAL DATA
Age: 49 Galactic Standard Years (rather young for an In’Valian)
Sex: Male
Height: 3 feet 4 inches (1m)
Weight: 27 pounds
Description: A small, shriveled pink-skinned humanoid, but Kruxxis is pretty attractive as In'Valians go. He is almost never seen outside of “Aix,” his exoskeleton (described below).

GM's NOTE: Whenever Kruxxis speaks in In'Valian, the language is actually Norweigan as translated here.

[Cyber-Maestro]

”Aix” – Kruxxis’ Exoskeleton
Many In'Valians become extremely attached to their exoskeletons, giving their suits pet names and even talking to them as if they were alive. Many suits have artificial intelligence programs with full vocal capabilities, so they can talk back to their owners. Such is the case with Kruxxis and Aix, his exoskeleton.

Aix is shaped like a humanoid and is roughly 7 feet tall (2.1 m). Kruxxis sits in a glassteel cockpit in the torso, just like a robot vehicle. He prefers to leave the cockpit canopy retracted most of the time and only activates it when expecting trouble or when conditions warrant (this also makes him look like a warped Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story). Thanks to the In'Valian Neural Circuitry, which reads nerve impulses and transmits them to the exoskeleton, Kruxxis can "pilot" Aix without moving levers or pushing buttons – which is fatiguing. In addition, Aix can access/utilize any of the built-in applicable features or weapons when commanded to or in the event of Kruxxis’ incapacitation.

Personality-wise Aix is for all intents and purposes a robotic butler (think Kryten from Red Dwarf or C-3PO from Star Wars and you've got the general idea), always polite and formal. Its primary responsibility is to Kruxxis; it can talk and respond to others but rarely does so without being spoken to first.

Weapon Systems:
1.) HI-10 Pistol: Built into Aix's right arm.
2.) Multi-Tool: Built into Aix's right arm. See under "Other Features."
3.) Hand to Hand: As an armored exoskeleton, Aix has a robot P.S. of 26.

NOTE: Aix's hands can also wield any humanoid-sized weapon, although Kruxxis currently doesn't have any.

Other Features:
1.) Neural Controls (contained in Kruxxis' helmet): The In'Valians have developed Neural Circuitry (also used in many fighter ships and power armor) which reads nerve impulses and transmits them to the vehicle; this allows them to "pilot" their exoskeletons without moving levers or pushing buttons, which are fatiguing to the weak creatures. Using the helmet, Kruxxis can have the exoskeleton pick him up and place him in the cockpit.
2.) Holographic Personal Computer: Built into Aix's left arm. Kruxxis has several databases and programs on this computer to help him with his research, as well as a slot/port for data disks.
3.) Multitool: built into Aix's left arm.
4.) Language translator: Holds up to 12 languages in addition to the six Galactic Trade Tongues.
5.) Molecular Analyzer
6.) Short-range communicator
7.) Basic Optic and Audio Listening System w/camera: The optic/audio sensors are housed in a small module mounted on Aix's right shoulder. A loudspeaker (up to 80 decibels capacity) is located in the exoskeleton's chest; both Aix and Kruxxis can utilize it.
8.) Datalink: Essentially a robotic fingerjack, Kruxxis can "plug in" to computers, ship systems, etc. (similar to what R2-D2 does regularly in the Star Wars movies), and communicate with/control them through his Neural Circuitry as he normally would control Aix. Aix can also assume control of the item linked if need be on a limited basis (usually while Kruxxis focuses his attention on something else). The little finger on each of Aix's hands ends in a datalink.
9.) Searchlight: Built into retractable housing that extends out of Aix's left shoulder, with a 90 degree arc up/down and 180 degree rotation. Range: 300 feet (91.5 m).
10.) Grav Pack (built into Aix's back): The grav pack allows Kruxxis to fly up to 200 mph (Mach One in a vacuum). Due to the neural controls, Kruxxis is +1 to dodge while flying.
11.) Complete Environmental System: Aix is suitable for use in all hostile environments, including under water (150 ft. max depth) and space.
12.) Emergency Protocols: in the event that Kruxxis is rendered unconscious or similarly incapacitated, Aix's programming will cause the exoskeleton to retreat to a safe place (fighting only enough to cover its retreat). If Kruxxis only appears stunned or knocked out, Aix will keep control until he recovers. If Kruxxis appears to be severely injured, then Aix will also call for help.



Equipment
In addition to the equipment built into his exoskeleton, Kruxxis has a portable laboratory, portable bio-scanner, portable scan dihilator and first aid kit, as well as a dress uniform and a few sets of civilian clothing (he prefers them to his old CAF flightsuit). He also carries a couple of cans of metal-spray in case Aix takes damage. This is in addition to various reasonable personal items (momentos, audio disks, pictures of friends/family, etc.). He keeps the smaller items in a couple of small storage compartments built into his exoskeleton (one in each upper leg).

Money: Kruxxis has spent virtually every spare credit on outfitting Aix and the Lonicera, including a great deal of his inheritance. He is not likely to have more than roughly 1,000 credits on him at a time.

[Cyber-Maestro]

The Consortium's Armed Forces uniform is a form-fitting jumpsuit. Everyone wears this uniform regardless of rank when on standard duty on board a ship (as they can be paired with gloves/helmet for exposure to space). The wearer's rank is denoted by a white-stripe design on the upper arms, with his/her department indicated by the color of the uniform's shoulder pads:

White -- Command, Navigation & Tactical (CNT): Essentially the Fleet Officer OCC, the bridge crew and everyone else whose job entails the ship's interaction with outside elements (sensors, communications, etc.). Flag officers, of course, are all part of the CNT division.

Grey -- Pilots & Flight Crews: Fighter pilots, shuttle pilots, gunners, co-pilots... you name it. If you serve on a small craft, you're wearing the grey shoulders. Grey was chosen to show relationship between CNT (white) and Security/Ground Forces (black).

Black -- Security/Ground Forces: Mainly reserved for use by the CAF Trooper OCC as well as by members of the CAF's judicial branch.

Blue -- Sciences: Members of this department represent the hard sciences as grouped in the Skills section of the core book. The CAF brass chose blue as the department's color because of scientists' tending to propose "blue sky" ideas.

Green -- Medical: This department includes both paramedics in the field and doctors/nurses in the medbays of capital ships and various CAF bases throughout the Consortium. The green color indicates the department's relationship with both the emergency services (yellow) and science (blue) departments.

Yellow -- Emergency Services: Firefighters, search/rescue, paramedics, and the like. The yellow color ensures the highest visibility amid the chaos of battlefields and disaster areas.

Orange -- Maintenance & Engineering: The grease monkeys that keep the fighters in the air and the systems ticking along (with the exception of weapons systems, which are under Munitions' umbrella). Orange is the department's color for several reasons -- not the least of which to represent the its relationship to Munitions (red) and Emergency Services (yellow).

Red -- Munitions: Responsible for supplying/maintaining weapons systems as well as handling ordnance. EOD would likely be on the flight deck in heavy armor with the red colors. Separated as its own department out from Maintenance & Engineering due to its specialized nature.

Brown -- Support & Logistics: Essentially, this covers everyone who performs a duty that may not be glamorous but is still vital to the continued functionality of the Fleet. Housekeeping, catering, facilities, supplies/stores, etc. The members of this department frequently view themselves as being "down to earth" types who work tirelessly but never get the credit they deserve. Unfortunately, this often gets construed in a not-so-positive way by other divisions as S&Ls "having crap on their shoulders" referring to their trash/latrine duties.

[Cyber-Maestro]

Official Duty uniforms (commissioned officers only; enlisted and NCOs still use the standard duty uniforms) -- for official functions such as presentations, parades, promotions, reviews, etc. The divisional color codes remain, but are now patches on the shoulders instead of bulky shoulder plates. Unlike the standard duty uniform, the official duty uniform is for ceremonial purposes only and is not suitable for hostile environments; therefore it cannot be paired with the standard uniform's gloves/helmet and used as an emergency spacesuit.




Formal Duty uniforms (a.k.a. "the dress whites") -- reserved solely for formal ceremonies such as weddings and state dinners. This time, the divisional colors have been moved to the belt as one's department is not as important in formal ceremonies.

[Kesslan]

It was during the final age of the 5th expansion of the Atorian Empire that the Pantherans made a deal to turn their homeworld into an energy planet for the Atorians. In exchange the Pantherans were to be given advanced technology, and the ability to roam the stars. Instead the Atorians provided little of any of the promised advancements, the space station to be turned into a springboard for Pantherans was instead made as a military garrison to keep the Pantherans under tight Atorian control. The lands given by the Pantherans to the Atorians was taken... as was a great deal more territory than had been agreed upon, entire cities razed and factories built atop their ruins while the populations were forced into labour in the new plants.

Dispite this, the Atorian Empire saw some potential in the radioactive felanoid race. For once they developed an unusually high number of magically active individuals, while other sometimes developed what some would refer to as 'super powers'. The rest made for good warriors to say the least, and so many were hired off world for their magical knowledge or recruited (or forced) into the Atorian military. The Atorians however did not count on the Pantherans being such quick learners, nor so united in purpose. And so the Pantherans waited and searched, seeking enemies of the Atorians to aid in exchange for freedom from their bonds of slavery.

That chance came during the age of the 6th expansion of the Atorian Empire, over a hundred years after the Atorians first started converting the Pantheran homeworld of Seriv.

That chance came in the form of a fledgling, but powerful entity known at the time as the Khreeghor Dominion, which in later years turned into the Transgalactic Empire. When these two titans clashed, the Pantherans soon learned that they had finally found a foe capable of potentially freeing them from their masters shackles, and so they moved to aid the Khreeghor, offering them all the information they had learned about the Atorian Empire, it's strengths, it's weaknesses, even feeding them sensitive military information bit by bit.

Years passed as the war raged on, but it was a war with a much swifter end than would have otherwise been, so too with the aid of the Pantherans did the Khreeghor Dominion win out over it's foe and eventually subjugate the Pantherans one time masters. But this was not without a cost. Seriv by this point had almost been entirely converted into an energy planet, and much of what had not been converted (Along with a good chunk of what had been) was destroyed or devastated by civil war, and an eventual retaliatory planetary bombardment. One that was stopped before all of Seriv was destroyed, but the cost was high. Many a Pantheran perished, and many more would die as the war wore on. Fortunately for the Pantherans, the Khreeghor Dominion held up to far more of their bargain than the Atorians had. The Pantherans were given the technology they were promised, as well as a form of freedom. They would be second class citizens in the expanding Dominion, warriors for the Dominion. The devastated areas of Seriv were rebuilt as factories once more, this time feeding the Dominion war machine.

For a time Pantherans were relatively important, they even remain so to this day to an extent, but with the later defeat and absorption of much of the Wolfen Empire some years later, and other races from the Atorian Empire as absorbed into the Dominion, they found themselves a small margin indeed, if still an important one. Pantherans were still wanted for their magical and martial prowess after all, and many more over the years had turned into successful explorers. By the time the Dominion turned into the now dreaded TGE, Pantherans had realized their wish of spreading to the stars, but this also spread thin their numbers. Numbers not so easily welcomed on other worlds due to their radioactivity. So too did their unity slowly dissolve as they thinned out. This was a condition only made worse as many Pantherans did not agree with the TGE's policies and methods. A race that had once been unified and 'good' had now become corrupted and broken. And so various groups of Pantheran clans spread out to seek their own ways, some to try and retain their heritage, others simply seeking to live amongst more civilized peoples.

Thus it is in this day and age that Pantherans can be found amongst the CCW as well as the TGE and elsewhere. Notably their highest population density is actually in the UWW however, having gone so far as to establish a new colony world, one that still clings to ancient tradition and mysticism. Similar efforts have been made by Pantherans in the CCW, but they lack the political clout and unity required for such efforts thus far. That said, at least the Pantherans have, through the CCW made additional allies and trading partners such as the similarly radioactive Catyr. Here each race need not fear the other save the Catyr's renown strength. Their radioactivity was equally matched and so could wander openly and without fear amongst each other, rather than having to hide themselves away for fear of making other sick.

Given the advanced technologies the average Pantheran now has, their lifespans have been almost tripled, and now living an average of a little over 200 years. The modern age Pantheran is commonly encountered in the role of Bounty Hunter, Mercenary, Warrior, Explorers and Adventurers. So too have many turned to the realms of scientific pursuit in their ever present thirst for knowledge and curiosity. However, where once they were considered a 'good' race, they are far more scattered, much like humans. For every great champion of good, there seems to be an equally infamous Pantheran who has turned to the cause of evil, with some of the more notable members being among the ranks of the TGE's Invincible Guardsmen.

[Alaskia]

As I have not seen it in the books I have, mind you could be blind I will create it and post it here from Rifts Dimension Book 6

Palanthas Space Station

Space Station Type: Medium Station size (Special: It is much larger because of it's purpose) - 12 miles long

- 3 starfighter bay, 10 - Frigate docking port repair areas, 5 - Transport sized docking port repair areas, 2 docking ports for the huge type ships like Battle cruisers and the likes
- The actual common area and main area encompasses only a 2 mile diameter
- At the very back of the area is the dump. This is where old ship parts are stored until they are transported away to the ship graveyard See system data

Population:: 150000 permanent, can house up to 100000 for people that are having ships repaired or on leave.

Permanent population breakdown

1000 – Operations and command
30000 – Support personal
100000 – Various from or repair crews, mechanics and the likes
19000 – Various other occupations

Weapons Rules: Any one visiting Palanthas Station are allowed to carry simple melee weapons only. Reasonable firearms are allowed to be carried if after visiting port authority and purchasing a firearms permit. 500 Credits anually. Robots with weapon systems are not required to stay on board of the ship but are the responsibility of the owners. Laws will be filled out below.

Store breakdown is so varied that will fill it in as people try to find what they want.

Ship Graveyard: Admission to the Ship graveyards can be bought for a price. Anyone can excavate the area for the cost of 10,000 credits. Upon recieving this the clerks will give the "Treasure Hunters" a code for transmission for the security force should they ask. Anyone not having the code will be asked to surrender, if they do not, they will be destroyed. These fees are only if a person wants to raid for parts or treasure, if a person actually wants to take a ship then the rules will alter and will be listed under ship graveyard!

Friendly Frankie's Shuttle Rental: This business is located right beside the offices of the ship graveyard. They rent shuttles out to whoever needs one to got hunting in the ship graveyard. The current owner is Frankie who most people consider a supernatural being as it has always been owned by this individual. Shuttles supplied are not much but come with room for 10, require only one pilot and are not well equipped for anything but their purpose. They are equipped completely with everything a person needs to raid. Renters are responsible for the replacement of anything broken or used. Fees for shuttles are 1000 credits a day.

M.D.C. Per Location:

Main Living Pod

Overall MDC – 400000 MDC
Shields – 60000MDC

Repair Areas

Overall MDC – 100000MDC
Shields – 18000MDC (Minimal shielding as the ship docked there would hopefully protect themselves)

Speed: Can move very slowly should there be an emergency but very minimally.

Weapons Systems:

1.) Point Defense Laser Turrets (30): Automated
Primary Purpose: Defense
Secondary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D. per blast.
Range: 20,000 feet
Rate of Fire: 4 attacks per melee.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.

2.) Secondary Laser Cannons (20): Manned
Primary Purpose: Anti - Ship
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D. per blast.
Range: 3 Miles
Rate of Fire: Equal to H2H typically 5
Payload: Effectively unlimited.

3.) G – Cannon Turrets (10): Manned
Primary Purpose: Anti Ship
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 1D4x100 M.D. per 80 round burst.
Range: 10 Miles
Rate of Fire: Equal to H2H typically 5
Payload: 32,000 rounds per turret (400 Bursts)

4.) Main Laser Cannon (1): Manned
Primary Purpose: Anti Ship
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D.
Range: 100 Miles
Rate of Fire: two attacks
Payload: Effectively unlimited.

[Alaskia]

Palanthas System

Primary Income: Repair and salvage. Many planets bring their ships here to be taken care of primarily because the system does not charge for ships being dropped off. They will actually pay for the ships being dropped off, usually only scrap fees though. In fact will go and pick up spaceships to bring them in to be stripped and cleaned.

Star Size: Blue Dwarf Star

Planets: 4 planets, 1 asteroid belt and ship graveyard

Palanthras Prime: This ironically is a little molten lava ball with no value whatsoever.

Palanthras Farm: This is actually the source of all food in this galaxy. The planet itself is perfect for farming and a rarity as such.

Ship Graveyard: This is the actual ship graveyard which has come over the millennium to act like an asteroid belt. It is patrolled for criminal activity but anyone is free to raid the ships here so long as they pay the fee.

Palanthras 3 and 4: Gas giants, each with rings from long mined out moons. After the mining was completed the moons were destroyed so as not to risk becoming rogue asteroids.

Asteroid Belt: Between Palanthras 3 and 4 is the Palanthras system asteroid belt. All the good minerals have been long since mined from here but occasional gems of asteroids are still found here.

[Alaskia]

Palanthras Farm

Palanthras Farm was a bonus to the setting up of the station although now it far overproduces the needs for the area long since the mining of the area stopped. There is actually a limited population on the surface and the four quadrants are split into 4 families that own it. The families are all very wealthy and run their quadrants like a feudal system which has worked for many thousands of years. There has been some feuding but it has been kept kosher by all.

The planet itself has two large land masses and one giant ocean ironically all fresh water. Scientists explain that the fresh water could be the reason there is no animal life on the planet.

Only the rich and elite have access to technology but overall the planets tone is happy as in many ways it is a paradise and many spacers take vacation down there while ships are in repair. There are many beaches for one to visit as there are other vacation activities.

[Alaskia]

Palanthras Ship Graveyard

Situated much like an asteroid belt between the second and third planet is the ship graveyard. It having been in operations for thousands of years is vast. There are quite possibly millions of ships here of various sizes and shapes. They are all in various states of disrepair or even just completely broken hulls.

People come here to hunt for rare parts or missing treasures and are allowed to do so for the sum of 10,000 credits for a three month hunting permit. Anything found is allowed to be kept. People are constantly going through the wreckages of the ship but most are picked clean and only rare gems are found that are still intact or not picked clean. Mostly people will come across a ship that was salvaging illegally and attacked by one of the patrol teams.

If one finds a ship or other form of treasure a person can claim it as their own preventing others from raiding it for an additional fee of 10,000 credits.

This is not to say that the ships stay here for ever as companies will come buy to buy building materials and the likes.

[Alaskia]

Station Laws

- Any one visiting Palanthas Station are allowed to carry simple melee weapons only. Reasonable firearms are allowed to be carried if after visiting port authority and purchasing a firearms permit. 500 Credits anually. Robots with weapon systems are not required to stay on board of the ship but are the responsibility of the owners.

- Under no circumstance is any one to visit the Junkyard without a permit or special dispensation from the government of Palanthas. Any one caught in the belt will be warned to surrender, if no reply then a warning fire will be shot. If still no response or surrender then the vehicle will be destroyed. There will be no first offense, vehicles so taken in are forfeited to the government of Palanthas.

[Alaskia]

Shuttles used by shuttle service - this includes ceteshi's shuttle but this one is much better then the others


Model Type: Unknown – not for this old rust bucket
Class: Pov Ass Shuttle
Crew: Only needs one, can fit a fair number but it is much like an outing as there are no rooms or the likes.
M.D.C. by Location:
Laser Cannons (1) -- 150 each
Variable Force Fields -- 150 per side, 900 total
*Long-Range Sensor Dish -- 150
**Cockpit -- 200
***Main Body -- 1200
****Main Engines (2) -- 325 each

** Depleting the M.D.C. of the cockpit completely destroys it, likely killing the crew inside as well. The ship can be controlled from the engine room, but all piloting skills are -30% and combat rolls are -2.

*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body shuts the ship down, causing it to drift in space. Emergency backup power supply can power minimal life support and one weapon for up to 12 hours. The missiles are also operational and can be used. If the ship is reduced to -1,000 M.D.C. it explodes, causing 3D6x100 M.D. to everything within a 300 foot (91.5 m) area. In an atmosphere, the ship will crash.

**** Depleting the M.D.C. of a single engine reduces the ship’s top speed by 50%
Speed:
Driving on the ground: Not possible; can hover at up to 20 feet (6.1m) off the ground at a speed of 20 mph maximum.
Range: Limited only by supplies.
Statistcal Data:
Height: 20 feet (7.95m);
Width: 50 feet
Length: 100 feet (63.5m).
Weight: 800 tons fully loaded (not including cargo)
Cargo: 50 metric tons in stock configuration.


Weapons Systems

Laser Turrets (1): Forward 180 Degree arc only
Primary Purpose: Defense
Secondary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. per double blast.
Range: 3 miles/4.8 km in space; roughly half that in an atmosphere.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of melee attacks of the gunner, with a maximum of six. The turrets can also be set to automatic firing, but with only four attacks per melee round and with only the standard +3 to strike bonus.
Payload: Effectively unlimited.


Special Features

Grapples: the ship features grappling systems on both sides for salvage/docking applications. While technically not a weapon per se, they can be used to secure opponents’ ships for boarding actions.
Primary Purpose: Docking
Secondary Purpose: Salvage
Mega-Damage: 1D4 M.D. per grappler if used against a living target.
Range: 4,000 feet/1.22 km
Rate of Fire: Grapplers can fire once per melee round.
Payload: Effectively unlimited (grappling lines retract and are re-used)
Long-range Sensors: the large dorsal-mounted steerable sensor dish improves the ship’s sensor capabilities to military grade (+10% range/sensor operation rolls) as listed on p. 153 of the Phase World book.

[Redacted]

Excerpts taken from Omnipedia:

Artol (or the Artol)
is the fifth planet from the Pyr, and the densest and fifth-largest of the 14 planets in the Pyran System. It is also the largest of the Pyran System's 6 terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the world, the Blue Planet,[20] or by its Earlan name, Aertos.[note 6]

Artol formed 4.67 billion years ago, and life appeared on its surface within one billion years.[21] The planet is home to millions of species, including its only sentient exogenic species, humans.[22] Artol's biosphere has significantly altered the atmosphere and other abiotic conditions on the planet, enabling the proliferation of aerobic organisms as well as the formation of the ozone layer which, together with Artol's magnetic field, blocks harmful Pyran radiation, permitting life on land.[23] The physical properties of the Artol, as well as its geological history and orbit, have allowed life to persist during this period. Estimates on how much longer the planet will to be able to continue to support life have been pinned down at 1.74 billion years, at this point the Pyr’s transition into a red giant will consume the Artol and make conditions on the planet unsuitable for life. [24][25][26]

Artol's outer surface is divided into several rigid segments, or tectonic plates, that migrate across the surface over periods of many millions of years. About 84% of the surface is covered by salt water oceans, with the remainder consisting of 1 continent and several large islands which together have many lakes and other sources of water that contribute to the hydrosphere. Artol's poles are mostly covered with solid ice (Northern ice sheet) or sea ice (Southern ice cap). The planet's interior remains active, with a thick layer of relatively solid mantle, a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field, and a solid iron inner core.

Artol interacts with other objects in space, especially the Pyr, the orbital river, three Moons and over 60,000 artificial satellites and space stations. At present, Artol orbits the Pyr once every 436.25 times it rotates about its own axis, which is equal to 435.25 Pyran days, or one sidereal year.[note 7] The Artol's axis of rotation is tilted 15.4° away from the perpendicular of its orbital plane, producing minor seasonal variations on the planet's surface with a period of one tropical year (435.24 Pyran days).[27] Artol's three natural satellites, Galea, Maeme, and Goyto, which began orbiting it about 4.53, 4.34, and 3.35 billion years ago, respectively, provide ocean tides, stabilize the axial tilt, and gradually slow the planet's rotation.

The orbital river extends from 2,630 km to 67,700 km above Artol's equator, averages approximately 20 meters in thickness and is composed of 93% water ice with traces of nitrogen impurities and 7% amorphous carbon.[28] The particles that make up the river range in size from specks of dust up to 10 m.[29] Analysis of the orbital river indicates that it is the remnants of a large “ice moon” which must have broken apart either due to a single cataclysmic event or over time at some point in Artol’s distant past.

Both the mineral resources of the planet and the products of the biosphere contribute resources that are used to support a global human population.[30] These inhabitants are grouped into 1 independent sovereign state, and 15 administrative Vimperiae which interact through diplomacy, travel, trade, and security collaboration. Human cultures have developed many views of the planet, including personification as a deity, a belief in a flat Artol or in the Artol as the center of the universe, and a modern perspective of the world as an integrated environment which requires constant administration.

Humans (Unus Conscio)[3][4][5]),
the only living members of the genus Unus, are similar to mammals of the primate order. Humans are originally from the Amorekan plains, where they emerged some 100,000 years ago. Although similar in many ways to other animal species on Artol, specific differences between human DNA and that of every other living species on the planet, make it clear that humans do not share a common ancestry to the rest of life on Artol.

The human lineage emerged spontaneously some 100,000 years ago in the Amorekan Plains. Different from other species on the planet where a clear evolutionary lineage can be traced, there is no prior fossil record which would indicate that humans or a species similar to humans existed on Artol prior to this time. Furthermore, every fossil ever recovered of an ancient human maintains biological features identical to those of modern man, indicating an exogenic origin to our species.

Theories as to the origins of humanity are bountiful; ranging from magic in folkloric tales to lost civilizations. Main article: Human Origins.

The first humans to move out of the Amorekan continent did so around 40,000 years ago, settling first in Terssia around 15,000 years ago, and remote islands such as Andulia, Rich Port, and Antaria between the years 300 and 1200. Around 20,000 years ago humans began to practice sedentary agriculture domesticating plants and animals which allowed for a drastic increase in population worldwide. With the development of fuel-driven technologies and new techniques for health improvement in the last three centuries, human populations rose even more. With individuals widespread in every siginificant landmass, humans are a cosmopolitan species. As of Thern 3435, the human population was estimated to be between 4.38 [10] and 5 billion.[11]

Humans are characterized by having a large brain relative to body size, with a particularly well developed neocortex, prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes, making them capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, problem solving and culture through social learning. This mental capability, combined with the adaptation to bipedal locomotion that frees the hands for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make far greater use of tools than any native species on Artol. Humans are the only extant species known to build fires and cook their food, as well as the only known species to clothe themselves and create and use numerous other technologies and arts. The study of humans is the scientific discipline of anthropology.

Humans are uniquely adept at utilizing systems of symbolic communication such as language for self-expression, the exchange of ideas, and organization. Humans create complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups, from families and kinship networks to states. Social interactions between humans have established an extremely wide variety of values, social norms, and rituals, which together form the basis of human society. Humans are noted for their desire to understand and influence their environment, seeking to explain and manipulate phenomena through science and philosophy, and in the past through mythology, and religion.


War of Unification (Commonly referred to as The War),
Was a series of inter-connected conflicts ranging from secret "spy" wars to all out war, that is commonly agreed to have begun in 3197 and ended in 3422 with the Treaty of Kethirea, and the unification of all governments under the banner of the Terssian Imperium. During the two centuries that it is agreed to have lasted, it involved, at various points, every nation in the world.

It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 700 million people serving in military units, para-military service, and intelligence agencies. During the periods of "total war", the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians, including immigrant camps and the only instance of a war won due to a single individual, it resulted in 1.3 billion to over 1.6 billion fatalities. These deaths make The War the deadliest conflict in all of Altoran history.

Although the Terssian Imperium was already at war with the Andulian People's Confederacy in 3195, The War is generally said to have begun on 17 Erditor 3197, with the attack on the Terssian colonies on Andulia by the Amorekan Federation, and subsequent declarations of war on Terssia by Fersa and most of the countries of the Amorekan Continent.
The Imperium set out to establish a large empire beyond the coasts of Terssia. From late 3195 to early 3198, in a series of campaigns, The Imperium conquered or subdued The western half of the Andulian landmass as well as occupied the tactically important Natillan Archipielago.
Bound by the non-aggression treaty with the Terssian Imperium, wich nominally ended the War of 3131, Premier Haldon of the Amorekan Federation, stayed the military's hand, until ousted during the 3196 elections by his political opponent Galtur Namurt, who rose to the premiership campaining on defending the borders of their historical ally and trade partner, Andulia.

With the involvement of the Amorek, the Amorekan/Andulian alliance, drove the Imperium off Andulia. Clearly beat, the Imperium rallied their navy around defending its foothold in the Natillan Islands. They were able to defend as far as Halfpoint Island where they deflected the Andulian forces, which attacked expecting reinforcements from the Amorekan fleet that never arrived due to gross navigational mismanagement and imclement weather (Main Article: Gortol's Lost Fleet).
What followed was a war of attrition that lasted over a decade, with neither side making significant advances on the other. Finding themselves at a stalemate, feeling vocal discontent from a weary public and due to intense economic hardship on both sides, diplomatic relations were resumed and by 3216 an armistice pact was agreed upon and signed.

As with other moments of war in Altorian history, great strides were taken in support of the war effort, which resulted in a better life for Altorians during peace time. Canned foods, internal combustion engines, electricity, rudimentary telecommunications, widespread indoor plumbing, and aeronautics, were all direct results of the war effort. Similarly the introduction of rifling, advancements in firearm design and production, armored vehicles of war, and chemical and biological warfare, were all first put in effect during the First Conflict.

Although the armistice was in place, neither side was satisfied with the results of the war and tensions remained high between The Amorekan Federation and The Terssian Imperium.

The following century saw a relative peace, punctuated by small regional conflicts, indirectly influenced by either of the two powers. In 3257 The Andulian Confederacy and its member states joined the Amorekan Federation, looking to their neighbor's stronger military and economic power to help stabilize a country still ravaged by the Terssian invasion, decades before.

Although no direct military conflict took place between Terssia and Amorek during the 33rd century, both the Terssian Intelligence Office (TIO) and the Central Bureau of Information(CBI) were established during this time. Creating the two most competitive and inffluential intelligence institutions in the history of Artol. This period known as the Silent War, resulted in an ever expanding technological competition between both Central powers, and an expansion of influence that brought about the extreme polarization of Artol between Monarchical states and Federalist states.

Only Kethirea reamined neutral, and due to their central and naturally defensible position west of Terssia, and east of Amorek were able to serve as trade intermidiaries and maintain an awkward, though workable, global market.
This period of relative peace brought Altor into the modern age, allowing the establishment of global communications systems, trans-national corporations, early space exploration and the age of the integrated circuit.

After several close calls, all out war again erupted in 3374 when Emperor Jorriel Lor-Van was assassinated by Amorekan Extremists during a state visit to Halfpoint Base in commemoration of the 3216 Armistice. Emperor Kaldur Lor-Van was coronated privately that very day at the age of 7, and his mother reigned as Empress Regent until his 21st birthday in 3388. Unconsolable over her husband's death, the Empress Regent declared war on the Amorekan Federation. Through both unpreparedness on the Amorekan side, and an acute tactical mastery from both the Empress Regent and her War Council, The Terssian Imperium took the entire Andulian landmass within the first 18 months.

After that first campaign though, similarly strong navies, air forces, and intelligence agencies, indicated that this war would end in a stalemate just as the last one. Until the birth of Prince Kon in 3405, which changed the entire war scenario.

First brought to the public eye on his first birthday, Prince Kon was presented to the astonishment of the public to have skin entirely made of a gold like metal. Heralded as the Miracle Prince by the people of Terssia, his image and upbringing were central in the Impirium's recruiting and propaganda efforts. Besides being in the public eye Prince Kon lived a sheltered and idyllic life, until graduating from the Imperial College at the age of 15 and officially joining the Imperial Army.

In 3420 during the Amorekan push in the Battle of Rich Port, and serving as a fully commissioned Lieutenant, Prince Kon who had been stationed at the office of Strategic Command in the Capital, Tersses, and had been monitoring the battle; by his own account "...flew out the window, resolved in a childlike fit of rage to stop the Amorekans from killing my people."

On live television the Golden Prince, single handedly destroyed the Amorekan 3rd fleet within the hour, throwing the Amorekan military into furious disarray.
Over the course of the next two years, with the Prince's full abilities revealed to the public, and with his involved leadership, the Imperium easily marched over the Amorekan continent, and took the capital city of Namurt, establishing a solid interim government around Prince Kon, who was instrumental in quelling Amorekan loyalists and incipient rebellions.

The war for Unification officially ended in 3422 with the signing of the Treaty of Kethirea and the unification of the people of Artol under The Terssian Imperium. Although a central global government was established in the treaty, each of the constituent states retained a modicum of local governance as Vimpereae, each with constitutions and internal modes of goverment according to their custom.


Prince Kon Lor-Van (Kontur Pyr Anzasi Lor-Van; born 2 Andtor 3405),
commonly known as Prince Kon,[1] is the only son of Emperor Kaldur Lor-Van and Empress Canaea, and third grandchild of Empress Mother Anzara Lor-Van and Emperor Jorriel Lor-Van (3298-3374). As such, he is first in the line of succession to the Imperial throne of the Terssian Imperium, and to the Stewardship of Altor.

After an education at various schools around the Terssian Imperium and spending parts of his early teens as a Prince Lieutenant in
the Imperial Army, Prince Kon enrolled in the Oxvard Imperial College of Medicine where he graduated with the highest marks in history with degrees in Medicine, Anthropology, and Psychology, as well as supplemental studies in Law, and Philosophy.

Joining his father’s army full time, his superhuman abilities and royal lineage catapulted him through the ranks, with commissions as Lieutenant[2], Colonel[3], Lieutenant General[4], and presently Supreme Commander Imperial World Forces[5]. Holding innumerable other civilian titles he is most active as Director of the Imperial Space Bureau[6] (ISB) where his leadership has brought to fruition such projects as the Orbital River processing grid[7], permanent colonies on Maeme and Goyto[8], as well as the controversial Artol-1 FTL project[9], set to launch in early 3438[10].

As the first post-human, Prince Kon’s extraordinary abilities gave the Terssian Imperium a significant advantage[11][12][13][14] in the last years of the centuries old conflict now known as the War of Unification. (Main article: War of Unification). During the last 17 years his intellect and insight into human nature has propelled scientific advancements[15][16][17][18][19] at a rate unknown in human history. He has been instrumental in unifying the peoples of Artol under the Imperial banner[20][21][22] and is credited with maintaining a peace previously unknown on Artol[23].


Bridge of the Altor-1

"YOUR HIGHNESS THE ENVELOPE IS COLLAPSING WE NEED TO REROUTE POWER TO THE FIELD GENERATOR!" Shouts a clearly distraught, Commander Torden.

The Prince, considers every condition of the ship’s situation, and acts without counsel with some quick taps on his command console. In response the computer states coldly “Envelope holding at 54%.” as the alarms stop blaring. Within the second though, a different alarm whines out of some other part of the bridge. “Your Highness decks 4 and 5 have been jetissoned, there were 4 crew members on those decks.”

“Their sacrifice maintains us, as we speak. Do not cry for them ensign, they are heroes, and we owe them our lives. They shall forever be rememb---“
“Envelope at 32%, envelope collapse imminent.”
What!?! He thinks while doing his best to save the ship.
“Envelope at 20%, envelope collapse imminent.”
“Envelope at 6%”
“5%”
“4%”
“3%”
“2%”
“1%”
…

[Oradro]

Of all the places in the universe, with perhaps the exception of Earth, one will never find the massive variety of foods and beverages as can be found in the inhabited reaches of the Three Galaxies. Basic rations, food stuffs and drinks are easily accessible and usually quite cheap in a blinding assortment of variety and colours for just a few credits. Sometimes however, certain dishes and drinks stand out. Rare vintages, exotic delicacies, and even 'collectors items', food and drink from reclusive or even extinct races and destroyed worlds. This document aims to bring about a little extra detail on everything from the typical traveler's fair and rations, to the exotic dishes one might find at Thraxus' table or hunted after by other ultra elite of Phase World and elsewhere.

Generic Prices:
Beverages: 1-5cr each
Fancy Beverages: 15-120cr each
Rare Beverages: 90-300cr each
Exotic Beverages: 6k-400k each
Ultra-Rare Beverages: 1m+ each

Rations: 5-70cr each
Standard Meal: 8-25 Each
Fancy Meal: 120-4000 each
Ultra Fancy Meal: 90,000-2M each
Exotic Meal: 1-3m each
Ultra-Rare Meal: 3-10m+ per item served.

Sample Meals:

Olympia Onyx Stew: 1,560cr locally 9,325cr off world per average humanoid sized serving.
Originating from a mixed Human/Wulfen settlement on Olympia Four, this stew uses herbs and spices and meat only found on that world. While the ingredients in question are found in relative abundance on the world itself, demand far outpaced production as it was a dish that became vastly popular several years after the introduction of the Consortium Olympics held every two solar years by the CCW. Olympia Onyx Stew is said to have a strong salt and pepper flavour as the meat is marinated in a seasoned brine for several days before being added to the stew where several herbs and vegetables are used to round out the dish. Due to it's popularity the dish is often found off world, where either the ingredients, or even the finished stew are imported.

Ulterra Blood Wine: 84,230cr per bottle
Made on Ultera Two, this alcoholic beverage was initially made for the Royal Kreeghor DeKang who rules the planet and as such is geared towards predatory beings with a supernatural constitution. It's mix of blood, spices and other additives along with it's incredibly high alcoholic content make it highly poisonous to the average being in the Three Galaxies, but is able to be safely consumed by most supernatural MDC races, and can even get them drunk as readily as a human is by a normal bottle of wine. Due to it's affiliation with the TGE and the Kreeghor, it is rarely found outside of TGE space, but has found itself to be quite popular within the TGE itself and can occasionally be found elsewhere as a result.

Everwinter Gin: 320,000- 680,000 per bottle
Made by Wulfen of the Winter Wulves on Ever Winter in Zeta Eplison, this gin is rare due to the trade issues involved with that planet but also the fact that it is undergoing an ice age. However it is this ice age that makes the creation of the gin possible in the first place as the gin is made from frozen berries cultivated on that world and triple filtered through the purest glacier ice before being aged for anywhere from 5-90 years.

Titanis Soda: 4,300 per can
Made on Titanis Two with gases mined on Titanis one, this soda was initially created as a bit of a joke by a HI industries engineer who got tired of living on just ordinary rations and, in his spare time, created a small carbonation machine and used some of the abundant gasses being mined on Titanis one for the development of laser weaponry. Run through a filter to soak out any toxins, the drink proved to have an unusual flavour and could be safely consumed by humans and other races. When HI Industries found out the engineer had been appropriating valuable gasses, he was promptly fired and imprisoned. However the drink had proved so popular with other workers that a petition eventually resulted in his release on the grounds that he forfeit all claim to the drink and HI Industries soon spun it off into it's own production line and put him in charge along with a respectably generous salary. Several years later, it was discovered during a science fair, that due to the gases used in carbonizing the drink it happens to serve quite well as a medium for crude, low powered SDC lasers while still remaining delicious.

Ramos Roast: 37,000 per serving
Made by the Ramen of Ramos Four, an independent system found in the UWW, this dish has been gaining some popularity as of late and it's high price is primarily due to the cost and issues exporting the meat required to make it.

Paratee Paradise Beer: 1200 per bottle
This particular drink doesn't call any one world home, but was instead named after Paratee symbiotes by one of it's hosts who used his symbiotic partner's memories to bring a life long dream of 'the perfect beer' to fruition. Since then the beer has become so popular it's a common offering in most upscale bars across the entirety of the Three Galaxies.

Space Coral Steak: 140,000 per meal
Made from the Space Coral Creature, this stake is only really suitable for consumption by Supernatural and other MDC races. While tough and toxic to some species, this meat is said to have a strong but pleasant flavour. However it's uncommon due to the considerable difficulty in harvesting the meat from the creature in question.

Grongath's Necron Spread: 4.3m Per jar
The story goes that this supposedly meat protein based spread is actually made from Necron parasites. No one is exactly sure what exactly it's really made from or even who's actually behind the production. It's however a relatively common product in upper scale markets of several Splurgoth kingdoms and is said by aficionados to be simultaneously both the most delicious and disgusting food ever created with a texture similar to liver paste mixed with mucus and a slight crunchiness.

Horashi Diamond Shark: 23m per meal.
Horashi Diamond sharks have been extinct for well over a hundred years after the world they called home was destroyed when the sun went supernova. Prior to this they were a relatively common delicacy and reached sizes comparable to large whales. Several attempts had been made to migrate living still living species to other worlds, but the creatures never adapted well and the few remaining captives slowly died off. While several attempts were made at cloning and environmental adaptation, the flavour just wasn't the same and several endeavors to replicate them ended in bankruptcy. Now the only remaining sources are specially preserved cuts that are only very rarely found for sale. The outer layers of the meat are cloudy, but once one cuts deep enough they become perfectly clear, sometimes retaining a light pink or blueish hue. The meat is almost sweet and is incredibly tender when properly cooked.

Pantheran Jugashi: 520cr per meal
Pantheran Jugashi is made from the predatory Jugashi plant, which seems to have more in common with an animal than an actual plant, and tends to derive most of it's sustenance from insects and small mammals local to Seriv. While rare on Seriv due to the destruction of most of the planet's eco system by the long defeated Atorian Empire, the Pantherans were able to successfully breed the Jugashi on several colony worlds once they became a member race of the TGE after the TGE heavily funded Pantheran Freedom fighters during the great TGE Atorian war that saw the destruction and absorption of the Atorian Empire. However due to the radioactive and toxic nature of the Pantherans and the vast majority of life forms from that world, it is not a common dish save among races highly resistant or immune to the effects of radiation and who possess a high tolerance for heavy metals. This also means that any Jugashi must be transported in an appropriately shielded container, but is otherwise fairly easy to preserve and transport. Several attempts to filter out radioactive and heavy metal particles have so far been unsuccessful.

Seljuk Tasari Meat Pie: 200cr per regular meal. 240,000 per tenderized meal
Seljuk Tasari Meat Pie is more of a meat loaf than a pie. Baked in the animals skin as a sort of 'pie shell' the meal is entirely meat based and lacks any actual pastry. In it's normal presentation the meal is indigestible by non MDC races, however over the thousands of years the Seljuk have been part of the Three Galaxies some one along the way figured out how to render the meat into something everyone can enjoy. Unfortunately the process requires a number of rather expensive and hard to get ingredients as well as an industrial grade shredder and a specially created meat grinder. The end result is a meal that smells the same, tastes almost the same and is a very close proximity to the original, at only 1200x the price.

Zembahk Loaf: 47cr (Original) or 638cr (Splurgoth)
Zembahk Loaf is actually two entirely different meals depending on where you find yourself in the Three Galaxies, yet legend has it share an all too common and tragic connection. Used in Bio-Wizardry by the Splurgoth since time immemorial, the Zembahk have rarely been seen by outsiders in their true, undefiled form. However now and then some escape or are rescued by those who would fight back against the slaver kingdoms. Given that they are empathic an telepathic beings it is perhaps no surprise that one of these creatures was able to come up with an amazingly tasty dish thanks to the help of some chef who's name has long since been lost to the annals of history. Indeed it's a dish so delicious, easy to make and liked by the vast majority of races it became a standard in almost every known space port around. However where tale takes a tragic turn is that the legend claims the Zembahk responsible found itself once again in Splurgoth hands. Typical of the cruelty of the Splurgoth minions, some devilish soul came up with the idea of turning the Zembahk responsible into a delicacy loosely based on the very same meal he had created, which was then stuffed inside of him while he was still alive after being carefully cut open and then served, still writhing in pain to a Splurgoth High Lord. Delighting in both the taste and the irony the High Lord soon had it become a regular dish to be served to visitors and it's popularity spread among the sadistic and evil Splurgoth.

Miniature Giant Space Pie: 15-35cr
This dessert's name seems to have sprung up from some joke who's origins are now long forgotten. While there are many different variations for filling, they always share several common traits. First the dish is actually a tiny 'bite sized' pie (Really a tart), usually served in multiples of 5-9 per serving. Secondly they almost always use some sort of fruit based filling though things like chocolate spread and custards have also been used. Thanks to their small size they have also become a common food item in rations geared for spacers, especially among military personnel aboard warships.

Space Minapplesauce: 3,425cr per serving
Uncreatively titled, Space Minapplesauce is none the less a fairly fancy dessert. Made from apples and other ingredients carefully grown in an gourmet artisan food space station circling Sceries-7, Space Minapple sauce is a careful blend of minced zoltaran apple, Igaran pear and T'zee Grannok-47 brandy infused with Heglah berry and mixed in a Zero-G kitchen at the molecular level. This delicate recipe was brought about by the genius of Grand Master Artisan Chef Caffree Dunor after a Space Minotaur that had been acting as security for one of his clients pulverized several crates of his ingredients in a fit of rage due to a payment dispute between the Space Minotaur and the Minotaur's employer. Having no time to gather a fresh batch of ingredients before the dessert was due, Grand Master Artisan Chef Caffree Dunor utilized his brilliance to salvage the situation and save the day. Now you too can enjoy this very same dish in the comfort of your own home while supplies last. Each order comes in it's own hermetically sealed platinum dish with white gold filigree and Grand Master Artisan Cheff Cafree Dunor's personal seal emblazoned on the top.

Dark Lord Brew: 6,000cr per canister
Sealed in a special Zorian Crystal decanter and protected in a shock proof Duralast transport canister, Dark Lord Brew has a lightly nutty and minty taste. Emblazoned with a mysterious hooded being on the brand label on the outside of each signature canister, Dark Lord Brewery jokingly claims each time you open a decanter you can hear the screams of the damned and suffering. This is actually simply an effect of the air tight seal being broken and the special design of the decanter. The actual contents are not evil, cursed, possessed nor will they otherwise cause any sort of harm or suffering to the imbiber.... we promise!

Deep Fried Alahcst: 270cr per serving
Made from chopped Alahcst snail this stew takes several months to properly prepare due to the Alahcst snail's extremely tough meat and the difficulty at catching snails that tend to travel at super sonic speeds. However fortunately the snails are relatively easy to grow and maintain in captivity and the dish has become a fairly common one in the more expensive restaurants found around the Three Galaxies. Alacst snail is said to be quite delicious and normally is served with a side dish of mixed nuts.

Suiak Mayo: 987,000 per tube
Suiak Mayo is produced by the prestigious Suiak Mystic Foods company and contains a rare blend of exotic ingredients to give it that extra tangy kick that's sure to set your tongue a buzz. It also happens to grant an understanding of any spoken language for two minutes after eating. One tube is enough for four servings.

Tiny Green Monk: 85cr per glass
Tiny Green Monk is a rich blend of carefully aged spiced rum and Nadrosil liquor, hand shaken and then poured over ice. Clearly a wise choice for anyone with a discerning pallet.

Ewwie Bowl: -1 to -8500cr per bowl
Ewwie Bowl is not exactly so much a dish as it is a dare. Various restaurants, especially of the lower class variety have taken up this joke around the Three Galaxies and endeavor to make the absolute worst, disgusting dish they can think of to serve to the contestant. If the contestant is able to not only finish the meal, but keep it down for a period of no less than two hours, the guest not only eats for free, but usually wins a certain amount of prize money, gift certificates or simply bragging rights. Any contestant eating this dish must roll Save vs Non-Lethal poison 18 or spend the next 24hrs hurling their guts out.

Zaphod's Last meal: 23,225cr
Named after Zaphod Lecine from Proxio-12, Zaphod's last meal was very literally, and deliberately his last. The inhabitants of Proxio-12 lead what sounds at first to be an idealistic lifestyle. Illness is almost unheard of, ageing has effectively been cured, your every need is taken care of and nothing ever goes wrong, thanks to Strato-3 an AI created by the scientists of Proxio-12 to run their planet, cure disease, poverty and act as supreme ruler over their race. Strato-3 runs highly sophisticated robot drones throughout the Proxio solar system to ensure no pirates or undesirables (Pretty much anyone ever) come even close to Strato-3 to disturb it's residents, and to ensure they don't ever leave. It also made suicide illegal, banned video games, playing out doors, leisurely walks and more than 20 minutes in the sun each day as it's all bad for your health/mind/other reasons. In short the damn thing went insane and basically imprisoned the entire populace in a gilded cage where they all sit and many often get incredibly bored and slowly go insane. Zaphod Lecine however found a work around. He eventually made sufficient arguments to Strato-3 that he was able to get the machine to allow an outsider ship to import select ingredients that by their own were all safe, but when combined in a manner, mixed with ingredients local to Proxio-12 and consumed, amplified stomach acid so much that it instantly dissolved his vital organs and lead to his death before Strato-3's drones could save him. Having given the recipe to several friends before ingesting the meal, along with the necessary ingredients those desperate to find a way out of it all soon followed in Zaphod's steps. It is now the only accepted way for anyone to die on Proxio-12 as a result of it's popularity.

Atlantean Chocolate Truffle: 2cr each
These truffles come in a few different varieties but are traditionally hand rolled and are dusted in finely shredded coconut, cocoa powder or ground Atlantean zateel nut. Sometimes they are mixed in with assorted Atlantean alcohols, primarily brandy, champagne or wine. Given how far and wide Atlanteans have been known to travel these deserts or variations there of can be readily found across the entirety of the Three Galaxies, sometimes using far more exotic ingredients. In more recent years it was discovered that many shared a distinct similarity, right down to ingredients with a desert sometimes found being made on Earth.

Eeitarin Salts: 2cr-60,000cr a pound
Eeitarin salts are not so much a food as a food ingredient. The salts are actually a byproduct of a small mineral based Eeitarin, which seem to only possess a sort of rudimentary animal intelligence. The Eeitarin consume other rocks, mineral based creatures, occasional organics and an assortment of metals for sustenance and are even known to occasionally resort to cannibalism. The salts are actually a sort of waste product that builds up on the Eeitarin forming a 'shell' of crystals which can be harmlessly removed from the creatures, ground up and used as salt in foods. Over time it was found that feeding the Eeitarin a different mix or variety of foods could flavour the salts, fleck them with certain minerals like gold and silver or even slightly alter the texture.

[Oradro]

Cooking equipment in the Three Galaxies, much as anywhere else has an almost infinite number of brands, makes and uses. Some models are so common it's impossible to go anywhere in the Three Galaxies and not have at least heard of a given brand's product, in other cases while the utensil, machine or other equipment is well known, it's makers are long gone. Dead, out of business or even long extinct. This of course has lead to a practice of assorted fancy restaurants and chefs claiming the use of one specific rare piece of equipment or another making difference while others insist it has an effect on the taste, flavour and even texture. In some cases they are even right, in others it's far more questionable but in the end each Chef is their own and the price for such equipment can run just a few credits to billions. There are however certain machines that stand out above the rest, if only because of their specific purpose or features.

Crasus Ultimate Automatic Barman: 980k or 2.3m
The Crassus Ultimate Automatic Barman is a product found sold on Phase-World and few other places. This is specifically due to it's primary model's use of phase field and contragraivty generators, even though they do offer a 'lower grade' branded product that does without the phase generators, which are used to manipulate, stir, shake and mix assorted alcohols and beverages. It also comes with a full suite of sensors, forty separate feed tubes and even three separate ice dispensers which can be individually calibrated to rapidly mix up almost any drink it's owner cares to come up with. It comes with a well stocked list of assorted beverages one can mix up along with what ingredients must be hooked up to the machine in order to make it and is able to dispense them at the desired temperature from boiling to frozen solid and everything in between. Of course it also happens to be an extremely large machine, but it's designers took this into account, shaping it like a mid sized bar top, with the drinks being dispensed through one of six different hatches on the top of the machine. Larger variations that can store a wider mix are available at an additional cost, or even a modular attachment that can feed through and clean a steady source of cups, mugs, glasses be they reusable or disposable. Perfect for setting up small automated bars aboard space ships, in space ports or other establishments. The machine can even take several anti tampering, anti-theft system upgrades and even an extra armored casing. For such inquiries please contact Crasus Machines Inc and we would be glad to provide you with a custom quotation to meet your specific needs.

[Kesslan]

Pantherans in the UWW:

The only place in the Three Galaxies where the 'old ways' of the Pantherans is still practised in day to day life is in the UWW on the Pantheran Colony world of Serivan. Much like the true homeworld of the Pantheran race, Serivan is to many other races a toxic, radioactive mess. In this instance however the situation isn't as naturally occurring as it had been on Seriv. Instead Serivan was clearly the victim of some long ago war that destroyed much of it's ecosystem and by the looks of things, lead to the extinction of what ever race had once populated the planet. At present the global population is estimated to be roughly 2.7 billion Pantheran planet side with another 1.85 billion working in orbital facilities such as ship yards and asteroid mining as well as the major trading post for the planet (It's not that people are not allowed to land on Serivan, it's simply that very few want to and it's easier to give them safe accommodations aboard the space station). There are smaller colonies or gatherings on other worlds in the UWW where trading posts and more 'modern' Pantheran can be found, but most of these have populations numbering only a few thousand to roughly just under one million in the largest of these other locations and there are another several million or so presently serving in the UWW armed forces in varying capacities though primarily as warriors.

Serivan itself has a number of ancient ruins, most of which are not in very good shape, or at least not as such as has been discovered to date. Much of the southern regions of the planet are actually nearly uninhabitable even to the Pantheran to this day and is comprised up mostly of blasted rock, stand, dust, volcanic ash and even large ponds, rivers and even a small ocean of toxic sludge and even acid. Little if anything lives in this region and it still shows ancient signs of the detonation of large scale weapons of mass destruction. The area is also known to be heavily inhabited by assorted ghost like creatures such as tectonic entities, banshee like creatures and other such things drawn to places of great misery, despair and death. Further north however the land has slowly begun to recover. Here the last vestiges of native life compete with imported Pantheran fauna and flora from Seriv and has even resulted in several cross breed species, some of whom are quite dangerous even to the well armed. It is in these regions that several cities can be found as well as a number of towns and other small settlements, each overseen by various clans and splinter factions. All however show a slightly higher degree of propensity to magical pursuits than found in the rest of the Pantheran race, if only because the area attracted most of the magically gifted of the species in the first place.

Here, the world is overseen by a council of elders and clan leaders who only really gather to discuss matters of great importance such as things that will impact the entirety of Serivan or large tracts of land, new deals within the UWW and so on. Beyond that each region sticks to it's own particular tribal like customs and there is a far greater reliance of magic over technology to accomplish similar tasks and goals than found on other worlds Pantherans populate in number. Traditional worship of Pantheran deities, ritualized hunts and passages into adulthood are common every day occurrences on Serivan to the extent the world sees a fair bit of transient travel from other portions of the Three Galaxies for spiritual matters. It is also here that most of the 'old' world ideas and concepts of a greater good/greater whole are still held dear (Only matched perhaps by the populations found scattered about the CCW). Because of this Serivan also sees the greatest concentration of Pantheran Priests or Shaman depending on the term one wishes to use.

The UWW is also almost unique for the unity presented by the Pantherans. While there are many clans, there are few serious rivalries and most issues are settled quickly according to ancient law and most Pantheran in the UWW are of a good alignment. That isn't to say things are always settled peacefully as there are often duels to the death or very limited warfare between clans to decide matters. In the end however an eye is always kept to what, at least in theory, should be best for all involved.

Other notable locations in the UWW involving the Pantheran are as follows:

Irr'gah Training Academy:
Population:

• Permanent: Approximately 320,000 Staff
• Transient: Between 360,000-500,000 Cadets annually

Size: Large (10 mile diameter, 6 Million MDC)
Function: Military (400 points, 20 Defence, 10 internal security, 10 supplies)
Power Systems: Magic (40 Points)
Defences: Magic (60 Points), Point Defence Weapon System (5 Points), Shields (20,000 MDC, 20 Points), Space Fighters (3 Squadrons, 45 points)
Sensors: Superior Sensors (40 Points)
Communications: Advanced Communication (15 points)
Station Maintenance: Top Priority (15 Points)
Supplies: Self-Sufficient (25 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Private Security Force (20 points), Magic/Psionic Security (20 points)
Security Systems: High-Tech Security Measures (50 Points)
Medical Facilities: Psychich/Magic Healing (40 Points)
Environmental Systems: Advanced System (25 Points)
Independent Business: None
Transients: Closed Station (60 points)

Irr'gah Training Academy is the largest Pantheran space station with several outlaying related training and support facilities. It is here that most of the Pantherans that wish to join the defence forces of the UWW come to train every year. Military training varies between 1-8 years depending on if one is training to become a basic grunt, or a specialist of some sort (including military magical personnel). While most of the personnel at the station are Military, there are still a large number of civilian support and medical staff and other related professions. Those who are not Pantheran are almost never welcome aboard the station and even Pantherans who are not part of the military or are directly employed by the station are rarely welcome and even when they are, they are only tolerated for short periods of time.

Serivan Trade Station:
Population: 14,000,000
Size: City Size (70 miles, 110 Docking Ports, 20 Million MDC)
Station Function: Government Owned (525 Points)
Power Systems: Magic (40 Points)
Defences: Shields (12,000 MDC, 12 points), Point Defence Weapon Systems (5), Magic Defence (60), Space Fighters (4 Squadrons, 60 Points)
Sensors: Superior (40 points)
Communications: Stellar (40 points)
Station Maintenance: High Priority (8 points)
Supplies: Super-Efficient (40 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Private Security Force (20 points), Magic/Psionic Security (10 points)
Security Systems: Maximum Security Measures (25 Points)
Medical Facilities: Full Hospital (75 points)
Environmental Systems: Super Advanced System (40 points)
Independent Business: Big Business (50 points)
Transients: 30% (5 points)

The Serivan Trade Station is arguably the most important asset the Pantherans of the UWW have. It is here that the vast majority of trade, negotiations and other dealings with other races takes place. The station itself has a fairly open door policy accepting anyone who arrives in need of services. With it's advanced environmental systems capable of handling just about any race to be found in the UWW it also finds itself being used as a common stop over point between long trips. As a result there's often a high transient population to be found at the station, and more than a few tracers, mercenaries and traders call the station home, if even only for a short while. It also sports a sizable salvage yard, major dealerships from across the UWW and CCW and even on rare occasion traders from the TGE. While most of the services at the station are geared towards Pantherans, most are either able to easily accommodate other races or can quickly point people to shops that offer the sorts of services they are seeking (Such as tattoos (Though more common is semi to permanent fur dye jobs and scarification and especially piercings), laundry, repair shops, massage, banks, bars, hotels, weapon stores etc)

[Kesslan]

Pantherans in the TGE:

Seriv, homeworld of the Pantheran race remains deep in what is now the Transgalactic Empire. The planet is but a shadow of what it once was, factories and energy plants now cover the world horizon to horizon with only a few tiny parts of the world left untouched by the devastation of war or of technological progress. These scant few zones are zealously guarded by Pantherans and only the most elite can even set foot upon the few remaining untouched areas of the planet. Punishment for breaking this rule is death, Pantheran or not unless proper authorization has been given. Even then one must be careful of the few remaining specimens of flaura and fauna in these zones, for even the elite can be punished by a death sentence for unlawful disruption of nature in these zones. Outside of these park reserves only 17 estates exist that have similar lands, each however is ruled over by it's owner in what ever manner is deemed fit though even they face severe punishment if they are too careless.

Unlike other parts of the Three Galaxies, many of the Pantherans in the TGE serve the empire not only willingly, but just as brutally as one could possibly imagine. The only thing TGE Pantherans will not condone is slavery outside of a strict set of rules that governs indentured servitude. That isn't to say there aren't Pantheran slavers, given that slavery is common in the TGE, but only the most foul will even consider it. Even in the heart of the TGE however, most do not condone slavery given their race's history. The average Pantheran in the TGE is of an Aberrant alignment. Most still cling to the trappings of duty and honour but are brutal and thuggish in their application of the law. Of the rest, the vast majority are pirates, brigands and blood thirsty murderers at best.

While the TGE was once home to the majority of the Pantheran race, these days only roughly 1.2 billion remain in the entirety of the TGE. Of these, the vast majority serve in the TGE military. Several notable members in fact can be found among the ranks of the Invincible Guard (And most of those actually have naturally occurring super powers while others are augmented to such levels through the standard methods). It is in the TGE that the majority of those with super powers and high physical training exist. Most of the Pantheran in the TGE military serve as shock troops and special forces units while the rest often focus on research into military interests such as new armour, weaponry, space ships and more. The TGE is also home to the only fully Pantheran owned and operated ship yard, which orbits Seriv. This station was built upon the remains of the Atorian Empire space station that had once existed in orbit to oppress the Pantheran people and had been taken by force and retooled for war back in the fledgling days of the Empire when it was still a Dominion. As such is has a long history of producing quality, military grade ships and almost exclusively builds ships for the TGE military, though every few years one or two commission slots open up for sufficiently wealthy patrons to bid on. It was because of this station and the Atorian made factories on the planet below that the Pantherans in the TGE once held a relatively high place of power. Time however has slowly shifted importance to other worlds and races with far larger populations.

None the less, to this day Pantherans can be often found in the highest ranks of the TGE military and politics. They are also known for often getting along with Wolfen as they share somewhat similar senses of honour and duty but this can lead to rather fierce competition between the two races. Beyond this relations with the Atorian, Thropo and Mantella to this day have remained strained at best and brawls are especially common between Pantherans and the Mantella. The Thropo on the other hand have at least earned some grudging respect from most Pantherans as they too share a sense of honour but there's still a good deal of resentment against them for their part in subjugating Seriv and the Pantheran race under the old Atorian Empire. Where the Atorians are concerned however, most of the bad feelings are actually strictly towards females of the race as it was they who subjugated all other races (and especially the male populations). None the less there's still bad feelings towards Atorians in general because 'An Atorian is an Atorian' in the minds of most Pantheran.

Notable Locations and individuals:
Seriv Ship Yards:
Population: 2,000,000
Size: Large (12 mile diameter, 6 million MDC)
Station Function: Military (400 points, 20 Defence, 10 Internal Security, 10 Supplies)
Power Systems: Experimental (50 points)
Defences: Shields (25,000, 25 points), Point Defences (5 points), Heavy Weapons (40 points), Space Fighters (3 Squadrons, 45 points)
Sensors: Superior (40 Points)
Communications: Stellar Communication (40 points)
Station Maintenance: Automation (35 points)
Supplies: Semi-Self Sufficient (10 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Local Law Enforcement (10 points)
Security Systems: High-Tech Security Measures (50 points)
Medical Facilities: Full-Staffed Medical Bay (10 points)
Environmental Systems: Basic System (10 points)
Independent Business: Trading Post (10 poitns)
Transients: Closed Station (60 points)

Seriv Shipyards isn't the most welcoming place to outsiders, mostly because the Pantherans have never bothered to upgrade the environmental systems to something more welcoming to other races. In fact, the environmental systems in place in many cases date back all the way to the days of the Atorian Empire when the station housed Thropo and Mantella troops (Two of the only races in the AE that could handle the atmosphere on Seriv). The station does have a small section of the station that's more suitable to other races but this section is almost never used as it was once the home of the Atorian planetary duchess and now only houses Khreegor royalty or other important visitors on extremely rare occasion. Despite this there is a small trade section on the station to handle off world trade as well as some minor medical facilities. However given the station's proximity to Seriv and the vast majority of the population being Pantheran, most medical cases that are severe enough are simply transported planet side where far more advanced care can be given. Seriv itself also houses a far larger trading zone with environmental controls to handle just about any visitor though the whole place is fairly utilitarian and unwelcoming if only because of it's factory like surroundings.


General Ikearral Jerrnath of Invincible Guard
Level: 12
Alignment: Aberrant
IQ:20, ME:20, MA:17 PS:35 (Supernatural), PP:20 PE:19 (Supernatural), PB:16 SPD:12
MDC: 605 - Regenerates 1d4X10 per minute.
PPE: 11
ISP: 310
Powers: Metal Form, Psionic Powers (Meditation, Suppress Fear, Enhance Reflexes, Resist Damage, Resit Magic, Clairvoyant Prediction, Psionic Seeking, Alter Memory, Empathic Charisma, Empathy: Superior, Hypnotic Control, Induce Amnesia, Mentally Control Others, Telepathy: Superior, Telekenisis: Super, Psychich Body Field, See the Invisible, Psionic Invisibility)
Skills: Climbing, Swimming, Radio basic, Pilot: Contragravity Pack, Pilot: Advanced Spacecraft, Power Armour Combat: Basic, Read Sensory Equipment, Weapon Systems, Movement: Zero Gravity, Gymnastics, Boxing, Kick Boxing, Math: Basic, Math: Advanced, Calligraphy, Art, Cooking (Professional), Lore: Magic, Lore: Deamons & Monsters, Lore: Psionics, Law: TGE, WP E-Pistol, WP E-Rifle, WP Heavy, WP Heavy MD, WP Sword, WP Knife, WP Targeting, Fencing, HTH Assassin
Racial/Physical Bonuses (Not including HTH or WPs or racial save bonuses):
+1 Perception
+6% To all Skills
+1 Attack
+1 Initiative
+3 Strike
+5 Parry
+5 Dodge
+3 Roll with Impact
+3 Save vs Psionic Attack
+3 Save vs Insanity
+2 Save vs Magic
+2 Save vs Poison
+8% Save vs Coma/Death
Trust/Intimidate: 45%
Charm/Impress: 30%

General Ikerral Jernath is among the most powerful Pantherans in the TGE. A veteran of many military campaigns and political manoeuvrings she is feared across the TGE as a brutal task master and troubleshooter and is even reputed to have personally killed a Cosmo-Knight in single combat. Her position has given her considerable wealth, power and prestige and her loyalty to the Empire is entirely unquestioned, having proven it time and time again to the point many consider her a fanatic. Most would be shocked to find out that she is far from. Indeed the general has been slowly building up a 'special task force' made up exclusively of Pantheran forces over the years, and outfitted them with the best equipment money can buy and used them to further both her own goals and undermine the TGE. Specifically they are often sent on secret black ops missions to undermine the Empire and help it's enemies, especially among the Free Worlds Council and the CCW. These dealings however are always kept absolutely secret and handled through several cut-outs she won't hesitate to kill if she feels the need arise. Her sole interest is in making Seriv truly free and ideally fall under the realm of the CCW or UWW where Pantherans could at last have some measure of true independence at long last. She knows however that she's playing a long and dangerous game and more than once has betrayed those working for her to prevent having her true motives revealed. Indeed she even makes a point of it on occasion just so she has a valid excuse any time some one brings up accusations of collusion with the enemy. Why yes, she did work with the enemy and feed them information and aid them. All the better to get them to trust her and reveal the location of their allies and forces so she can move in and crush them with the full might of the TGE military!

At present one of her plans is to try to force the Emperor's hand in sending a fleet large enough to capture Battlefield. Ideally of course with her at the helm, or at least high up enough in the chain of command that she can murder whom ever does get command, and then turn the force upon the Empire in a bloody coup much as the Emperor rightly fears could happen, as she's hardly the only one with such plots and schemes. Still it's something she considers a long shot and she has other plans in motion.

[Kesslan]

Pantherans in the CCW:

While the UWW holds the greatest concentration of Pantherans in the Three Galaxies, the CCW actually comes fairly close, though the populations there are far more scattered and diverse. All told there are roughly 2.78 Billion Pantherans scattered about the CCW. In the CCW you can just as easily find a 'modern' Pantheran as a 'Traditionalist' and it's not uncommon for them to travel between the UWW and the CCW territories, especially where the traditionalists are concerned. Of more interesting note is that of all the races in the Three Galaxies, there are few races the Pantherans get along with as well as the Catyr. While the average Pantheran can't match a Catyr's supernatural abilities (Though a small percentage that display certain super abilities can), Pantherans are, just like the Catyr, radioactive. As such the conditions on Catyr-Ra and aboard Catyr space stations and ships don't bother Pantherans at all. If anything it even feels a bit like home! So much so in fact it's not uncommon to find Pantherans in the CCW vacationing on Catyr-Ra and other Catyr communities. While the two races don't always get along, the vast majority do, especially as they face many of the same problems among other CCW races who fear them for their radioactivity. This actually lead to a joint venture several years ago between Catyr and Pantherans to build a small specialized shipyard that builds ships specially designed for use by radioactive races as well as (to a lesser extent) other races that are toxic or have unusual atmospheric requirements.

The average Pantheran in the CCW tends to be a mercenary, tracer, spacer or scientist though a fair number can be found in the CCW military as well, though they are not as common as in the TGE despite having a higher population base. Pantherans in the CCW are as likely to be Aberrant as they are to be Principled with a respectable mix in between. As in the TGE a bit of a rivalry has developed between the Wolfen and Pantherans, though it's of a far friendlier nature and has actually lead to fairly good relations between the two races as well as with the Seljuk and other 'honourable' races. In fact, in recent years the Pantherans in the CCW have started trying to duplicate the Wolfen Quatoria program but have met some mixed success due to the fact they have far less developed training programs and implant technologies. Also of note is that unlike the Wolfen, the Pantherans of the CCW and TGE don't tend to bear each other any particular ill will as both sides realize they are simply fighting for survival of the race and it's not uncommon to hear that survivors of a fight between CCW and TGE Pantherans to be let go or some how 'escape capture' rather than be taken prisoner. This isn't always the case of course but even then prisoners held by either side often wind up among their own kind (Due to their radioactivity) where they at least receive better treatment in general than they would elsewhere.

Beyond this most Pantherans in the CCW don't really have a place to call home or at least not their own. Several attempts have been made over the years to organize a proper colonization effort but with so many of the suitable worlds already spoken for, most viable locations are on the fringes of the CCW and thus make efforts far more difficult. As a result most Pantherans tend to grow up on space stations and space ships. This however seems to rarely bother the Pantherans and many in the CCW often question if a new planet to call their own is really that necessary. After all, did they not leave Seriv after the fall of the Atorian Empire and the rise of the TGE and have they not survived just fine ever since? Still, some yearn to at least have firm ground beneath their feet. Regardless most of the Pantherans in the CCW are so fractured many don't belong to a 'clan' the way most Pantheran of the TGE and UWW do, and as a result few groups have the resources necessary to even make an attempt to colonize a planet. Still, every now and then a leader rises among the Pantheran and manages to band enough of them together to make an attempt. Others have at least forged new clans or reforged old ones so there are a few clans around the CCW. None however have shown the unity and collective work that they have in the TGE and UWW where multiple clans banded together and formed councils and pooled resources. If they did, their colonization efforts would likely be considerably more successful.

Notable Locations:
Cat Enterprises Shipyard and R&D Center
Population: 216,000
Size: Medium (17,000ft, 200,000 MDC, 11 docking ports)
Function: Scientific (300 points, 10 Sensors, 10 Medical, 10 Power)
Power Systems: Matter/Anti-matter (20 Points)
Defences: Point Defence Weapon Systems (5 Points), Medium Weapon Systems (20 Points), Point Defence Satellites (2 points)
Sensors: Enhanced Sensors (20 Points)
Communications: Advanced Communication (15 points)
Station Maintenance: High Priority (8 points)
Supplies: Semi-Self Sufficient (10 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Local Law Enforcement (10 points), Magic/Psionic Security (10 points)
Security Systems: Medium Security Measures (10 points)
Medical Facilities: Full-Staffed Medical Bay (10 points)
Environmental Systems: Complete Eco System (100 points)
Independent Business: Big Business (50 points)
Transients: 5% (40 points)

Cat Enterprises is a bit of a joke name wise because the staff at the station as well as the owners of the corporation are members of the Catyr and Pantheran races. Able to take a joke the joint venture company decided to make fun of itself because the founders realized others would likely do the same and why not capitalize on it and even use it as a marketing gimmick? The station's primary function is R&D and Small to Medium scale space craft with a focus on clientele races who are Radioactive (Such as the Catyr and Pantherans) or have other special environmental needs. While most of the ships produced by Cat Enterprises are civilian models, they do occasionally produce ships that are near to military specifications (And can produce military grade craft if a properly authorized member of the CCW Military ever approached them). Beyond this most of the R&D conducted at the station focuses on building better space craft and space stations, FTL systems, Search and Rescue and communication equipment. More recently much of the research budget has started going into Search and Rescue to try and develop specialized space craft for S&R operations as there are few if any specialized craft for such purposes in the Three Galaxies, and yet every year there are plenty of space craft and space stations that run into problems and require emergency assistance. While most of their ships aimed at corporations and Search and Rescue maintain a professional appearance, many of their civilian ships tend to have a cat motif of one sort or another and most of their ships tend to have some model name that's takes a poke at cat like names such as the Bigglesworth Shuttle which even comes with a free scratching post for your pet cat (Also makes a great gift for some one who has a cat if you don't!). This has actually lead to them branching out into the pet market especially for spacers. As such they are well known for their offering of a wide range of custom environmental enclosures for your favourite pets to keep them safe in the event of a hull breach and have even started recently manufacturing combat armour and equipment for trained attack animals. They also manufacture pet food, enclosures and exercise products all made with a spacer in mind. For those with the funds to do so, they even offer custom work with most of such clientele base in the market being zoos and similar institutions.

Egrin-III
Sponsoring Organization: Independent
Size: Colony
Population: 60,000
General Alignment: Principled
Trade Policies: Flexible and pragmatic
Environment around Colony Site: Harmful levels of Radiation, Dense Rain Forest/Jungle
Notable or Special Natural Resource: Vacation Spot: Exotic
Initial Buildings/Facilities:

• Armoury
• Barracks
• Bio-Dome: Agriculture
• Construction Vehicles: Medium & Heavy/Mining
• Drill: Well/Water, Oil Rig
• Farm: Grain Silo
• Factory: Flower Mill & Vehicle
• Fortification: Light Fence, Double-Door, Watchtower, Gun Tower, Wall
• Laboratory: Chemistry
• Mechanics' Garage
• Mess Hall, Kitchen and Dining
• Mining Facility
• Monument
• Recycling Tanks
• Refrigeration Unit
• School
• Storage Building: Food
• Tach-Line Transmitter
• Water Collection, Processing and Purification System

Medical Facility: Small Hospital
Primary Source of Energy: Nuclear Power Plant
Primary Source of Transportation: Good range of vehicles
Security/Fighting Force: Colonial Soldiers
Outside Threats: Demons
Indigenous People: None
Special:
Ancient Ruins 800,000+ years old: Ancient Tomb (90% Worms of Taut)

Egrin-III is one of the few rare oddities out in the Three Galaxies where it has a complete and vast ecosystem capable of sustaining life, but is horrifically radioactive. As such for a long time it went uncolonized with the only interest being from the Catyr who could handle the harsh radioactive conditions. indeed it was the Catyr who for the longest time held the colonization rights to the planet but for various financial reasons had never gotten around to making a full on colonization effort. Roughly 80 years ago one group of Pantheran reached a deal with the Catyr over colonization rights to the planet. In exchange for the colonization rights, the Pantheran would share mining and touristy rights with the Catyr. This arrangement finally lead to a proper colonization effort that has proven relatively successful and the colony world has just started turning a profit from it's mining efforts while offering some rather niche tourism on the side with some breathtaking views. Recently however one of the mining surveyor teams has gone missing as did the search party sent out to look for them. To make matters worse, worms of Taut have some how started appearing and attacking colonists and besieging the colony. Fortunately the Pantherans who launched the colony invested a large percentage of their budget into defence and have thus far been able to combat the incursion. However their local security force has it's hands full just trying to keep the colony safe and hasn't been able to launch more than a few failed attempts to locate the source of the trouble. As such there is a standing offer seeking mercenary assistance. The offer however is somewhat low due to the colony's small budget and as such has so far been passed over, with no group taking the contract.

[Kesslan]

Pantherans elsewhere in the Three Galaxies and Beyond

Beyond the borders of the TGE, UWW and CCW Pantherans can actually be found in reasonable numbers as the race has really taken to spreading itself across the stars. That doesn't mean every venture has done well however. There are on the fringes of space places where attempted colonies have failed and been wiped out, leaving nothing but ruins and abandoned equipment and structures behind. Some are due to hostile aliens, others due to diseases that overwhelm even the hardy Pantherans or it's from a lack of supplies and sustainability or any other number of related causes. Still there are a few notable places out on the fringes where Pantherans can be found, and it is out here that some of the most notorious of them can be found. Places like Starfang Station and Tarr'nah Corrith are some of the worst, while others are just struggling communities trying to get by.

Places of Interest:
Starfang Station:
Population: 16 million
Size: City (80 Mile diameter, 150 Docking Ports, 30 million MDC)
Station Function: Private Business (500 Points, 20 Independent Business, 10 Supplies, 10 Environmental Systems)
Power Systems: Nuclear, Solar and Battery (0 points)
Defences: Shields (27,000, 27 points), Armoured Hull (20 points) Point Defence Weapon Systems (5 Points), Medium Weapon Systems (20 points), Heavy Weapons (40 Points), Space Fighters (4 Squadrons, 60 points), 16 Medium Defence Satellites (40 Points)
Sensors: Scouts (10 points), Enhanced Sensors (20 points)
Communications: Galactic Standard (5 points)
Station Maintenance: Secondary Priority (3 Points)
Supplies: Super-Efficient (40 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Crack Security Force (35 points), Magic/Psionic Security (30 points)
Security Systems: Magic Security Measures (20 points)
Medical Facilities: Full Hospital (75 points)
Environmental Systems: Super Advanced (40 points)
Independent Business: Big Business (50 points)
Transients: 40% (0 points)

Starfang Station is a well defended den of pirates, smugglers, slavers, bounty hunters and the general scum of the megaverse. Located on the fringes past the CCW Starfang station is largely owned, run and operated by the Starfang Clan, Pantherans that fled the TGE after the defeat of the Atorian Empire. The best of the lot are Aberrant, but many are simply self serving miscreants. It's one of the few places in the Three Galaxies where Pantherans openly not only condone slavery, but openly support it. Be it their own kind or (preferably) other races. The Starfang clan looks down on many other races as either inferior or simply unworthy. Necessity however has seen them broker deals with a multitude of other races and Starfang Station, once a Colony turned into a fortified safe haven for some of the worst scum imaginable. Here known pirate crews can find safe haven and resupply as well as all manner of relaxation from gambling and prostitution to gladiatorial pit fights and more. In return they have to forfeit 25% of their take or pay extravagant docking fees as well as face harassment and even possibly seizure of their vessel for 'failure to pay'. 'Normal' visitors to the station on the other hand face docking fees that are easily twice the going rate anywhere else in the Three Galaxies and traders are 'encouraged' to 'donate' as much as 10% of their cargo to the station (Mostly because it's just assumed they are Pirates). Prices in StarFang are relatively high in general, with most of the money being funnelled into the clan's coffers to support the station and it's often times heavy handed security force. On the other hand, just about anything is available for the right price, especially things that are illegal elsewhere. Slaves are often used for mining and maintenance jobs with only a handful of actual paid technicians to come inspect things when it's something serious (Such as a hull breach or problems with the power system). Even then slaves are forced to do the majority of the grunt work.

Corruption is common place in Starfang, though few members of the actual Starfang Clan will do anything to put the station at risk. It is however possible to simply buy your way out of jail for crimes such as rape, murder and theft as long as the victim wasn't a member of the clan. Transients and others living in the station are fair game for what passes for the 'justice system' and it's one that, much like the TGE, simply presumes guilt until proven innocent (or a sufficiently high bribe is paid) except when dealing with other Pantherans. Pantherans, being 'better' than other races are usually assumed to be innocent. While gangs are common place in the station, many get regularly shaken down by the station security and every now and then the security force comes in and wipes one out as a lesson to the others.

Starfang Station is presently seeking to upgrade it's power supply, ideally with Matter/Anti-matter reactors, fusion plants or other common and relatively easy to maintain power sources. They make it commonly known that anyone who happens to 'liberate' power sources big enough to power the station will be richly rewarded (They still won't pay more than Black Market pricing for it but they are willing to throw in a few 'extras' as an added incentive such as slaves, drugs, vouchers for use in local shops etc or even some coveted apartment space)

Tarr'nah Corrith:
Population: 7.6 Million
Size: City (60 mile diameter, 80 docking ports, 62.5 million MDC)
Function: Industrial (500 points, 10 Power, 10 Supplies)
Power Systems: 2 Matter/Antimatter Reactors (40 points)
Defences: Shield (35,000 MDC 35 points), Point Defence Weapon Systems (5 points), Medium Weapon Systems (20 points), Heavy Weapons (40 points), Armoured Hull (20 points), Space Fighters (8 Squadrons, 120 points)
Sensors: Superior Sensors (40 points), Scouts (10 points),
Communications: Galactic Standard (5 points)
Station Maintenance: Top Priority (15 points)
Supplies: Semi-Self Sufficient (10 points)
Internal Security Personnel: Private Security Force (20 points)
Security Systems: High-Tech Security Measures (50 points)
Medical Facilities: Psychich/magic Healing (40 points)
Environmental Systems: Basic (10 points)
Independent Business: Market Place (20 points)
Transients: 5% (20 points)

Tarr'nah Corrith is actually a semi mobile Astroid Eater that was first built in the UWW but went independent, took off and never looked back. It's been slowly crawling along unclaimed asteroid belts since and slowly chewing them up and trading the resulting ores and minerals for needed supplies ever since. As a result it maintains a decent market area and welcomes all peaceful travellers. That said they don't' look too closely at the records of any given ship and as long as the crew behave they'll readily serve pirates and slavers same as anyone else. When times get tough for supplies they've also been known to look the other way when more notorious and well known brigands show up, so long as they have something worth trading for that the station requires. The station even offers discounted docking fees(And sometimes free if they are desperate enough) for any ship bringing in a large shipment of supplies and pays fair market price for any goods, with offerings going up or down depending on the station's needs at the time.

Most of the Asteroid Eater's bad reputation comes from it's willingness to deal with questionable parties, as well as a heavy reliance on indentured servitude. While the Station itself doesn't condone slavery, they do make everyone that lives on station either pay, or work to be there. This has on many occasions resulted in individuals with too little money making barely more than enough in a day to pay rent and food costs and occasional price spikes have been known to wipe out the savings of entire families as a result, forcing them all into indentured servitude. To make matters worse, indentured servants are charged very high interest rates on the money they owe, and are paid the lowest wages on the station which often results in people getting stuck in the system, never able to pay off their debts long enough to leave. There are however at least rules and regulations in place to ensure that indentured servants are able to retain certain rights and freedoms and there is an established minimum wage for servants as well as minimum requirements for access to medical care and food.

Clan Rasharr Fleet:
At one point in time Clan Rasharr was one of the larger clans on Seriv though not quite on par with a super power nation. However they had a rather large warrior caste that put them easily on par with several clans larger than they were. This was further backed by their closest ally, Clan Jarrkath. During the rebellion against the Atorian Empire, backed by the Khreeghor Dominion (Prior to the KD transforming into the Trans-Galactic Empire) Rasharr and Jarrkath merged after the majority of Jarrkath holdings and land (Along with a sizable portion of the clan in question) were wiped out by an Atorian orbital bombardment. This event inevitably thrust Clan Rasharr at the head of the rebellion and, thanks to the backing of the Dominion, left them with the largest navy Seriv managed to field in space during the war (And remained the largest Pantheran naval forces post war. ). After the war with the Atorian Empire was won, Clan Rasharr, wary of their experiences with the Atorian Empire pledged themselves to the Khreeghor Dominion on a conditional probationary basis. Under these terms they went on to serve the Khreeghor Dominion for over 150 years until the agreement (based in part on the value of the warships that were given them during the war along with additional ships built during this time) had expired. It was however at this point that Clan Rasharr rather abruptly refused to permanently join the Khreeghor Dominion, citing concerns over Khreeghor rulership and promptly waged minor absorption wars against several smaller Pantheran clans. Shortly after this event, taking their considerable assets with them, the Rasharr clan fleet left Dominion space and for all intent and purpose, vanished from collective galactic history for almost 600 years. However historians have since managed to trace the movements of the fleet (more or less) through the Three Galaxies where the fleet acted as a very large mercenary force for hire.

As time passed and leadership changed, Clan Rasharr began mixing mercenary work with outright piracy, often targeting shipyards and lone ships. While they rarely killed the crews, they inevitably always seized the ships. Most crews were simply left on the nearest habitable planet or space station and left there. Interestingly crews that had put up a serious fight, and were deemed honourable, were often left in locations where they were more likely to either be picked up by passing ships or even on larger stations where they could easily find passage home. For many years the tales went on that the fleet continued to grow in size, picking up a large oddball assortment of ships until it became a floating armada made up of everything from transports and salvage ships to a hodgepodge of military ships and fightercraft.

The last major action Clan Rasharr was recorded to have been involved in, was a raid in CCW space of an orbital ship manufacturing facility. Initially the facility had been assumed destroyed in the fighting but CCW intel has more recently revealed that not only did Clan Rasharr seize and relocate the facility, but they have raided other similar facilities and factories to acquire the parts to expand it and have been putting the facility into overdrive producing new ships of entirely Pantheran design. While it is obvious these ships are all military in origin, to date the CCW has been unable to tell where the final ships have been relocated to, much less to what end. With the Forge War and the Intruders stealing the main focus of their attention, the CCW has put strikes on the facility on hold for the time being but they keep a watchful eye and have already drawn up several strike plans especially in light of more disturbing revelations regarding Clan Rasharr. Meanwhile Clan Rasharr continues to take occasional mercenary contracts and raid shipping along the far edges of the CCW borders, but it seems the clan has so far held back all the newly created ships, and instead relies on their much older and often ancient assets (several of which are literally collectors items now, or would be if anyone could convince them to part with the ships in question).

While the motives of Clan Rasharr are no longer known for certain, what is known is the following:
Almost all Clan Rasharr members are of Aberrant alignment

Clan Rasharr has become highly militarized. Unlike other Pantheran clans, not a single individual of Clan Rasharr is considered a 'civilian', all are given intensive military training.

Clan Rasharr doesn't seem to care who they work for so long as the contracts are honoured on both sides to the best abilities of both parties. In cases where employers have failed to pay what was owed, Clan Rasharr is known to have come in with a sizeable fleet and take payment by force, often with a steep 'penalty fee'.

They are well known for executing or assassinating those specific individuals that double cross them.

The most common way of settling matters between clan members is a duel between the two parties. This also includes the most popular way of 'earning' a promotion to a higher rank within Clan Rasharr. Many of these duels are to the death.

Due to their highly combative society, scars and wounds are often seen as a badge of honour. It's not only accepted, but generally expected that those in leadership roles have battle scars to prove their willingness to fight.

Most Clan Rasharr warriors tend to have extensive augmentation with a strong focus on bio-enhancement and cybernetics. These enhancements are well beyond the technological knowledge seen among any other Pantheran group and are usually of a military nature.

While more rare than among other large collectives of Pantheran, Clan Rasharr still has a respectable number of individuals who use magic or have super powers. Many of these become high ranking officers.

Clan Rasharr seems to have recently redoubled efforts to purchase or outright steal asteroid and gas planet mining equipment along with space based processing facilities, and has been raiding an increasing number of small and moderate sized shipyards with a focus on trying to size the facilities or ship building equipment.

There has been only one instance in which the CCW military engaged a Clan Rasharr Battleship known to have come from the new production lines. While the ship managed to escape, post combat data analysis showed the ship to be easily equal to any ship of it's class fielded by the TGE, UWW or CCW and that it's armament and armour tended to focus on firepower and durability over speed and manoeuvrability. It displayed a heavy reliance on missile and particle beam weaponry along with a heavy compliment of power armour troops, fighters and stealth bombers. Unlike the most military forces Clan Rasharr does not appear to employ robots but instead focus on use of large numbers of heavy power armour and their reliance on particle beam weaponry coupled with their slower speeds puts them at a disadvantage in range but they appear to make up for it by sporting heavier armour plating and shielding. Beyond this they also seem to rely somewhat heavily on special units who have super powers or magic as well as a stealth bombers and light power armour with stealth systems.

A small group of Clan Rasharr Pantherans have been seen operating in the UWW where they have been actively trying to recruit Pantheran technowizards, especially those with knowledge of ship building and enhancement.

It is believed that Clan Rasharr is trying to produce a dreadnought to serve as the flagship for their new fleet.

Clan Rasharr's building capabilities and tech levels have taken a drastic rise in recent years. It is assumed some third party is responsible but no source has been found.

There seems to be two factions forming inside Clan Rasharr. In most situations this would have long lead to outright civil war given the number of conflicts that have arisen as a result, however it seems that Clan Rasharr's honour code is the sole reason it hasn't. One faction seems set on raiding whomever they want and seems solely interested in gaining power to some unknown end. The other faction however has been pushing for involvement in the Three Galaxies, particularly in regards to the recent Intruder and Necron threats even on a 'probono' basis. However until one party or the other gains full control of the clan, it seems Clan Rasharr is more or less just 'spinning their wheels' while continuing to build up a sizeable modern military force. Depending on which way things go this could either turn into a disaster for the Three Galaxies by having another powerful marauding force prowling space, or bring forth some very badly needed relief to besieged worlds. Enough so that both the TGE (on the basis of their old connections) and the CCW (out of hope of dealing with the issue diplomatically before being forced to stretch their military even thinner) have recently tried actively recruiting Clan Rasharr to their cause as it could prove a tipping point in the ongoing wars between these two galactic powers.

Notable modern ships of Clan Rasharr
Ikarr Class Battleships (2 currently exist with 2 more in production):
Crew: 1,310
Troop Capacity: 3,000 Troops, 400 suits of Power Armour
MDC By Location:
Primary Particle Weapon Batteries (2): 6,000 Each
Secondary Particle Weapon Batteries (2): 2,000 each
Laser Batteries (12): 1,200 Each
Cruise Missile Batteries (5): 1,500 Each
Long-Range missile Batteries (10): 900 Each
Particle Beam Cannons (24): 250 Each
Mini-Missile Launchers (20): 150 Each
Outer Hull Section (40 ft area): 220
Inner Hull Section (40 ft area): 160
Variable Force Fields: 20,000 each side (120,000 total)
Bridge: 65,000
Main Body: 270,000
Hangar Bay: 80,000
Main Engines (3) 53,000 each
Flying: Mach 7 in Space
Star Drive: 5.2 Light years per Hour
Range: 2 years
Main Particle Beam Batteries (2):
Damage: 4d6X1,000
Effective Range: 7 miles in Atmosphere, 80 miles in space
Rate of Fire: 2 per melee
Secondary Particle Beam Batteries (2)
Damage: 3d6X1000
Effective Range: 7 miles in Atmosphere, 80 miles in space
Rate of Fire: 2 Per Melee
Laser Cannons (12):
Damage 2d6X100 per single cannon or 4d6X100 for double blast
Range: 16 miles in space, 7 miles in atmosphere
Rate of Fire: 2 per melee
Cruise Missile Batteries (5):
MD: Varies with Missile type (Typically 2d6X100 to 4d6X100)
ROF: Volleys of 2, 8, 16 or 32 missiles per launcher
Range: Over 1,000 miles. Optimal range 1-3 miles
Payload: 32 per launcher. Additional missiles are auto-loaded from the cargo hold (takes 2 melee rounds). Standard missile compliment is 3,840 cruise missiles
Long-Range Missile Batteries (10):
Damage: Varies with missile type
ROF: 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32
Range: Varries with Missile type
Payload: 62 per launcher. Loading from the cargo hold takes 1d6 minutes
Particle Beam Cannons (24):
Damage: 3d6X10
ROF: equal to Gunner's HTH
Range: 6 miles in space, 2 miles in atmosphere
Mini-Missile Launchers (20):
Damage: Varies with Missile Type
Range: 2 miles in space, 1 mile in atmosphere
Payload: 128 missile per launcher. Reloading a turret takes 1d6 minutes
Aircraft and Military Vehicles:
In addition to it's main weaponry, the Ikarr Battleships have a compliment of 24 Jarr'nah fighters and 12 Nirrit Stealth bombers along with 6 Gorrith Assault Shuttles and 60 Jarr'krath Power Armour troops

L-238-4
L-238-4 is, or more to the point was one of the very first colonization attempts by Pantherans from the CCW. It's most notable for the strange circumstances in which the colonization effort not only failed but resulted in a planetary quarantine. Colonists on L-238-4 had only been on planet for a little over half a year when suddenly all communication from the colony ceased. A follow up by a nearby search and rescue team also lost communication. This in turn drew the attention of the CCW navy who found that the entire colony had been destroyed through means not yet understood. The entire colony along with the Search and Rescue craft that had landed nearby looked as if they had sat there and rusted for thousands of years. A landing party sent to investigate while the rest of the force stayed in orbit ultimately revealed the reason why, though it cost the lives of the entire team as some unknown agent first ate through their armour and ship, and ultimately stripped their flesh and bones. Several scientific probes sent down to the planet surface to try to study the phenomenon all suffered the same fate and ultimately the planet was quarantined and written off. Today the planet is clearly marked as a hazard on interstellar maps and is surrounded by a network of defence satellites designed to keep what ever is on the planet there, and others away, while a network of warning buoys marks the boundaries and warns all whom approach of the danger in every major language utilized in the Three Galaxies.

[Kesslan]

Basically what I have here is a fairly crude and basic counting system that's a touch different than normal. This is mainly as a reference for others who read my posts and wonder what the hell I'm talking about. The whole point of this is that in RP I wanted to try to stress the non human nature of my character. One of the easiest ways is in simplistic daily counting, time keeping and speach patterns. As such here I present the first of two parts I'll list with my character. The first being the counting system and time keeping system. Later I'll add in a few other things such as explanations as to the titles he uses, and anything else I happen to come up with.

Broken Claw: Decimal point
Lesser claw: Single Digit
Claw: 5 lesser claws. Also refered to as a hand of claws.
Greater Claw: 20 Claws (100). Also refered to as four hands of claws.
Lesser Fang: 10 greater claws (1000)
Fang: 4 Lesser Fangs (4000)
Greater Fang: 4 Fangs (16,000)
Lesser Skull: 100,000
Skull: 1 Million
Greater Skull: 10 Million

String: 10x Multiplier. IE A string of greater skulls is 100M
Trophy, Trophy Stick: 10 Strings (100x multiplier)

Of the sun: Morning/Daytime, used when needed to note a difference between time keeping and counting, money etc.
Of the moon: Evening/Nightime

Time keeping example:
First Claw of the sun: 1am
Third claw of the moon: 3pm
One hand of the sun: 5am
Two hands of the sun: 10am
Hand and three claws of the moon: 8pm

Counting Example
Two lesser fangs and a greater claw: 2100
Two lesser fangs and a hand of claws: 2005
One fang and two lesser: 6000
Two lesser fangs, a greater, a string and three claws (2165)

[Kesslan]

Pantheran Writing is as much in a way art, as it is a written language. It's a Cuneiform style of writing that focuses uppon using claw slashes to form the letters and occasional symbols utilized. However it goes beyond mere written word. There is 'formal' writing as well as 'informal' writing. Informal writing is much like every day handwriting. It's colour neutral for the most part and will often use basic inks such as just flat black. Infact it's prefered that black specifically be the colour used in the case of inks.

Formal writing however is far more complex. Initially it starts off much like informal writing, except that the letters and symbols must be exactingly written. It usually takes all but the very best skilled writers and artists a good three to four times longer to write in formal scrip than it does informal. And thats only for making sure the outline of the wording is accurate. But it goes well beyond this, and this is where the writing decends into an art form of it's own. This is because formal writing requires not only exacting detail in the written word, but colouring as well. Many of these colours reside in the UV spectrum of light and thus many pantheran formal writings will be invisible and make little sense to the naked eye of most species. However, if viewed in their full spectrum formal Pantheran writing becomes quite colourful. Each colour and shade of that colour is used to convey mood and intent to the reader. Thus there is very little room for misinterpretation of one's words and thus arguably motivations behind the words written. Informaly written words are more subject to the whim of the writer, but Pantheran culture expects one to keep a neutral tone when reading informal writing and to at least try not to inject one's own feelings into those writings. However formal writings sometimes lack specific colouring specifically because they are intended for the reader to inject their own feelings and thoughts into those words. This is most common with phylisophical writings and musings written in formal text. Phylisophical writings however are only rarely written in formal text and when they are, it's due to the fact that they carry some sort of spritual or religious importance.

For the rest of the time the written word is expressed in other ways. Bright red would be a sign of flaring anger, dark red a simmering but controled anger. Bright blue on the other hand may signify being extrmely happy, while a darker blue may be tempered happiness.

I'm sorry that you lost your father, he was a good man. You should however remember him by his worthy deeds and your fond memories of your time togeather. (Somber but still somewhat good humored tone, followed up by a happier tone intended to try and cheer up the reader)

I just won the lottery! (Cheerful, joyus tone)

The Coalition States are cruel and evil. Uncaring of non humans and magic users. (Simmering anger and possible resentment)

I'm going to KILL YOU! (Simmering anger leading to outright hostility and possible beserker like anger)

A mix up of colours, or one ranging from one end of the shade spectrum to the opposite of the other may indicate a certain level of uncertainty, where as a very wild mix of colouration would be a strong indicator of insanity. Due to the wide range of colours available in both standard and the UV spectrum along with all the associated shades there of, it's possible in such formal wirtings to convey just about every feeling immaginable as well as the scale of it. Cowardice or Fear, Anger, Love, Caring, Joy, Sadness.. This and more can be conveyed based uppon the shade and specific colour used.


Pantheran speech is equally varied in tone and complexity. Much like Japanese there are certain ways one is supposed to speak to another. What is considered an 'acceptable tone' is based uppon the status of the other(s) one is speaking with. A 'neutral tone' may be used when speaking to a general audience where members are of mixed and varried backgrounds and standing. Such as a politicians speech to the general public. A respectful tone is supposed to be used when speaking to one's teacher or parents. However, a more neutral tone may be acceptable in use by a child who has grown up and proven themselves an able member of society, or a student who has mastered the subject to the teacher. Even here however a certain level of respect is considered appropriate in most cases unless one's stature or ability has well suprassed that of the parent or teacher. A neutral tone at the very least is expected, so that one is speaking to the other as an equal. For afterall, where would you be without your parents or teachers? Likewise a subservient tone is expected at an early age to one's parents or to a teacher. A less subservient tone may be used when one grows older or as one gains greater control over the subject being intstructed uppon.

A commander speeking to the troops in a neutral tone, as if an equal would be for example considered as the commander giving the troops an honour, by speakign to them as an equal. Even though the commander clearly has proven that he is the superior warrior.


To speak to another Pantheran in their own language in an inappropriate tone may bring everything from scorn, to an outright challenge for an honour duel between the offended parties. Such duels are very rarely to the death, but there are still times when one or both parties are so angered, only the taking of the life of the other will do. Allowance of a duel to the death however must be granted by the head of a Clan or one of their duely appointed representatives. This is an increasingly more restricted practice however, as it is a hold over of an older, more barbaric age in Pantheran culture. Honour duels that merely last untill one party surrenders to the other are still very common, and when the slight is fairly minor sometimes a token duel is announced, where uppon the offending party will immediately surrender before a single blow is ever made.

On the whole, most Pantherans could be considered of a Principled alingment. They do however run the full range of alignments, and there are even completely honourless Pantherans. These however tend to be treated much like second or even third class citizens, provided their ongoing presence amongst the rest of the clan is even tolerated at all. Most are simply ejected from Clan lands with what ever posessions they may have and left to fend for themselves. Such a practice however has led to a few clans developing as such types banded togeather that are known to be largely untrustworthy and dishonourable. Such clans are rarely delt with or traded with by the vast majorty of other clans.

War between Pantherans however, dispite their tendencies, is still something that breaks out on occasion, and in such ways Pantheran methods of war are a little more leaning towards the Aberrant side of the alignment spectrum. Most warriors still try to carry themselves in an Honourable manner, but being mere mortals they are as faulty as any human. It is for this reason that there are many methods available in Pantheran culture for one to try to attone for one's misdeeds. It's also in part for this reason why the practice of one Clan claiming the defeated warriors of another clan exists. For, much like an honour based duel between individuals, a war between clans can be seen as a similar outcome, and the warriors may be claimed in battle (And even during the course of a drawn out war) by the winning clan as a sort of 'reperations payment' for those members of it's clan taken in a similar manner, or simply killed in the course of battle.

It is expected of all Pantherans taken in such a manner to honour and learn the ways of their new clan and adapt accordingly. Such members are still welcome to communicate with their family members, and even visit each other in times of peace. Afterall, one of the greatest concepts cherished by most Pantherans is the concept of the 'whole'. Or to do things 'For the greater good'. It is because of such a belief that the Grand Council was formed uppon contact with the Atorian Empire. The Grand Council is formed of members of the upper ranks of every other clan (even the disreptuable ones) in order to better deal with the Atorian Empire. Due to the size of the Grand Council, it is effectively it's own clan and operates as such. It even has it's own standing army, factories and other populace as well as lands specifically owned by the Grand Council. It is however operated much like a democracy with elected leaders and representatives to deal with the Atorians specifically. It is through this body that Petitions are launched. The other goal of the formation of the Grand Council was an attempt to unify the Pantheran race under one body and one way of living.

Of course, how Pantherans and their culture have fared under Atorian Empire rule, or since the collapse of the Atorian Empire uppon it's defeat by the TGE and other forces arrayed against it, remains to be seen.

It is however by this belief system and tenents that Kesslan goes about the world and at least attempts to conduct himself, though he knows he has slipped and is a 'flawed' individual. Still, as ever, he strives to do what he feels will ultimately do the 'most good' for the Pantheran race. Afterall, one must occasionally spill the blood of a few innocents so that the rest may live in peace and harmony.

[Kesslan]

Pantherans are, as many species a very spiritual and religious race. All the more so due to the fact that compared to many races they are an incredibly young one, and thus a little more superstitious than others. It is the general belief of most Pantherans that one is guided by the spirits of their ancestors, as well as an assortment of various deities. Their beliefs and rituals harken to some similarities between pagan style ritual and worship. Though religious symbols and the like are seen more akin to Christian ones, where a symbol or idol is merely... a conduit to the spirits or gods in question. Not the actual physical manifestation of such a being. Those with super powers, magical ability, psionics and the like are considered to be honoured by the spirits and having been given such ability by the spirits themselves. They thus have guardian spirits and are often afforded the 'Spirit' title to their caste. Almost like a sub caste of their normal one. Exampled would be things such as 'Spirit Warrior' 'Spirit Crafstman' or similar expression. There are times this title is omitted however, due to the fact that it may creat confusion with one's actual purpose or the job entitled. A 'Spirit Crafstman' for example would not often be used as it potentially gives the impression one actually crafts or creates spirits.

Magic or Psionic abilities, or more to the point what Humans and other races may refer to as ISP and PPE are often referred to by Pantherans as 'Spirit Energy'. It is understood that it is the individual who actually masters and channels these abilities. However it is their connection to the spirits and the fact that they clearly have spirits who favour them that gave them their initial potential to reach the levels of power that they do. Equally, the concept of 'fate' is explained away as one being locked into a path that the spirits have set for another individual to walk. Often for reasons only understood to those of the spirit world, and beyond understanding to a mere mortal. One will come to understand, when one dies and passes on into the spirit world. Those who are evil in nature however are often considered to be guided by 'bad spirits' while those constantly on the side of good are clearly guided by 'good' spirits. Most Pantherans however are simply guided by more neutral spirits and thus why there is such a variety in Pantheran alignment. Some individuals who seem to be strongly guided by 'fate' may be given the 'spirit' title as their path seems to be set by the spirits. Often those spoken of in prophesies and seen doing various tasks in magic or psionicly induced visions and omens of the future are considered to be forced down such a path by the spirits. It is understood that most still hold ultimate control over such actions, but now and then some individuals, for what ever reason, are too strongly influenced by the spirit world and thus can not be wholly held accountable for certain actions regardless of what has transpired as a result. It is still considered a widely held belief that such individuals are still able to be held accountable for crimes and the like however, due to the fact that they must have been inclined to go along with the spirits plans regardless. Unless of course there is considerable proof that the individual fought against the end result and did their very best to actually prevent such crimes from occurring.

Certain individuals are considered to have the ability to walk amongst the spirit world while still alive however. Most often however this is in their 'spiritual form', and is the Pantheran way of coping with the existence of the Astral Realms. Notably while a Rift may be referred to as a 'Spirit Door', they rarely lead to an actual Astral domain, but usually another world entirely. It is still however by the grace of the spirits such things exist, and they are incredibly rare on Seriv, which while not a magically poor world (Magic users, as well as those possessing super powers of all sorts are relatively common) but it is hardly a world as rich as that of Rifts Earth.

Pantheran Deities:
Osorr'ah and Sarrita: The first, the all Father (Osorr'ah) and all mother (Sarrita). Said to have more bestial forms they are none the less seen as having considerable wisdom and intelligence. Legend has that they were the first to exist and it is they that watch over and guide all Pantherans. Ultimately seen as parental figures or grandparents of sorts. Osorr'ah is said to be aligned with the elements of fire and water while Sarrita is of the earth and air.

Kir'tah: First born of Osorr'ah and Sarrita, Kir'tah is said to be the epitome of the warrior spirit. Fearlessly charging into battle when ever the call arises she is commonly worshiped by not only the warrior caste but all the other castes as well. Seen as a protector of all Pantheran she is held up as an example of what all Pantheran should be. Kir'tah's warrior nature aligns her with the element of fire.

Varrni: The ever curious little brother of Kir'tah. It is Varrni who is said to be the source of Pantheran curiosity. His endless questions and constant meddling are said to often bring as much trouble as it does boons if only because he is so uncontrollably curious he doesn't know when to restrain himself from having to know more about what ever catches his fancy. As a result Kir'tah is often having to help pull him out of trouble. Varrni's closely aligned with the element of water, symbolizing how he gets into just about everything.

Xoratah: Builder and Philosopher. Xoratah is the one who created the sun and the moons and the stars in the sky. Xoratah is the patron god of all crafters and of many artists. When he is not busy building something he is said to be pondering the next greatest invention or wandering the universe seeking inspiration. Xoratah's nature aligns him with the elements of earth and water.

Ikarr: A wild uncontrollable animal, a beast. A god of chaos and reflection of excess in almost all it's forms. Quick to anger eager to fight Ikarr is a Berserker and a lover who's passion knows no bounds. Despite this Ikarr isn't really seen as an evil god, because Ikarr also loves to party and have fun but doesn't know when to actually stop drinking or really has any self control. Ikarr is said to be as likely to burst into a rage or even go so far as to rape some one out of lust as talk to them. Oddly Ikarr is the only god who's gender seems to fluctuate, some times male sometimes female. Despite all this Ikarr is also known for it's enjoyment of the finest foods and the richest drinks, making him a patron god of brewers and cooks. Ikarr's wild uncontrollable ways align it with the element of fire.

Jarr'nah: Guardian of and gate keeper to the land of the dead. More a spiritual or elemental force than a physical entity Jarr'nah has no gender anymore than a rock or the wind might. Jarr'nah is said to watch over the souls of the departed and ensure they travel safely to the spirit world. It is said it is impossible to bargain with nor upset it. Jarr'nah also doubles as a sort of grim reaper figure though without any real negativity. It merely does it's job and is not known to judge the deeds of the living or departed. Secondary roles include teaching the recently deceased how to deal with their new state and how to influence and communicate with the living as well as instruct on the dangers of the spirit world. His incorporeal form aligns him with the element of air.

Nirrit: The thieving trickster. Nirrit is one of the few gods that isn't actually a Pantheran, but instead a bird. Often swooping in to steal something he likes or simply to pull pranks on others. Often gets Varrni into trouble and by extension his sister Kir'tah who often has to help her brother out as a result of something he's done or gotten himself into. Varrni is seen to be a lesser chaotic element and an ultimately somewhat selfish god. However he has still been known to aid others on occasion as well though such instances are far more rare even then there's usually something Nirrit hopes to get out of the deal, even if the goal is simple seduction in order to get some one into his bed. Interestingly Nirrit is often seen as a common companion of Ikarr, and sometimes responsible for tempering Ikarr's rage. It is believed this is in part because Nirrit enjoys Ikarr's passion and shares Ikarr's taste for the finest drink and foods. His fast speed and ability to fly align him with the element of air, and also seem to help speed him away when Ikarr becomes too much for him to handle.

Orronar: Farmer, nurturer, mother of the land. Orronar is said to be the creator of farming, irrigation and is the patron god of veterinarians, doctors, the sick and the injured. Orronar is the caring mother, the tender soul who helps the weak and the needy be it with food, shelter or even occasionally as a teacher. As a result of her connections with the earth she is also seen as being heavily associated with the element of earth.

Drr'nah and Urr'nah: The hunter twins, said to be almost identical in appearance save that Drr'nah is male and Urr'nah is female, they share everything, including lovers on occasion. They are the patron of warriors and hunters and embody skill, stealth and above all patience. They do not kill what they do not need for food and they do not waste anything of their prey. Everything is turned to some use be it food, shelter, goods or clothing. Bones turned to tools, broken open for the sweet marrow as food and the shards used for arrow heads. More modern versions of their tales tend to gloss over such things bu the ancient tales of the pair actually act as a wilderness survival guide book of sorts and of all the gods Drr'nah and Urr'nah have the most tales written about them with a heavy focus on the hunt and how they put each part of their prey to some use. Drr'nah and Urr'nah are both associated with the elements of earth and water.

[Trorrie]

Draconid Lore

There is contradictory information as to the origins of Draconids. The humanoids bare striking resemblance to the Lizard men species, but unlike them, Draconids are a mammalian species and are very different. For instance, unlike Lizard men they are compared to, the Draconids are highly magic and psionic, which varies from individual to individual at birth. Further separating the two species is the short tail and bat-like frill identifying the location of one’s ears. Draconids also exhibit a large range of colors of which their scales can be. A final major point to separate any relationship between the two reptilian species is that unlike Lizard Men, a Draconid can live into the thousands.

But where does the link between the Draconids and Dragons come from, if one exists at all? Scholars believe this connection may have occurred early in the life of Phase World between a Dragon and a particularly bold Atlantean, but there exists nothing to properly confirm if such a union had occurred. Other Scholars would argue that Draconids evolved entirely separate from both Dragons and Lizard Men. If the latter is true, it is even more unclear why the species would develop into such a powerful mage and psionic species.

Draconids age slower than humans and usually mature between the ages of 26 and 32 years, though the mentality of an individual may not settle into an adult frame until around the age of 40. The mental maturity of an individual varies from individual to individual just as with any fully sentient species among the stars. A telltale sign of a fully mature Draconid is their desire to spread across the three galaxies. It is inevitable that an individual Draconid will want to venture beyond the planet on which they were raised, or space fort if that is where the Draconid originates from.

The largely vagabond nature of Draconids makes any society of entirely Draconids very uncommon but they do exist and ebb and flow in size if they do not just suddenly dissolve as every Draconid of such a society had decided to go their separate ways. It can happen for any number of reasons. These uncommon societies are known as Courts and the leaders of such gatherings are typically the eldest of each individual family that is part of the Court. If there is an instance where the eldest cannot head their family, the position falls upon the wealthiest member of the family. beside the head of the house, the only other position of note within a Court of Draconids is the Thane. The Thane is chosen by the head of the family for whatever reason or reasons the head chooses. The Thane is responsible for the defense of their family, their family's property, acting as the head of the family's bodyguard when one is called for, and on occasions the head cannot show for meetings of the Court.

The main drivers for most Draconids is hoarded wealth and wisdom. A Draconid with substantial wealth and a large fountain of wisdom to share are considered traits of a good Draconid with most not all that concerned about how either was obtained unless they are looking for a specific audience. though it is shameful to an extent, the nomadic Draconids usually gain and lose multiple hoards throughout their impressively lengthy lives.