StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Let's get this show on the road. Post your OOBs!

Point Values:

Minor: 2000
Regional: 4000
Major: 6000
Grand: 8000

Your moderators for this STGOD will be Pablo Sanchez, Sir Nitram and myself. New players and players not already allocated, feel free to jump in at minor or regional level. If you've got an idea for a major or grand power then PM one of the mods and we'll let you know.

Any comments, please see the discussion thread.

Also, everything you ever needed to know about declaring your forces in your OOB:

Quick Reference

Declarations:

Ships, Fighters and Defenses
Army/Ground/Plantery forces
Costings:

Ship costs are deducted from available points. Specialties are costed by anti-specialties as shown:

Specialty : Cost

+1 vs Fighter : -1 vs Warship, -1 vs Stationary
+1 vs Stationary : -1 vs Warship, -1 vs Fighter
+1 vs Warship : -1 vs Fighter

See user documentation for more information

Available Specialties / type of craft effected:

[Fighter] Strikecraft
[Warship] Escorts, Cruisers, Carriers
[Stationary] Stationary defenses, planetary guns, space stations, satellites ect

Available Tags / Used by / Effect:

[Carrier] / Warships / Carrier capacity can be declared at any value, ship worth half vs warships
[Bomber] / Fighters / Fighters are worth double vs warships and stationary targets, worth zero vs other fighters
[Defense] / Stationary Defenses / Worth double their value in any situation, can't move, [Defense] tag is implied on any defensive structure that is stationary or anything declared under "Stationary Defenses".

Warship Size Guide:

1-5 Escorts.

6-20 Cruiser

21+ Capital




User Documentation:

Summary:

Each empire will have a pool of points that reflects overall assets that ships, defenses, weapons, ground troops ect. Each declared asset will be worth a certain number of points, the total of which must be equal or less then the total available points for that empire.

Ship Declarations:

Ship sizes will be based on their point values. There are four categories:

Fighters (includes strike craft)
Escorts
Cruisers
Capitals

Ships declared at 1-5 points will be regarded as escorts.

Ships declared at 6-20 points will be regarded as cruisers

Ships declared at 21 points and up will be regarded as capital ships.

Fighters will be declared as fighter groups and can be declared at any value. Normal warships can only carry up to twice their point value in fighter groups. For example, a 20 point fighter group needs at least a 10 point cruiser to carry them. This restriction does not apply to dedicated carriers. (Can be any point value, must be flagged CARRIER)

Notes on ship sizes:
Although the rules will classify ships into a certain class, the player is not required to stick to the naming convention. A 3 point vessel can be named and deployed as a cruiser and a 25 point vessel can be deployed as a line frigate if the player so chooses. However, a 25 point frigate will be treated as a capital ship as far as the rules are concerned.

Specializations:

Ships can be declared as being especially effective against certain target, when this happens they gain a bonus value when fighting that target, however they may receive a penalty when fighting anything that isn't their specialty.

Specializations can be against:

Fighters (most forms of carrier borne strike craft including fighters and bombers)
Warships (Escorts, cruisers, capitals)
Stationary (Planetary defenses, Space Stations, Satellites)

[vs fighter] loses points against warships and stationary targets
[vs stationary] loses points against warships and fighters
[vs warships] loses points against fighters, but not against stationary objects.

See the table in the quick refference guide for a quick explanation of specialty costings.

Example:
Thor class frigate [4][+2 vs Warships]

Declaring this would mean that you have a frigate that costs 4 points but is worth 6 when fighting against an escort, cruiser or capital size ship but only worth 2 against fighters or stationary objects such as planetary defenses and stations. These little frigates would be dangerous to Capital vessels in large numbers but would only be worth 2 points vs everything else, easy prey for swarms of 2 point fighter groups, especially those of type "bomber."

Ships that specialise against warships can also specialise against stationary targets, but not fighters. Specialties must not total more then half the value of the ship.

The following are allowed:
Fighter specific specialties:

Fighters can specialize against the same things warships can, however, fighters can also use the [Bomber] tag.

Examples:
Rapier class fighters [2]
Broadsword class bombers [2][Bomber]

The difference between the broadsword group and the rapier group is that the broadsword's value is doubled against anything not a fighter (ie are now worth 4, however are worth 0 against other fighters.)

Defenses:

Satellites, platforms, planetary guns ect, declared much like ships except using the tag [defense] which gives them twice the value of their cost.

Example:
Titan Planetary gun [50][Defense]

The Titan gun is worth 100 points against attacking ships

(note: A planet itself can be declared as a form of defense, this is often prefferable to listing every defense structure around a core world, additional declared defense will be considered deployable)

Ground Forces:

Individual units do not have to be declared, ground force delcaration is simply the amount of points the empire has devoted to them.

Example:
The grand army of the republic [100]

If someone invades a planet they then just specify the total number of points of ground forces they're attacking with. Individual details about the units will just be written up the way they always have been.

Landing craft will be assumed to be present when ground forces are declared, they require no declaration.

The Benefactors


The term 'Benefactor' doesn't directly apply to the nation (if it was such a thing) or any of the systems of government involved in the day to day operation of each of its member worlds. Exactly what these so called "Benefactors" are, or what they do will likely remain a mystery for some time. All we know is that there are systems in place where people have been approached as individuals, by other individuals with likeminded interests, spreading such dangerous ideas as the desire to work together to rebuild their lives into something much more then anyone had ever dreamed.

Those that were aided would often become travelers themselves, moving from system to system, rallying support for this new initiative. Those that did soon learned that there were other groups performing a similar function. What was also revealed was that these groups had connections, each serving slightly different purposes, and handled their affairs in ways that would best suit their established goals. Universities were established that accepted academics from anywhere friendly to the unnamed entity that was forming. Someone eventually suggested the establishment of a naval academy only to find out that one was already in place on one of the established systems, and so was an actual navy. "What, that's been there for years, didn't you know?"

It was a network of interconnected systems, each component self governing, yet all worked together to produce a common goal that almost no individual had a clear idea what it actually was. Different worlds, different stars, different species, different functions. Each would play their part, few would perceive the whole.

It then came as little suprise that when the worlds were asked to send representatives to a heavilly modernized world within a central system. It was merely the next logical step. After all, these were not foreigners trying to take away their sovereignty, these were the people that made their food and shelter, that built their cities, cared for their sick, these were neighbors, their people, their children.

Somewhere along the line, someone managed to figure the system out. This happened years ago, the person himself was of little consequence and soon forgotten, however one phrase did managed to escape into the general populace, although its meaning is often confused;
"All roads lead to Antiga."

Order of Battle:

Concord is an organisation monitored directly by the administrators of Antiga and is made up of professional soldiers recruited from all over the territory. It currently provides one of the largest military presenses in the known universe.

Ships

CAD-101 - CAD-140
Eisen [5][+2 W]
x 40
(200)
The Eisen is an older model warship left over from the last of the Antigan wars. The vessels have been refitted with modern weapons and systems, although the hulls are often very old.

CAC-201 - CAC-230
Conrad [10]
x 30
(300)
The Conrad is an all purpose cruiser that was initially intended to replace the Eisen in modern combat roles. Conrad vessels are often used in long range missions.

CABC-301 - CABC-305
Crowe [40][+5 S]
x 5
(200)
The Crowe is a battleship designed with two purposes. The first is to act as heavy fire support during engagements. The second is to batter down enemy defenses with it's compliment of heavy bombs.

CABC-501 - CABC-513
Concordia [50][+10 F]
x 13
(650)
The Concordia battleships were built to hold their own against smaller ships, it's batteries are particularly well suited at cutting down enemy fighter formations.

CABC-601 - CABC-625
Serpentia [50][+25 W]
x 25
(1250)
The Serpentia is the current mainstay 'ship of the line' in the Concord navy. What it lacks in anti-fighter it more then makes up for in heavy batteries designed to make short work of most enemy capital ships.

CABC-701 - CABC-710
Apocalypse [60][+30 S]
x 10
(600)

When the strategic ordinance inside an Apocalypse' tubes are launched, there's an extremely high probability that any stationary objects including satellites, space stations and continants are about to have a bad day.

CABS-801 - CABS-804
Ixen -T5 [100][+20 W]
x 4
(400)

CABS-901
Ixen -Q5 [100][+20 F]
x1
(100)

Fighter Groups

Note: Concord uses three fighters to a flight group.

CF-1 Pyre [2]
x 200
(400)

CF-2 Sunspark [2][+1 F]
x 100
(200)

CF-3 Z1 [2][Bomber]
x 100
(200)

CF-4 Starwolf [3][+1 W]
x 60
An improvement over the pyre design allows it to carry heavier weapons for engaging warships while retaining the same effectiveness against fighters.
(180)

CF-5 Vixen [3][+1 F]
x 40
As the powers that be begin to notice the value of fighter cover, they also beging to notice the value of effectively countering it.
(120)

Escorts

CE-1 Nautilus [1]
x 50
(50)
A basic vessel mainly used for scouting and surveilance, more remain in the hands of private owners then in the hands of the navy.

CE-2 Tobias [2][+1 F]
x 150
(300)
A small anti-fighter escort, typically used for either border patrol or to escort lager warships.


Defenses

Defense Sat [2][Defense]
x 100
(200)

Space Station [150][Defense]
x 4
(600)

Planetary Gun [20][Defense]
x 10
(200)

Antiga's Defenses [800][Defense]
(800)

Ground/Non-Space General Declaration:

General forces (includes regular army, marines and enforcement) [1500]
(1500)

CIS (Concord Intelligence and Security) [100]
(100)

Special / One-Off ships:

The Ixen [150]
x 1
(150)
Experimental vessel. The Ixen was the reesult of various of various new technologies being put to use in what at the time is the second largest combat vessel in the Concord navy.

The Saratov [200]
x 1
(200)
A relic from a time long forgotten, the Saratov, named after the person who discovered it's potential, is an ancient hulk loaded with enough ordinance to annihilate small cultures. Some of the discoveries made while studying the Saratov lead to the development of the Ixen.

1/4/06 Additions

Warships:

CABS Ixen -T5 [100][+20 W]
x 4
(400)

CABS Ixen -Q5 [100][+20 F]
x1
(100)

Fighters:

CF-4 Starwolf [3][+1 W]
x 60
An improvement over the pyre design allows it to carry heavier weapons for engaging warships while retaining the same effectiveness against fighters.
(180)

CF-5 Vixen [3][+1 F]
x 40
As the powers that be begin to notice the value of fighter cover, they also beging to notice the value of effectively countering it.
(120)

Silver Flame Losses to Date

Guardian fighter group x 2 (1 individual fighter survived)
Beacon bomber group x 1

Silver flame fighters have been assumed to be five to a flight group.

May 2006

800 Yet to declare

Jun 2006

Contel (Concord Intelligence Division) [100]

700 Yet to declare

1500 total to date left undeclared

Falau'un Council Aerial Fleet (Space)

Government:
The Falau'un Council is nominally an alliance made up by the Great Houses of the Falau'un. After endless years of bitter war between the Houses (and often between septs of the Houses themselves), Delran Da'shu, High Lord of House Da'shu managed (trough clever diplomacy, bribery, and decisive military victories) to bring all the Great Houses together at a table. For the first time in centuries, they talked until finally, a consensus emerged and the first Council was founded.
Over the years, more and more power was drawn from the Houses and into the Council; and so, more and more power concentrated in the position of the High Councillor. Nowadays, the power of the Council is almost absolute, and so is the High Councillor.
The Council is made up by a representative of each of the 30 Great Houses, which usually is also the leader of that House. The High Councillor is traditionally the High Lord of House Da'shu, a tradition that has not been broken in ages.

Only people with magical ability are considered Falau'un under the law (but after the extermination wars no non-magicker has been born in centuries).

Economy:
The economy is based around a concept of state capitalism, centered around the individual Houses, though. Each House owns a number of corporations and most have specialised into a certain field. Inner-House competition is often fought fiercely, but Inter-House competition is almost non-existant, having its reasons in an almost subconscious fear of renewed Inter-house warfare.
The Council, and the Houses, guarantee each Falau'un an acceptable standard of living.

Ideology:
From its very beginning, the society concentrated around the Great Houses, and this has not changed much since. They accept the Council and its power, but for most day-to-day purposes, the House affiliation is still of great importance. Laws and power flow from the Council trough the House to the individual, thus each House is respponsible for the conduct of its members, and also liable for misconduct.
The society is also a highly hierarchical one, where the position is determined by House, by the power of magical talent, and experience. Deviations from the society standard are highly frowned upon and, in extreme cases, punished (which is observed and executed by the thought police of each House and that of the Council).
They are wary, some afraid, of new species and unknown elements, as it might unbalance the age-old system and spark dispute and warfare anew. As such, they do not make fast friends with new species, but once a certain familiarity has been gained, can open up to the new contact and engage in fruitful cooperation.

Technology and Magic:
As magic people, magic has found its way into technological age. Virtually every technology includes magic in one way or another. Sensitive technologies use it as a security meassure to deny non-Magickers the use of that technology or device. This is mostly found on warships and sensitive areas.

The origin of Falau'un magic has been lost in the ages. For modern Falau'un it has always been there and part of them. Most have (willfully) forgotten that in ancient times the magic users were a small minority. This had changed, or course, with the Extermination, that saw the extermination of all non-magic Falau'un in a long and bloody war that lasted for a century.

Over the centuries, science and technology emerged. This did not end the presence of magic in the society, it merely changed it. Technology and magic fused Scientist have tried to explain magic using their knowledge of the universe, quantum mechanics being the current idea of the day, but the results are far from satisfying. Magic remains magical and defies logial reason.

Magic can be shortly described as imposition of ones will on the universe through the power of the mind. No special resource or energy is required. A magicker imagines the changes he wants to apply, say create fire or move an object, and then concentrates on this task. There are no spells, no spoken components, tokens - only the mind and the universe. His mind interfaces with the universal strata underlying everything and changes the universe so that his imagination becomes reality. This interface is not calm and smooth. It more resembles a lake during a fierce storm. It requires experience, and raw power of talent, to bring order to this chaos and connect to the strata. The calmer the connection, the more the magicker can do. Incidentally, this is one of the few regions where experience will never be able to make up for sheer talent and power. An ancient magicker, which has mastered all the subtleties of the area but has no strong inborn talent will more often than not loose to a novice who simply has the raw power behind his talent.

Falau'un magic is not strictly seperated into "schools" or areas. There are houses that specialise in different areas, due to tradition or choice, but essentially all magic is open to - and used by - everyone.

Several areas can be roughly defined, based on the results. But in essence they are without meaning for the true magicker, whatever the magicker can imagine, he can do (given the power to do so, of course). A magicker could, theoretically at least, destroy a system, but no one has been born who would have nearly the talent power to make it happen in reality. Theoretically, there is no limit as to what magic could do. But in practice, it is limited by the magicker himself.
Unfortunately, even though extensive breeding programmes have been done over the course of history, no True Interface, a magicker who has ultimate control over the universe and everything, has been created. And while the talent itself has a genetic component, the expression of the talent's power is outside the control of modern science and medicine.

It is also possible to "store" the connection to the universal strata persistently - to imbue the object with aneffect - in any object the magicker wants to. This requires more concentration to stabilise the connection in a special manner. Almost all day-to-day objects are altered in one way or another using this magical persistence. A modern spaceship, for instance, is riddled with stored magic. Its main energy core draws power from the netherworld, the weapons use efects of magic to affect targets, and it moves, both slower and faster than light through magical effect. Mostly it is done because the use of magickers for this sort of thing would strain them beyond any imagination, but in case of dire circumstances, all functions can be taken over by ship's crew.

Military:
Through their bloody history, warfare always has been a large part of their being. Dying in battle still is considered highly admirable (and desirable). But they do not enshrine a special honour concept. One important tenant of military thinking isthat as long as it leads to victory, it is right. This includes surprise attacks, assassinations, even slaughter as acceptable instruments of warfare. No Falau'un will raise an eyebrow even in the eye of fiendish atrocities, as that is the way war is.
The navy concentrates around Ships of the Wall, as the big hammers, and an appropriate screen of escorts and cruisers. They employ carriers and fighters, but not to the extent other nations might. if given the choice, Falau'un will favour bigger weapons and go for the less "stylish" and more pragmatic approach.

Physiology:
Falau'un look remarkably what humans would call "Elves". Exceptionally tall, with pointed ears, they are lithe and slender, though possess more strength than one would suspect from such a body. They are exceptionally long-lived,, several hundrred years are the rule.
They have strong telepathic and magical talents within them.

Home Planet:
Falau'un Cruinne, the home planet of the Falau'un is a very peculiar world. It is a larger than average planet with a gravity of about 1.3 gravities (old reckoning). It is also almost completely covered in a very thick atmosphere. Life, as we know it, is impossible without technological help below the clouds. The Falau'un civilisation centers around the gargantuan mountain ranges that rise above the dense cloud cover. The cities are built in, around, and on the mountains and other geological formations. Even though modern technology and magic allows to use the regions below the clouds, most important things still are above. As the Falau'un use teleportation for daily affairs, there is no dense public transportation system. Cities are connected through cableways, and a net of air ships for cargo hauling and passenger liners for those choosing to use them. More often than not, there are, apart from dangerous mountain passes, no other connection between cities, especially in case of not connected mountain ranges.

Fighters (110pts)

Strike fighters[1] * 21 squadrons
Bombers[1] * 5 squadrons

Small Craft and Escorts (1425pt)

175x "Wind" Class Frigate [1]
Small frigate, mostly tasked for escort duties and patrols.

75 "Swift" Class Frigate [2][+1 W]
The Swift class was introduced to get a frigate, that could hold its own against stronger ships than the Wind class.

50 "Quickening" Class Corvette [2][+1 F]
While the Falau'un don't employ fighters in the numbers other nations do, the need for a anti-fighter craft emerged, and the Quickening class represents the first step in this direction.

50x "Elena" Class Destroyer [4][+1 W]
The Elena is the previous backbone of the escort force, but is now mostly replaced by the newer Renaya-class. It still is quite effective against warships, which explains it remainder in the fleet.

110x "Renaya" Class Destroyer [5]
The current, top-of-the-line destroyer of the Falau'un. Fast, deadly, and well protected, it offers the best support for the fleet.

70x "Renaya-F" Class Destroyer [5][+2 F]
A specialty of the Renaya class, which is tagged for anti-fighter operations.

Cruisers (1525pt)

15x "Tach'tek" Class Light Air Cruiser [10]
Standard, older Light Air Cruiser.

15x "Erebus" Class Light Air Cruiser [15] [+2 F]
The Erebus represents the first approach to a "superiority" ship, but the concept did proof to be lacking, so this school of thought never advanced beyond this class. Still, it is a formidable light ship. The Mount Salara class was developed at the same time.

10x "Lev Nelt'chak" Class Heavy Air Cruiser [15][+5 W]
Medium-sized cruiser for heavy-duty protection.

21x "Deltrau'aun" Class Heavy Air Cruiser (Escort) [20][+10 F)
Anti-Fighter-sepcialised escort.

14x "Voracity" Class Battlecruisers [20][+10 W]
Battlecruiser that is meant to go against larger warships and has the means to achieve victory.

25x "Cloud" Class Battlecruisers [20]
Well-balanced, standard Battlecruiser, the fastest BC in the fleet.

Ships of the Line (1290pt)

17x "Demonstration of Will" Class Heavy Battlecruiser [25]
A special kind of Battlecruiser, that is a Space Airship writ small, to protect formidable power in remote areas without the need for full-blown ships of the line.

20x "Demonstration of Will-B" Class Heavy Battlecruiser [25] [+10W]
A special kind of Battlecruiser, that is a Space Airship writ small, to protect formidable power in remote areas without the need for full-blown ships of the line.

3x "Falau'un Cha" Class Light Space Airship [35][+5 S]
Light Space Airship, that is especially suited to go against fixed defenses.

4x "Valley Ulu'uan" Class Space Airship [50]
Formidable Space Airship, yet a bit older of age.

5x "Mount Salara" Class Space Airship [70][+30 W]
SOL-sized superiority ship, formidable.

4x "Supremacy" Class Heavy Space Airship [200][+80 W]
The premier warship, the Supremacy class represents the ultimate in firepower of the Falau'un.

Defenses (700pt)

Orbital Defense Grid, Falau'un Cruinne [300][Defense]
5 Ultrahuge industrial systems: [50] each = [250]
10 industrial systems: [10] each = [100]
Colony worlds [50] altogether

Pheonix Line Trade Fortresses
(5 total, lower third of the Pheonix Line)
30 pts per, 150 points total

Ground Forces (760pt)

Falau'un Council Joint Houses Force [680]
House Forces, mostly mobile power suits

Falau'un Special Intervention Squad (SIS) [80]
Secret (and thought) police, and usually taking on the unwinnable battles.

Misc
Teleportation [300]
Virtually all Falau'un can teleport (though this isn't a truly acurate description, but close enough), and this is the most common form of transportation on and between Falau'un worlds.

additions 10.4.06:
50pts Bombers, 5 squadrons
90pts Strike fighters, 9 squadrons
20pts Special Intervention Squad
40 pts Falau'un Council Joint Houses Forces
250 pts, 10 "Demonstration of Will" Class Heavy Battlecruiser
60pts, 3 "Deltrau'aun" Class Heavy Air Cruiser
40pts, 2 "Voracity" Class Battlecruisers
50 pts, 10 "Renaya" Class Destroyer

Additions 4.5.06

250 pts 10 "Demonstration of Will-B" Class Heavy Battlecruiser
140 pts 2 "Mount Salara" Class Space Airship
200 pts 1 "Supremacy" Class Heavy Space Airship
10 pts 1 squadron Strike fighters

Additions 19.06.06

Pheonix Line Trade Fortresses
(5 total, lower third of the Pheonix Line)
30 pts per, 150 points total
10pts Special Intervention Squad
40 pts Falau'un Council Joint Houses Forces
250 pts, 10 "Demonstration of Will-B" Class Heavy Battlecruiser
60pts, 3 "Deltrau'aun" Class Heavy Air Cruiser
40pts, 2 "Voracity" Class Battlecruisers
50 pts, 10 "Renaya" Class Destroyer

Avalonian League Fluff:
Power Generation & Storage:
More than any other factor, power generation determines the technological sophistication of a civilization. The primary means of power generation in the Avalonian League are mass-conversion reactors, ranging from single-use devices small enough to be hidden in jewelry to starship grade reactors that convert the supercondensed mass of captured asteroids.

In certain applications, the energy generated by mass-conversion technology may not be sufficient to support sustained energy-intensive operations. So called “zero-point modules” store energy in an isolated subspace domain and are used as energy-dense capacitors to supplement the output of mass-conversion reactors during periods of high energy usage.

True zero-point energy has also been explored by the Avalonian League, but the amount of support and infrastructure required to reliably produce power at levels competitive with mass-conversion technology makes it impractical at any scale below planetary.

Computing & Control:
Quantum optical computers composed of synthetic optical crystals are used in nearly every level of Avalonian computer and control systems. A typical warships computer system consists of a network of independent nodes formed by clusters of crystalline optical chips; set up in such a manner that incapacitated nodes can be bypassed via functioning nodes without compromising function.

User-interfaces are composed of carefully synthesized psycho-conductive interface crystals which translate touch-telepathic neural impulses into optoelectronic signals and vice versa. Feedback is typically supplemented by solid-form holographic displays. Optimal performance requires direct physical contact; however, minor tasks can be performed via secure relay devices, either in the form of implants, incorporated into clothing, or as a decorative accessory worn on ones person.

Though not a necessary step for maintaining security, most forms of Avalonian technology are also gene-locked; a trait retained from precursor forms of Ancestor technology.

Industry, Transport, & Materials Processing:
Industry is heavily automated in the League at almost every step of the process. Resource-rich deposits of material are identified by long-range FTL scans and mapped out in detail by deep space probes. Mining vessels then travel to the site and extract the desired resources using the dematerialization beam component of transporter technology. This greatly simplifies processing, and the refined materials are transported via cargo shuttles into storage sites for use by industry.

Communications & Sensors:
Communications and sensors are both subspace-based technologies that operate at FTL speeds. However, they do retain legacy-STL capabilities. The range of such devices is dependent on both the amount of power available and the relative stability of the housing platform; starship-mounted sensors can reliably detect and track unusual activity up to half a lightyear distant, while the most powerful planet-based sensors can monitor space within a radius of nearly two dozen lightyears.

STL Propulsion:
Avalonian vessels use reactionless sublight engine technology. Such a drive system does not require an independent fuel supply, only power from the ships reactors. This arrangement does not require a vessel to carry large amounts of reaction mass, nor does it require the placement of reaction-control thrusters in positions that would otherwise compromise hull profile and/or strength.

FTL Propulsion:
Avalonian hyperdrive technology allows an object to travel through subspace provided there is enough energy to maintain hyper launch. Once that energy is depleted, the object will be ejected from subspace and emerge into realspace. Because the object is submerged in subspace for the duration of hyper launch, it is unaffected by the placement of objects in realspace. Things known to interfere with hyper launch include black holes (which heavily distort subspace as well as realspace) and displaced regions of subspace (which will simply shift the point of reemergence to a point outside the corresponding region of realspace).

Because of the nature of hyperdrive technology, the object traveling through subspace needs not possess a complete hyperdrive of its own. An external hyperdrive can generate the subspace window required to enter hyper launch and supply the initial energy input to an “extender” engine, which will then keep the object in hyperlaunch until it reaches its destination.

Military:
Avalonian weapons fall into three general types.

The most powerful, but the shortest ranged, is a weaponized variant of the same dematerialization beam technology used by mining vessels. It produces a beam which breaks down and rips away layers of the target, effectively carving away anything under the area of the beam. Energy shielding offers temporary protection from the full effects of the weapon, but will be rapidly depleted. The dematerialization beam propagates at a speed slightly slower than c, thus limiting its effective combat range to a few light-seconds.

Conventional energy weapons provide short to medium range coverage, and operate on much more familiar principles. They fire bursts of energy which travel at lightspeed and impact with tremendous concussive force, in a manner very similar to that of kinetic-projectile weaponry. As such, the impact is accompanied by a significant release of thermal and electromagnetic energy into the target. These weapons have effective combat ranges of up to a light-minute.

Self-guided drone missiles are a refinement of Ancestor weaponry, and fill in long-range capacity. Unlike dematerialization beams or energy cannons, drones are capable of full in-flight course corrections courtesy of a small onboard STL drive. They are fired at high fractions of lightspeed and can independently track and home in on their targets, allowing ship-mounted drone weapons to be effective up to several light-minutes despite their lower velocity.

Planet-based drone missiles, which must cover much larger distances, are launched through subspace windows to their intended targets. The drone missiles emerge from hyperlaunch with high-c fractional actual velocities, and rip through hostile fleet formations at ranges far beyond the possibility of effective return fire.

Energy shields are the primary defensive mechanism for Avalonian vessels, offering far more protection than any matter-based defensive systems can possibly offer. They generate a solid barrier that deflects any and all incoming particles or particle-masses above a certain energy threshold, up until the point of shield failure. They also absorb and negate the momentum of impacting particles via a synergistic inertial dampening effect.

Forcefield-reinforced armor is used as a second layer of defense, absorbing any energy that manages to bleed through shields. Both systems are capable of regenerating capacity even when under incoming fire, making Avalonian vessels quite resilient. Anything powerful enough to breach a ships shield would have to contain enough energy to outright vaporize the entire vessel.

Civil:
As with many high-technology societies, the Avalonian League makes extensive use of industrial automation. This allows the common citizenry of the League to have access to even the most esoteric technologies still known by the galaxy.

Chief among them are touch-telepathic interface technology, devices capable of translating thoughts (channeled via touch-telepathy) into control impulses for various other forms of technology. This is primarily responsible for the ease with which Avalonians can manipulate technology, directly bypassing bulky manual controls.

A common application is seen in personal environment fields. These devices create a selectively-permeable forcefield around the user, maintaining the internal conditions within a suitable range of comfort. They are capable of recycling atmosphere, regulating the temperature of the personal environment, and can be used to reliably shield the user from hostile environments, including electrical discharge, various forms of radiation, extreme temperatures and / or pressures, and corrosive and / or toxic atmospheres. They even provide limited (but still substantial) protection against weapons.

Avalonian League OOB:

Avalonian Star Navy: 2550 pts
Corvette [1][N/A][Fighter]
Small ships armed with energy cannons and small drone missiles. Their stealth capabilities make them invaluable for both scouting ahead of fleet groups and patrolling existing territories. While not true strike craft, corvettes perform favorably with fighter groups of equivalent material cost. They are typically operated by a crew of 2, although life support can sustain up to ten additional passengers without significantly shortening operating range.
850x (allocated to ships as listed below)

Heavy Destroyer [20][+10 vs Warships][Cruiser] (Accompanied by 10 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
Heavy Destroyers are optimized for combat against other warships, to the detriment of combat effectiveness against small strike craft. They are specially equipped with an abundance of heavy energy cannons better suited to penetrating the shields and armor of warships, as well as a centerline heavy dematerialization beam battery. The minimum effective crew compliment is 800.
12x (Alacritas, Calliditas, Celeritas, Dexteritas, Festinitas, Mobilitas, Pernicitas, Percuritas, Rapiditas, Strenuitas, Velocitas, Volucritas) {Agilitas, Vivacitas}

Cruiser [20][N/A][Cruiser] (Accompanied by 10 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
Cruisers are Destroyer-hull variants which play on their ability to effectively target, track, and rapidly neutralize a wide variety of targets ranging from comparably-sized vessels to strike craft. The minimum effective crew compliment is 800.
8x (Assertor, Conservator, Defensator, Excubitor, Propugnator, Protector, Servator, Tutelator) {Circitor, Satisdator}

Battleship [200][+100 vs Warships][Capital] (Accompanied by 100 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
If Destroyers are the backbone of the Avalonian Navy, Battleships are its heart. These massive warships were forged exclusively for war, protected by multiple layers of shields and dozens of meters of forcefield-reinforced armor. Their primary batteries blast and gouge craters visible from space deep into planetary surfaces, while their drone banks unleash an unceasing torrent of death thick enough to blot out the light from a sun. The hulls of these warships are colored in patterns of black and bone. The minimum effective crew compliment is 8,000.
5x (Dissolutor, Eversor, Perditor, Peremptor, Vastator) {Beligerator, Conquaestor, Debellator, Extinctor, Interfector, Praecipitator, Venator}

Dreadnought [300][+150 vs Warships][Capital] (Accompanied by 150 Corvettes [1][N/A][Fighter])
The Dreadnought is best described as a larger and more heavily armed version of a Battleship, with proportionately more impressive capabilities. Like Battleships, the hull of a Dreadnought is colored in patterns of black and bone. The minimum effective crew compliment is 12,000.
1x (Ictus Exitialis) {Manus Fatalis, Vulnus Letalis}

Avalonian Defense Corps: 1950 pts
Settlement [5][Defense]
A catch-all term for minor installations set up for any number of purposes.
2x (Athar)
4x (Chaya)
3x (Dagan)
4x (Dosi)
3x (Gallica)
2x (Langar)
1x (Lycopha)
2x (Nox)
1x (Orinth)
3x (Turris)

Outpost-type Defense Grid [50][Defense]
A localized network of bunkers equipped with self-guided high-velocity missiles and protected by shields designed to repel minor intrusions over the local region. Typically found on newly established colonies.
1x (Aurora)

Station-type Defense Grid [100][Defense]
A network of shielded defense stations equipped with self-guided high-velocity missiles and energy cannon emplacements which provide protection and shield coverage to most of the surface. Typically found on developing colonies.
1x (Taonas)

Fortress-type Defense Grid [200][Defense]
A large network of defense stations placed around population centers as well as shields and planetary defense battery emplacements which span the planets surface. They are found on developed colonies.
1x (Lantia)
1x (Clarush)

Citadel-type Defense Grid [500][Defense]
A powerful planetary-shield grid that operates in conjunction to a planet-spanning network of planetary defense battery emplacements housed in bunkers and stations. These protect the major worlds of the Avalonian League.
1x (Avalon)

Planetary Defense Corps Regiment [25][Defense]
A self-contained element of the local Planetary Defense Corps, complete with integrated armor support and local transport capability. As their name implies, they are devoted to the defense of the worlds they are garrisoned on.
15x (Avalon)
6x (Lantia)
6x (Clarush)
3x (Taonas)
1x (Aurora)

Avalonian Guard: 600 pts
Avalonian Guard Regiment [25][Ground]
A self-contained element of the Avalonian Guard, complete with integrated armor support and transport capability on both the planetary and interstellar level.
12x

Strike Cruiser [50][+25 vs Defense][Ground]
Strike Cruisers are warships optimized for lightning assaults on defensive emplacements. They carry an arsenal specifically tailored to defeat static defenses and provide orbital support for planetary forces. They are used exclusively by the Avalonian Guard. Strike Cruisers have a minimum effective crew compliment of 2,000.
6x

Misc
Observation Satellite [0]
Placed in remote areas of Avalonian space or around prospective colony worlds, these satellites continuously monitor the region for unwanted intrusions. (No offensive / defensive capability, negligible production / maintenance costs)

100 pts in reserve

Updates:
"retired" all ships in Heavy Cruiser class
Upgraded Battleship and Dreadnought classes
Commissioned new Corvettes, Heavy Destroyers, Cruisers, and Battleships
Upgraded Taonas to Compound-type Defense Grid from Outpost-type (to reflect expansion of planetary assets) & added a third Planetary Defense Corps Regiment
Added additional settlements on minor worlds

Edit 4/9/06:
Corrected number of Battleships. Number given was 2, but actual count was 3.

Update 5/4/06:
Retired Destroyer class (names didn't fit into my current scheme very well)
Added 1x Heavy Destroyer, 2x Battleships, and some more settlements.
Note: Nox and Turris both are situated on the eastern edge of Avalonian space (just behind the curtain of interference), effectively pushing the border right onto the Falal'un Listening Post's doorstep. Gallica is located in the northern part of the League, and Lycopha and Orinth both extend the Avalonian border to the galactic-south.

Edit 5/6/06:
Changed Cruiser statline from [20][+10 vs Strike Craft][Cruiser] to [20][N/A][Cruiser]. It is still accompanied by 10x Corvettes.

Update 6/14/06:
Added 2x vessels each to the Destroyer and Cruiser classes.
Bunker-type Defense Grid is now called the Station-type Defense Grid, no change in statline.
What was the Station-type Defense Grid is now the Fortress-type Defense Grid.
Upgraded Aurora from an assortment of settlements to an Outpost proper and gave it a PDF Regiment.
Added two new settled worlds; Athar and Langar. Both extend the Avalonian League's eastern frontier and will function as early-warning stations.
Increased the amount of settlement installations on Dagan and Gallica to 3 from 2.

The Silver Flame - Minor Power
Note: The Latin words represent words in the ancient langue of the Quelectin.

Government:
The Silver Flame is the cause that unites all Quelectin. It is a strange mix of religion, philosophy, military and government lead by The High Seeker. The current High seeker, High Seeker Bardon, is 231 and will likely serve for life though it is not uncommon for a High Seeker to step down or be “asked” to step down the counsel of Seekers.

The counsel of Seeker is an advisory body made up off hundred of Quelectin. Each is the head of his or her clan and is there to represent there interests. The clans were originally descended from the faculties that existed with in the Grate Library. Currently the most powerful clans are; Mathematica, Military Historic and Physictos. The High Seeker technically gives up his clan when selected by the Counsel of Seekers, though it is very unusual for then to totally distance them selves from there family. The current High Seeker was formal from the minor Clan Biologyris.

Seekers are choices by election were only the heads of the individual families in a clan can vote, though it is possibly for them to pick any one they seldom look out with there own number. Seeker elections are carried out once a year however each clan selects there own time to hold the election meaning that new Quelectin are constantly leaving the Counsel of Seekers. The head of families is the eldest member in any marriage which has at least one child over 2 years old.

Economy:
The standard unit of currency is called an Argentum [Six will by you a raw chicken sized bird]. The economy is free market based were ever thing (except knowledge, which belongs to the nation) can be bought or sold if it dose not affect another’s Beneficium or rights. Each Clan is required to make sure that all its members have a basic standard of life, this right is called Beneficium Aevum, it includes shelter, food and work among other things.

Ideology:
Quelectin were originally created, or forged as it is termed, by a long dead empire at the start of the Age of Silver to run a gigantic planet sized Library devoted to the acquiring, storage and use of knowledge. The Quelectin still retain the love for knowledge that was genetically engineered in to them and it is a high crime under the Silver Flame to hide or hoard knowledge, or silver as the Quelectins may call it. The Quelectins will consider invading a planet a adequate price to pay for attaining some secrete knowledge that planet has developed or discovered but will always try to negotiate for it before any attack is launched.

Military:
The Quelectin maintain a strong Star Navy molded after there creators, there ships are highly technologically advanced meaning they are smaller than normal but also a silently more vulnerable to damage. The ground array is mainly mechanized (since they were not created as warriors) and contains many remote control drones, hover tanks and atmospheric craft.

ORC is the name of The Silver Flames FTL.

Quelectin Physiology:
Quelectin are between two and three and a half feet tall and covered in course fur. Two Long arms extend out there torso with five digits on each and they also have two legs with 5 semi distinct toes on each.

Quelectin are extremely intelligent and will typically live to between 200 and 220 though 250 is not uncommon. The eldest living Quelectin is 263 and the eldest in history reached 275.

Quelectin are physically weak able to a fifth as much as an adult human but are very quick with there hand and only slightly slower than a human when running. There two sexes, male and female who can potentially conceive once a year, 95% of pregnancies result in twins and children need intensive care up until two and a half and not reach adult hood until thirty eight years old most families will have only two sets of children in there life due to this.


Major Worlds of The Silver Flame

The Lesser Library
Capital World of The Silver Flame, The Lesser Library was first settled at the beginning of the Age of Steel. Though not a city world, The Lesser Library dose have many major cities and needs to import much of its food.

Ancile Class Space Cannon Stationary x1
Contego Class Space Station, Stationary x1
Vindico Class Space Fortress Stationary x1
Library Guard x1
First Guard x1

Asteroid Hives
A combination of space stations and bio domed asteroids the Asteroid Hives mine and refine most of the mettles used by Industry any were in The Silver Flame.

Talon
The first colony world settled by The Silver Flame in the past 50 years it has become almost as heavily industrialized as The Lesser Library. It also contains the massive ship yards that supply most of the Navy ships and also much of the civilian market.

Contego Class Space Station, Stationary x2
Second Guard x1

The Greater Library (ruined)
Though not with in The Silver Flames boarders, sovereign right of the ruinous asteroid field that was once the Grater Library is claimed. There is usably at least one ship on station to back up this right. This may seem like a waist of recourses since there is no industry or agriculture left at the Grater Library occasionally part of a data core may be recovered allowing a peace of Age of Silver knowledge to added to the Lesser Library.

There are also 5 minor settlements on planets in outlying systems.

Ships of the Fleet

Grand Library Class Super Dreadnought, Warship [75], x1
Immense space going fortresses Grand Library class vessels are the pride of the Silver Flame navy. They feature huge batteries of guns and some of the strongest shields produced since the Age of Steel ended.

Golden Light Class Battleship, Warship, [30], x3
Golden Light Class Battleships are the line ships of the fleet, faster than the ponderous Grand Library class but with better weapons and shields than any cruiser. This class represents the light given of when the Silver Flame when consumes knowledge.

Silver Flame Class Cruiser, Warship, [15], [+4 vs. warships] x7
The Silver Flame cruisers are perhaps the most famous class currently in serves. Name after the philosophy that is the centre of Quelectin life the class has more than lived up to this responsibility, armed with several huge weapons batteries ships of this class can out match most other cruisers and even pose a threat to small capital ships.

Battalion Class Cruiser, Warship, [10], [+4 vs. fighters] x7
Battalion Class vessels are covered with innumerable small weapons batteries able to fill surrounding space with deadly weapons fire, making it all but impossible for a fighter to come near. These cruisers form the main anti-fighter role in the Silver Flame navy and as such it is all most unheard of for any thing larger than a task force to be with out one.

Blaze Class Cruiser, Warship, [10], x5
Blaze Class vessels are the closest thing to a line cruiser used by the Silver Flame. Not specialized to meet any particular threat Blaze class cruisers are used principally for boarder control.

Candle Class Fleet Destroyer, Warship, [5], [+2 vs. warships] x20
Candle class vessels are typically deployed in cruiser hunting wolf packs. Though small this class is expert at working in semi independent units which are equally effective in a large fleet battle or patrolling boarders.

Radiance Class Carrier, Warship, [3], [Carrier] x14
Radiance class vessels are the only dedicated carriers in the Silver Flame navy. Poorly armed most of there small bulk is devoted to massive fighter storage and launch bays.

Legion Class Frigate, Warship, [2], x39
Legion class vessels are the principle escorts in use by The Silver Flame. Not designed for independent use this class is intended to protect large cruisers and capital ships from destroys and other smaller vessels.

Guardian Class fighter, Fighter, [5], x39
When attacking in huge numbers Guardian fighters can be even be a threat to cruisers and capital ships.

Beacon Class Bomber, Fighter, [5], [Bomber] x39
Beacon fighters were created to meet the need for a dedicated anti warship fighter. Though almost useless ageist other fighters Beacon Bombers contain weapons powerful enough to harm even large Capital Ships.

Lightning Class Interceptor, Fighter, [5], [+2. vs fighters] x38
Lightning class Interceptor were found necessary after fighters and bombers were found to be very effective ageist the structurally weak ships of The Silver Flame navy. Fighters of this class have externally high acceleration and use extremely high ROF weapons special designed to destroy other fighters.

Ancile Class Space Cannon Stationary [10] [Defense] x1
Ancile space canons were originally capital ships weapons in the Age of Silver. However due to technical fall back, energy generation which was once able to power huge battery’s of these weapons is now only able to power a single one.

Contego Class Space Station, Stationary [20] [Defense] x3
Contego class vessels were destroyers in the age of silver however the secret’s of the power planet are no longer able to power both weapons and engines. To solve this problem the engines were removed and the class turned in to a planetary defense station.

Vindico Class Space Fortress Stationary [200] [Defense] x1
Vindico were Super Dreadnought in the Age of Silver, in a similar way to the Contego class Vindico had there engines removed so there weapons could remain functional.

Ground Forces

Ground Forces [150] - split down to
Library Guard [50] x1
First Guard [50] x1
Second Guard [50] x1

The Freehold
Great Power

NAVY
7000 points

The Freehold Navy operates under the "decisive battle" theory, by which naval supremacy is to be established by deploying a large fleet which acts to annihilate its opposition in a single climactic battle, thereby winning superiority in space.

Screening Ship [4][+2 against strike craft] x 300 [1200]

These small ships act in concert with the fleet to protect larger vessels from attack by bombers. They are never found except as elements of a larger fleet.

Artillery Monitor [20][+10 against stationary] x10 [200]

Monitors are designed to supplement fleet or army actions by provided concentrated firepower against fixed targets.

Armored Cruiser [20] x 100 [2000]

These are balanced ships that patrol the trade lanes and join the fleet for larger operations.

Escort Cruiser [20][+10 against strike craft] x 50 [1000]

Escort cruisers are specialized to defend the larger ships of the fleet against attack by strike craft.

Fleet Carrier [5][CARRIER] x 20 [100]
*Carrier Group [25] x 20 [500]

Fleet Carriers operate behind the protection of the rest of the assembled fleet, launching their daughter ships to help screen the fleet and make strikes on the enemy. The carriers themselves are very vulnerable.

Battleship [50] x 30 [1500]

These form the first tier of the line of battle, large ships with heavy firepower. They are versatile enough to be deployed in a variety of assignments.

Dreadnought [100][+30 against warships] x 5 [500]

Dreadnoughts are massive vessels, heavily armed with an eye towards annihilating the enemy line of battle. They require escort to defend against attacks by fighters.


ARMY
900 points

On the offensive, the Freehold army might be best described as a "shock" army. They rely on heavy firepower, adroit maneuver, envelopment, and assault to enable them to neutralize their enemies. Defensively, the Freehold is tenacious. The Orcs construct powerful fortifications and make expert use of terrain, and are capable of fluidly transferring forces to the critical points. They are a very dangerous adversary in any situation.

Special: Ghostdancer Brigades
100 points

For offensive operations, these specialist brigades are attached to the forward elements and placed where they will have the greatest effect.

OOB total points:
8000

Hekartes - Major Power

Heed me, young explorers, for I am the once great explorer Iron Phoenix, who opened the Northeast Passage and found the great cache at Drasib. I will tell you how the universe came to be the way it is.

In the beginning was the Age Of Stone. All beings lived on their worlds of stone, the Cradles, where they came to be. The worlds nutured them, let them grow fat and happy like a prosperous village's children. They fought, yes, but beings always fight. It is our way. The Cradles let them grow stronger, climbing their own paths to the stars.

Next, came the Age of Iron, for the beings of the stars had found the ways of metal and science, and strode out into the stars on vast, cold ships. So brave were they! Enduring generations asleep for a chance at a new Cradle. Into the night billions journeyed, and new worlds were settled, new species found as Cradles sent their journeyers to the same stars. It was a cold, dark time, like the void itself. No faster-than-light technology meant no words home or to other colonies. Each world was it's own, and they ecked out lives as best they could.

When the barrier of Light was finally breached, it ushered in a new Age as each star was interconnected. Trade of goods, money, and knowledge went from a few droplets to a roaring ocean. Prosperity again dominated, and new worlds were founded, new species found. Some new species were even made, such were the wonders of the Age of Silver, the magics the old ones had.

Yet, did I not say it is the nature of all beings to war? I did. Remember that, explorers, for you will find battles out there. Silver could not last forever. We do not know who began the great war, but does it matter? The nations then are gone, destroyed in their own fires. The only links one could make now are those of species, and who is so arrogant as to do that? The Age of Steel was one which destroyed, not created. The universe became cold and dark for a long time.

Now? We do not know this Age's name yet. The wise men after us will decide such. But we see the signs. Other nations crawl from the rubble to set forth again. There are no empires as there once were, but in a year, ten years, a hundred years? No sage is that wise.

Now, observe, while I show you how to speak to your craft, so they will carry you across the void..

We Must Dissent.
Charter and foundation of the Hekartes Tribes.

We watch. We listen. We learn.

We watch the nations of the galaxy rise, fall, destroy, create. In our tribal histories, legends, and ancient monoliths, it has happened ten thousand times. Yet some simple truths remain, testaments to what we are. The innocent suffer, the weak are trampled, the primitive left to die. We must dissent.

We listen to the powerful make grand, sweeping proclamations about improving the galaxy, bringing prosperity. Always on the backs of the weak, the helpless, the defenseless. We hear generals speak of 'bombing a world to the stone age', but as the stone age returns to a species, we are expected to beleive they vanish. We must dissent.

We have learned that there is no justice but what we make. There is no compassion but our own. There is no hope but what living beings will forge with their own two hands. Primitive we are, superstitious we are, few we are. But we dissent, and we will stand idly no longer.

This document is the foundation of the Hekartes. We take the name from the legends of the Age Of Stone, of a beast with a hundred arms, for while none of us is as strong as the sleek, metal civilizations of high technology, we are many, and we are determined.

Our tribes will unite across stars and resist you. Our weakest brothers protected and kept safe, the strongest standing with us. There will be no more of the exploitation and abandonment of the primitive. We dissent, and we do so with the force of arms.


Order Of Battle.

Note: By it's curious nature, there is centralized command but no standard army. Warriors are rallied together from assets present or able to quickly respond. This, coupled with the nature of Hekartes military vessels, means fleets are chaotic, ramshackle things.

Fleet:

Frigate-class Hulk [6] x 200 [1,200]

Smallest of the true warhulks, frigate-class vessels tend to be speedy and lightly armed. Typically soulbonded to a young warrior, they can be seen almost anywhere, as the 'crew' seeks to prove his or her worth.

Destroyer-class Hulk [20] x 40 [800]

While Frigates range far and wide, Destroyers are found closer in. Operating on the Hekartes trade lanes, watching over the protected systems, and forming the core of any fleet, they are piloted by proven warriors, bonded to their tattered metal.

'Storm' Hulks [20][+10 vs. Strike Craft] x 10 [200]

Hulks which were biased towards antifighter work, or which have been modified to hurl immense loads of shrapnel at incoming strike craft, are referred to as 'Storm' hulks. They lack finesse, but when a heavy weapons mount is replaced by huge rotary cannons, pilots beware!

Cruiser-class Hulk [50] x 10 [500]

Slow, ill-tempered, and nigh-impossible to stop. Such is the image of a Cruiser Hulk, and it's quite true. Hauled from the sites of vast battles during the Age of Steel, these vessels are in worse repair than smaller hulks, sometimes requiring extensive soul-magic to restore them to movement.

'Warbringer' Hulks [50][+25 vs. Capitals] x 5 [250]

When the time comes for war, cruiser's are stripped of their antifighter complements to equip ever-more heavy weapons. These behemoths lumber onto the field of battle and seek out enemy capital ships without mercy.

Battleship-class Hulk [100] x 5 [500]

No one who has only trod the path of the warrior can be bonded to these ancient, powerful wrecks. To truly become one with the muscle of Hekartes naval power, one must travel many paths, seeking enlightenment in each of the roles a sentient may. Only by mastering the complex methods of guiding and directing others, managing scant resources, and watching the future through the soul-realm can one truly command a battleship. These individuals are few, and revered.

'The Abomination' [200] x 1

Soulbonding can go horribly wrong. When a vast, Age of Steel battleship was located and towed in, none realized it's self-aware core was a hateful, insane thing, driven to hate all life by it's aeons of isolation. When one of the greatest leaders of the Hekartes bonded with it and restored it's capability to move and fight, it immediately tore huge holes in the fleets guarding it and escaped. The Abominations present location is unknown, as the minds of a killer machine and a benevolent leader wage war for one of the strongest warships still existing.

Gateway Network [500] x 1

A series of massive gates exist on the worlds of the Hekartes, allowing rapid transit of anything smaller than a cruiser between worlds.

Army [500]

Comprimised of tanks, fighters, artillery, and war shamen, the Hekartes army is few in number but devastating when they can move enough troops into one place.

Bolo [50] x 7 [350]

The largest and most powerful land vehicle in the arsenal of the Hekartes, a Bolo can single-handedly defend a planet from an army, swat small craft from the skies, and augment standard army units to provide devastating power. As rare as battleships, these behemoths are the reward of the heros of the tribes.

Custodial Staff, Regional

The Custodial Staff was originally just the automated maintenence service of a large office building. Its operational plans had no special provision for apocalyptic galactic warfare, so it kept up business as usual. Thankfully its before they died various causes the operators gave it and the other departments emergency powers to acquire new supplies and personnel. Major disasters sometimes cause odd things to happen, and this is one of them. The Custodial Staff was the only department to survive and eventually expanded to be the dominant force in its area. Its mandate is still to keep the building and its environs in good order, but that has in time been interpreted increasingly loosely. The definition of building and its environs immediately expanded to include the resources needed to maintain them. Some time and a few leaps of logic later it was decided that the staff was responsible for the orderly operation of the entire universe.


Government-
The original head AI went eccentric long ago and was disconnected from vital functions. The Staff is currently run by a representative democracy. Local supervisors and the Board of Directors are both elected from among the staff. The Board appoints the Chief Executive in parliamentary fashion. The Custodian government is elected democratically for reasons of convenience only. There is no tradition of liberty or other such high ideals.


Economy-
The Office directly controls the parts of the economy directly related to its operations and nominally controls everything in its sphere of influence. Most people are technically employees, although many people are on extended leave to follow other pursuits. Entrepreneurism is heavily monitored but allowed. It's a mixed economy that fits close to the socialist side, strongly reminiscent of market socialism.


Ideology-
The wellbeing of the state is generally valued highly. Personal freedoms and comforts aren't seen as particularly important. The people have faith in their government and as a rule try to work within the system. In return for their devotion the Staffers expect competence and benevolence from their government. Malfeasance is a betrayal to the state and punished severely when found.
Internationally, the Custodians seek to bring order to the galaxy. This is simply because they believe the galaxy would be better if it were orderly. There are various ideas for advancing this ideal using social and economic pressure and even war when necessary.


Military-
The Custodian Navy has more emplaced defenses than is probably healthy. The mobile portion of the fleet is heavily patrol-oriented, relying heavily on escort carriers and cruisers for routine business. The wall of battle is comparatively weak. The lighter elements of the fleet drill for guerre de course, both performing it and countering it. The carrier fleet is also used in conjunction with ships of the wall in battle.
Ships have the luxury of large reactors and so use energy weapons as their main armament. Small strike craft are obliged to use munitions to put out a decent amount of firepower and accept a penalty in endurance.


Physiology-
The Custodians of today are bastard children of mutated human survivors and monomaniacal AIs. Biological improvements over the years have fixed the problematic mutations and made other general improvements. Custodians are generally healthier than baseline humans and better able to accept cybernetic implants. AI implants live mutually with the biological organism, availing its computer power to its host's personality. Custodian AI doesn't have much personality of its own, and consequently a human factor is needed to get nontrivial work out of them. Physical enhancements are handed out for people who need them or on request. Custodians look much like ordinary human beings, though a trained eye or scanner can tell the difference.
Native Custodians are normally implanted in early childhood and grow up knowing how to use cybernetc interfaces as well as their own bodies. In addition they build a life-long rapport with the AI's (admittedly limited) personality. People who get implanted later in life are prescribed a course of drugs to replasticize the brain to assist the learning process. Side effects include memory loss, susceptibility to suggestion, and changes in personality.

Major planets
Eden Tower
Originally the name of a building, the planet soon took on the same name. This is the Custodian homeworld and capital.

Stone Tower
One of the earlier colonies. The system contained a partially-terraformed world left over from the previous age suitable for immediate settlement as well as a large mineral-rich debris field orbiting a bit closer to its sun. Stone tower is now the largest industrial region in Custodian space and location of its main naval base. Eden and Stone towers formed the axis along which the other major colonies were settled.

There are 20 other developed colonies and a few inconsequential ones.

Ships

Escorts

Escort Carrier [3] +1 vs fighters (usual air group 6pt fighter, no bomber) Not really a Carrier in the rules sense
Aside from the obvious role of escorting merchantmen, escort carriers are often used as scouts. The tracking systems that they have to have to do their job properly synergize well with point-defense, explaining the anti-fighter specialization.
Fully loaded the carrier costs 9 points. x50 = 450


Assault Frigate [4] +2 versus warships
The counterpoint of escort carriers, assault frigates are meant to beat up on picket ships.
x50 = 200

Corvette [2]
A normal picket. While assault frgiates are good at beating up on pickets, they just can't fill the role of one.
x150 = 300


300 ships, 950 points

Cruisers

Fleet Carrier [6] [carrier]
Fleet carriers normally patrol Custodian space. In large-scale fleet battles carriers launch attacks from behind the wall of battle.
Usual complement 30pts fighters 10 pts bombers
x15 = 690

Battlecruiser [10] +5 vs warships
Battlecruisers work in close concert with Fleet Carriers on patrol to guard them from other cruisers and shoot down leakers in the wall.
x30 = 300

45 ships, 990 points

Capital ships


Modern Battleship [50] +25 against warships
x10 = 500 pts
The wall of battle is only brought out to fight against opposing walls. As a result it is heavily specialised for that role.
Star Destroyer is really a number of slightly different classes with the same name and basic design. The latest generation is the Star Destroyer model 9. Ships from the previous few implementations of the design are kept in the fleet and modernised until they worn out or destroyed.
Legacy Battleship [40] +10 against warships
Less advanced and less specialised to the wall of battle than the modern refined class.
x10=40 pts

20 ships, 900 points


Fixed Defenses:
Death Star battle station [Defense] 80pts (160 points counting fighters)
Large fighter bases in planetary orbit. There was originally only one such station in orbit around Eden Tower. One more was later added in the opposite side of its orbit. The same arrangement is in place at Stone Tower, for a total of four stations. In addition to hosting large fighter groups, each Death Star is a fully armed and operational battle station. They are dotted with numerous laser batteries and huge antiship weapons called superlasers.
x4 = 640 points
Death Star fighter group consists of 60 points fighters, 20 points bombers

Eden Tower Planetary Defenses [Defense][20]
The planetary shielding and batteries based on Eden Tower itself.

Stone Tower defenses [Defense] [20]
Same, except at Stone Tower.


200 pts
The Army
180 points are the main Custodian Army, counting their armor and air corps. 20 points are the lavishly augmented, equipped, and trained Custodian Guard. The Custodian Guard are an elite force of guards who protect very important people and installations. They also do windows. Most of the Army is based on Stone Tower and most of the Guard is on Eden Tower.

180 points
Fighter Reserve. These fighters are based at random points around the country. They mostly provide security around minor colonies. It's deistributed at about 8 points of fighters per colony.


Fixed defenses, secondary world, [5] [Defense]
x20 = 100
These defenses consist of light planetary shielding, some tractor beam stations for deflecting space debris, and a few laser batteries. Together with local fighters it's enough to deter or delay anything up to a cruiser in strength.


total accounting of fighters
Fighters:
300 points worth ride on escort carriers
450 on fleet carriers
240 on DeathStars
180 in reserves
The Gunstar type fighter is a general-purpose fighter suitable for any kind of target. Its main weapon is a hypervelocity shell cannon. These shells explode in proximity against evasive targets or on impact against hard targets. A unit of Gunstars consists of twelve fighters.


Bombers:
none on escort carriers
150 points on fleet carriers
80 on Death Stars
Gunstar-B bombers are much like the fighter variation of the same design, but with different armament. Their cannon is of much greater caliber, doing far more damage but suffering considerably in rate of fire. Its large shells are devestating against what it can hit, but it has considerable difficulty hitting small targets like other fighters.

edited Jan 3 for fluff.

The Khar Imperium

Khar Empire Background (Warning- Logghorrea)

Order of Battle, Khar Imperium
[Major Power, 6000 Pts]

Don't trust the percentages. I'm nearly sure that's 6000 points, but the percentages are lying bastards.

Terminology-
SHALAM Weapon-
=Khar have no external genitalia. Instead of using a sensible philosophy of armament, Khar either place lots of little pissant guns to throw out walls of awesome-looking firepower, or lots of gigantic guns with little to no smaller ones to support.
=The epitome of the latter philosophy is the SHALAM Weapon. We're not kidding when we tell you the thing is the size of a Light Cruiser, and a Destroyer could hide in its barrel. The biggest Khar ships the Imperium has built itself have managed to fit three on their hull, and that's it. Don't ask how it hits anything, it's just that awesome.**

Shielding- Khar have three seperate kinds of shielding.
=One of them, Onewalls, are flat shield panels made to generally hug the hull through a lot of shield emitters and some complicated faceting. They absorb attacks from one direction assuming they aren't overloaded but allow them out from the other one. Usually the "Lets Stuff In" side is your side so that you can shoot out and they can't shoot in. Don't ask what happens if a onewall gets hit directly on its monomolecular-sized side instead of the front or back. Don't even try it. Bad, bad things.
=The second kind of shielding is defensive shielding. This Star Wars-style shielding does bad, bad things to anything that touches it. Generally the effects on physical objects such as bullets or asteroids could be best described as "disintigration". Khar have to open holes in their Defense Sheilds to fire out of the onewalls, although there has never been a recorded shot getting through the tiny ports in the defense shields. Maybe the LKLR Nyem-Nyeps, which just randomly exploded during a battle in Kalakh territory according to records.
=The third kind is offensive shielding. Don't ask how (It's a trade secret), but instead of bullets the Khar shoot shields out of their guns. Because they're that awesome.

Imperial Khar Navy
Escorts (142 Hulls) (526 Points) (8.77% Total Spending)
Luf Qar'Nedjev-class Point Defense Frigate [3][Warship][+1 vs. Fighters] x120
=The Luf Qar'Nedjev-class is armed with only Point-Defense Weapons and is more like a small gunboat. Large numbers of Point-Defense Frigates travel in the Standardized Clan Fleets to provide light anti-fighter defenses.

Syshtar Nysh-Yelymi-class Patrol Destroyer [5][Warship] x90
=The Standardized Khar Destroyer is a small vessel that is armed with only a single Shield Cannon for anti-warship operations and a mediocre point defense outfit for lighter targets. However, the Syshtar Nysh-Yelymi is able to preform all roles equally badly and thus is used as a light multi-purpose escort.

Cruisers (92 Hulls) (1046 Points)(17.43% Total Spending)
Nefdriq Te'Eq-Suinidj-class Patrol Cruiser [8][Warship] x60
=Khar Light Cruisers are a recently created class. They resemble larger Destroyers with a slightly decreased Point-Defense capacity in exchange for a second Shield Cannon.

Ror-Epmeiz Delb-class Attack Cruiser [12][Warship][+4 vs. Warships] x50
=The Standardized Khar Cruiser is a small vessel that packs nearly 75% of its weapons capacity into anti-warship guns. Cruisers often operate under the protection of larger Battlecruisers to help them deal with the threat of both larger warships and smaller fighters.

'Nemnet Yalne-class Battlecruiser [15][Warship][+7 vs. Fighters] x40
=Khar Battlecruisers are fast cruiser-sized vessels armed to the teeth with rapid-firing light weaponry. They are usually the main defensive parts of a fleet, expendable enough to go out and fight the enemy and powerful enough to actually have a chance.

Ships of the Wall (64 Hulls) (3880 Points)(64.67% Total Spending)
Sych Dju-Oeq-Sip-class Battleship [30][Warship][+10 vs. Warships] x20
=The Battleships of the Khar Fleet are made to attack enemy lines. While powerful against other warships, they are very vulnerable to attack by fighters and usually require covering fire from Carriers or Battlecruisers for full effectiveness. Khar Battleships also are the smallest vessel in the Khar Fleet to mount a SHALAM Weapon.

Qar-Oeq-Nyveiz-class Dreadnought [50][Warship][+25 vs. Warships] x30
=Khar Dreadnoughts are the backbone of the Clanfleets. They simply are a larger version of their battleships, notibly including 2 SHALAM Weapons. However, Dreadnought firepower is only 50% larger than a Battleship despite their 66% increase in volume. This inefficiency is dismissed by Khar Captains as "number jockeying".

Syiap-Ro Tibra-class Missile Carrier/Command Vessel [70][Warship][+30 vs. Fighters] x10
=The Missile Carriers of the Khar Fleet double as C4 stations. While they are capable of exchanging respectable broadsides through sheer amount of weapons, their numerous light guns are best used to rip through enemy fighters and protect the large Ships of the Wall. A Missile Carrier is not a true carrier, the Imperial Khar Navy having no fighters, and instead carries 38 Ninoker Missile Batteries. However, for their size they are slow and underarmored.

Clan Superdreadnought [100][Warship][+30 vs. Warships] x7
=Clan Superdreadnoughts are the centers of the Khar Clanfleets. Each one is horrendously powerful in combat. They are pure combat vessels, carrying a full 3 SHALAM weapons and 10 Ninoker Missile Batteries along with numerous smaller armaments. Clan Vessels are rebuilt as needed to keep with technology, but to lose one in battle would be the ultimate dishonor.

LKLR (Translated) Sword of the Emperor's Wrath Flagship [500][Warship][+150 vs. Warships]
=The Sword of the Emperor's Wrath is the final surviving ship from the Age of Steel in the Khar Imperium, a remnant from the old Eqqarrya, or Khar Empire. The personal clanship of the Imperial Family, the Sword of the Emperor's Wrath is said to be undefeatable in combat and unstoppable in its carrying out of the Emperor's Will, and it should be able to do just that. In practice, protected by 30% of the Imperial Fleet, it stays at home and guards Monau-Ra from interlopers. However, were the Imperial Homefleet to leave shore, woe betide the enemy who attempted to attack the LKLR Delb-Oeq-Dagnamizqar.


Defenses (26 Hulls) (104 Points)(1.73% Total Spending)
Orbital Turret [4][Defense] x26 (3 per Clanworld, 5 at Monau-Ra)
=Orbital Turrets are small defensive weapons that are placed around Clanworlds and the Imperial Plant. While they are generally weak in combat, they help supplement the defenses of warships and generally perform best when ignored in favor of mobile opponents, allowing them to focus firepower on enemies as they wish.
Al'Chiart Izhisolirep-class Defense Satellites [40][Defense] x8 (1 per Clanworld, 1 at Monau-Ra) [320 Points]
=Following calls that the Homeworlds of the Clans and the Holy World itself were far too undefended, the Al'Chiart stations were created. Although essentially immobile except for stationary thrusters, the Al'Chiart mounts more SHALAM devices than even a Clan Superdreadnought. While it is meant to basically perform surgical dissections upon capital ships, it also mounts a variety of smaller guns to plink away at Capital Shielding and powerful shield generators to make up for its lack of mobility. The Al'Chiart Izhisolirep-class only lacks the ability to pursue opponents, and so while it outclasses one or even more capital ships in a stand up fight it can be easily outmaneuevered.

Troops (444 Points) (7.4% Total Spending)
Imperial Khar Army [446] (Dispatched 43/clan and 180 to the Imperial Family)
=The Imperial Khar Army is actually the provincial clan defense forces of each of the Seven Clans, generally ridiculously undermanned and pathetic. A more respectable, if miniaturized, military is controlled by the Imperial Family at Monau-Ra.

Khar Uber Leet Special Ops [50] (AKA "Spare Points Division", under Imperial Family Control)
=Khar ULSO is an elite group of hot, young, and photogenic women and men. They usually never are hit in battle, win under impossible odds, and are involved in interstellar diplomatic incidents with a stunning regularity. While not especially capable or numerous, this batallion-sized unit composed of extreme amounts of awesome is often deployed because of their extremely cinematic nature.

** Historically, the Khar Empire used SHALAM Weapons against foritifications to bust up enemy stations and against planets as an orbital bombardment weapon when they couldn't be bothered to distinguish which city was actually their target. The SHALAM Weapon was also used by Admiral Yetne Raeqkyd to burn gigantic inscriptions in an enemy's native tongues into their moons or other highly visible stellar objects. The messages were, to say the least, vulgar, and usually were not appreciated by targets who had to live with the gigantic molten crater-letters burned into their moons.

04/02/06 Additions:

Added:
Luf Qar'Nedjev-class Point Defense Frigate [3][Warship][+1 vs. Fighters] x28 [84 Points]
====[New Total- x120]
Syshtar Nysh-Yelymi-class Patrol Destroyer [5][Warship] x40 [200 Points]
====[New Total- x90]
Nefdriq Te'Eq-Suinidj-class Patrol Cruiser [8][Warship] x6 [48 Points]
====[New Total- x40]
Ror-Epmeiz Delb-class Attack Cruiser [12][Warship][+4 vs. Warships] x8 [96 Points]
====[New Total- x40]
'Nemnet Yalne-class Battlecruiser [15][Warship][+7 vs. Fighters] x4 [60 Points]
====[New Total- x40]
Sych Dju-Oeq-Sip-class Battleship [30][Warship][+10 vs. Warships] x4 [120 Points]
====[New Total- x20]

Add 32 Points to Khar Uber Leet Special Ops [ULSO] for a total of 50 points.
Add 20 Points to Khar Imperial Army for a total of 446
====[Internal Organization, Fluff Only- Disband Nepak Detish Troops [-1 point from Imperials], add 3 to Each Clan, 0 to Imperial Army for total of 43 per clan and 180 Imperial point totals]
Total: 600 (Major Power 10%)

05/??/06: Update Missed, Inactivity

June 06:
New Points: 600
New Defensive Foritications:
Al'Chiart Izhisolirep-class Defense Satellites [40][Defense] x8 (1 per Clanworld, 1 at Monau-Ra) [320 Points]
=Following calls that the Homeworlds of the Clans and the Holy World itself were far too undefended, the Al'Chiart stations were created. Although essentially immobile except for stationary thrusters, the Al'Chiart mounts more SHALAM devices than even a Clan Superdreadnought. While it is meant to basically perform surgical dissections upon capital ships, it also mounts a variety of smaller guns to plink away at Capital Shielding and powerful shield generators to make up for its lack of mobility. The Al'Chiart Izhisolirep-class only lacks the ability to pursue opponents, and so while it outclasses one or even more capital ships in a stand up fight it can be easily outmaneuevered.
Nefdriq Te'Eq-Suinidj-class Patrol Cruiser [8][Warship] x20 [160 Points]
====[New Total- x60]
Ror-Epmeiz Delb-class Attack Cruiser [12][Warship][+4 vs. Warships] x10 [120 Points]
====[New Total- x50]

ORDER OF BATTLE: Lh'owon Provisional Government - Regional power

Regional power; maximum points 4800 (base regional + upgrade April '06 + upgrade May '06) (navy total: 2640) (army total:440 ) (stationary total:1320)

The Lh'owon Provisional Government's Navy consists of a fleet of sublight warships, designed to police the outermost holdings of the LPG within the Lh'owon system. These ships consist of multiple modular systems attached to prefabricated drive units and shield projectors. Pfhor vessels rely more on their shields than their spindly hulls for protection.

Ship classes:

1. Sfiera-class picket ship [2][+1 vs. Fighters]
Hulls: 100 (200 pts)
Small vessels intended for policing duties in the outskirts of the Lh'owon system. They are equipped with sophisticated point-defence systems for use in supporting capital-scale vessels.

2. Hfarl-class corvette [2][+1 vs. Warships]
Hulls: 50 (100 pts)
Small warships designed for interdicting enemy shipping and supporting the Aggressor Squadrons in attacks on enemy habitats or industrial facilities.

3. Khfave-class patrol combatant [4]
Hulls: 50 (200 pts)
An old design whose outlines were carried by the LPG's original colony vessel, this class was originally designed to perform reconaissance duties in interstellar campaigns. The LPG employs a number as heavily-armed escorts.

4. Mfac-class Missile destroyer [6][+3 vs. Warships]
Hulls: 60 (360 pts)
These swift vessels operate in packs and are designed to contend at long range with enemy battlecruisers, and to provide last-ditch defence against enemy lineships.

5. Tfear-class long-range combatant [20][+5 vs. Warships]
Hulls: 49 (980 pts)
A byproduct of the various internecine conflicts before the dominance of the LPG in the Lh'owon system, the Tfear class is a battlecruiser, heavily armed and swift, but with puny armour. A contemporary of the smaller destroyers found within the LPGN, it is designed for commerce raiding. These vessels were the first to be retrofitted with the new hyperdrives, and LPGN strategy units forsee them as useful for disrupting the spacelane traffic of future enemies.

6. Khfiva-class heavy-line combatant [40]
Hulls: 29 (1160 pts)
These spherical vessels are powerfully armed and heavily armoured, able to contend with any single vessel in the Lh'owon system and stride away the victor. They were refitted with hyperdrives shortly after the LPGN's battlecruiser complement.

7. Planetary defense battlesat [15][stationary][distributed evenly in orbit around Lh'owon 3 and both gas giants]
Stations: 24 (360 pts)
Designed to guard important installations and population centres, these weapon platforms operate best with starship support.

8. Orbital torpedo/countermissile platform [50][stationary][distributed 10:5:5 around Lh'owon 3 and both leading and trailing trojan points]
Stations: 20 (1000 pts)
Intended to guarantee Lh'owon's safety against conventional attack, these orbital fortresses act as fleet bases when necessary.

9. Wayside Stations [80][stationary][distributed in a line along the Pfhor sector of the Phoenix Line]
Stations: 5 (400 pts)
Equipped to fend off enemy raiders and provide a safe haven for freighters travelling the Phoenix line, these stations are also capable of performing repairs and functioning as warehouses. They are also intended to act as forward bases for Pfhor colonisation of the systems they inhabit.

Ground forces:

1. Pfhor LPG Summed Forces- Defensive [300]
The Summed Forces are the security personnel, counter-insurgant troops, and garrison forces which protect the Lh'owon system.

2. Pfhor LPG Aggressor Squadrons- Offensive [140]
The Aggressor Squadrons are equipped with shielded hovertanks and mechanized infantry and form the striking arm of the LPG ground forces. Recent successes include the recapture of the rebellious L2 hab asteroid at I'i'ich.

Changes/Additions:

04/06
20x Tfear-class long-range combatants [400]

25/04/06
Added additional descriptions to the ship section.

05/06
20x Tfear-class long-range combatants [400]

14/06/06
Completed Pfhor arm of the Phoenix Line; added class: Wayside Station [400]

Mekidar Republic

Order of Battle:
Regional Power, [4000] points.

The Armed Forces of the Mekidar Republic are divided into two branches. The first branch is the Rebublican Guard, which is tasked with patrolling and protecting the Republic's worlds, as well as conducting both offensive and defensive ground operations. To this end, all Ground Forces and the cruisers composing the Home Fleet*, fall under its command. The second branch is the Space Force, colloquially called the Spacy. It controls all ships-of-the-line and the escorts that protect them. "Space Fleet" is used to refer to all combat capable ships both Guard and Spacy.

*The crews and officers of the Home Fleet are still Spacy personnel.


200 Fighters
Fighter pilots are mostly Human and Shindra. The Mekidar in general are for the most part not suicidal, crazy, or stupid enough (depending on to whom you're talking) to get on a strike-craft. The fighters are piloted by Cores*, to maximise the space devoted to weaponry, engines, sensors, and targeting systems.

*A core is a brain plus the limited life-suport it requires.

Sword Interceptors[125][Fighters]
Designed to protect bombers from other strike-craft. In the absense of enemy fighters, they assist the bombers in their assault runs.

Hammer Bombers[75][Bombers]
An anti-ship and anti-installation bomber, used to give the Alliance-class cruiser an extra punch.

500 Escorts
Hedgehog Frigate[5][+2 vs. Fighters]x100
Name is curtesy of the Humans. It's only purpose is to escort the battleships, two Hedgehogs being assigned to each. The three ships are treated like a unit. The frigate provides a point-defense screen against strike-craft and incoming ordance. In the absence of both, it assists the battleship in taking out its targets.

1200 Cruisers
Guardian Light Missle Cruiser[8]x75
The most numerous independent ship in the Space Fleet. It patrols and protects Republic space. Also used for recon and to support battle-fleets. After adjusting for size, has the best sensor suite in the Spacy.

Alliance Cruiser[15][+5 vs. Warships]x40
It leads the Guardians in defending Republic space and supports the larger ships during battle. Has Sword[3] and Hammer[2] squadrons to give it flexibility and extra punch.

1800 Ships of the Line
Warrior Destroyer[25][+10 vs. Warships]x50
The heart and soul of the Spacy. They attack and defend, blockade and bombard. These ships exist to carry-out the daily business of making war. Two Hedgehog frigates are tasked to each battleship. The three ships function as a unit.

Horrors of War Battleship[50][+25 vs. Warships]x9
They are the heavy punch of the Spacy. They are present at major battles and wherever the Republic wishes to show that it means business. Most Spacy fleets are built around a BB. Their names are uncharacteristically grim for warships, reflecting a dark sense of humour that the Brass is not being paid to have.
MRS-2 Horrors of War, MRS-3 Pain of Loss, MRS-4 Weeping of Widows, MRS-5 Cries of Orphans, MRS-6 Suffering of Soldiers, MRS-7 Madness of Battle, MRS-8 Throes of Death, MRS-9 Agony of Despair, and MRS-10 Cruelty of Fate.

Dreadnaught[100][+50 vs. Warships]x1
MRS-1 Pride of the Republic is the most powerful ship available to the Republic. Has extensive communication, sensor, navigational, targeting, and tactical systems. It's purpose is to enter any battle and make a difference, and to serve as a mobile command post from which to direct fleet operations.

Ground Forces [300]
The Army, has a wide variety of standard infantry, battle-armours, tanks (threaded and hover), artillery, planetary fighter-craft, drop-ships, and other assorted vehicles and units. The infantry are just a Mekidar with a standard synthetic body and added battlegear plus weaponry. Battle-armours are basically battle-specialized synthetic bodies with different weapons and gear integrated into them. Unlike spacecraft, most vehicles are operated by Mekidar, Humans, or Shindra in standard synthetic bodies, so that if the vehicle is damaged the operator(s) can get out and fight as infantry.


Note: Ship names are bolded, italics are used to give enphasis in dialogue. The reason why they are italized here is for aesthetic reasons. I couldn't have both the sub-headings and the ship names bolded. Underlining or italicizing the sub-headings didn't look good. So I bolded the sub-headings and italicized the ship names.



Update 4/2, 400 point buy:

Battleship[50][+25 vs. Warships]x1
Destroyer[25][+10 vs. Warships]x7
Cruiser[15][+5 vs. Warships]x3
Missle Cruiser[15]x3
Frigate[5][+2 vs. Fighters]x14
Fighter[9]
Bomber[6]

"Guardian-class Missle Cruiser" is redesignated "Light Missle Cruiser"
The new Missle Cruiser is named the Orlan-class.


Update 5/10, 400 point buy:

Dreadnaught[100][+50 vs. Warships]x2
Battleship[50][+25 vs. Warships]x2
Destroyer[25][+10 vs. Warships]x2
Light Missle Cruiser[8]x3
Frigate[5][+2 vs. Fighters]x4
Weapons of Ass Destruction [6]

Update 6/20, 400 point buy:

Dreadnaught[100][+50 vs. Warships]x1
Battleship[50][+25 vs. Warships]x4
Destroyer[25][+10 vs. Warships]x1
Missle Cruiser[15]x3
Frigate[5][+2 vs. Fighters]x2
Weapons of Ass Destruction [14]
ZOMG! Pirates! [6]

Current fleet organization:

First - Fourth Fleets [638]
1 Dreadnaught
3 Battleships
8 Destroyers
3 Cruisers
6 Light Missle Cruisers
16 Frigates
9 Fighter Flights
6 Bomber Fligts

Fifth - Seventh Fleets [403]
1 BB
7 DD
3 CC
6 LC
14 FF
9 Ftr Flts
6 Bmbr Flts

Eigth Fleet [445]
1 BB
7 DD
3 CC
6 MC
14 FF
9 Ftr Flts
6 Bmbr Flts

Home Fleet [668]
19 Cruisers
36 Light Missle Cruisers
57 Fighter Flights
38 Bomber Flights
First Squadron [128] > 4 CC, 6 CL, 12 Ftr, 8 Bmbr
Second - Sixth Squadrons [108] > 3 CC, 6 CL, 9 Ftr, 6 Bmbr

Home Fleet Squadron Deployment
1st - Meklon
2nd - Svaraga
3rd - Nurus Secundus
4th - Kymara
5th - Nameribir
6th - Mervaspol

Privateers
A tiny fleet of armed freighters and transports that would get its collective ass handed to it by a light cruiser from a real military.
It has nothing to do with the Republic (nope, nothing at all ).
Current worth: [6]


Current Ground Forces Organization:

Republican Guard
[300]


Other:
Weapons of Ass Destruction [20]

The Rise of the Disillusioned: A Brief History of the Gaian Compact.

Planetfall

A constant force in history, wars has been fought since the first sentient races emerged. Ages ago, a civil war once engulfed a stellar empire whose name has been lost in antiquity. Of what we know, a powerful ruling class of clerics tightened its grip on the people of their colony worlds. Faithless and doubtful of the religion that dominated their empire, they wished for rights to self-rule. With little tolerance of the unbelievers, the empire dispatched her fleets and engaged their own people in a prolonged civil war that would last three years. The colonial star fleets were destroyed to the last ship and the lead colony's people were exiled for their role on starting the matter. Cast into the void of space, they were forgotten by their kin, abandoned amongst the stars.

With a fleet of ancient and broken colony ships, they would land ten years later on the nearest habitable planet in an unmapped system. A rarity in the universe, it looked like an idyllic paradise from orbit, reminiscent of their lost home. Making planetfall would doom the first generation of survivors to a hellish world, with few edible plants, harsh extremes of heat and cold and ferocious alien predators roaming the surface of their world. The first settlements on their world would be designed along spartan lines, to ensure their people could survive. For generations, their scientifically minded populace fought against the horrors of their new planet. Ferocious Jungle cats, ravenous birds of prey and poisonous insect swarms attacked, with no sense of self-preservation. It was almost as if the planet itself was out to destroy the settlers. The exile’s suspicions were confirmed in their minds. The universe had no benevolent 'god'. No such being would ever create a world such as this.

Awakening

Over time, the people of this world fought back, expanding their civilization until they had the opportunity to take measures against their world. One ubiquitous aspect of the planet's ecosystem that had long been overlooked was a kind of moss that grew on practically every surface of the world. Even as farmers cleared fields of weeds, the soft moss would usually form within days. Food shortage was a major impediment to population growth, ridding their fields of this moss was a key concern. Studies into the subject would yield a potent toxin to this plant life but otherwise harmless. Aircraft dispersed the first trails of the chemical into their planet's surface with excellent results. Farmers took up the cleared land and began to grow food and grain. Almost overnight however, the planet responded, with overwhelming attacks from species never before encountered. Venomous spitting birds and amphibious lizards massing as much as small buildings emerged from the wild, attacking the perimeters of cities in waves. Smaller settlements were wiped out, thousands dying under attack from the planet's wrath. Confused by why this was happening, the exiles' top ecologists made a startling discovery. The moss that sprung up everywhere emanated a kind of energy that defied all tests and examinations. Microscopic elements of it were found in all native life, from complex plants to the brains of the animals that threw themselves at their towns. With the planet closing in and unleashing microbial plagues, weed infestations destroying what little food the exiles could grow, they had little time and were approaching extinction at the hands of this world.

Theories were drawn up, and some scientists began to believe that the Moss itself was a form of previously undiscovered life. A single entity, distributed throughout countless patches and cells to create a neural network. By studying the growths the moss made with animal life and outposts disappearing daily from the planet's wrath, a desperate plan was drawn up to try and graft the Moss material into a human volunteer's brain, so that it could try and negotiate with whatever alien intelligence owned their world. This man, Marquel D'Qui would become the first Avatar of their world. One of the first children born and raised on their hostile new homeworld, he was already a prominent public figure and frontiersman whose actions had pushed the boundaries of their habitable territory for years. As his mind began to meld with the alien neural network, he made an astonishing find: Their world was indeed intelligent and of great power... but it had the mind as undeveloped as a child's. It reacted to stimuli, and tried to fight back when threatened but understood little else. It was a feeble intelligence with great potential. The planet's name was a concept more than a name. It was called Gaia, a living ecosystem that acted as a single organism. Within hours, he explained all that he learned from Gaia, and the planet calmed down as well. Gaia eased back, her wrath subdued. Guided by the will of the first Avatar, she accepted the exiles. From the ruins of their crushed civilization, the age of their arrival had ended. Their planet now welcomed them, and everything would change.

Rebirth

Hundreds of years would pass, and the survivors would slowly pick up the ruins of their civilization. They would rebuild and learn to live in harmony with their world, guiding the planet to help in their attempts to reconstruct civilization. Over generations, their society would grow and prosper in a symbiotic relationship with Gaia. The Gaiamoss would be allowed to flourish, weaving beautiful patterns over the exiles' white towers and buildings. Relying now on a mixture of high technology and harnessing of the environment, science and industry would allow them to reconstruct their space program, returning back to the void.

In space, the true implementation of heavy industry could begin. Starting with natural foundries of open magma and the organisms that lived within, Gaia accepted limited steel factories and mines on the homeworld in order to facilitate such a goal. Over the centuries massive shipyards and mining bases would be established on the lifeless worlds of their solar system. A new culture would arise too, from the survivalists fleeing their theocratic empire, to a new people embracing science, ecology and a newfound belief. As a people, the Gaians (as they increasingly thought of themselves), were cast away because they could not accept the belief that a supernatural god existed. Now, with their discovery and embracing of Gaia, a new movement bloomed. In the absence of a god, they would create one themselves. The Compact would spread and form it's own empire, seeding Gaiamoss an all habitable worlds they could find, in the hope that someday the networks of Gaia would become omnipresent, a living god that would protect their people for all time. Laughing and hiding as the other empires they found destroyed themselves in futile wars, they would continue to build their society.

Ascension

The new age came long after the old nations destroyed themselves in the Age of Steel. With their progress slow from their recovering population growth and rediscovery of new technology, the Gaians would find themselves soon surpassing their old Pre-exile technology levels. Over hundreds of years, their slow industrialization efforts came to fruition with orbital factories, keeping Gaia unspoiled. Their fleets of streamlined white and silver starships would emerge soon, exploring nearby systems and meeting the first peaceful nations in their part of the galaxy. A persistent Faster-than-light communications grid was established, using small clusters of Gaiamoss and an Avatar representative, ships could remain permanently connected to a vast information network. In their eagerness to return to space, this small nation would suffer a war yet again, after they had thought they moved past such. An armada of nomadic invaders attacked with a vast fleet of massive warships on the edge of their space. Rushing to defeat these fiends, the small Gaian fleet fought for every inch of space they advanced. Large but cumbersome, the invading fleet was finally smashed asunder against their Home System Sentinel Grid, a massive network of thousands of mobile satellite turrets.

Amongst the spoils of this brief war, fought with an unknowable enemy was a salvaged Massgate and the motivation needed for them to expand their fleet to a true regional power. The Massgate was placed on one of the orbital stations, activated and used to greet new nations. Wary of another power attacking their home systems, more powerful ships were constructed. Taught by their last engagements to fear the massive dreadnaughts and battleships surely employed by other powers, Gaian capital ships were configured specifically to defeat such behemoths. Now, a common desire fills their people to take their rightful place in the universe.


Summary:
Government: The Gaian Compact's government is a representative Republic, with a forum of thirty two members comprising the head of state. The Prime Speaker is effectively the executive, with few powers beyond a normal representative, save a direct connection with Gaia, via a small group of Avatars that represent Gaia's wishes, called The Voice. Representatives are elected every six years based on local representation to a section of the Homeworld. Two parties have formed based on Ideology, the Wardens and the Apotheosians. The Wardens are a conservative group, wishing for isolationist policy, such as they employed while the wars at the end of the 'Age of Silver' (as other nations called it) occurred. The Apotheosians, the majority party, desire to see their nation's stellar influence spread. Their goal is to increase the complexity of Gaia's neural and biological matrixes until true Apotheosis can occur, and Gaia's power can ascend to Godhood.

Economics: For the most part, goods are exchanged freely with the Standard Bill (S-Bill) as the main form of currency, but heavy regulation of Businesses by Government is in place. An officer assigned by the Government works at every major company or business; ensuring regulations are being followed on acceptable expansion and Gaia's approval. For the most part, conflicts rarely happen between Government, Planet, and Business.

Military: The Gaian military is small, but even their minor warships are highly technologically advanced. Lacking great population or a planet-wide industry, they produce smaller ships primarily, and capable strike craft for supporting said ships. Each starship has the benefit of wonderful communications and C3 capability through a central cluster of Gaiamoss they maintain.

Gaian military doctrine is heavily slanted towards defeating capital class vessels, as shown in their primary force of Six Novablade class Dreadnaughts. Currently, one Voidreaver class Titan is in service with the capability to dominate any conceivable fleet battle. As a result, ground and system assault capabilities have atrophied somewhat.


Excerpt from Joan's Fighting Spacecraft:


Regional Power [4000 Points]

Wanderer Patrol Frigate [2] x100
Burningfist Assault Frigate [2][+1 Warship] x40
Morningstar Destroyer [5][+2 Fighter] x50
Lightrider Heavy Destroyer [10][+4 Fighter] x40
Firelance Light Cruiser [20] x20
Windglaive Heavy Cruiser [25][+5 Warship] x28
Swiftstrike Strike Cruiser [50][+25 Warship] x11
[standard compliment, 10 interceptor, 5 bomber]
Starslayer Dreadnaught [100][+25 Warship] x6
[standard compliment, 20 interceptor, 10 bomber
Voidreaver Titan [200][+100 Warship] x1
[standard compliment, 40 interceptor, 25 bomber]

Fleet Strike Craft
Raven Squadrons[275][Interceptor]
Harpy Squadrons[125][Bomber]

Defenses and Other
Marauder Legion [70][Ground Army]
Gaia's Wrath [50][Ground Defense, Homeworld]
Sentinel Grid [100][Satellite Space Defense, Gaian System]
Orbital Massgate Station [With a DHD too!]

3380 pts, Warships
400 pts, Strike Craft
220 pts, Defenses and Troops

Total:
4000

THE UNITED STATIONS

Nobody knows why the wars came anymore save for myth and legend passed down through the generations and slowly corrupted over time. What few records remain from the Silver Age of our people indicate the same reasons as countless conflicts since - lack of resources, lack of room and lack of humility. War broke out and even the stars wept, their tears of plasma scorching whole worlds clean of life.

Legend says some peoples dug deep to hide even as the surface of their worlds were melted or turn to a horrid black glass. Others were luckier; they ecked out a pitiful existence in the shattered wreck of their ancient cities, clinging to survival. But these remain legends, for even our greatest expeditions

But we, we fled the worlds and into space. A few great stations were built. Engineering the great stations was not hard and could be done with relatively simple materials even after the crafts of the elders were lost. What people we could were evacuated to the great stations and our civilization in space was formed. Now, most of our people have never known the feeling of solid earth beneath their feet - only the endless rotations of our cylinders or the free-fall of space.

United Stations Space Force

For while our stations were our salvation, they are also our Achilles' Heel. They are enormous constructs and the Open Colonies have a full half their surface area open with only glassteel - and it takes time, too much time to retract the great armored doors, or to fully spin up the shield projectors. And their defenses - if they have any save for their fighter garrison - can only delay a determined assault. Even worse, these stations demand great links of trade and these links are perhaps more fragile than the stations themselves.

Thus, the United Stations Space Force was formed with the purpose of patrolling the void of space. Long-range cruisers which maximized firepower, endurance and sensors and coupled with strategic speed were launched and chased away the raiders, pirates and other barbarians that sprung up. The Space Force has no mercy, no sympathy for those who raid the Stations or her commerce. What remains of their foes are only faintly-glowing craters.

It has been said that the Elders could produce gravity without spin or great mass. We, too, have been able to do so ... but only for smaller vessels. The curve quickly grows to engineering infeasibility for all but our warships and even then the devices are highly expensive - yet for shuttles and smallcraft they remain remarkably inexpensive.


Note: I have no planets; mining is typically done in asteroid fields and whatnot (and there are a lot of asteroid fields in this galaxy). The use of giant O'Neill type stations is a serious handicap but should provide for interesting play. I do not expect to start the game with a force of battleships or whatnot; they do not fit the requirement of the USSF (to its probable detriment).

OOB

OOB, Mod. 2, it's weird and unbalanced, intentionally, but could use some cleaning up. The USSF primarily requires cruisers for destroying pirate, barbarian, etc. outposts and patrolling the huge amount of space in the US area. Ships of the Line are not in USSF doctrine; the rest of the fleet consists of frigates and corvettes (frigates are, essentially, smaller cruisers while corvettes usually are posted on escort duty).

Against small barbarian/pirate fiefdoms and whatnot, fast cruiser wolfpacks use superior sensors and firepower to hit the enemy fast and hard before they know what's coming. Protection depends more on active systems such as electronic warfare, defensive weapons installations and whatnot rather than slugging it out and hoping ones' shields and armor holds up. Again, against the foes the USSF is optimized against this works well but against SOLs this may be a disasterous doctrine.

Fighters typically are stationed on stations. Heavy fighter wings are recon/interceptor designs, high speed and not so useful for beating up capital ships. Fighter interceptors are antifighters ships - very fast, low endurance and mostly for defending against raiders. Bombers are designed to slip through defenses and blow stuff up Real Good(tm). The USSF requires massed numbers of fighters to adequately defend its large number of essentially-fixed installations. Furthermore, due to the large volume of space covered most cruisers (and frigates, for that matter) carry some heavy fighters for long-range reconnaisance.

The Marines are similar to the Marine Raiders of the real USMC, except that they're intended to assault from space. The US has no need for a large standing army for obvious reasons.

Trantor 5 [100] x 1 - this is the capitol station of the United Systems and is actually mobile and decently armed (unlike most stations). It is nearly ten kilometers long and holds the Federal government, its bureaucracy and the supporting city. Many of the elite and wealthy make their homes here; it is a "closed" configuration station modelled after Babylon 4. Or, as some say: All roads lead to Trantor, and that is where all stars end.

Cruiser [20] x 100
Frigate [10] x 150
Corvette [5][+1 F] x 300

Heavy Fighter Wing [2][+1 F] x 125
Fighter Interceptor Wing [1] x 250
Strategic Penetration Bomber Wing [3] x 50

United Stations Marine Corp [250]

The Concordance of Fellows

Government

The Concordance is governed in a simple. yet effective, military-like structure. The current leader of the Concordance, known as The Visionary, sits at the head of a small council. The organization is broken into three parts. The leader of each branch and the Visionary make up the council which has closed meetings and decides the current policy of the group and where they should get involved, etc. There are lower level leaders in each section who make decisions, but they can be trumped by the head of each department, and they in turn all answer to the Visionary, who acts as a sort of benevolent tyrant.

The Acquisiton Section is in charge of the mundane details of life, things like buying supplies, repair, and resupplying ships and agents.

The Department of Discipline handles all the military and discipline matters in the group and is responsible for things such as weapon and survival training. All new members are required to go through training in this section. Few survive.

The priviledged few who survive their military training and show an aptitude for more than simple running and gunning move on to the Cabal of Knowledge, which is where the true strength of the Concordance lies. In this shadowy section, grunts learn to become true agents. This department also does weapons research, gathers intel, and trains its members in the true Fellows arts.

Economy

There is no official internal economy in the Concordance. That which is needed is requisitioned from the appropriate section (usually the Acquisiton Section). Unofficialy, there is a good deal of trading for personal items.

Physiology

Originally the Concordance was comprised of baseline humans, and there were hints of racism within the group. When Drend Ratsun "restructured" the group, he brought a more enlightened view of things. In other words, he realized that there were species out there who were far more capable of stealth with better technology. The group still mostly comprises humans, especially in the Acquisition section. The Department of Discipline has more variety, but it is almost evenly split between humans and the Dengre, a race of brutish lizard men whose homeworld was wiped out in some long-forgotten cataclysm. Before the disaster, the government built a large colony ship, intending to fill it with the best and brightest of their society and launch it toward a distant star, with the intent of creating a new world. Unfortunately, before the ship could launch, a group of terrorists managed to hijack the ship and launch, dooming their countrymen. Their ship was found drifting through space millenia later, the inhabitants in stasis, by an operative of the Concordance. After some initial (and violent) misunderstandings, the Dengre and Concordance both realized that they could benefit from a pairing, and the Dengre have been proudly raiding colonies and boarding ships in the name of the Concordance since.

The Cabal has a few other species represented, but mostly it too is made up of humans, though by the time they get to Agent they are far from standard. Their policy of obtaining technology has served them well, and the Concordance is now in possesion of the best stealth technology the galaxy has to offer. Each Agent, as part of their training regime, receives a variety of implants and upgrades that allow the weakest of them to: jump over thirty feet straight up; sprint at 60mph, with sustained running speeds of around 20mph; lift about twice their weight easily; climb sheer walls (like Spiderman); see in the dark, with several vision modes; interface directly with computers and hack them; breathe poisonous gasses with no ill effects. Some of the higher level Operatives have implants that allow them to temporarily cloak themselves (Predator like) and even fewer have received advanced technology that allows them to harden their skin and close their mucus membranes and survive in vacuum indefinitely. If a fully trained agent is after you, you had best beef your security up past what you think you could possibly need. If a fully trained operative is after you, you may as well save some time and stress and put a bullet through your brainpan. They will get you.

Technology

Armament

Dealing damage is only a concern for the ground level operatives. Even the spacefleet is mostly reliant on stealth to close with enemy vessls, which they then board. As such, every ship is equipped with a cloaking generator, a device which nullifies all emissions from the ship, while still allowing outside radiation in. To avoid being detected by enemies while cloaked, all ships are also capable of generating a sort of "tractor beam" that is able to attach to any sizable object, even one light years away, and move the Concordant ship relative to the object it is attached to. They also have some offensive weaponry, but this is only there as a backup in case they are detected, and are only used to hold off enemies long enough for the Concordant ship to escape.

Ground technology.

The equipment used by Agents and Operatives on missions consists of a wide variety of stealth-oriented items, a list of which would be too large to categorize here. Suffice it to say that they have the means to slip a man through even the most determined defenses, and (usually) back out again. On the rare occasion that a spy is caught inside, every one is equipped with a small yet potent detonator that will disintegrate them and anything in a small radius around them on command or upon death.

Order of Battle

Furtive-class prowler [1] x 573
These small ships are the bread and butter of the Concordant's fleet. They carry up to three people, though usually they are used by a single agent to slip through the defense nets of a world or station and land, then slip back out once their nefarious business is done. They are armed with a single plasma launcher which serves as a flashlight and that's about all.

Impressant-class sloop [11] x 31
This ship is a relic, a leftover from the days when the Concordance tried to be a mercenary group. Though severly underarmed by modern standards, they have exceptionally effective armor, and, of course cloaking. Their armor allows them to survive the last few seconds when the ship has snuggled close enough to a ship to board, when it turns its cloak off.

Recalibrate-class carrier [7][CARRIER] x 14
The Recalibrates are the support ships for the Furtives. Each of them contains supplies and spare parts and hanger space for 30 Furtives and quarters for the same amount of operatives. They are lightly armed, and their tactic if confronted is the same as most of the Concordance: run.

The Station [863][Stationary Defense]
No name has stuck for this monolith, but it needs none. Hidden in a secret location in deep space, this station serves as home for all agents as well as training grounds for prospectives. Alone among all Concordance spacecraft, it is well armed enough to fight off even the most determined assault, although one of those is unlikely, since it would have to be discovered first.

Raiding Parties [125]
These token groups are responsible for obtaining needed supplies occasionally. Their use is increasingly being phased out, though, as the Concordance finds itself ever more wealthy with the new turmoil in the galaxy.

Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon
Great Power
"New Crobuzon, the Civil Empire, the Pax Crobuzona"

Government:

The Parliamentary Empire is an anarchist's wet dream- it is a radical's view of what a capitalist society is, with every fear and overblown concept brought to life. The wealthy conspire to rape the people for every cent, using materialism, jingoism, and raw physical force to keep the working classes in line.

The Parliamentary Empire is nominally a unicameral Republic. Legislative power sits with the Parliament, while executive power sits with a Mayor nominated by the Parliament and then voted on by the people. Suffrage comes through the Suffrage Lottery, where people purchase tickets, each of which gives them a chance of reciving a vote. The extremely wealthy can purchase as many tickets as they want, and it is standard practice for small, rich organizations to cash in thousands of votes.

The dominant party is the Fat Sun coalition. It is centuries old, and has maintained power by absorbing competitors and constantly playing off fringe groups against one another.

Economy:
Pure capitalism, with a strongly entrenched group of politically powerful monopolies essentially calling the shots. What results is essentially State Capitalism, where those who control industry are the same as those who control government. As a result, however, small businesses are lightly regulated. Slave labor, in the form of Remade criminals or indentured servants, is extremely common. Industry's control of government leads to a strongly protectionist external policy, which is economically adverserial to foreign powers.

Ideology:
Bas-Lag, the homeworld of the City of New Crobuzon, is completely dominated by the Crobuzon empire. Large sections of the world were under the sway of the Witchocracy of Tesh, a power close in strength to Crobuzon, which recently collapsed and was absorbed following a long series of colonial and proxy wars fought amongst the two nation's colonies in space. This being the case, the Empire is extremely diverse, and almost a third of it's subjects were under Tesh only two decades ago.
New Crobuzon's society is generally permeated with Parliament's influence, forming a jingoistic society which has largely bought in to the party line, bowing to constant propoganda, Frozen War seige mentality, and fear of crossing the constantly vigilant Militia's internal security apparatus. However, the State is not omnipresent, and there are many in the educated and working classes who share dissident literature and hold liberal views. The xenian (non-human) population of the Empire differs strongly by species. Some species have been almost completely integrated into the structure of the Empire, complete with their own bloated plutocrats in the Fat Sun party (the scabmettlers and the khepri, for example.) Others have made co-habitation agreements, and though under the power of the Parliament and the Empire, live in largely independent ghettos throughout the worlds of the Empire(Cactacae and Voydanoi, for instance.)
In general, the people of the Empire are either with the Fat Sun party and cheer every new victory of the Navy, and spit in anger with every defeat. Dissidence is kept in control by the might of the Militia, divisiveness between minorities, and the simple fact that Colonial success *has* lead to increased prosperity for the nation.
The Remade are human and xenian criminals who are stipped of citizenship and physically altered, through thaumaturgy and surgery, as a sign of their crimes. Theives will have extra arms attached, cheaters will have metal coins permanently embedded in their skin, and all manner of slave-gladiators, specialised soldiers, and exotic prostitutes are created by the Magistrates for any crime. Most Crobuzoners hate Remade and treat them like animals, but some decry the practice as barbaric and refuse to use Remade as slaves.

Military:
Crobuzon has two branches to it's military. The first is the Militia- despite it's name, the Militia is a professional force. Militia troops are well-armed and equipped with technological and thaumaturgical weaponry. The Militia manages planetary defenses, peacekeeping, and even police work. Militia combat troops form the main striking weight of the Empire in large-scale interplanetary invasions.
The second branch is far and away the most prestigious. From it's time as one city-state of many on Bas-Lag, New Crobuzon has labored to rule the waves. That same mindset extends to their more recent history as a spacegoing empire. First with modified ships of the fallen Ghosthead Empire, and today with mighty dreadnoughts and fast torpedoboat-destroyers, the Imperial Crobuzon Navy has striven to command the aether. Doctorine focuses on main fleet engagements between largely gun-armed capital ships guarded by escort cruisers and destroyers, but there is a jeune ecolé in the Navy staff which has pioneered such new concepts as fast battlecruisers as raiders, and special tender vessels designed to supply squadrons of fast torpedoboats and gunboats, using those small vessels to swarm larger targets and demolish them with close range torpedo attack.
The Navy incorporates the unusually large Imperial Marine corps, This is due to the fact that the Navy manages ground combat operations throughout the colonies, and in fact Crobuzon fights most smaller conflicts exclusively with Marines. Thus, there are some Marine units which have never even left the colonial worlds they were raised.

Xenian Physiology:

The Parliamentary Empire is dominated by humans, and the nation's population is 65% human, but there are a variety of xenian races under it's banner.

There are literally dozens of Xenian races on Bas-Lag. It is theorized that the Ghosthead Empire which left ruins all over the region was a multispecies empire before the fall. However, the strange genetic and physical similarity of most Xenian races to humans has lead some to suggest that many of the Xenians *are* humans- allbeit turned into new species by the presumably superior biothaumaturgy of the Ghosthead.
Some of the most common Xenian races are:
Scabmettlers: These creatures are almost indistinguishable from human beings, being grey-skinned and stocky. It is only when their skin is cut that their difference is shown: Scabmettler blood flows freely for a handful of seconds, before suddenly congealing into an iron-hard armor. Scabmettlers are fully accepted by even the racist New Quill party, and are found at every level of Crobuzoner society.
Khepri: Khepri women resemble humans with large, black beetles for heads. Khepri men are mindless, lobster-sized beetles who exist only to copulate. Despite their very different appearance, Khepri have integrated well into the Empire, and though rare in military service, they hold a number of powerful positions in industry and government. Because of their influence and importance to Fat Sun, even the New Quill racists do not cause trouble for the Khepri.
Cactacae: These bizzare conglomorations of man and plant are covered with spines, and reproduce by flowering. They are looked down upon by the common man, but have considerable autonomy in their great ghetto in New Crobuzon, the Glasshouse, and other communities across the deserts of Bas-Lag and the colonies. They are common in the Militia, thanks to their burly physique.
Voydanoi: The 'frogmen' used to have a vital place in Crobuzoner society, acting as stevedores and barge crews in the days when the rivers on which New Crobuzon sat were her source of power. Today, their role has diminished in usefulness to the government, and they are a declining, repressed minority.

Imperial Crobuzon Navy

Crobuzon has been a maritime power since ancient times, and it's Navy has been the primary arm of Crobuzoner power projection. Since the Pirate Wars over five centuries ago, the Navy's vessels have acted to protect Crobuzon's far-flung colonial possessions. However, The modern Navy, a fleet of spacegoing warships, was built for very different reasons. Crobuzon found it's way into space as part of the century-long "Frozen War" against it's last great adversary, the Witchocracy of Tesh. The "Battleship Race" erupted soon after the two powers rode their first primitive ships into space. The reverse engineering of ancient Ghosthead technology quickly allowed the two powers to produce vessels capable of interstellar flight, and colonial conflicts were not far behind. The construction of vast fleets began, as the two nations tried to keep neck-and-neck, building ever-larger and more powerful warships.

The Witchocracy collapsed decades ago, and it's holdings have been incorporated into the Parliamentary Empire. The Venomfleet, over four hundred hulls, was scuttled when the Witchocrats were overthrown.

By all accounts, the Imperial Navy should have changed then, modifying it's threat model and reforming into a force better suited for enforcing the growing Empire. However, the great Steelshatter Yards Corporation and it's subsidiaries had long since buried deep into the positions of power in the Fat Sun party. Powerful men had built vast fortunes in the Battleship Race, and they did not wish to see the well dry.

The build-up has continued. Larger and ever-more powerful capital vessels have been deployed. The Imperial Fleet continues to be focused on confrontation with other major forces, designed to engage and destroy an enemy fleet in open battle.

There is a small jeune école in the Navy hierarchy which continues to press for new ideas and a more flexible force. Some innovations have been deployed, but the majority of the military budget continues to pour into the vast building slips at Steelshatter.

Small Craft

1."G1" Class Torpedoboat Squadron [10][Bomber]
Squadrons: 10
-100 pts total
the old G1 torpedoboats are found across the Empire, acting as police vessels and local defense craft in a number of systems. They are armed with a single torpedo tube and an assortment of light fighter and frigate scale guns. These vessels are very short ranged, but compensate by being cheap and well armed for their size. Atmosphere capable. Each squadron contains 5 craft.

2. "G5" Class Torpedoboat Squadron [20][Bomber]
Squadrons: 15
-300 pts total
The more modern G5 class Torpedoboat is part of the Jeune ecolé. this vessel is specifically designed to act as a parasite on a Dominion-class tender, operating in squadrons to attack enemy capital ships. Atmosphere capable. Each squadron contains 5 craft.

3. "B3" Class Gunboat Squadron[20]
Squadrons: 30
-600 pts total
The B3 is a contemporary of the G5. Mounted on a similar hull, the B3 dispenses with the single-shot torpedo tubes and instead mounts an array of light defense guns. This vessel is designed to hunt enemy small craft, and is specially designed to operate in atmosphere in a CAS role. EAch squadron contains 5 craft.

Escorts

4. "Ghul" Class Destroyer Escort [5][+2 F]
Hulls: 24
-120 pts total
The venerable "Ghul" class has been the escort vessel for the Crobuzoner Wall of Battle for almost a century. Long of tooth, this class has been redesigned and upgraded a dozen times. The launch of the new "Pax Crobuzona"-class superdreadnought Battleships and their "Vampir" modern escort destroyers means that this class will likely be phased out.

5. "Vampir" Class Destroyer Escort [8][+4 F]
Hulls: 130
-1040 pts total
The Vampir is a very modern escort destroyer, equipped with excellent point defense and the most advanced OCOS.

6. "Grindylow" Class Destroyer Leader [8]
Hulls: 20
- 160 pts total
This large destroyer is almost a light cruiser, and is specifically designed to operate for extended periods at long ranges. The "Grindylow" class is equipped with a mix of missile, point defense, and light gun armament, making it a solid light combatant.

Cruisers

7. "Tarmuth" Class Protected Cruiser [10]


Hulls: 11
CL-1 ICNS Tarmuth, CL-2 ICNS Steelshatter, CL-3 ICNS Ostmarch, CL-4 ICNS Cobsea,
CL-5 ICNS Cymek, CL-6 ICNS Basilaerus, CL-7 ICNS Tarsis Center, CL-8 ICNS Khasher,
CL-9 ICNS Gaspar Island, CL-10 ICNS Dreer Samher, CL-11 ICNS Trogdopolis, CL-12 ICNS Gnurr Kett,
CL-13 ICNS The Brothers, CL-14 ICNS Qé Banssa, CL-15 ICNS Nova Esperium, CL-16 ICNS Salkrikaltor City,
CL-17 ICNS Maru'ahm, CL-18 ICNS Neovadan, CL-19 ICNS Gharcheltist.
-190 pts total
Description: The Tarmuth-class Protected Cruiser is a light, fast vessel designed specifically to enforce the Empire, hunting pirates and projecting the Parliamentary Oligarchy's will. The Tarmuth class is modern, and continues to be mass produced.

8. "Bered Kai Nev" Class Armored Cruiser [15][+5 W]


Hulls: 6
CA-1 ICNS Bered Kai Nev, CA-2 ICNS Desdemona, CA-3 ICNS Gengris, CA-4 ICNS Celebrantus,
CA-5 ICNS Imrha's Reach, CA-4 ICNS Sanguine Straights.
- 90 pts total
Description: Contemporary of the "Urbis Victorious" class of Dreadnought, this vessel is showing it's age but continues to be a successful fleet auxiliary, acting as a battlefleet scout or raider.

9. "Ghosthead" Class Armored Cruiser [20][+10 F)
Hulls: 6
- 120 pts total
Description: Built to act as a fleet escort, the "Ghosthead" class mounts only a single pair of heavy guns, and is armed instead with a great variety of antifighter weapons and systems. It is somewhat under-engined, but very well armored.

10. "Dominion" Class Torpedoboat Tender [20][carrier]
Hulls: 5
- 100 pts total
This lightly armed large cruiser is built to act as a tender for squadrons of torpedo and gunboats. This design is new, and is part of a jeune ecolé in the Navy staff which is experimenting with tactics diverging from main fleet battleship doctorines.

11. "Admiral Stevanaphulis" Class Battlecruisers [20][+10 W]
Hulls: 5
- 100 pts total
These massive cruisers are another newer class, contemporaries of the Mayor Radaghast VI-class dreadnought Battleships. They mount similar main armament, in the form of 10 350cm heavy cannon, and are very fast, approaching the speeds of most heavy cruisers. However, it should be noted that this is achieved by skimping heavily on point defense and armor.

Ships of the Wall
4340 pts
12. "St. Jabbar's Writ" Class pre-dreadnought Battleship [25][+5 S]
Hulls: 8, out of an original class of 50 registered as BB-90 to BB-139. It should be noted that BB- 124, originally ICNS Honorbound, was re-named St. Jabbar's Writ when the original nameship, BB-90, was considered too expensive to repair and broken up in 1922.
BB-97 ICNS Hieraeophant, BB-106 ICNS Warlock, BB-124 ICNS St. Jabbar's Writ, BB-132 ICNS Endurance,
BB-136 ICNS Maelestrom, BB-137 ICNS Tempest, BB-138 ICNS Stormborn, BB-139 ICNS Thunderchild.
Description: This class was ancient before the current Fat Sun coalition came to power, and time has done little to improve these veritable hulks, which originally were not even capable of FTL travel. Underpowered engines make these vessels far slower than modern capital ships, but their batteries of heavy guns remain potent. These older vessels also mount seige torpedo tubes, a feature abandoned in more modern Imperial Crobuzon Navy vessels.
Armament:
4 1000cm Torpedo Tubes
-to be redone-
48 100cm Cannon
4 300cm Cannon

13. "Oligarch" Class pre-dreadnought Battleship [25]
Hulls: 12, out of an original class of 20 vessels numbering BB-140 to BB-159.
BB-140 ICNS Oligarch, BB-141 ICNS Hegemon, BB-143 ICNS Overlord, BB-145 ICNS Colossus,
BB-152 ICNS Gladiator, BB-153 ICNS Warrior, BB-154 ICNS Victor, BB-155 ICNS Champion,
BB-156 ICNS Dominant, BB-157 ICNS Majestic, BB-158 ICNS Paramount, BB-159 ICNS Preponderant.
Description: These older vessels represent the last class of pre-dreadnoughts built by the ICN. Large and powerful in their day, these ponderous ships are now being slowly phased out. The remaining vessels are too slow to keep pace with a Dreadnought fleet at full acceleration, but still pack a hefty punch.
Armament:
-to be redone-
20 150 cm Cannon
6 300 cm Cannon

14. "Urbis Victorious" Class Dreadnought Battleship [40][+20 W]
Hulls: 20, numbered BB-160 to BB-179, in order:
BB-160 ICNS Urbis Victorious, BB-161 ICNS Urbis Imperialis, BB-162 ICNS Urbis Pietous, BB-163 ICNS Urbis Virtuous,
BB-164 ICNS Urbis Glorious, BB-165 ICNS Urbis Auspicious, BB-166 ICNS Civitas Superior, BB-167 ICNS Senatus Excelsior,
BB-168 ICNS Humanity Imperator, BB-169 ICNS Great Easterly, BB-170 ICNS Great Westerly, BB-171 ICNS Southern Queen,
BB-172 ICNS Northwatch, BB-173 ICNS Urbis Militant, BB-174 ICNS Urbis Benevolent , BB-175 ICNS Urbis Munificent,
BB-176 ICNS Urbis Belligerent, BB-177 ICNS Viribus Unitas, BB-178 ICNS Viribus Potens, BB-179 ICNS Viribus Firmus.
Description: The first Crobuzoner vessel to abandon medium-sized gun batteries for a maximized battery of heavy weapons. This vessel also utilized the first high-efficiency Crisis Engines, providing far better acceleration and power generation and providing enough thaum flow to power an anti-capship Sunlance. This vessel is starting to show it's age, but is still a vital and powerful fleet combatant.
Armament:
64x1 50cm Cannon (dual purpose)
32 8cm "Gatling" Autocannon
32 9mth Sunspears
20 300 cm Cannon
6 9-tube missile batteries (external box/internal magazine)
1 50gth Sunlance

15. "Mayor Radaghast VI" Class Dreadnought Battleship [50][+25 W]
Hulls: 32, numbered BB-180 to BB-199. The last ten vessels of the class re-started the number scheme, being BB's 1-10. Two more ships, hulls 21 and 22, were recently launched.
BB-180 ICNS Mayor Radaghast VI, BB-181 ICNS Mayor Rudgutter, BB-182 ICNS Mayor Stem-Fulcher II, BB-183 ICNS Mayor Beyn the Great,
BB-184 ICNS Indefatigable, BB-185 ICNS Redoubtable, BB-186 ICNS Assidious, BB-187 ICNS Audacious,
BB-188 ICNS Bellicose, BB-189 ICNS Challenger, BB-190 ICNS Steel Prince, BB-191 ICNS Iron Lady,
BB-192 ICNS Black Queen, BB-193 ICNS Red Duke, BB-194 ICNS Ambitous , BB-195 ICNS Unwavering,
BB-196 ICNS Fearless, BB-197 ICNS Valiant, BB-198 ICNS Conqueror, BB-199 ICNS Courageous.
BB-1 ICNS Mayor Triesti XII, BB-2 ICNS Mayor Tremulo the Reformer, BB-3 ICNS Mayor Turgisadi III, BB-4 ICNS Mayor Askane II,
BB-5 ICNS Mayor Cantiwine IX, BB-6 ICNS Mayor van der Gharabus VIII, BB-7 ICNS Mayor Weathers IV the Explorer, BB-8 ICNS Mayor Saxe-der Krimage II,
BB-9 ICNS Mayor Wrightby IX, BB-10 ICNS Mayor Kasmir-Fennec, BB-21 ICNS Irrepressible, BB-22 ICNS Dauntless.
Description: Affectionatly called the "MRV" class in Navy shorthand, vessels of the Mayor Radaghast VI class are the mainstay of the Crobuzoner Wall of Battle. The MRV class is a basic dreadnought, with a balanced armament of heavy guns and guided rocket batteries, as well as a pair of powerful sunlances. This vessel premiered the mainstream Naval obfuscation/counterobfuscation suite(OCOS) which is mounted on most Navy vessels.
Armament:
40x2 50cm Cannon (dual purpose)
34 8cm "Gatling" Autocannon
34 10mth Sunspears
18 350 cm Cannon
8 10-tube missile batteries (VLS cell/internal magazine)
2 50gth Sunlances

16. "Pax Crobuzona" Class Superdreadnought Battleship [120][+60 W]


Hulls: 14
BB-11 ICNS Pax Crobuzona, BB-12 ICNS Cardinal of Myrshock, BB-13 ICNS Sovereign of Rohag, BB-14 ICNS Emperor of Shankell,
BB-15 ICNS Empress of Tesh, BB-16 ICNS Empress of Bered Kai, BB-17 ICNS Emperor of Suroch, BB-18 ICNS Diarch of Armada,
BB-19 ICNS Queen of Jesdul, BB-20 ICNS Prince of Chromlech, BB-23 ICNS Autarch of Vadaunk,
BB-24 ICNS Burgher of Khadoh, BB-25 ICNS Vox Populus Crobuzon,
BB-26 ICNS Res Publica Crobuzon
Description: The "Pax Crobuzona" class represents the pinnacle of Crobuzoner naval engineering. Designed to outgun any othe known warship in a wall of battle, the "Pax" class has only started to be deployed in small numbers. This vessel also mounts the most modern OCOS, a system which may one day be deployed on all ships of the Navy.
Armament:
-pd to be redone-
24 400 cm Cannon
10 12-tube missile batteries
1 1tth Sunlance

"Battle of Castervanae Bight" Class Battlecruiser Battlecruisers [25] +[12 W]
Hulls: 4
BC-6 ICNS Battle of Castervanae Bight, BC-7 ICNS Commodore Ghalchrist, BC-124 ICNS Sergyaran Bay, BC-132 Battle of Restitia.
Description: These vessels represent the current pinnacle of skirmisher design in the Civil and Imperial Navy's OOB. These craft are large and powerful enough to be called capital ships, though their slim, lightly armoured hulls make them poor craft at best for usage in the battle-line. Their high speed and powerful guns, however, allow them to slaughter enemy cruisers or engage in fleet reconnaisance with ease. This design is a testbed for a new, high-velocity capital ship gun.
Armament:
14x2 50cm Cannon (dual purpose)
20 8cm "Gatling" Autocannon
16 10 mth sunspears
8 360 cm Cannon
2 10-tube missile launchers

"Thunderer" Class Dreadnought Battleship [80][+40 W]
BB-27 ICNS Thunderer,
BB-28 ICNS Typhoon.
Description: Designed as an improvement over the Mayor Radaghast V-class Dreadnought, the new Thunderer class mounts a heavier point defense battery in addition to the new 360-cm high velocity naval rifles. However, she's smaller and cheaper than the Pax Crobuzona, acting as a temporary measure until trial and developement for the 430-cm supercapital naval rifles is completed.
Armament:
60x2 50cm Cannon (dual purpose)
40 8cm "Gatling" Autocannon
40 10mth Sunspears
18 360 cm Cannon
8 10-tube missile batteries (VLS cell/internal magazine)
2 50gth Sunlances
-160 points

-400 points total

Ground Forces

The Militia
900 pts:
- The Militia's name belies it's purpose and it's nature. It is a well-trained, fanatically loyal organization which acts as the enforcement arm of the Parliament. It is the mirror-faced troops of the Militia that maintain order on conquered worlds. It is their extensive counterintelligence, blackmail, and informant network that protects the Empire from foreign and internal dissidents. It is part Gestapo, part Army, and part FBI. The reign of terror it maintains is complete. It's arrests are swift, brutal, and unexpected.
The combat units of the Militia are the bulk of the Empire's forces, but are generally used only in long campaigns and planetary defense.

Civil Militia Section H
4 pts
-CLASSIFIED-
Civil Marines
500 pts
- The Civil Marine Corps is the battle-hardened elite of the navy. These soldiers handle most offensive operations for the Parliamentary Empire, and most short campaigns are handled entirely by the Navy and it's Marines. The Marines have none of the policing and enforcement doctrine of the Militia, and are purely a combat organization.

System Fortifications
100 pts

Bas-Lag: 75 pts
Steelshatter: 25 pts
Talon: 30 pts
The Lesser Library: 50 pts
Shearwater: 20 pts
Pheonix Line, Nordost Segment: 5 stations, 24 pts per, 120 pts total

- Attention!-
A note on the "Oligarch" and "St. Jabbar's Writ" classes of pre-dreadnought battleships. These vessels are of great age, with the oldest vessels being literally constructed of iron and steel, and some nearing a century in age. Many of these ships are battle-scarred, and their equipment is generally hugely out-of-date. They are, however, huge, battleship-sized vessels regardless (though smaller than their modern composite-alloy grandchildren.) They may be easy matches even for light cruisers of modern design, but this is not due to their weak firepower (though it is sub-par by far in comparison to modern warships,) rather, it is due to the abysmal state of their construction and their antiquated systems.

Aurane Sector Coalition (ASC)
(also called The Freeworlds Coalition, although this term is quickly falling out of use)
Regional power

A tight coalition of planets in the Aurane sector, united with each other for common defense and trade. There are two goverments in the ASC, the Felshyn
(the central council and administration that controls the combined ASC militaries and dictates trade policy) and the various planetary bureaucracies.
The only thing the planetary goverments are allowed to control are their societal laws; everything from criminal prosecution to conscription is in the hands of the Felshyn, rendering the planetary goverments virtually powerless. Most planets are human, mixed with a liberal amount of various nonhumans that were lucky enough not to be wiped out when humanity went on a shooting spree within the sectors eons ago.

Order of Battle

Shipboard weapons:

Relativistic Accelerator Cannon: Uses an extremely powerful magnetic field to accelerate huge projectiles at tremendous relativistic speeds towards the target. RACs are very powerful but bulky, making them the primary weapon of all ASC battleships. Typically mounted in large, one gun turrents and arrayed into large batteries.
Missiles: Most ASC missiles use heavy laser warheads with the laser emmitters placed in a tight, conical formation. Less common missiles include submunition dispensers, kinetic penetrators, and direct-impact fusion warheads.

Railguns: Used as secondary armament for ASC capital ships, and as primary weapons for cruisers and escorts.

Pulse Cannons: Fires a small, charged particle burst that detonates explosively with contact. Mostly used as point defense weapons along with small 'peashooter' railguns.


Aurane Sector Coalition Navy (ASCN): The ASCN is very, very top heavy, this being the result of a frenzy of capital ship building during an aborted war with a neighboring nation. The ASCN has no fighter corps to speak of, which could turn out to be a major weakness, but current production is trying to rectifiy the lack of escorts and smaller ships. Despite these glaring weaknesses, the ASCN fields among the heaviest and most powerful capital ships in the galaxy, and its shipbuilders are top notch.

The ASCN is not allowed to take first strike actions under most circumstances, thus it is based around destroying enemy power projection rather than laying waste to planetary defenses.

Thell-class Point Defense Frigate [2] [+1 versus fighters]
x 200

Merran-class Interdiction Cruiser [14][+7 against warships]
x50

Felshyn'ari-class Heavy Dreadnaught [100] [+50 versus warships]
x 15

Auran'tai'daik-class Ultra-Heavy Dreadnaught [300] [+100 versus warships]
x 1

Ground Forces: Ground warfare has never been a strong point with the ASC, as they rely on their massive capital ships to assure space superiority, and consider non-defensive ground warfare to be a waste of resources. Despite this, the ASCSDF (ASC Self Defense Force) is well trained and well equipped.
ASCSDF: 460 points

Stationary Defenses (for simplicity, I am simply stating the point cost for each planet's unified defenses, instead of writing out every defense)
Aurane Prime: 150
Kharam: 200
Siliis: 90
Felshalan: 50
The remaining 10 colony worlds have 21 points of defense each.

Total points: 4000

The Raveners
Major power

Imagine the worst kind of barbarian horde, one that revels in bringing down civilised states, and only respects those like it. Now make it one step worse, and imagine that these people were not forced into barbarism by circumstance or outside action, but chose it as the most logical course they could see in order to survive and prosper. By now, its pretty clear that they were either right, or have more luck than any one group of space-going bastards have the right to expect over their lifetime as a unit.

Ideology:
Unlike other groups of barbarians, the Raveners most prize the act of becoming one with their path, so that instead of providing their icons with glorious titles, they first lose their name, becoming known as their position, then their position, becoming known as their achievement, then their achievement, becoming known as their attribute, then finally becoming known simply as Ravener, and in a few of the rarest extreme cases, having all record of the name they were first known by eradicated.

By their lights, it is force of will that is most important, and so it is common for them to deliberately limit their forces when attacking a foe that they consider worthy, and even for individual warriors to deliberately handicap themselves, sometimes literally, in order to face a foe on even physical terms.

There are five basic tiers of existence for individuals subject to Ravener rule. The classification that loosely translates as 'cattle' means that you have demonstrated no desire to do anything with your existence, and regardless of any skills, knowledge, or aptitudes you may have, it subjects you to summary termination, or any other use that a higher tier may think of in order to obtain some utility from what they consider to be a waste of biomass. 'Sheep' have utility, and demonstrated the capability of being guided into useful tasks, but still may be ended if a legitimate need is perceived. 'Goats' are the baseline population of the polity, who can be trusted to accomplish things without actively being herded, but are unlikely to actively seek out new direction. Warriors are those who refuse to let the universe dictate their path, and shape their destiny as they see fit. Men are those who have not yet been introduced to the Path. It is possible for an individual to change his caste multiple times in the course of his life, although it is incredibly rare for anyone who has been cattle for any length of time to rise up from that state, or indeed even survive. Still, there is a grace period generally alotted as it has been recognised that temporary shock can incapacitate decision making. The precise length of the grace period and what measures are taken to bring an individual to a different state are of course up to the choice of the Warrior on the spot. This clear delineation is only seen on the core Ravener holdings, as more recent acquisitions still attempt to hold to their own value sets.



Government:
The form of government can best be described as a vaguely directed anarchy. At any given time, there are usually multiple protest and revolutionary groups active, but in a rare feat of common sense, they generally choose to limit themselves to methods that will not induce the populace to choose to exterminate them wholesale. The nearest thing they have to a true governing body is a set of individuals that embody the purity of the Path in its current form.

Economy:
Economically, on a per capita basis, the Raveners rate well behind equivalently valued powers. The methods of the Raveners do not lend themselves well to organised endeavors, and providers of goods and services are often working at cross-purposes. Perversely, this means that the most producticve areas are often the more recent acquisitions rather than long-term holdings, as new conquests have not submitted to the dominant meme. Whether this developed by chance , or is a deliberately engineered trait, the end result is a general trend towards expansionism.

Military:
Due to logistics issues resulting from their temperament, Ravener ships and ground forces tend to be energy weapon heavy. Because of the non-directed nature of their economy, smaller ships built from local resources are the rule, with even capital vessels being about as small as possible while still receiving that classification. Fighter tactics are present, but almost exclusively for defensive purposes, and bomber tactics and equipment is nearly unknown.

Just to complicate things, this power is divided up into a number of loose factions/clans/guys who just like to hang out together.



The Ascendant: 1250 points to start

The closest thing to a coordinating body that the Raveners have, The Ascendant go out of their way to remain at least on speaking terms with all other factions, which has at least kept them from making any mortal enemies(that they are aware of). Generally they try to act as a moderating force on the more extreme viewpoints, as well as keeping the forces they control available as a strategic reserve.

6x Ravener class Battleship[25]
The workhorse of the Ascendant Wall of Battle. Generally deployed with two fighter wings attached.

18xParagon class Battleship[25][+10W]+4 june
Ye old fleet superiority capital ship. Carries two fighter wings unless they've all been killed already.

3x Trebuchet class seige Platform[25][+10S]
Generally only sent out when it is known that fixed defenses are going to be encountered. A departure from normal Ravener design, as their armament includes a large number of railgun/missile arrays, whose lack of manuevering ability severely limits their utility against mobile targets. On the rare occasions that they are sent on offensive missions, will carry two fighter wings.

12x Barbarian class heavy cruisers[12]
For patrols and show the flag missions, as well as spot of raiding when appropriate. One fighter wing normally embarked, as they are just useful to have around.

12x Horde class Superiority cruisers[12][+6W] For kicking the shit out of the enemy. Always has a fighter wing embarked, as otherwise they are meat to smaller attritional attackers.

26 Stinger class destroyers[4] Because a fleet's not complete without something that can wander into the way of a capital broadside to save the flagship.

13 Denial class escorts[4][+2F]For when the fleet commander's really worried about some lucky bastard who thinks he's got a three movie deal.

25 Watchman class frigates[2]Because a fleet's not complete without an expendable platform that can give warning just before its shredded over a strategically placed colony either.

88 Swarm class fighter wings[4]+8 June
A hodge-podge, a mish-mash, a dog's breakfast, or any number of other exciting terms describes these arrays of fighters scrounged from whoever's making them nearby. Part of the reason that Ascendant ships fly with only 2/3rds of their theoretical fighter complement is because of the bewildering array of different requirements that the various embarked craft need in order to function. This generally means that even at 67% of nominal max, they are right at the edge of their actual capability.

Ozymandius[75][Defense][Location: Miranda] The origins of this relic are long-lost, but it is a commonly held belief that this was the vessel that carried the First Ravener to the world known now as Miranda from the fires of the Last Cataclysm. It is known that it suffered horrific damage, which has been repaired as best as possible with the lower tech substitutes available, but all efforts to restore any functionality to the engines have proven completely futile, as have efforts to remove them for replacement, or simply move the ship by outside force. Bizarrely, the ship seems locked in its place in orbit over the central world of the Raveners.

The Ascendant Army[50]

Bastion: 610 points

Where a large number of the defensively minded Raveners and a disproportionate percentage of their quality ship builders gravitate. On good terms with other factions, except for Fafnir, who they detest openly.

8xGuardian Defense platforms[50][Defense][1 at Miranda, 2 at the largest shipyard complex, the other five at the five next most productive worlds, two of which belong to the Delnatha]

12xPhalanx class defense boats[5][+1W]

12xMilitia class Patrol craft[5]

20 Fighter wings[4]

Bastion Ground Defense Command[10]

The Celts: 5 points to start

A bunch of certifiable loonies.

The Celtic Horde[6]
A bunch of yahoos who can think of nothing better to do with their lives than paint themselves blue and charge, often naked, at the enemy. Well-represented among the unreformed Barbarian Horde portion of recent low-tech acquisitions, although there are a distressing number of recruits from the supposedly more sane segments of society. Occasionally achieve victory against squeamish opponents because the idea of killing millions of near-helpless mental cases makes them physically ill.

The Delnatha: 700 Points

While there are a number of alien races that have been subsumed into the predominantly human ranks of the Raveners, the Delnathans are the only ones to maintain themselves as a homogenous, mostly separate cultural unit. This is in part because of the environmental requirements for Delnathan habitation, which are universally unsurvivable by unprotected humans. Every Ravener system with a Venusian environment of hellish heat and toxic gas concentrations has a Delnathan colony or outpost on them.

Delanathan biology:

Universally cold-blooded, as their natural environment easily allows for their survival. A hexapedal race, with the oddity that either the front or back pair of legs alternates as tool-using or locomotive limbs, swiveling on the knee joints to properly support movement in the current direction of travel. Vision tends toward the higher end of the human visual spectrum and above, as heat based vision would be worthless, and atmospheric clutter makes normal vision of less utility evolutionarily speaking. In addition, they tend to rely more on changes in air pressure and sound to perceive their surroundings, although they possess no natural active sonar or equivalent.

Their ships are built to suit the species psychology and physical construction. Their sides are nearly unarmed, apart from point-defense arrays and very light weaponry, but very heavily shielded and armored since they have no weak points to exploit. Either direction can be used as the main path of travel, and both are capable of being used as the vessels' main offensive arc. While this makes it relatively easy to score drive damage, it becomes nearly impossible to render them fully immobile. Also, their fleet is designed to work as a whole, with mutually supporting parts contributing to total capability.

9x King Trachnor Class [32][+8W]+1 June

9x Service class [20]+1 June
Built deliberately as consort vessels for the King Trachnor class.

18x Outrider class x [8]+2 June

36x Pointguard class[4][+1F]+4 June

36x Probe class[1]+4 June
Delnathan Ground Arm[84]

Exalted: 850 points

This pretentiously named group focuses on ground combat, nearly exclusively. Generally, any other faction that contracts their services has to tithe them either a portion of the ground they conquer, or a certain percentage of output. The specific amount often depends on the negotiation aptitude of the contracting party. Generally, other factions use equipment of theirs that has been deemed unsuitable for their front-line needs, rather than spend the effort to develop their own equipment.

28x Shield class escort [2]-
For close escort in the event that the contracting navally inclined power didn’t do a thorough clean-up job. Also for convoy escort of troop movements.

20x Buckler class close escort [2][+1F] More of the same but specialized, because nothing ruins an invasion army’s day like a fighter squadron launching from a hidden base underneath the LZ.

Exalted army [600] The high professionalism of this force is one of its most closely held secrets, as they will often enter a battle with holographic disguises that make the enemy at hand believe them to be an unusually organized Celt force. Still, a tendency to support any new toy that strikes their fancy makes maintaining any form of cohesion nearly impossible. Perversely, they like to use this to their advantage, making their foes adapt to an ever-changing mix of equipment and doctrines.

“The Badasses”[155]
Even more pretentious than the average Exalted member, units and individuals of this elite force insist on being referred to with Badass preceding their normal identification, often in the middle of a pitched battle. They make it a point to vent their displeasure on anyone, friend or foe, who fails to observe this so-called courtesy of theirs.

Fafnir: 950 points

Uncompromisingly about smashing the enemy into the dust. Not nearly as interested in petty details like holding ground, or administrating their conquests. Don't like Bastion, but see no recourse but to deal with them. Secretly loathe The Ascendant.

Surtur [80][+25W] Uncompromisingly the largest mobile ship in the Ravener OoB, it is also the one that spends the most time down for maintenance and repair. Something like 40% of the time, it will be in yard hands after the latest mishap, or working up nearby in the hopes that the yard has finally fixed the latest problem for good. Popular theory among other factions has it that Bastion, which has the only yard capable of fully servicing the monster, is deliberately seeing how long they can keep stringing the over-aggressive yahoos along. Popular theory is in this case 100% correct, as the engineering team has had a comprehensive plan to fix all faults with the ship on file for the last eight months, and are running a pool on how long it will take the ship's masters to beg for them to fix everything instead of dealing with problems as they come up.

8x Mauler class Battleship[30][+10W]

14x Marauder class Pocket Battleship[25][+8W]

8x Flyswatter class Escort Battleship[25][+5F]built after the last debacle saw a fighter based power cripple half of Fafnir's Wall of Battle, requiring the Ascendant to bail them out. Despised as not being worthy of a true Ravener in the faction's opinion.

11x Brigand class Battlecruiser[22][+4W]

3x Highwayman class Command Cruiser[20] Too small, and entirely too well balanced for the sensibilities of its owners. Still, their coordination abilities and the relatively level heads of the three ships' commanders have proved invaluable to the Fafnir war machine(not that they'll ever admit it).

30x Expendable class escorts[2][+1F] Used to weed out people that the
Powers that Be have taken a disliking too. Has the highest turnover of any class in the Ravener fleets, both because of combat losses, and defections to rival factions.

The Buccaneers: 750 points

If there was ever a more perverse group of space pirates than these guys, their story has been lost to the passage of time. While they will not hesitate in the slightest to prey on civilian shipping if it suits them, their favored pastime is ambushing other pirates, often after they have successfully taken their prizes, both to increase the likely bounty, and so that salvage and recovery fees can be legally gotten from the rescue of the merchants. In the event that they choose to intervene before a competitor's attack, they will expect a percentage of value of the cargo to be paid, or they will not hesitate to take the transports in question for their own prize.

5x Pirate King class Convoy Manglers[20][+5W]+15 in June

28x Ambusher class Cruiser [10][+2W]

21x Waylayer class attack Cruiser[15][+3W]

20 x Swatter class Gunship[5][+2F]

20xHyena class Frigate[3][+1W]

50x Gnat class gunboat[1]

30x Informant class Stealth-ship[1]

Pirate marine force[15]

Miscellaneous Force: 885 points

Often beholden to other factions, still these individuals and groups like to think of themselves as independent players and masters of their own destiny. Generally use common hulls for their ships, as this gets them a cheaper price than trying for their own custom builds. Usually grouped in very small numbers, which often shift unpredictably.

6x Ravener class Battleship[25]

6x Paragon class Battleship[25][+10W]


10x Generic class Cruiser[10]

4x Brute class Cruiser[15]

2xHammer class Battlecruiser[20]

12x Henchman class Cruiser Wannabe[5][+1W]

24x Minion class heavy assault boat[3][+1W]

24xThug class Assault Boat[2]

57x Dacoit class Attack boat[1]

46x Assorted fighter wing[4]

Odds and sods of ground forces[30]

70 points of infrastructure upgrades[70]

Rough outline:

Capital 1679 points
Cruisers 1295 points
Defense 475 points
Escorts 1103 points
Fighters 504 points
Ground force 944 points

Changes/Additions

04/06

Added:

General-50 points
50 points to development of low tech worlds and assimilation efforts of recent acquisitions.

Ascendant-264 points
8 Paragon class battleships[25{+10W]
16 fighter groups[4]

Buccaneer-100 points
4 Ambusher class cruisers[10][+2W]
4 Waylayer class attack cruisers[15][+3W]

Celts-1 point
1 Point of ground troops

Delnathan-88 points
1 King Trachnor[32][+8W]
1 Service[20]
2 Outriders[8]
4 Pointguard[4][+1F]
4 Probes[1]

Exalted-9 points
2 Shield Escorts[2]

5 points of new expensive equipment and training ot the Badasses
Fafnir 22 points
1 Brigand[22][+4W]

Miscellaneous-66points
1 Ravener class Battleship[25]
1 Paragon class Battleship[25][+10W]
4 fighter groups[4]

Total: 600 points of additions.

05/08:
General-20 points

20 points of infrastructure upgrades.

Ascendant-132 points
4 Paragon Battleship[25][+10W]
8 fighter group [4]



Delnathan-88 points
1 King Trachnor[32][+8W]
1 Service[20]
2 Outriders[8]
4 Pointguard[4][+1F]
4 Probes[1]

Fafnir-260points

2x Mauler class Battleship[30][+10W]
6x Marauder class Pocket Battleship[25][+8W]
2x Flyswatter class Escort Battleship[25][+5F]

Buccaneer-100 points
4 Ambusher class cruisers[10][+2W]
4 Waylayer class attack cruisers[15][+3W]

Total: 600 points

6/14:
General-80 points

30 points of Infrastructure upgrades

50 points into the strategic reserve

Ascendant-132 points

4x Paragon Battleship[25][+10W]
8x fighter group [4]

Delnathan-88 points
1 King Trachnor[32][+8W]
1 Service[20]
2 Outriders[8]
4 Pointguard[4][+1F]
4 Probes[1]

Buccaneer-300 points

15x Pirate King class Convoy Manglers[20][+5W]

Total:600 points

Losses: 2 Shield escorts[2], 4/06

The Collective
Major Power

Government:
None. Decisions are made by consensus of the five AIs.

Economy:
Command. Having no population to support, the Collective is able to choose
exactly what, and how much to produce, without the fluctuations that a economy
that includes organics would have. There is the side effect that there isn't
much of an economy.

Ideology:
Elimination of all threats to their masters. Their masters having been
destroyed previously, this presents some problems. The word "mercy" is merely
a word in their dictionary.

Physiology:
Mechanical. Extensively hardened against electromagnetic effects (EMP), through
the use of non electronic components like optronics and spintronics. Require no
protection in most Chemical, Biological, Nuclear enviroments. Infinite loyalty,
due to design. Smaller designs use fusion power, or highly efficient molecular
distortion batteries. Larger designs utilize higher output power plants.

Brief History:
Originally created as a weapon system, the Collective consists of 5 AIs, each
with a specific purpose. Designed during a war of annihiliation, they are
utterly without mercy. They have no conscience, the only restriction on what
they could do having been rendered null and void when their creating
civilization was destroyed before they were fully activated.

AI information:
Five AIs make up the collective. Each was given a duty by their creators. The
AIs are named: Tizona, Kusanagi, Joyeuse, Clarent, and An Claíomh Solais. The
duties include space and ground warfare, construction, and intelligence.

Tizona was given the duty of intelligence. Her self-selected Avatar is that of
a young human woman. The Avatar has long red hair, and is usually depicted as
wearing a grey mid length skirt and a grey jacket with a prussian style collar,
gold piping, and a badge of a silver eye on the the left chest. Hologram Avatars
also have a cloak and a dagger at the waist.

Kusanagi's Avatar is also that of a young woman. She has short black hair, and
wears almost exactly identical clothing, with the exception of a different
badge, that of a pair of crossed copper rifles. Holograms include a sword and
shield in the ensemble.

The Avatar of Joyeuse is similarly a young woman in similar clothing. She has
blond hair, and the badge of a several golden stars. Holograms have a field of
stars spiraling around her.

Clarent's chosen Avatar is a dark-haired male, in similar clothing to the rest,
but with trousers, instead of pants. He has a silver compass badge, with no extra
adornments on his avatars.

An Claíomh Solais's Avatar is the of a blond male, with a open silver hand as his
badge. His Hologram appears to be glowing.

Technology:
Space drive:
Weber thrusters - primary sublight drive. Used in battle situations and
manuevers near other objects.

High Drive - a slow real-space FTL drive. Has deleterious effects on nearby
objects. Provides intrasystem transit capability. Used in nearly every large
vessel, as well as one fighter type.

Hyperdrive - Fast FTL drive, but cannot be used inside a solar system, due to
physical restraints.

Weapons:
STL Missile - STL missiles are usually either carried by fighters, or designed
to knock down fighters. They incorporate a special mass lightening device. This
allows much higher STL speeds, but because CoM and CoE must be obeyed, if the
device is turned off, excess energy over that dictacted as being required by
CoM is thermalized, usually resulting in the complete destruction of the
carrier. Not usually a problem with missiles.

FTL Missile - Incorporates a High Drive, with a Weber thruster booster. Fairly
bulky, to the point that it's impossible to fit one on a fighter. Power
requirements prohibit the use of cloaking devices on a FTL missile.

Other Tech:
Cloaking device - Two types: type I and type II. Type I is a double blind system.
Type II can be seen through from the inside, and are easier to see through.
Cloaking devices envelop the vessel in a field that hides it from sensors.
Type I fields are usually mounted on warships, due to power demands. Sensor
masts can poke through a Type I field, allowing the vessel to see, but with a
consquent increase in detectability, which is why a Type II field is layered
over the masts. Cloaking is ineffective when High Drive is operational except
for fairly small objects.

Stealth - Stealth is a coating and shaping to reduce and camoflauge the
vessels signature. Generally applied to everything.

Power:
MD batteries - store power in a distortion matrix. Breach of the casing usually
results in thermalization of all remaining power in the battery. Used primarily
in ground forces and missiles. Better power density than fusion, but side
effects limit it's use. Normally charged just prior to use, to reduce risk.

Fusion - Multi step and fuel fusion reactors. Fuses hydrogen into elements
heavier than helium. Used in large ground vehicles and fighters.

Strange Matter Annihiliation - Uses matter that isn't made of up and down
quarks for fuel. High power density, and doesn't have a tendency to explode,
like a MD battery does, when damaged, but bulk and mass requirements restrict
it's use to Golems and large spaceships.

Military:
Having survived the destruction of their creators largely due to the fact that
they were hidden, stealth and electronic warfare plays an important role in
their military. Firm believers in the idea that there is no such thing as
overkill. Makes extensive use of chemical weapons in ground combat. Will
usually avoid combat on anything approaching equal odds.

Fighters:
Standard flight of fighters consists of four fighters. Four flights make up a
squadron. Four squadrons make up a fighter group. Each Group is the sole
combat component of a fighter wing. The rest of the wing is support equipment
and the like.

Draken Reconnaissance Satellite Group[1]
(RQ-10A)
Essential unarmed except for a rather large self destruct charge. Vast majority
of the equipment that forms a Draken is sensors. Fairly small drives and a
communication array, along with the aforementioned scuttling charge, make up the
rest. Includes a Type II cloaking device.

Rapier Space Superiority Fighter Group[2][+1 Fighter]
(F-6A)
Fairly typical heavy space superiority fighter.

Rapier Space Superiority Fighter Group[2][+1 Fighter]
(F-6B)
Fairly typical heavy space superiority fighter. Gun armament changed away from Thunderhead Lances.

Valkyrie Bomber Group[2][Bomber]
(B-3A)
Medium bombers. Carried typically in cruiser squadrons, to allow a heavier punch
during infrastructure raids, and for protection against suddenly coming across a
much heavier force than anticpated.

Blackbird Reconnaissance Strike Fighter Group[1]
(RF-7A)
Adequate self defense ability, but strong sensors and an overpowered drive are
the essentials of the Blackbird. Includes a High Drive, for long range
reconnaisance. Also includes a Type II cloaking device.

Escorts:
Very much specialized ships.

Reconnaissance Frigate[1]
R-1
General Reconnaisance and patrol. Fairly weak, but has excellent sensors.
Includes a Type I cloaking device.

Reconnaissance Frigate[1]
R-151
Scouting and electronic warfare design. No offensive weaponry. Includes Type I cloak.

Destroyer[4][+2 Fighter]
D-1
Fleet defense. Always operates in conjunction with another ship. Provides
defense against both fighters and missile fire.

Destroyer[4][+2 Fighter]
D-301
Fleet defense. Always operates in conjunction with another ship. Provides
defense against both fighters and missile fire. Redesigned to reduce number of Thunderhead Lances used.

Cruiser:
Somewhat more well rounded ships. They have a emphasis on energy weaponry, due
to their role, but not a complete specialization in them.

Light Cruiser[6][+3 Warship]
C
Light commerce raider. Also commerce protection. Usually paired with a DD for
anti-fighter protection.

Heavy Cruiser[18][+4 Warship]
H Conqueror-class
Heavy commerce raider. Designed as being more capable than two CL-DD pairs


Capital Ship:

Battleship[50]
B-1Saint-class
Mainstay of the wall of battle. Always protected by a screen of Destroyers. Backbone of the 2-4 SF.

Battleship[50][+25W]
B-31 King-class
Mainstay of the wall of battle. Always protected by a screen of Destroyers. Backbone of the 5SF. Analysis had suggested that heavy warships were the most likely threat to be encountered in the fight against the Enemy. Accordingly, the B-1 class of warship was modified by the deletion of a significant portion of it's point defense, and replaced with additional missile and gun batteries.

Battleship[50][+25W]
B-41
Mainstay of the wall of battle. Always protected by a screen of Destroyers. Designed specifically for the outbound flight project. Extended range and power guns compared to the B-31 class, but fewer guns total. Identical missile armament. Supposed to defend the

Ground:
Heavy usage of nuclear and chemical warfare is the norm.

Golem I[25]
Designed primarily as a mobile anti-space platform, it is quite capable of
attacking ground and fighter targets as well.

Army Divison[25]
Mechanized Infantry division equivalent.

Other:
Secret stuff[50]- Mods have been informed as to what this component is.

Mobile Shipyard[200][0 combat value]
Designed to assemble anything upto, and including ships much larger than the current battleship design of the Collective. Also has parasite ore refinery ships, as well as parasite oilers. Carries enough fuel to allow operations of the Outbound Flight project for several months. Analysis would suggest it's larger than required to complete the above duties.

Total(6000 pt buy):
Fighters: 1200pt
RQ-10A x200 - 200pt
F-6A x200 - 400pt
B-3A x200 - 400pt
RF-2A x200 - 200pt
Escorts: 1350pt
R x150 - 150pt
D x300 - 1200pt
Cruisers: 1200pt
C x50 - 300pt
H x50 - 900pt
Capital ships: 1500pt
B-1 x30 - 1500pt
Ground: 700pt
Golem I x14 - 300pt
Army Division x14 - 300pt
Other: 50pt
Secret Stuff x1 - 50pt

Added 4/06
B-31 x10 -500 pt
B-3A x 50 - 100 pt

Added May 06
half completed ships:
B-41 x10 - 500 pt
D-301 x80 - 320 pt
R-151 x20 - 20 pt
Mobile shipyard - 200 pt
total incomplete - 1040pts
other:
R-1 x40 - 40pts
F-6B x40 - 40pts

Added June 06
Completed from previous month:
B-41 x10 - 500 pt
D-301 x80 - 320 pt
R-151 x20 - 20 pt
Mobile shipyard - 200 pt
Other: 30 pts customs and inspection cutters (i'll get the stats for them up soonish)
50 pts - added to secret stuff.

History:
Half a million years ago the planet Diem was home of a rapidly advancing Iron Age civilisation. During the period of their fastest technological growth disaster struck, a planetoid in the system shattered and every world including Diem was subjected to a centuries long rain of asteroid impacts. Eventually the environment recovered to its current state, leaving all moisture locked away in the ice-caps and the rest of the world became a dry barren desert.
For hundreds of centuries the Diem-noiy adapted to the new environment, individuals becoming further isolated from others of thier kind (except during mating) due to the huge area required to support a single individual. Civilisation was gone and the only intelligent race of the world would eventaully follow except for the abberation that proved to be the species salvation.

Genetic freaks or throwbacks, the Mad Ones were able to work togeather. With tribes no larger than five, they began to build and breed a planet-spanning civilisation of individuals with very few working togeather but all working towards the same goals. Through luck and tens of thousands of years the Diem-noiy entered the computer age and discovered Artificial Intelligence.
Co-Existing with their machine offspring, the Diem entered the age of space exploration. Eventually discovering how to bypass the speed of light they began expanding and searching for other worlds to live on.

Description:
Lizard-like Centauroids with tough leather-like skin covered in bony platelets. Coloration varies between very dark red to light brown. Mass for a fully grown adult is around 250 kilos though some individuals can get as high as 300.

[March 8th]
More Terran lizard than human with regards to how the face looks. No nose slits (smell organs are inside the mouth) and the eyes are more to the side of the head and are covered with leathery skin ridges and tough eyelids (as well as clear retractable membranes) to protect from windborne grit.
4 legs, 2 arms. 6 fingers, 4 strong thumblike ones with what used to be claws and 2 delicate ones for careful manipulation in conjunction with the "thumbs"

Here is what I had made in like 10 minutes on a friends computer with 3ds. Just basic body structure really and I fucked up the hands and head.
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/4919/demnoiy2ar.jpg
[/march 8th]

Due to nearly unique planatery conditions of homeworld, Diem are not suited to the environments common to other water/carbon-based creatures. For short-term excursions into other civilisations environments, supplimental air canisters and masks are required and various treatments are needed afterwards for exposure to microbes and common airborne waste byproducts as well as very high humidity.Prolonged exposure to humidity above 5-7% causes short-term skin disorders.
Due to specialised moisture saving breathing system, cannot physically speak most languages. Interpersonal communications can be carried out through sub vocalisation and translation with purpose-built AIs.

Government:
Most government functions are overseen by a powerful AI on the homeworld. This system controls the most important functions such as defense and is self-supporting. Otherwise there is very little effect upon individual Diem.
The military is run by the most capible Diem and AI's, ships cruiser sized or larger will typically have a crew of one diem assisted by a computer.

Military:
A minor power, the Diem have fewer ships than other races and very few of these are designed for attacking a fortified position.
Ships resemble white eggs in design with the narrow end facing forward and powerful engines in the back. Weapon emplacements are difficult to spot with the eye. The ships are lightly shielded for thier size but heavily armored and will roll during a battle so no one area of the hull is subjected to an excessive ammount of damage.
Capital ships are armed with a mix of powerful particle weapons and other beam guns as well as masses of missiles and torpedos. All ordanance is "smart" with limited capibility to judge best means to perform its task.
Combat drones are armed with beam weapons and missiles. Each combat drone is an independant system and capible of high-level decision making.
Ground forces are usually made up of robot vehicles and infantry of varying design. Combined arms are the norm with all parts working as a whole.
Military AIs are heavily shielded and have multiple checks hardwired in to prevent hacking/subversion.

[Jan 27th]
Diem don't really claim territory, they explore by sending out robot probes that deploy into observation stations. Every observation station within a certain radius has a central hub with more powerful communications and an AI that is more than a dumb checklist reader/report filer. Even when fully on-line the AI will be far less capable than the one onboard the Probe currently talking to the Gaians, mostly to entropic decay over the centuries of even the best preserved hardware.
It will be unable to create a "translation matrix", like the one Probe created to talk to the Gaian's, and will simply try to keep the aliens from leaving until someone higher-up can come in and start figuring out how to talk.
[/jan 27th]


2000- Minor Power

Fighters [670]
Combat Fighter Drones [1] x 600 [600]
Combat Strike Drones [2] [+1 vs Stationary] x 35 [70]

Cruiser [430]
Corvette [10] [+3 vs Fighter] x 25 [300] Carries up to 5 points worth of Combat Drones
Assualt Cruiser [10] [+3 vs Stationary] x 3 [30] Carries up to 5 points worth of Combat Drones
Cruiser [20] [+5 vs Capital] x 5 [100] Carries up to 20 points worth of Combat Drones

Capital [300]
Carrier/Command [50] x 6 [300] Carries up to 50 points worth of Combat Drones

Defense [400]
Homeworld [200] x 1 [200] 50 points of Combat Drones on-station at all times
Colony 1 [150]x 1 [150] 25 points of Combat Drones on-station at all times
Colony 2 [50] x 1 [50] 10 points of Combat Drones on-station at all times

Ground [200]
200

Changes/Additions:

04/06

Added:

Carrier/Command [50] x 2 [100] Carries up to 50 points worth of Combat Drones

Corvette [10] [+3 vs Fighter] x 4 [40] Carries up to 5 points worth of Combat Drones

Cruiser [20] [+5 vs Capital] x 2 [40] Carries up to 20 points worth of Combat Drones

Combat Fighter Drones [1] x 20 [20]


05/06

Planetary Assualt Ship [50] [+25 vs Stationary] x 3 [150] Carries up to 30 points worth of Combat Drones

Corvette [10] [+3 vs Fighter] x 3 [30] Carries up to 5 points worth of Combat Drones

Combat Assualt Drones [2] [+1 vs Capital] x 10 [20]

05/16

200 Saved points


Edit: Updating race description as needed/made up. Nothing game altering, just fleshing out.

New Crobuzon and the Parliamentary Empire of Crobuzon(1)

1523 Anno Urbis
“TARMUTH, Mel. 13 – The ICS Terpisichore returned to port bearing dreadful news of pirate attack along the Nova Esperium/Myrshock route. Forty dead and one-hundred twenty three wounded were on board, victims of ships described as “flying the flag of Suroch.” This is the twelfth such incident involving our loyal Crobuzoner vessels and those dastard pirates and heretics of Suroch, and the third such since Mayor Dagman Beyn submitted the Soluary Decree to Suroch, threatening dire consequences if attacks did not stop.
“Suroch is fully in it’s rights to interdict Crobuzoner shipping!” Said despicable Surochish ambassador Ferdinando na Cortés as he twirled his filthy mustache. “Bered Kai Nev and the Nova Esperium colonies are rightfully ours. We arrived there first, and we will not brook Crobuzoner interference!” Mayor Bayn, fresh from his third victory in the polls, responded with verve and decisiveness, promising a “Return to the proper place of New Crobuzon as master of the…”

1545 Anno Urbis
“SALKRIKALTOR, Cray Commonwealth, Rin. 6- In a meeting today, representatives of our great nation and our fine allies in the Cray Commonwealth and Myrshock, decided to terminate the state of war with Suroch. No representatives of Suroch were present, and there continues to be a complete dearth of communiqués of any type from Suroch following the dropping of the colourbomb upon our hated enemies one month ago. Mayor Beyn said: “The nation of Suroch no longer exists as a meaningful organization. All true Crobuzoners can rest easily knowing that this threat to great Republic’s freedoms has been eliminated. We hope that our fellows in the Cray Commonwealth and Myrshock will take this opportunity to finally join with our great nation, united with the knowledge that our strong City, empowered by the newly discovered power of the Torque, will no longer brook any sort of dissidence and disorder in any of the lands along the Swollen Ocean.
On board the ICNS Great Easterly, representatives of the Cray Commonwealth and Myrshock signed a decree placing their sea lanes at the disposal of Crobuzon…

1778 Anno Urbis
Brothers! Sisters! Stand together, not Remade, but fReemade! Down with the bastards at Perdido Street. Down with the lying, silver-tongued Diverse Tendency. Down, most of all, with Mayor Rudgutter and the Fat Sun Party! The Government cares nothing for any of us. Remaking is a sin, and is unjust. The Magisters hide behind false names and the faceless Militia when they sentence us to mutiliation, mutation, and slavery for the slightest crime, perceived or real. FUCK THE GOVERNMENT! FUCK THE POWERFUL! Power to the People, put and end to the barbaric practice of Remaking, END the exploitation of Bered Kai Nev, STOP research into The Torque, REVEAL the horrible consequences of the Colourbomb, FREE the people from the threat of Remaking, Indentured Servitude, and the iron grip of Rudgutter’s MILITIA THUGS! SUPPORT JACK HALF-A-PRAYER!
-Runagate Rampant 46th Edition. The Truth Will Set Us Free. Destroy After Reading.

1780 Anno Urbis
“NOVA ESPERIUM, West Kai Nev, Aro.21 – Explorer and entrepreneur Vasil Stropworth, of the Stropworth West Kai Nev Company, returned to Nova Esperium after a two year expedition into the continent’s untamed interior. His brave team discovered a series of relics of the Ghosthead Empire. Most shocking of these are a series of grand constructs, huge vessels built much like our best submersibles, but possessed of great wings, bizarre exhausts, aimed towards the sky like towers. Heliographs of these ancient monoliths are being sent to New Crobuzon, along with requests for a full Government exploratory team. Militia troops have already been dispatched to guard what Stropworth said “May be the most seminal discovery since the advent of the Torque Reactor…”

1849 Anno Urbis
“NEW CROBUZON, Oct. 29 – Reconaissance Aeroplanes of the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm spotted a mushroom cloud rising over the island of Cabain. Thaumaturges and physicists of the Militia and Navy report that this can only be proof that the heretic despots in the Witchocracy of Tesh have succeeded in developing their own Colourbomb. The Foreign Office received a notice from the High Priestess today, claiming a successful test and warning our great Mayor Johan Stark-Fulcher-Bassine that further colonization of Tesh-claimed lands by Crobuzoners would be met with “deadly and immediate force.”
The Mayor replied in a speech today that:
“From Armada in the South to the Cymek in the Interior, an "iron curtain" has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie the dominions of Tesh. Shankell, Jesdul, and Cobsea; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Teshite sphere, and all are subject, in one form or another, not only to Witchocratic influence but to a very high and in some cases increasing measure of control from Tesh… (2)”

1869 Anno Urbis
“HIGH CYMEK, Central Wastes Territory, Mel. 20 – “One Great victory for Crobuzon, Absolute proof of the supremacy of Crobuzoner Civilization.” These were the words transmitted to Mission Control in the Cymek Wastes at 11:00 by Aethernaut Captain Cabot L.Q. Weathers as he set his foot on the surface of the sphere designated Selene, making history as the first human since the Ghosthead Empire to make an interstellar flight. Since the destruction of the Teshite aethership Ma’Shad by Torque Engine failure last Soluary, many have claimed that the Torquedrive is unworkable, and that interstellar flight is impossible. These claims were quashed completely by Captain Weather’s 2-day aether-reave and subsequent landing on the 5 light year distant planetary body, high in orbit around the Canine Star.
Initial reports from Selene describe the world as “Lush, rich, and ripe for the arrival of civilization…”

1872 Anno Urbis
The Government LIES. No more can be said than that. Mayor Stark-Fulcher-Bassine’s so-called “Aether Exploration” program is no more than a military race aimed at opposing Tesh’s power without resorting to open conflict. There can be no doubt that the roots of this tremendous exertion of funds and resources is merely another jingoistic effort by the Fat Sun party, backed by the racism of the oligarchical upper classes. Moreover, there is little doubt in my mind that the Ma’shad was destroyed not by accident, but by sabotage initiated by this corrupt Government! Our great city of New Crobuzon and the Empire she leads must not allow the Fat Sun party and the Oligarchy to lead us down this warlike, confrontational path with Tesh any longer. We must go out into the streets and protest the creation of armed Aetherships! We must not allow the government to circumvent the Cobsea Accords against strategic weapons by moving Torque-weapon warfare into the aether. Remember, kind readers, the heliographs still available of the Split Zones where Suroch once stood, which continue to be completely uninhabitable by anything which would call itself Human or xenian. What happened during the Pirate Wars to Suroch four hundred annums ago can happen to New Crobuzon today if we don’t stand against the Mayoralty and it’s insane policy of colourbomb brinkmanship.
-Runagate Rampant 723rd Edition. The Truth Will Set Us Free, Destroy After Reading.

1883 Anno Urbis
NEW CROBUZON, Dus. 3 – Clashes continue between imperialistic, invading forces of the Witchocracy of Tesh and the brave resistance fighters on the world of New Arzamas. The Arzamasi, discovered by Teshite aetherships last year, have responded to attempts by the Witchocracy to conquer their land and steal their freedom with a spirited and vigorous resistance. Though primitive in their weapons, the Arzamasi realize the fates they will find when brought under the heel of Teshite dominance. Arzamas is the twelfth world the Teshites have sought to forcefully dominate, and fighting continues to be brutal. “The Witchocrats are dooming another people to slavery with their jingoistic, imperialistic ways,” said Mayor Candise van Grimmelshausen of the Three Quills party, still flush with her election victory last week. “We must step up efforts to cut off surrounding worlds from the damaging Teshite influence by continuing to pursue our policy of rapidly bringing civilization and establishing protective dominance over more worlds.”
The effectiveness of this policy can be seen in the growing cordon around Teshite-controlled worlds, as ships of the Navy discovered and protectively integrated a further four inhabited systems this month, bringing their sad and primitive populations into the safe hold of…

1899 Anno Urbis
The Failure of Parliamentary Democracy can be seen even today, with the fall of the Witchocracy and it’s dissolution into a dozen squabbling states. The official newspapers, with their party affiliations and Militia watchdogs toute today as the great victory of Parliamentary Democracy and Mercantile Capitalism against Witchocratic Triarchism and Thaumaturgical Socialism. Certainly, the fall of Tesh under mighty political and economic pressure after their decade-long war on Arzamas has put an end to the threat of all-out colourbomb warfare. What they fail to report is that Democracy died for New Crobuzon centuries ago. I recall when I was a young man, a student in the bohemian warrens of Salacus Fields. I had won the Suffrage Lottery that year, the one ticket I could afford turning up on election day as my ticket to participation in government. I marched resolutely, along with many of my fellows, to cast my vote for Diverse Tendency. Here I stand, years later, and nothing has changed! The Fat Sun Coalition still rules the City and the Empire. It is not taught in the State Schools, but the Fat Sun has ruled Crobuzon in one form or another for almost five hundred years, with only brief tenures out of office. Its opponents often are lead by Fat Sun loyalists, and those dissident parties distant enough from Fat Sun in ideology are either too small to matter or counterbalanced by other extremists: Just watch the next Diverse Tendency rally, one will notice that the self-proclaimed guardians of Xenian, Indentured, and Remade rights are all just the wealthy sons and daughters of Fat Sun politicians, and are always held in check by the New Quill racists- and notice how the Fat Sun throws it’s weight behind one or the other whenever one starts to gain the upper hand. Since before the Pirate Wars, New Crobuzon’s Mayoralty has been ruled absolutely by an old boy’s club which can’t shed the trappings of democracy. The government talks about bringing democracy to the shattered remnants of the Witchocracy through the barrels of the Militia’s guns and the warships of the Navy. This is a travesty. How can we, who still grant enfranchisement only to those wealthy enough to buy masses of votes in the corrupt Suffrage Lottery, pretend to be democracy? How can we decry Teshite colonialism when dozens of distant worlds labor under the Fat Sun’s iron grip? How can we decry Tesh for it’s despotic government when we keep xenians as virtual slaves, and Remade criminals as actual slaves? Jack Half-A-Prayer may be a century dead, but in you, fair readers, his legacy of freedom for all people, xenian and Remade and human, of New Crobuzon and the whole of the Empire, can finally come true.
-Runagate Rampant 1021st Edition. The Truth Will Set Us Free, Destroy After Reading.

1895 Anno Urbis
NEW CROBUZON, Tth. 30 – Militia enforcement personnel raided the secret headquarters of the seditious and treasonous ‘newspaper’ Runagate Rampant early this morning. Almost the entire staff was found in their hideaway in the Dog Fenn district. Editor-In-Chief Berthold Downbottom was taken into custody, along with twelve other individuals. These criminals and their predecessors have befouled the word “journalism” for literally centuries now, much to the shame of our own august publication. All have been found guilty of crimes against the City of New Crobuzon, her Empire, and the Parliament. Mayor van Grimmelshausen has justly decided to pardon most of these criminals, saying that “These poor people have been sadly abused and misused by Downbottom, taken in by his rhetoric. Their treason is not, strictly speaking, their own making. They will be sentenced to Remaking, and it is hoped that by permanently opening their eyes and granting them extra ears, they will remember in the future to look and listen before making treasonous decisions. Downbottom, however, must be sentenced to death. His treachery against City and Empire can not be forgotten or pardoned- after all, Freedom must be protected…”

1935 Anno Urbis
NEW CROBUZON, Sin. 18 – Mayor Thadeus van der Grimnebulin ratified the Exploration and Colonization bill, ending a week of delay and filibuster, perpetrated largely by the upstart Now We Can See Party. That group of callow sons and daughters of the wealthy elite attempted to kill the bill, and with it, New Crobuzon’s bright, post- Frozen War Imperial future. Mayor van der Grimnebulin lead the rest of Parliament to shout down young Lord M. Derherzerog Croix’s filibuster attempt, ensuring the incalculable advantages to economy and prestige that the production of new Aetherships and the colonization of new systems will grant our newly-united world and the marvelous City and Empire that benevolently rules over it. Militia troops watched on as spontaneous rallies of New Crobuzon citizens cheered in the streets outside of Perdido Street Station after van der Grimnebulin’s proclamation of the new bill and it’s attendant increases in taxation and press-ganging…

----------------------------------
[1] Apologies to China Mieville.
[2] And Winston Churchill!

Mad Science: The Technology of Bas-Lag

What is today called the Ghosthead Empire ruled vast stretches of the Galaxy in the distant past. When galactic society collapsed in the final wars, the Ghosthead fell with it (or perhaps thanks to it.) In these regions where the Ghosthead stood, ancient ruins still remain. The influence of the Ghosthead, however, is more than simply physical. The Ghosthead made usage of technology which fooled with the very nature of reality, and the scars and stains left upon the fabric of reality by their works last to today, and will last until the universe has ended.

Bas-Lag has been theorized to be one of three things. Some say it was once the capital of the Ghosthead Empire, and that is the reason it is so infected with their bizzare creations, and that is the reason that the laws of reality are so skewed in that region. Others say it was the sight of some vast battle between the Ghosthead and a great enemy- these people cite the Scar, where the Swollen Ocean is literally cracked, a great canyon with walls of water which refuses to fill the void which plunges down to the ocean floor, as a remnant of some terrible weapon. Finally, some say that Bas-Lag was nothing more than a garbage planet, a place where the unimaginable laboratories of the Ghosthead dumped their unreal failed creations. Either way, the laws of physics are not completely normal on Bas-Lag, allowing the creation of devices and the invention of branches of science which are unapproachable to most.

Natural Philosophy
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic
-Arthur C. Clark

The Ghosthead were largely careful in their reconstruction of the universes' laws, and took efforts to merely add new possibilities without destroying old ones. Essentially, the bizzarre changes to the possible came without unravelling more conventional physics and the science man has always used to exploit it. New Crobuzon's researchers have learned much about the world, and understant principles of hyperspace physics, nuclear and fusion power generation, and are generally only a couple centuries behind the rest of the galaxy in terms of what they call "Natural Philosophy," the study of the rational world, and in some fields are neck and neck with, if not ahead, the rest of the galaxy.

Thaumaturgy
Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology
- Arben C. Whitworth, Doctor of Thaumaturgy

The Thaum, a unit of energy so mutable and controllable that a human being can generate it and manipulate it with nothing more than his body and intellect. The Ghosthead left Bas-Lag with techniques and devices for the manipulation of Thaums, and the science of this manipulation is Thaumaturgy. The development of devices which can distill Thaums from sources as diverse as human sacrifice, the motion of continents, and even the position of stars in the sky make this a powerful tool in the hands of it's adherents. Thaumaturgy is a science on Bas-Lag and Crobuzon's colonies, and it's usage is every day, in the form of everything from charms against mold growth to the complex, fusion-powered Sunlance weapons mounted on the largest warships in the Navy.

The Torque
That's where they dropped the colourbomb in 1545. That's what they said put an end to the Pirate Wars, but to be honest with you, Yag, they'd been over for a year before that. The colourbomb wasn't to destroy the city, it was to hide what the Torquebombs had done to it...
-Isaac der Grimnebulin

Those wise in Thaumaturgy and natural philosophy can learn how to apply pressure at a 90-degree angle to the fabric of reality. The Torque is the force that is released by this event, in what is known as an uncontrolled Torque reaction. Weapons based on this crude technique are incredibly dangerous, both to their targets and their users. There are remnants of cities on Bas-Lag which are ringed in fortifications, bunkers, walls and minefields. Most of the defenses point in. Inside, the bastard children of steam-engines and cockroaches devour slithering, multilimbed fish people who were once both the inhabitants of the city's fish-ponds and their tenders.
The complete un-reality which uncontrolled Torque weapons create is long-lasting, devastating, and while not 100% lethal, leaves nothing that can be even remotely considered human.
The Torque can be controlled, however. It is thanks to this that New Crobuzon can sail the aether at superluminal speeds. The Teardrive uses principles of The Torque to send ships into otherworldly shortcuts, allowing them to defeat the light barrier. Torque Reactors sit beneath layers of lead sheets scribed with powerful wards, activated for brief and chaotic minutes to provide a vessel with extra power during combat. A ship seriously damaged while it's Torque Reactor is operating will shortly become something from the most hideous nightmares.
Finally, there is the colourbomb. A release of The Torque can be controlled, and then fed back in on itself to slam closed the rift in truth and reality, releasing a wash of pure energy. The effect is extremely destructive, and results in no lasting effects worse than powerful conventional radiation.

Crisis Energy
We've done it, Yag! Cheap, free energy for everyone. Thanks for the help, old boy- I'll be rich!
-Isaac der Grimnebulin, last words.

Orderly constructs tend to degenerate towards chaos. Yet, orderly constructs continue to appear and prosper across the universe. Therefor, there must be a force reacting against entropy, one which causes orderly constructs to survive. This is the basic idea behind Crisis Theory. The Crisis Engine is the outgrowth of this seemingly absurd theory. By placing a complex object in constant crisis, it releases a steady stream of safe, clean thaumaturgical and elyctrical energy. This is the primary energy source of most Crobuzoner warships, as it has low fuel requirements and is very safe. However, Crisis Engines are almost impossible to repair outside of a drydock, thanks to their incredibly complex systems.

Probability Mining
This is a Might Sword- not as in 'strong,' but as in 'maybe.'
- Uther Doul

Timelines are said to continually split, each possible reaction generating a myriad of alternate universes where each choice is played out in all it's probable courses. The Ghosthead made extensive use of probability mining- some theorize that all their tampering with the fabric of reality was to allow this affect to be achieved. Essentially, it is possible to sift through the future possibilities and chose one at your leisure. The art is barely understood by the natural philosophers, physicists, and thaumaturges of New Crobuzon, but some extremely unreliable and short-term uses have been discovered. One is the might missile, which erupts into a thousand possible attack trajectories for a few fractions of a second before impact, making up for Crobuzoner weakness in ECCM technology by rendering the missile a difficult target for point defense weapons. It is clear, however, that the Ghosthead had far more incredible goals in mind for probability mining.

Biothaumaturgy
For the charge of murder, M. Candide, the Court and the Magistry sentences you to Remaking in the image of your sin. You will sport the arms of your dead child on your brow from now till the end of your days. You will be reminded by every mirror or pool of water of your despicable crime.
- Magister Michal Swade

The combination of scientific know-how and thaumaturgy that is the art of the Biothaumaturge has given Crobuzon some of it's greatest improvements to the quality of life of it's citizens along with some of the most despicable lows to which the Empire has sunk. On one hand, even fatal wounds can almost always be treated with the application of enough time and energy (though the costs in both for the most serious wounds mean that by and large only the wealthy get to enjoy it.) On the other hand, Remaking is practiced with biothaumaturgy. The grotesquely deformed slave-caste of Crobuzon recieves it's mark at the hands of the Magistry's punishment technicians.
The technology's use extends to military applications. Some Remade 'conscripts' are rebuilt into fearsome fighting machines. Limited Remaking is extended to many to allow direct interface with cogitators and difference engines, and the elite of the Imperial Marines and Militia have Remade bodies, improved to allow interaction with powered armor and weapons systems.

United Stations Technology

Note: US technology is pure science. No magic here.

Stardrive
US ships typically use a tachyonic transition drive to get from place to place. Interactions with realspace are entirely possible. Attempts to send a signal into the past with the magic of FTL drives have inevitably resulted in failure - by this point the computers driving all FTL communications and propulsion can calculate paths that would result in "time travel" and will simply abort the order. Communications signals that override this abort result in hideous noise; travel attempts inevitably result in the destruction of the ship.

Power & Propulsion
Ships typically use a ternary hypergolic fuel source for primary propulsion and power. A stable suspension of naqadah and liquid tylium reacted with potassium, liberating tremendous amounts of energy. While the naquadah and potassium typically are annihilated with great efficiency, the tylium is immediately transformed into its plasma state from the energy input. Clean fusion then takes place, improving the energy yields. Powerful monopole electromagnets guide some ofthe plasma outside the ship - and thus, a Newtonian reaction drive is created.

Some of that energy is harvested via the technology of magnetothermodynamics and used to power the ship. In emergency situations, some captains have been known to turn the awesome power of their main drive into an unfocused plasma beam; this is usually sufficient to roast most ships but suffers from its relative fixed mounting and extremely short range.

Weaponry
USSF ships typically use powerful coilguns to accelerate rounds towards the enemy at tremendous velocities. A variety of rounds exist, ranging from steel impactors that plasmify on impact, armor-piercing penetrators and naquadah-enhanced fusion rounds. The latter are commonly used against shielded opponents and large targets. The conventional rounds typically are sufficient to disable most enemy ships once the shields have gone down.

In addition, long range guided rockets are used. These use a scaled-down version of the TyNhK propulsion unit and a fusion warhead; typically whatever unreacted reaction mass remains will greatly enhance the reaction (the warhead situated aft the fuel supply). Many missiles carry a "shaped nuclear charge" for antiship use while defensive missiles typically utilize a classic "sphere" initiation. These missiles are not particularly maneuverable but extremely fast and will carry themselves through many engagement envelopes with unnerving speed.

Finally, close-in defensive weapons typically consist of free-electron laser batteries. USSF ships carry large batteries of these lasers for self-defense.

Short-ranged combat is something the USSF works to avoid. There have been some proposals for a short-ranged plasma gun leeching off the main reactor, but so far these have not received funding.

Defenses
USSF ships lightly armored, have excellent internal compartmentalization and moderate shielding. Electronic warfare is their prime defense, and to this they have quite excellent systems to deceive, blind and hide from the enemy - at least the ones they know about. Unfortunately, they can't hide the enormous energy signature of their main reactor and drivetrain complex, but at long range, USSF ships can typically fool the enemy enough to make them miss, all while hitting back with accurate fire.

In addition, most USSF ships carry excellent sensor systems, both active and passive. Towed arrays are the rule, though they have to be very long in order to move past the hot zone of the exhaust.

Computers
Immensely powerful classical computers work in concern with quantum computers and solve their problems in an inelegant, brute-force manner. Sheer compute power permits solving of problems that a more elegant approach might have difficulty with. This especially applies to the ship-defense problem, where these computers integrate vast amounts of data and output solutions.

The Empire of Kurak, Regional Power (4000 points)
Government: Imperial Monarchy
Ruler: Emperor George IV

Government:

The entire government of the Empire of Kurak centers on the Imperial Family. The Emperor or Empress makes the decisions for the country, advised by the rest of the Imperial family and by an appointed group of experts in various fields. One interesting requirement placed on the Imperial family is that they must marry from the ranks of the commoners.

That is not to say that the people have no power though. There is the Imperial Court which is made up of elected officials. The Imperial Court takes care of the day to day running of the empire, while the Emperor deals with the larger stuff. An example of this would be foreign policy, which would be decided by the Emperor.

The subjects of the Empire stars rise and fall by virtue of their skills. While there is nobility, the titles are not inheritable. And the only way to earn them is to do something great, be it in the military or the civilian fields. The only person that this does not apply to is the Imperial family, and even then they can be removed if they go too far.


Economy:

The basic currency of the Empire is the Imperial Duvok. The economy is free market based, but there are long standing policies and laws that restrict things such as monopolies. Taxes while considered to be high do not generally raise discontent due to some foresighted ideas of an early ruler. The Tax Collectors live with the people they tax, and have the authority to grant exceptions if needed, as long as there is proof. This along with a good public school system and various social polices help keep the subjects happy but do cost a bit of a pretty penny.


Ideology/History:

A very long time ago the Empire was an insignificant, small kingdom on a backwater kingdom. No one knows what happened but a massive disaster shook the world, destroying many nations. King Kurak, who the empire is named after took advantage of this and built an empire by peacefully absorbing the inhabitants by helping them out. This happened in what most races historians and researchers call the late Bronze Age. Not long after the disaster people, especially children began to develop strange abilities. This spread throughout the entire race, and before long everyone could use this power called magic. While most intelligent races began to discover technology around this time, the Empire went the other way and began to discover advanced magic. They use magic for everything, from warfare, to meddicine, to building. Even after developing FTL travel, and colonizing other planets they still use magic for everything. The Empire is fairly peaceful, but as it only has three worlds those worlds are beginning to get overcrowded. As such there is a major drive for further colonization and expansion.

Physiology:

Physically the subjects of the Empire of Kurak are very similar to humans, but three main things make them stick out as different.

Their skin has a golden cast is the first difference. The second difference is that they are born with pure white or silver hair, and keep it for the rest of their lives. Their eyes are shades of blue or gray. Another difference is that they all can use magic. They draw upon lines of power that stretch throughout the universe to do this. At some points those lines pool, to form powerful nodes. Artificial nodes are often used as power sources.


Control and application of these powers are taught in school from a young age. It is pretty rare to run into discrimenation based on a mage's power level, but it does happen. Most people wear a small lapel pin, with a design signifying their power and training level. IE, in order of least powerful to most: Novice, Apprentice, Student, Journeyman, Master, Adept, High Mage, Arch Mage, Elder Mage. This is required in the civil services, and military dress uniforms. It is also displayed in other ways on non dress uniforms.

Military:

The Military of the Empire focuses on Battle lines made of heavy units, screened by lighter units. While they will use fighters, they do not usually deploy pure carriers. While maintaining a good sized fleet, the Empire only uses a few classes of ships. Each class has a specific role that it is designed for, and most ship engineers tend to take a balanced approach to building.

Fighters:

Bolt (2)
X 175

Flare(2) (bomber)
X 175

Ships:

Aero Escort (5)
X 80

Shock Heavy Cruiser (20)
X 40

Blaze Battlecruiser (25)
X 28

Meteor Battleship (50)
X 14

Defenses:

Planetary Defense Grid (50) (defense)
X 3(150)
Consists of a planet wide network of ground to space weapons installations and shield generators. Generally has several satellites as well.

Planetary Militia (50) (Defense)
X 3 (150)
Well trained citizen troops whose only duty is to protect their home planets.

Ground: (500)

May 3 Additions, Regional Power (400 Points)

4 Meteor Class Battleships, 200 points
8 Blaze Class Battlecruisers, 200 points

-Total Fleet Organization Chart, Under Construction-


1. Battle Squadron
CO: Vizeadmiral Esteban Southerly
I. Division (4x Pax Crobuzona SDs)
- BB-13 ICNS Sovereign of Rohag (Flag)
- BB-14 ICNS Emperor of Shankell
- BB-15 ICNS Empress of Tesh
- BB-16 ICNS Empress of Bered Kai
-480 pts total
IV. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-7 ICNS Mayor Weathers IV the Explorer
- BB-8 ICNS Mayor Saxe-der Krimage II,
- BB-9 ICNS Mayor Wrightby IX
- BB-10 ICNS Mayor Kasmir-Fennec
- 200 pts total
XI. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-173 ICNS Urbis Militant
- BB-174 ICNS Urbis Benevolent
- BB-175 ICNS Urbis Munificent
- BB-176 ICNS Urbis Belligerent
- 160 pts total

2. Battle Squadron
CO:
III. Division (2x Pax Crobuzona SD, 2x Mayor R V BB)
- BB-17 ICNS Emperor of Suroch
- BB-18 ICNS Diarch of Armada
- BB-196 ICNS Fearless
- BB-197 ICNS Valiant
-340 pts total
V. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-198 ICNS Conqueror
- BB-199 ICNS Courageous
- BB-1 ICNS Mayor Triesti XII
- BB-2 ICNS Mayor Tremulo the Reformer
- 200 pts total
XII. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-172 ICNS Northwatch
- BB-177 ICNS Viribus Unitas
- BB-178 ICNS Viribus Potens
- BB-179 ICNS Viribus Firmus
- 160 pts total

3. Battle Squadron
CO:
XXI. Division (2x Pax Crobuzona SD, 2x Mayor R V BB)
- BB-23 ICNS Autarch of Vadaunk
- BB-24 ICNS Burgher of Khadoh
- BB-21 ICNS Irrepressible
- BB-22 ICNS Dauntless
-340 pts total
VI. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-192 ICNS Black Queen
- BB-193 ICNS Red Duke
- BB-194 ICNS Ambitous
- BB-195 ICNS Unwavering
- 200 pts total
VII. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-188 ICNS Bellicose
- BB-189 ICNS Challenger
- BB-190 ICNS Steel Prince
- BB-191 ICNS Iron Lady
- 200 pts total

4. Battle Squadron
CO:
II. Division (4x Pax Crobuzona SDs)
- BB-11 ICNS Pax Crobuzona
- BB-12 ICNS Cardinal of Myrshock
- BB-19 ICNS Queen of Jesdul
- BB-20 ICNS Prince of Chromlech
-480 pts total
X. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-3 ICNS Mayor Turgisadi III
- BB-4 ICNS Mayor Askane II
- BB-5 ICNS Mayor Cantiwine IX
- BB-6 ICNS Mayor van der Gharabus VIII
- 160 pts total
XIII. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-168 ICNS Humanity Imperator
- BB-169 ICNS Great Easterly
- BB-170 ICNS Great Westerly
- BB-171 ICNS Southern Queen
- 160 pts total

5. Battle Squadron
CO:
XXII. Division (2x Pax Crobuzona SD, 2x Thunderer BB)
- BB-25 ICNS Vox Populus Crobuzon
- BB-26 ICNS Res Publica Crobuzon
- BB-27 ICNS Thunderer
- BB-28 ICNS Typhoon
-400 pts total
VIII. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-184 ICNS Indefatigable
- BB-185 ICNS Redoubtable
- BB-186 ICNS Assidious
- BB-187 ICNS Audacious
- 200 pts total
XIV. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-164 ICNS Urbis Glorious
- BB-165 ICNS Urbis Auspicious
- BB-166 ICNS Civitas Superior
- BB-167 ICNS Senatus Excelsior
- 160 pts total

6. Battle Squadron
CO:
IX. Division (4x Mayor Radaghast VI BBs)
- BB-180 ICNS Mayor Radaghast VI
- BB-181 ICNS Mayor Rudgutter
- BB-182 ICNS Mayor Stem-Fulcher II
- BB-183 ICNS Mayor Beyn the Great
- 200 pts total
XV. Division (4x Urbis Victorious BBs)
- BB-160 ICNS Urbis Victorious
- BB-161 ICNS Urbis Imperialis
- BB-162 ICNS Urbis Pietous
- BB-163 ICNS Urbis Virtuous
- 160 pts total

Battle Line Groupings













XVI. Division (Reserve) (4x Oligarch pdBBs)
- BB-156 ICNS Dominant
- BB-157 ICNS Majestic
- BB-158 ICNS Paramount
- BB-159 ICNS Preponderant
-100 pts total
XVII. Division (Reserve) (4x Oligarch pdBBs)
- BB-152 ICNS Gladiator
- BB-153 ICNS Warrior
- BB-154 ICNS Victor
- BB-155 ICNS Champion
-100 pts total
XVIII. Division (Reserve) (4x Oligarch pdBBs)
- BB-140 ICNS Oligarch
- BB-141 ICNS Hegemon[/b]
- BB-143 ICNS Overlord
- BB-145 ICNS Colossus
-100 pts total
XIX. Division (Reserve) (4x St. Jabbar's Writ pdBBs)
- BB-136 ICNS Maelestrom
- BB-137 ICNS Tempest
- B-138 ICNS Stormborn
- B-139 ICNS Thunderchild
-100 pts total
- CL-5 ICNS Cymek
- CL-6 ICNS Basilaerus-