StarSiege Event Horizon - Victory 2442

7/28/2019 StarSiege Event Horizon - Victory 2442

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2 STAR SIEGE: EVENT HORIZON

FROM THE ASHES RISE

Welcome to Victory 2442, the first officialsetting for StarSIEGE: Event Horizon.Victory 2442 is set in the far future after ashort but bloody and chaotic war betweenHumanity and the alien races known as theNiruai (ner-EYE). Humanity, with the aid of their once bitter rivals the Rykshi (RYE-kshe), managed to end all hostilities withno clear-cut winner. Now, the Hegemonyof Earth lies shattered, the remains of New Beijing still smoldering while theEmpire of the Niruai also faces a crisis astribal schisms brought on by the war boilover into near civil war. Only the RykshiProtectorate managed to escape thewar without any lasting damage to their infrastructure. It was a war unlike any other for all the combatants, and it has left eachbloodied and weary. The last of the gunshave ceased firing, though the ruins stillsmolder, and every sentient being in thegalaxy now turns gazes upon an unsettledlandscape, where many of the old ordershave been overturned, and the future isanything but certain. It is now the year 2442CE by Human reckoning, two wars haveended while another smolders; there arecasualties and survivors, the tired and thewounded, but only defeat in its many forms,and no true victory to be claimed by any

It is in this world that the players will findthemselves. The galaxy seethes with change,allowing for opportunities for the mostadventurous and imaginative of the races.

HUMANITY

The ruination of the Terran Sector has leftmost Human colonies isolated. The existingcommunications network was systematicallydismantled by the Niruai invasion fleet, thuscommunication across the over 8 light year separation between Sol and their most distantcolony in the Sirius System relies on the fewcourier crafts that survived the war. The onlyreal power lies in the Knights of St. George, aloose confederation of military, merchant, andmercenary ships who served under CaptainSt. George and the Victory in the assault of the Niruai sector. These brave souls stand asthe only real defense and police force in thequadrant. It was the Knights that signed theRyk Accords with the Emperors Emissaryfrom the Niruai that ended the bloodletting,and it was they who salvaged the Human

Alliance from the ashes of the Hegemony.Now the Knights of St. George have beentasked with the job to rebuild a Humanityscattered and bloodied from the long yearsof battle. Opposing them are the Ghosts of New Beijing, a guerilla group formed from theremnants of Battle Group 11 who doggedlypursued the White Fleet throughout the

Human Sector when all other hope waslost. The Ghosts want nothing to do withunification, believing a smaller, decentralizedgovernment will protect Humanity from thedevastation felt in the last war.

Humanity is spread out amongst variousartificial colonies, subterranean stations,

and environmentally engineered planets.During the reign of the Hegemony, mostHuman colonies maintained their owngovernmental forms and cultures. Yet for all their differences, few of the settlements,save for far flung colonies or generationalships, were completely self-sufficient. Assuch, when trade was disrupted due to thewar many colonies suffered from rationingor were starved out of existence. Only now,five years after the wars end, are Humansreturning to the once thriving communities toattempt to pick up the pieces. Of course, thisglut of abandoned property has given rise to

piracy, crime, and scavengers all of which puteven more of a strain on the few resourcesavailable to local authorities or the Knightsof St. George. But persevering against greatodds has been a hallmark of Humanity andall across the Human sector the people arereclaiming what was once theirs.

NIRUAI

The Niruais most recent bid to rid the galaxyof Humanity has come to a great price totheir Empire. The Niruai White Fleet sufferedmassive casualties in the campaign leavingthe Empire with few craft of any kind to

protect and supply their Empire. Moreover,the assault of Captain St. Georges Victory and her accompanying ships has greatlycrippled much of the Niruais military-industrialcomplex. Coupled with these economic andmateriel woes is the fact that a deep rift hasformed in the tribal structures of the Niruai.

While the Niruai have never been fully unified,with each Tribe looking after its own over theEmpire, all gave at least token respect tothe Emperor. However, the most recentEmperor had managed a feat heretoforeunknown to the Niruai: coalition. Regardlessof the petty squabbles that existed betweenTribes, the Emperor managed to bind themto one another, generally through imaginativemanipulation of Tribal genealogies that drewconnections between ancestors that mostTribes either didnt recognize or that probablynever actually existed.

This bond of unification has slipped, however.The Synae Tribe, one of the strongest militaryTribes in the Empire (and known as the RedTalons to many Humans), has all but secededfrom the Empire, declaring the currentEmperor unfit for rule due to his following of

the Kamisori Tribes plan for mass-eradicationof the Humans. Of course, Tribal grudgesbetween the Synae and the Kamisori are alsofactored into this power play.

This schism has allowed other tribal conflictsto boil over in the years following the Accords.

Already ancient, petty squabbles have lead to

skirmishes between Tribes. Major Tribes haveeven begun raiding or annexing the lands andholdings of smaller Tribes. Of course theseactions have allowed the Synae Tribe to amassa coalition of the smaller Tribes as well as a fewHuman sympathizers in their cause against theEmperor. Meanwhile the Emperor has beenmaneuvering the other major Tribes in such away as to make a civil war all but inevitable.

RYKSHI

The long, grinding war that had begunagainst the Hegemony of Earth in 2427 andeventually culminated in the Protectorate

aligning with their former enemies to repelthe Niruai from the Human Sector in 2436.These decades of fighting have taken their toll on the Rykshi armed forces. While their civilian base escaped the last IntergalacticWar relatively unscathed, all walks of lifeare beginning to feel the pain of a weakmilitary presence. The Protectorate standsas almost one-hundred worlds strongwith a variety of alien species living asvassals in the conquered territory of theRykshi. Greatly outnumbered by their subordinate species, the Rykshi hadlong relied on their military strength to

keep things in check. Now, lacking thatstrength, the Rykshi are finding it hard tomaintain their dominance over those theyhad conquered over the millennia.

Independence movements have begunto crop up on many of the Protectoratesholdings, mostly in the form of refusalto pay taxes or to ship goods to Rykshiplanets. The few military ships that are ableto patrol the Protectorates holdings havefound themselves worn thin as they dowhat they can to quash the noncompliancewhere it arises. This withholding of goodsand funds has put the Protectorateseconomy into a tail spin, making it harder to fund any military build up that wouldhelp alleviate the issues. Add to thesefactors the Ryk Accords which requirethe Rykshi to help patrol the Human andNiruai sectors to help the Accords takehold and you see a Protectorate on theverge of possible collapse.

The Rykshi are a tough race and are notknown to lie down easily when presented withopposition. Even now members of the Rykshigoverning Council are working to make


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OPERATIONS MANUAL 3

political in-roads on their wayward planets.Their encounters with the independence-minded Humanity have given a newperspective to the Council on how to rulea conquered people. Of course, these newperspectives may take a while to becomefully ingrained to a society that is focusedon the supremacy of the Rykshi race over all others. Luckily, their pack-like hierarchymay make the transition a little less rocky,provided the Council managed to maintain

their dominance over the populace.

RULES MODIFICATIONS

Integrating Victory 2442 into StarSIEGE:Event Horizon requires very few changes tothe base rules. There are some assumptionsin technology and how things work that mustbe accounted for. If nothing else, thesechanges will help a SIEGE Engineer tounderstand how the rules can be altered tofit a setting of their own design.

SCALE

The first big change in Victory 2442 isa modification to the Scaling mechanicsfound in the Operations Manual. For Victory 2442 the Superluminal Scale hasbeen removed and is instead replaced

with Subspace. Subspace is an artificialconstruct in Victory 2442 to help explainhow vehicles can travel the vast distancesin the universe relatively quickly. Moredetails on how Subspace works froma story perspective are handled in theScience section of this guide.

Mechanically, there are five levels of Subspace, called Bands. Each Bandis named after a letter of the Greek

Alphabet, so the Bands are: Alpha, Beta,Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon. Each Band of Subspace represents a different Scale.

Band Multiplier Danger Factor Damage BP Cost

Alpha x531,441 (9 6) +1 CL 1 Wound 21

Beta x4,782,969 (9 7) +3 CL 2 Wounds 24

Gamma x43,046,721 (9 8) +5 CL 3 Wounds 27

Delta x387,420,489 (9 9) +8 CL 4 Wounds 30

Epsilon x3,486,784,401 (9 10) +12 CL 6 Wounds 34

SUBSPACE RULES

When traversing Subspace, all energy-basedweapons (e.g. lasers) and communicationssystems will have their Range Band reducedby one step per Subspace Band to aminimum of Close Range. Thus, a Medium

Range Weapon would be Short Range inthe Alpha Band and Close Range in all other Bands. Finally, each Band will also have anassociated Danger Factor. This Factor is theChallenge Level that is added to all Piloting,Sensors, and Navigation rolls made while inthat particular Band of Subspace. If any of these types of rolls are failed in Subspace,the craft takes a number of Wounds as listedon the chart (which are actually equal to of the Challenge Level, rounded up). TheseWounds cannot be reduced by armor or shields as it represents a collision with theSubspace shadow of an object in real-space.

The Danger Factor assumes the craft movingthrough Subspace has reconnaissance dronesand/or a fighter screen serving as an advancedwarning system for gravity shadows. If a craftis flying blind in Subspace, double the listedChallenge Level.

CYBERNETICS

Cybernetics are both dangerous and rarein the Victory 2442 setting. The base Cyber Score for all cultures is 5 and the ProsthesisSpecial Effect can not be purchased abovelevel 3 for Humans and Rykshi. Furthermore,

Humans and Rykshi can not have anycyberwear that grants any bonuses or augments their normal abilities. The Niruaican make use of level 4 Prosthetics and canuse any form of augmentation, provided theSIEGE Engineer approves.

PSIONICS

Psionics are very rare in the baseline settingfor Victory 2442. Assume the Psi Ratingfor all species to start at -1 when randomlydetermining a characters starting Psi Rating.This means that a character will need to rolla Psi Rating of +2 or more to have any Psi

Ability, if not the characters Psi Score is setto 0. Beyond that, a characters Psi Ratingcan never be greater than 3. The Psi Ratingof all planets and cultures is 0.

Psionic powers should be limited to

relatively low powered effects like limitedtelepathy, telekinesis, psychometry, or limited mind reading. Of course groupsmay modify these limitations if they wish.

MUTATIONS

Victory 2442 is an Intensity Rating0 setting, which means there are nobeneficial Mutations.

NOVA POINTS

Victory 2442 is a mostly gritty settingwith some pulp injected in to keep things

interesting. Characters in Victory 2442start with a total of 4 Nova Points.

ALIEN SPECIES

There are three major Alien Species in the

Victory 2442 setting: Humans, the Niruai,and the Rykshi. The rules and descriptionsof these species are provided in this guide.The Rykshi Protectorate is actually a largeconglomeration of conquered worlds withtheir own indigenous life-forms, but most of these life-forms are rarely seen off of their home worlds. A SIEGE Engineer should feelfree to use the sample Alien Species from theField Manual to flesh out some of these minor alien races if need be.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Computer based AI as well as Androids arerelatively unknown to any of the species inVictory 2442. Within the limits of existingtechnology, it is simply not possible tobuild a true, stable artificial intelligence.This means that Android based charactersand any AIs cannot be modeled in Victory2442. The Niruai do not have quite thesame problems with unstable AIs as theHumans and Rykshi do, however, and soSIEGE Engineers may have a rare AI popup here and there in Niruai space.


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THE HUMAN SECTOR

The solar system that gave birth to Humanityhas changed almost beyond recognition inthe millennia since recorded history began.Humanity has reshaped the worlds aroundit into images of Earth, only to see many of them ground back into dust by the wheels of war. Hundreds of orbital habitats and spacestations circle the planets throughout Human-inhabited space, lie scattered in asteroid belts,or stand wherever a sprawling Humanity hasfound it convenient to make a home for itself.Sadly, many have been reduced to wreckage,or, perhaps even worse, semi-inhabitablehulks in which a tiny fragment of the originalpopulation clings to life. The far flung and war-weary places that Humanity still calls homeare now loosely joined under the Alliance of Human Worlds, founded on the wreckageof the Hegemony of Earth which had unitedHumanity through centuries of discovery,growth and relative safety, but which, in theend, was one more casualty of the terriblewar which raged throughout the galaxy.

The Human Sector itself consists of eightfully environmentally engineered planetsor planetary objects. In the Sol System, theinhabitable objects are Earth, Mars, Luna,Titan, and Ganymede while in the ProximaCentauri System the planet of Galileo andits satellite Hawking are both at Earth-likelevels. The most recently environmentallyengineered planet in the Human sector is

Asimov and is located in the Barnards Star system, which is almost 6 light years fromSol. Before the war there were almost 40other environmentally engineering projectsin operation throughout the other planetsin the Sol, Proxima Centauri, BarnardsStar, and Alpha Centauri systems. Someof these projects are still in operation whileothers suffered huge setbacks from orbitalbombardments or Niruai CBRN attacks.

Human settlements outside of environmentallyengineered planets tend to be in domed or

subterranean settlements (depending on

local conditions) of sizes from a few hundredto millions. For example, the Bush Habitat onMercury is a subterranean labyrinth of miningtunnels and research stations containingsome 400 souls while the extra-solar religiouscommune Beth-El Colony is a scatterednetwork of domed villages and small crystalfarms that are home to almost 15,000 settlers.Prior to the destruction of New Bejing on Mars,the Hegemony tracked some 300 notableHuman colonies (with the notable designationgiven to any colony of over 10,000 peopleover the majority age of 18). The Knights of St. George, under the auspices of the newlyformed Human Alliance, are doing their bestto restore contact with any and all Humansettlements they can find.

HUMAN SPECIES

The Human Species is a hardy andadaptable race of peoples. They areingenious when it comes to solvingproblems and rarely back down fromchallenges. For the most part they arehighly independently minded but easilyform social groups for protection andthe well-being of the species. They haveearned the begrudging respect of both theNiruai and Rykshi due to their tenacity inthe face of overwhelming odds.

Appearance : Two arms, two legs,bilateral symmetric, with Humanoidanatomy and bipedal movement. Thereis a wide variance in appearance for Humans, in body type, hair color andlength, as well as skin tones.

Size : 10 (10 BP)

Move : 1 (Ground), Personal (4 BP)

Attribute Mods : None (0 BP)Tech Score : Most Human Settlementshave a base Tech Score of 9

Other Advantages (18 BP)

Adaptation (P0 D0 X36; Automatic. Bonus Skill Bundle)

Humans are extremely adaptableas well as quick learners. As such,Humans can select one additionalSkill Bundle during character creation.

HUMAN CULTURE

Humanity has never done well in homogenizingitself. In fact, it almost seems against Humannature for a group of sufficient size to avoiddevolving into cliques. It seems that whileHumanity is a social animal, they dontalways like to socialize with everyone. Thisdrive towards individuation within a grouphas served as Humanitys saving grace timeand again in the harsh universe. With suchdiverse individuals within the society comediverse groups, with some members spanningmultiple groupings. This lends itself to asense of community that, when threatenedfrom without, allows for the disparate groupsand individuals to work together towards acommon good. Of course, this group cohesionin times of strife has no finer an example thanthe civilian defenders of Mars in the NiruaisFirst Invasion.

When the Niruai launched a surpriseinvasion of the Sol system in 2298 they

quickly destroyed the colony on Ganymedeand moved swiftly to the planet of Mars.Humanitys few war ships at the time wereincapable of subspace flight, and so wereunable to respond to the rapidity of theNiruais movements. It was during the battleof Mars that the civilian populace took towhatever space-worthy craft they couldand brought the battle to the invaders.The passenger liner Swan lifted from theMartian surface loaded with nothing butordinary citizens, their environmental suits,and whatever weapons they could find, but

managed to fight its way through to the Niruaiflagship, where the desperate citizens of Marsliterally leapt from one ship to the other in adeep-space boarding action that no militaryplanner of either race had ever envisioned.Losses among the defenders were near total, but the Niruai fleet was unpreparedfor such a counterattack from an enemy thattheir scouts had reported to be divided andeternally at odds with one another. As the lastsurvivors of the Swans boarding party diedliterally hammering on the hatch to the Niruaiflagships bridge, the surviving invaders brokefrom Martian orbit, limped away at their bestspeed, and then vanished as completely asthey had appeared.

In the centuries since that fateful firstcontact Humanity has spread itself acrossvarious colonies, planets, satellites, andother habitats. Often times a new colonywill spring up as a group, dissatisfied with

their current habitat or social situation,decides to strike out on their own. In thenascent years of the Hegemony, officialstried desperately to keep up with themyriad of new colonies and settlementsthat arose with the development of theSubspace drive. It didnt take long for officials to realize that they would never have the manpower to follow-throughon this undertaking. Too often a newsettlement would die out suddenly whilethree others would arise in its place.Settlements would assimilate one another


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OPERATIONS MANUAL 5

for protection and resources or small scalebattles were fought between neighborsand rivals. In the end, Humanity went tothe stars in the same manner they coveredthe Earth: fractiously.

This isnt to say Humanity hasnt beenunified. Wars against the alien threats of both the Rykshi and Niruai have fostered

a racial pride in Humanity through the lastfew centuries. This means that while manyHumans wouldnt get along with each other culturally, they still recognize one anothersHumanity. This has allowed for some levelof cohesion to develop amongst the variedcolonies and life-styles that exist within theHuman sector. The Hegemony did muchto foster this cohesion and was largely

successful for hundreds of years. But now,in the wake of the Hegemonys death,Humanity is settling in to more familiarpatters of in-fighting and squabblingamongst themselves. The devastationand lack of resources brought on by thewar have only intensified this. The Human

Alliance has their work cut out for them inonce again uniting a Humanity splintered.

THE EMPIRE OF THE NIRUAI

The Empire of the Niruai spans wellover 50 worlds seeded across a vast6 light year radius from the Imperialseat of Ukolniruai. These worlds wereeither discovered to have rudimentaryenough atmospheres for the Niruai toset up habitats or were engineered justenough to create environments thatwould not be hostile to their habitatmodules. These modules are ubiquitousacross Niruai space. Each Niruai worldis considered to be under the domain of a single Tribe, even if a variety of Tribesoperate on the planet, and that Tribeis responsible for the well-being anddefense of that portion of the Empire.

There are ten major worlds within the NiruaisEmpire. Their homeworld of Ukolniruai is of course, the most powerful and important of the worlds and is the only world that has noTribal leader as it is considered the domainof the Imperial Tribe. Other major worldsinclude Ukolpaer, a rich mining world thatis the only colony not controlled by oneof the five major Tribes, and Nikhtaibri, aplanet owned by the Taibri clan and hometo some of the most advanced research andengineering collectives in Niruai space.

There once was a vast area of expansionin the Amatas Sector (near Kappa Ceti)where new colonies had been set up by a

few of the smaller tribes in hopes to gainsome more political power. These colonieswere destroyed by the Rykshi invasion in2300 but now stand ready for repopulationby Niruai after the Ryk Accords of 2442ceded control back to the Niruai. Even nowboth minor and major clans are working tocement their hold on these settlementsin hopes of expanding their world-base.Whats more, the separatist movementswithin the Synae Tribe have set upnumerous secret bases of operations in

this Sector to build their coalition.

NIRUAI SPECIES

Appearance : Two arms, two legs, bilateral symmetric, with Humanoid anatomy and bipedal movement. The Niruai are taller on averagethan Humans, measuring well over 2 meters in height. This height, however, is not matched with much muscle mass, making themspindly-looking. They have an almost delicate look to their features and extremities. Niruai skin tones range from pale grey to almostcompletely black. They have no body hair and their eyes are milky white throughout lacking any pupils. Niruai have very expressivefaces but lack any form of modulation in their speech, all speaking in a simple monotone with only small pitch variances betweenindividuals. This means that a large component of the spoken Niruai language requires facial reference.

Size : 10 (10 BP)


Attribute Mods : None (0 BP)

Tech Score : Most Niruai Settlements have a base Tech Score of 8


Heritage (P0 D0 X18; Automatic. +2 to one Skill Bundle)

The Niruai have very strong ties to their Tribes, ties that go back for centuries if not millennia. These ties manifest themselvesas an almost preternatural understanding in the field most directly associated with their Tribe. Thus the Niruai gains a bonusof +2 to the Skill Bundle most associated with their Tribes specialty.

Glory Hound (P0 D0 X12; Automatic. Bolster +3, Charm +3, SFX: Fast)The Niruai value individual and Tribal Glory above all things. Because of this, they are quick to react to danger. Beyondthat, a Niruai wears its accomplishments as badges of honor and is quick to regale others of tales of their conquestsand accomplishments, but never in a boastful manner. In fact, many are either inspired by these tales or charmed by thechutzpah involved.

Monotone (P0 D0 X6; Automatic. Bluff +6, Reasoning +3, Flaw: Non-Niruai Only)

The Niruai have no tonal modulation in their language and thus speak in a simple monotone. Quite a large bit of meaningin the Niruai tongue is encoded in facial expressions and tics. This makes it rather hard for non-Niruai to decipher when aNiruai is lying. Oddly this monotone, while somewhat hard to listen to for long times, often lends an authoritative air to whatthe Niruai is saying as well. This bonus only applies when speaking to a non-Niruai (a 9-point Flaw).


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NIRUAI CULTURE

The Niruai are a proud race known for their loyalty to Tribe and Emperor. Thisloyalty, however, is mixed with a fiercedevotion to individual accomplishment andhonor. Glory is paramount to a Niruai asindividual heroics in service to the Tribeare the center point of much of the Niruaishistory. A Niruai will seek honor and gloryin all their endeavors, which makes for ahighly competitive society that oftentimessees cooperation take a back seat toambition. As such, there are many areasthat the Niruai lag behind the other factionsas each Tribe (and thus, individuals withinthe Tribe) does their best to keep their own research or information from aidinganother Niruai or Tribes rise to glory.

The connection to Tribe, family, and distantancestors pervades almost every aspect of Niraui everyday life. Tribe is central evento an individuals identity. A Niruais name

consists of their Tribe, family, and givennames and a Niruai is always properlyaddressed by his or her full name. The Tribalname may be omitted by other membersof the same Tribe, and the family nameby members of the same family, but nosuch dismissal of a Niruis familial rootsis allowed from an outsider. The changesmade through thousands of years of war,peace, marriage, death, industrialization,plague, unification, schism, and travelacross the stars have left modern Tribesalmost unrecognizable from those of ancienttimes. Somehow through all this, NiruaiTribal historians have managed to maintainfamily histories and genealogical records.It is this connection to their ancestral pastthat serves as a constant influence on everyindividual Niruai throughout their lives. Inrecent years, however, the current Emperor has greatly solidified his power base bybecoming a power broker between the fivemajor Tribes (the Taibri, Synae, Kamisori,Syndain, and Jago Tribes). Much of thiswas done by secretly manipulating somegenealogical records to create connectionsbetween Tribes in the millennia past. Bycreating these connections, the Emperor generated a feeling of unity amongst themajor Tribes. These feelings of union havegreatly increased the Emperors newfoundability to act as a go between for the Tribesand have afforded him great power.

The Niruais society is still largely tribal-based with each individuals fealty splitbetween their tribal obligations and their devotion to the Emperor. With five major Tribes and almost a dozen minor Tribes,this makes for a fractious society. Combinethat with the fact that each Niruai world isgenerally governed over by one of the five

major tribes, and it seems that it would bealmost impossible for the Niruai to put fortha unified front. And that was very much thecase until the rise of the current Emperor,kah Ehshatom, some thirty years ago.

The Niruai largely operated as individualTribes with barely any lip service being

given to the Empire as a whole, which leadto a lot of inter-tribal warfare. Pacts andtreaties between Tribes lasted only longenough for one Tribe to feel like they werebeing taken advantage of, which would thenlead to short, but bloody battles markingthe end of whatever agreement had beenmade. It wasnt until the failed invasion of the Human Sector and subsequent Rykshiinvasion of the Amatas Sector that theEmperor was able to solidify his power-base and unify the race. The Synae Tribe,who had spearheaded the Niruai invasionof the Human Sector in 2298, suffered

the most from the Emperors power playand still chafed under the new order untileventually splintering off from the Empireat the end of the Second Invasion.

Under the unifying force of the Emperor, theNiruai culture, technology, and military hasflourished. Great advances were made asmuch of the petty bickering between Tribeswas relegated to the halls of the ImperialCourt rather than to the battlefields. TheEmperor also managed to secure a limitedpeace agreement with the Rykshi. It was thisagreement along with the apparent strengthof the unified Niruai Empire that lead the

Emperor to believe the time was right tostage a second invasion of the HumanSector. This was a mistake that the Emperor is now paying for as his Empire now standsdivided and talk of full-on civil war simmersthroughout the sector.

NIRUAI NAMES

Niruai names follow a set pattern of hisor her Tribe first, followed by the familyname, Tribal status, and lastly by thepersonal name, and a Niruai is alwaysproperly addressed by his or her fullname. Some example names for Niruai tohelp understand the flow are: Tybri-utol biMatom, Synae-ukol nikh Mohsokaret, kahEhshatom (the current emperor), Jago-londkol Aetom (current head of Jago Tribe).

Tribal Names : Synae, Tybri, Kamisori,Syndain, Jago, Gysa

Family Names : utol (money lender),

pol (thinker), ikol (warrior), ano(artist), wort (counsel), kil (trapper),lond (builder)

Tribal Status : bi (son of Tribe), nikh(daughter of Tribe), met (elder/noble),kol (Tribal head), kah (Imperial House),kah (Emperor)

Male Personal Prefixes : Ae, Ma,Sheh, Ga, Eh, Yeh, Sha

Female Personal Prefixes : Su, Ko,Moh, Tu, Bri, Kao, Nih, Bu

Personal Suffixes : -on, -uum, -tom, -ul, -sok,-sun, -kon, -tlo, -tas, -ret, -sut, -ehl, -bret, -blas


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OPERATIONS MANUAL 7

THE RYKSHI PROTECTORATE

The Rykshi have conquered well over 100worlds in the millennium since they took tothe stars from their home world of Ryk. As anaggressive and martial race, they have foundthe subjugation of lesser species to becompletely in line with their nature. Upon theweak the strong stand is a popular maximfor the Rykshi Protectorate. Overall, theProtectorate is host to 142 worlds, of whichwell over 90% are considered conquests.Conquered worlds are considered to haveat least one indigenous species that providedat least token resistance to the Rykshi fleet.This criteria could be satisfied by a highlyaggressive predatory animal that stalkedthe Rykshi exploration forces all the way to aprimitive race of pacifistic burrowing creatures(the Rael) who capitulated almost immediatelyto the military might of the Protectorate.

Worlds that were not conquered werelargely taken due to resource needs of

the Protectorate. The war-machinery of the Rykshi requires a constant streamof warships, fuel, and other materiel. Assuch, mining colonies are common onnon-conquered worlds and they are largelypeopled by conquered races rather thanthe Rykshi themselves. In fact, the Rykshihave a lot in common with the samurai or knightly traditions found in ancient Earth.They serve as protectors and conquerors,satisfied to let the conquered and weakprovide for them.

Of the worlds in possession by the RykshiProtectorate a few stand out. The planet of Ryk, of course, is the jewel of the RykshiProtectorate. A lush world full of tropicalforests as well as the Rykshi governmentalseat, Ryk is sparsely populated asonly conquerors or members of theProtectorate Council are allowed residenceon the home world. The twin planets of

Rykat and Rykas, found only a mere onelight year from Ryk, are home to the bulkof the Rykshi populace and serve as thebreeding grounds for generations to come.Cever Alit, a conquered world which is hometo the beasts called the Ver by the Rykshi,is another prominent planet due to its vastplains where large farms have arisen. Theconquered Ver are actually huge non-sentient carnivores (growing upwards of 8meters in height) that wander the plains of Cever Alit and are considered a delicacy tothe Rykshi. Meanwhile the planet Raetor ishome to a small Rykshi garrison and thenative population of the Rael who are aburrowing race resembling a cross betweenEarths badgers and a lizard. The Rael havea complex society based off of a meritocracyand are largely pacifistic in nature. They livein relative peace on their planet, providingthe necessary tribute to the Rykshi inprecious minerals mined from their burrows.

RYKSHI SPECIES

Appearance : Two arms, two legs, bilateral symmetric, with Humanoid anatomy and bipedal movement. A Rykshi has a massive build, mostaveraging well over 2 meters tall and near 200 kg in weight, making them dense and powerful creatures. They are covered in thick, short fur that ranges in coloration between orange to brown, and are often times freckled with black or white patches of fur. Their faces confirm anyquestions of their predatory heritage, resembling in some ways a cross between the big cats and bears of Earth. They have short muzzles thatterminate in large, sensitive noses. These muzzles are also covered with fine whiskers, barely visible from any great distance. Their jaws arepowerful and their mouths full of razor sharp teeth. They have green to grey eyes with a vertical slit pupil that can expand to the full size of their eyes, allowing for greatly enhanced low-light vision.

Size : 11 (11 BP)


Attribute Mods : +1 Physique (18 BP)

Tech Score : Most Rykshi Settlements have a base Tech Score of 9


Enhanced Senses (P0 D0 X11; Automatic. Anticipate +2, Detection +2, SFX: Low-Light Vision)

Rykshi have highly developed senses of smell, touch, taste, hearing and vision. As such, it is very hard to catch one unawares andvery few things escape their attention when they put their focus into looking for things. Also, they have eyes that resemble the bigcats on Earth with pupils capable of full dilation allowing them to see very well in low-light conditions.

Predatory Origins (P0 D0 X4; Combat. Melee +2, Close Range Only, Flaw: Unarmed disadvantage, +1 Wound)

The Predatory Origins of the Rykshi are most apparent when faced with their sharpened claws and strong jaws. In close combat,

a Rykshi is never without powerful weapons at their disposal capable of delivering impressive wounds. A Rykshi can add their default unarmed combat damage to the damage, but they are considered to always have a Disadvantageous Position whenattacking an armed opponent (if attacking another unarmed opponent, this penalty goes away).


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RYKSHI CULTURE

Rykshi psychology is very group-oriented,while maintaining a strong sense of individualitywithin the group. Rykshi fall very easily intocooperative groups around whatever commontask they find for themselves, and just as easilyassert themselves within that group to form arough hierarchy of leadership and obedience.Rykshi social interactions nearly always havesome significance within the group hierarchy,either reinforcing the existing structure or testing whether or not a move to a position of greater dominance would be accepted by thegroup. As such, one must always be on their toes when dealing socially with a Rykshi asthey will constantly be testing others for signsof weakness that can be capitalized upon.

The culture of the Rykshi overall isone of constant competition that prizesaccomplishment and domination. But evenwith such drives to dominion, the Rykshi areamazingly fair-minded. This is due to The

Acknowledgements that most Rykshi follow.While all Rykshi arent required to followThe Acknowledgements, this code hasbecome such second nature to the speciesthat most Rykshi follow at least the first two

edicts without thought. It should also benoted that all members of the Rykshi militaryforces must submit to the code before theycan begin active service. The edicts of The

Acknowledgements are as follows:

1. Accept ones station with honor

2. Accept no weakness above or within

3. Accept fealty with tolerance andresponsibility

4. Accept no word under duress

The Protectorate Council and Rykshi militaryuse The Acknowledgements with ruthlessefficiency in their dealings with other races.New species encountered are challengedand their fealty accepted unquestioninglyonce conquered. The species are left to rulethemselves, with only a token garrison left onimportant planets or annual visits for tribute onthe less important vistas. The Rykshi arentinterested in ruling worlds, merely expandingtheir holdings and proving their dominance.That said, they are brutal when crossed andinsurrection on any holding is generally dealtwith quickly and mercilessly.

Their recent encounters with Humanity and theNiruai have proven a challenge for the Rykshiexistentially. Both races have proven to beunconquerable, but neither species has risen toa commanding position, either. Thus, the Rykshihave entered into an unfamiliar territory: how dothey deal with a species that they cannot conquer but who has not conquered them? Even now, theCouncil meets in hopes to answer this question.

RYKSHI NAMES

Rykshi naming conventions follow thesame general conventions of Humanity, apersonal name followed by a family name.Personal names for the Rykshi are usuallygiven to honor an ancestor or fallen hero, assuch there are some quite common namesrepeated throughout Rykshi history.

Male Personal Names : Aigern, Atlir, Borkern,Hafir, Hrolfir, Skithin, Throrfin, Throthir

Female Personal Names : Aigerti, Arnka,Dragni, Jori, Ranla, Throhila, Valdi

Family Names : Friholm, Frothil,Gereholm, Gerhil, Rastolm, Scredhil

SCIENCE

Science is one of the most importantaspects of any science fiction epic. Thescience presents the trappings of the settingand, in turn, helps define the setting. In

Victory 2442, science and technology for most of the factions sits comfortably in theTech 8 to Tech 9 rating from the perspectiveof the StarSIEGE: Event Horizon system.

The three main factions have starfaringtechnology capable of faster than light (FTL)travel as well as aspects of environmentalengineering. What follows are some

specifics on different aspects of science andtechnology present in the setting. Groupsshould feel free to expand or modify thesesections as fits their own preferences.

SUBSPACE

Interstellar travel is achieved throughSubspace: a series of universes parallelto our own, in which any given pointcorresponds exactly to another point in our universe, but in which the points are moredensely packed together. This relative shift

in density means that a ship in Subspacetravels at the same apparent speed as itdoes in normal space, but will find that ithas traveled a greater distance in normalspace when it shifts back.

While the discovery of Subspace travelwas the true door to the stars for all knownraces of the galaxy, it does not comewithout cost. Subspace shift generators arecomplex, delicate, and require a great dealof power. A Subspace shift field generator creates a sphere centered on the generator

(causing most ships to be built with the shiftgenerator as close to the exact center of the ship as possible). When the shift fieldreaches the size dictated by the amount of power fed to it, there is a brief pause, duringwhich the field becomes briefly visible, and

then everything within the field is shiftedto an adjoining level of Subspace. If theedge of the Subspace shift field intersectsa physical object of any significant massat the moment the shift would occur, thefield breaks apart in a flash of unexpendedenergy. This backlash not only preventsthe shift from occurring, but also damagesor even destroys the generator. For this reason, most Subspace shift fieldgenerators are built with a set power intakehardwired into them, calibrated to generatea shift field large enough to contain the


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OPERATIONS MANUAL 9

ship for which it was designed with a smallmargin for error, but no larger.

Once in Subspace, travel can be quitedangerous. Even after centuries of usage by the sentient races of the galaxy,Subspace is still poorly understood atbest, and while its relationship to theforce of gravity is clear; gravity itself still remains largely a mystery. It isknown that physical objects in normalspace cast a gravitational shadow inSubspace. The gravitational shadowsbecome exponentially larger the deeper into the layers of Subspace that a shipgoes, to the point where even a smallnormal-space object casts an enormousgrav-shadow in the deepest layers.These increased gravitational effectsmean that a shadow that can causeminor damage in the Alpha Band canbecome impenetrable obstacles in thedeeper Bands. For this reason, shipsdo not shift into Subspace while close toplanets, stars, or other large bodies, andneed to employ scout craft or a sharpeye on the sensors while in Subspace toavoid collision with the grav-shadow of anormal-space object.

In fact, it was these gravitational shadowsthat caused most cultures to develop smallone-man fighter craft. Reconnaissancedrones are commonly deployed aheadof Subspace capable craft to serve asan early warning system, since Sensorsare so much less effective. The Drones,however, have very limited range andthreat detection capabilities. Fighters weredeveloped by both the Niruai and Humans

to serve as an early warning screendeployed in Subspace to warn larger craftof gravitational shadows. The Rykshi relymore on drones, but often use Gunships for this purpose in deeper Bands of Subspace.The Fighters are more maneuverable andbetter able to avoid dangers than the larger ships. That said no pilot enjoys their patrolduty in the disquieting expanse of grey.

Only the first three Bands of subspace(Alpha, Beta, and Gamma) can betraveled with any degree of safetywithin a planetary system, and even theincalculable emptiness between starscan be dangerous in the Epsilon Band.Deeper Bands of Subspace have onlybeen reached by purpose-built exploratorycraft entering Subspace from the emptiestreaches of normal space. Hypotheticalmodels suggest that there are an uncertainnumber of Subspace layers beyond theZeta Band, culminating somewhere in aSubspace core beyond which no farther compaction of space is possible.

Though the actual source has defiedphysicists for generations, there is a sort

of ambient light that pervades Subspace,which shifts through the spectrum of visible light (red to orange to yellow,etc) as deeper layers of Subspaceare reached. Physicists from all threestarfaring races argue over the source of this energy almost as much as they doover the connection between Subspaceand gravity. The existing evidence that thisspacelight is a quantum phenomenonrather than a gravitational one only further

complicates current scientific thought. Again, however, the practical effects of this radiation are clear: while it leavessubspace illuminated in a constant, flat,featureless glow, it also creates an energy-wave compression effect which impedesall other forms of radiant energy, limitingsight distance, impairing sensors, andgreatly reducing the range at which ship-to-ship communication is possible.

COMPUTERS

Computers are an inescapable feature of everyday life for essentially everyone livingin known space. All three races continue tomake advances in miniaturization and datastorage, but advances in processing power and software sophistication ran into anobstacle to further development and haveyet to overcome it: it is simply not possibleto build a computer beyond a certain level of power or a program beyond a certain levelof intricacy before a level of self awarenessdevelops, and true, stable, sane artificialintelligence has yet to be found.

Reactions to the sentience barrier have varied among the races. Rykshiperfectionism leads to the utter rejection of any computer which cannot be completelyrelied upon, and the Rykshi routinely dumpany new computer or program design whichshows even a glimmer of independentthinking, no matter how benign. The Rykshiuse of smaller crews for their ships, andtheir relatively low population overall, haspushed their engineers to absolute masteryof non-sentient automation, however. A highend Rykshi computer can respond to anynumber of routine matters automatically,only referring to a living operator for circumstances outside its programmedparameters or decisions requiring somethingother than a predetermined response,and even in those situations, it will presentthe operator with a short list of promisingcourses of action and their likely results. Theaverage Rykshi is constantly surrounded bymachinery which is capable of fulfilling 90%of its purpose without any input from theRykshi at all, and all without that machinerydeveloping any sense of self identity or capacity for willful disobedience.

The Niruai sit at the opposite end of thespectrum: well willing to install computerscapable of self-awareness wherever theythink they might provide a decisive edge, andwilling to pay the price of constant warinessthat using an inherently unstable self-awarecomputer requires. The Niraui also employ agreat deal of voice-recognition software anduse voice commands as the primary form of input for their computers, to the point wherea Niruai having an involved conversation

with a self-aware computer is not unheardof, despite the horror with which a Humanor Rykshi computer engineer might viewsuch a scene. While the Niruai haveaccepted artificial intelligence to a greater degree than any other race, they have hadonly little additional success in keepingsuch intelligences stable and functional.Occasional technological breakthroughsfrom self-aware computers have beena significant part of how the competingNiraui Tribes have kept within a few stepsof the overall technological level of other races, but destabilized AIs that were notdetected or shut down in time have resultedin significant and sometimes spectacular failures as well. Niruai starships are all builtwith lower powered, non-intelligent computer systems should the primary system undergoa catastrophic failure, but those backupsystems are far less sophisticated thananything in use by either of the know races,putting a Niruai ship whose AI fails in anyfashion at a heavy disadvantage comparedto a similar Rykshi or Human ship.

Finally, Humanity has taken a very cautiousapproach to Artificial Intelligence. AIs goneamok have been a staple of fear and

superstition since the very dawn of theHuman Space Age, and no Human-built shipcarries a main computer that approachesthe sentience barrier. Humanity as a group,however, has not been so close minded as toend all research into artificial intelligence, andwhile Hegemony laws strictly regulated wheresuch computers could be built and how muchaccess to larger computer networks theywere allowed, several AIs could be found atany given time in universities and laboratoriesacross Human space. Few such institutionssurvived the War or the Second Invasion fullyintact, and the fate of pre-war AIs, as well

as their future in a world where Hegemonyregulations on them can no longer beenforced, remains unclear.


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CYBERNETICS

Much like the development of computers,the replacement of meat with metalhas seen truly significant advances intechnology, and also run into barriers.Complex nerve interfaces, adaptingmicrocomputers, and light weightmaterials have all gone into making near perfect copies of living flesh, but onlynear perfect. Even the most advancedprosthetics cannot quite match thesensitivity and control of the original, andthe recipient of a cybernetic replacementwill struggle with tiny lag times and slipsin motor control for the rest of his or her life. Likewise, the enhancement of anotherwise healthy individual with bionicenhancement runs not only into the limitsof current technologys ability to mimicliving tissue and responsiveness to neuralinput, but faces the additional complicationof trying to generate a natural responseto something inherently unnatural. Bioniccybernetics remains a troubled subjectamong the known races at best, and ismore often stigmatized and left far behindthe development of other technology.

Humanitys development of cybernetictechnology had long centered onthe production of viable replacementparts, largely due to the Hegemonysuncompromising military orientation andthe realization that even the best foughtwars will carry inevitable casualties.Human-built cybernetic replacements aregood, but still distinguishable from actual

flesh, and the overall feel and control arenever quite as good as the original nerves.Enhancement cybernetics, however, isessentially a dead field in Human research:cyborgs of various sorts were attempted inpre-Hegemony times, from governmentsuper soldiers to truly repugnant attemptsat corporate enhanced workers, butgenerally resulted in questionable gainsand highly unstable recipients. A number of ugly and highly publicized incidents inthe early 22nd century were seized uponas rallying call against bionics by groupsranging from the religious to the medical,and a heavy social bias against trying toimprove Humanity through the addition of machinery has existed ever since. Evenprosthetic technology carries some socialstigma in most Human societies, whichhas lead to a great deal of emphasisplaced on making cybernetic prostheticsas natural as possible.

Rykshi technological perfectionism hasironically left them somewhat behindthe Human level of sophistication for cybernetics. The consistent inability tomatch the performance of actual flesh has

led to a great deal of frustration amongRykshi cyberneticists, and few of the bestminds are attracted to the field as a result.This effect is even more pronounced withimprovement cybernetics, and work alongthose lines was essentially abandonedcenturies ago as soon as adverse effects onthe recipient were conclusively established.Generally speaking, an injured Rykshi ismore likely to wear their scars with pridethan accept a cybernetic replacement, andthe idea of deliberately adding a cyberneticlimb, organ or implant in hopes of makingsomething that is better than that individualwas before is an abhorrent one. There areindividual exceptions, of course, and Rykshiprosthetics are quite functional even if theyare not as advanced as other fields of their technology, but a Rykshi with a missinghand is still a far more common sight than aRykshi with a cybernetic one.

Niruai attitude towards cybernetics varies widelyfrom Tribe to Tribe. There is no real stigmaattached to prosthetics, and while there is nogeneral acceptance of enhanced cyborgs, thereis only some wholesale rejection of them aswell. Throughout their history, some Tribes haveexperimented with improved soldiers, workersand even scientists, and if any of the major races can be said to have had some successwith cybernetic enhancement, it is the Niruai.The Niruai have had only modest successwith working interfaces between the brain andparts that they would not ordinarily have, or inreceiving input that they have not evolved to

receive, and Niruai cyborgs have proven everybit as vulnerable to psychological instability asany other race. The Tribes that have employedthem have done so primarily as shock troops,however, and instability and inconsistent resultswere generally considered worth the cost whenthe soldiers in question were not expected tolive long anyway. Cybernetic enhancementis not universally accepted among the Tribes,however, and has frequently been a source of conflict between them. In the face of conflictslike their war against the Rykshi or the SecondInvasion, however, even the most anti-cyborgTribes have been willing to look the other way

while truly mechanized infantry or pilots pluggeddirectly into their fighters took the first hits.Overall, the Niruai have a level of sophisticationin cybernetics that the other races have notmatched: their prosthetics are less natural inappearance than Human equivalents (indeed,the Niruai generally put little effort into makinga replacement part look like the original), buttheir level of responsiveness is generally better than Human. The Niruai are clearly ahead inenhancement technology almost by default,and while the Niruai have had little successin keeping enhanced individuals sane and

functional, the Tribes that have accepted cyborgusage have mastered the art of getting newlymade cyborgs to the front lines while some usemight still be made of them.

COMMUNICATIONS

Ships traveling through Subspace have,thus far, proven to be the only efficientmethod of communication betweenplanets. Messages sent by laser, radioor any other energy form will, of course,reach their destination if sent correctly, butare subject to the limits of the speed of light. A ship traveling at even a moderatedepth in Subspace will generally arriveat a destination some time before a light-speed signal sent from the same sourceat the same time, and the deeper reachesof Subspace are the only viable methodof communication between stars if the

message is to arrive within the lifetime of the recipient. The Spacelight phenomenonlimits the range of radio and laser-basedcommunications in Subspace severely,and while some attempts at constructingsmall Subspace communicationsnetworks, none were developed that wereeven more than marginally successful, letalone worth the cost of construction andmaintenance.

From the first Subspace shift generator built until the present day, the onlypractical way to communicate across thevastness of space is the simplest: recorda message, and put it on a ship bound for wherever you wish it to go.

POWER

Centuries after it became a viable power source for Human technology, nuclear fusion remains the primary power producer for both the Humans and theRykshi, though continuing refinement hasmade the modern fusion plant a miracleof efficiency compared to the first crudegenerators. A fusion generator even atits most miniaturized is still too large for one-man space craft and conventionalground vehicles, leaving hydrogen fuel cellgenerators and high-capacity batteries asthe power sources of choice where a fusionplant is impractical. Rykshi technologyis, on average, somewhat better thancomparable Human fusion plants, with aslight edge in efficiency and a noticeableadvantage in magnetic containment bottlestability. Rykshi technological efforts have,however, focused primarily on the large


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OPERATIONS MANUAL 11

scale of the last several decades, leavingHuman and Rykshi fuel cells and batteriesat roughly equal levels of sophistication.

The Niruai, on the other hand, favor lessstable, high-output fission plants for largescale power. The Niraui arrived at nuclear fission at roughly the same point in their history as the Humans and the Rykshi, butunlike early Human efforts at fission-basedpower and weaponry, the Niruai ceaseddevelopment almost immediately after theimplications that large-scale fission power would have on their homeworld. As a result,the Niruai entered their Space Age almostentirely on hydrogen fuel cells, and havemaintained a level of parity with Humanand Rykshi fuel cells despite a somewhat

lower level of technology overall. Niruaiconcerns about fission powers impact ontheir environment and radioactive wasteproducts fell by the wayside as the Niruaistepped to the stars. With the discoverythat their sun could be used as the ultimateincinerator for spent fuel rods, the Niruaiturned back to fission power and haveachieved a level of sophistication with itthat neither the Humans nor the Rykshican match. As such, their generators are

more efficient for their size than Humanor Rykshi power plants, and there is theadded bonus of using spent fuel rods asweaponry on some of their military craft.

As is the case in so many other areas of technology, the Tribes of the Niruai have

proven willing to put considerable timeand effort into alternate energy sourcesthat have either been dismissed by theother races or not even considered. Mostrecently, a few Tribes have experimentedwith antimatter technology, but the resultsof such research have proven to befruitless or spectacularly unpredictablepower output and equally spectacular containment failures. While the Nirauihave never been reluctant to use unproven

technology in full production if they felt thatit might be successful, antimatter power currently remains confined to Niruailaboratories, and even then under highlycontrolled circumstances.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Humanity is at the forefront of environmentallyengineering, far outstripping the capabilitiesof either the Rykshi or the Niruai. Planetaryengineering is a slow process, so for the mostpart, the older the colony, the more developed.Thus Mars, the Moon, Titan, and Ganymedeare all very Earth-like. Pluto and Mercury,being well outside the Habitable Zone of Sol even with the miracle of environmentallyengineering, have domed and undergroundhabitats. Human environmental engineeringefforts still require near centuries for eventhe most likely of planets to becomecompletely habitable. The few extrasolar colonies that survived the Second Invasionstill have decades to go before they are fullyhabitable. Only the planet on Miranda in theProxima Centuri system has advanced to thedeveloped, self-sustaining point. All others

run stand as works in progress requiringa small amounts of protection (rebreathersand UV screening) when outside of theenvironmentally engineering installations.

Environmental Engineering is less importantto the Rykshi. Their low populationand practices of leaving governance of conquered worlds to the conquered hasput wide scale Environmental Engineeringinto a sideline science at best. Where theyhave excelled is in the miniaturization of necessary environmental suits and packsfor their soldiers and emissaries. As it standsnow, a small Rykshi rebreather unit andlight environmental suit can last for almosta week without need for a full rechargeand are completely adaptable to whatever

environment they enter. At best Human and

Niruai environmental suits are bulky andrequire recharging after a day or two.

The Niruai have great interest in

environmentally engineering, but havehad little luck in their own researches.Captured technology from the recent war have many Niruai scientists excited aboutthe possibilities. As it stands now, Niruaienvironmental engineering projects havemanaged to convert mostly dead worldsto slightly survivable worlds providedthey exist within a very narrow band of the overall Habitable Zone of a givenstar. The Niruai concern themselves onlywith making the atmosphere breathable.Beyond that, they do little else to maketheir projects any more livable.

GRAVITY MANIPULATION

Gravity Manipulation is a relatively newfield for all of the major species, and onlyHumanity has made any real inroadswith their Clarke Generators. Clarkeslittle invention transformed Humanitysvoyages between the stars. Aside from thecomparatively minor benefit of being able togenerate artificial gravity for the comfort of the crew when they would otherwise be infreefall, the Clarke Generators short-rangeability to negate acceleration towards itprovided the foundation of a complex, ship-wide inertial compensation system. Fromalmost the very beginning of Humanitysdeparture from Earth, the accelerationof a manned spacecraft was not limitedby the amount of thrust that the enginescould generate so much as the ability of thecrew to tolerate the G-forces that the shipsthrust created. Clarke Generators are ableto create or nullify about six gravities worth

of acceleration on average, and ships builtwith Clarke-based inertial compensationsystems took an enormous step forward inspeed and maneuverability.

These Clarke Generators have also lead toa surge in hover vehicles which are ableto float on the Clarke field within the gravitywell of a large object. Some kind of externaldrive (e.g. fans or jets) must provide theforward thrust for these vehicles, as theClarke Generator can only supply enoughenergy to allow the craft to float a fewmeters off the planetary surface.

Clarkes invention has already beenbackward engineered by the Niruai andthey make use of a stripped down version of the drive to increase their maneuverabilityof their craft. This means that the Niruairarely mount a full Clarke Generator ona craft as one of its subsystems. The

Rykshi, who follow a design philosophy of endurance over speed rarely make use of their own version of the Clarke Generator.

ARMS

For all of the advancements in engineering

and transportation, weapons technologyhasnt made huge leaps over the centuries.Of all the races, the Rykshi have perhapsthe most advanced weaponry withHumans and Niruai on basically the sameplateau. Energy weapons are available butstill require relatively large power sourcesto make particularly damaging effects.Some hybrid energy weapons, calledblasters, are more common, especially inRykshi space. For the most part, however,chemical propellant weapons dominatethe galaxy. These weapons are both easy


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to build as well as maintain in a varietyof environments. Furthermore, they dontsuffer disruption in the void of Subspace.Missile weapons, which are basically ahybrid between chemical propellants andsmall vehicles are also very common inlarge scale combat as they are perhapsthe most efficient way to deliver highpowered munitions to a target accurately.

Humanity has turned the development of chemicalpropellant based weaponry to an artform.Humanity developed gunpowder weaponryrelatively early compared to the other races, sothey have a sizeable time advantage over theother species. And they have used that time todevelop some of the most advanced firearmsin the known galaxy. In particular, Human ship-mounted assault cannons surpass the damageand range of any other species. Furthermore,their missile technology is sufficiently advancedwith guided smart missiles capable of deliveringall manner of highly destructive warheads quickly.Humans tend to shy away from chemical, nuclear,and biologic weapons due to past Hegemonybans on their use on sentient species. This ban,however, hasnt really limited their warheadsdestructive nature. In the field of energy weaponsHumans havent made much progress. Small fieldlasers and a few military longarms exist utilizingenergy based weapons technology, but beyondthat few energy weapons are fielded by Humanity.

A recent advance, called the Light AmplificationSurge Effect (LASE) has been discovered after researching Niruai laser technology and promisesto be a huge leap in Human weapons technology.

For the Rykshi, the Blaster is the pinnacle of their weapons development. While chemicalpropellant tech is mostly new to the species,

their energy/projectile hybrid far outstrips theweapons of other races. Blasters require largeamounts of energy to speed up the tungsten-aluminium-chromium slugs to where theybecome superheated and are ejected as boltsof plasma. These weapons are devastating atshort range and have no problems bypassingeven the most resilient of armors and shielding.

After their blasters, Rykshi use smaller gauss-powered cannons and personal weaponryfor their mainline projectile attacks. Missilesare less common, save for delivering largeordinance such as nuclear payloads, and areused only in the most extreme of situations.

Lasers and other energy based weaponsarent used much by the Rykshi, with most of their energy weapons development funneledinto their unique Blaster technology.

The Niruai are masters of energy-basedweapons, at least in the scale set by theHumans and Rykshi. Their laser weaponsdeliver far more damaging effects by kilowattthan any of the other species. That isnt tosay that their laser weapons are that muchbetter, however. In fact, most of the Niruaiweapons technology lags behind fairlysignificantly from either the Humans or the

Rykshi. The places where the Niruai excelare in the willingness to use the technologythey do have ruthlessly and efficiently. Niruaido not shy away from chemical, biological, or nuclear ordinances and have a very robustCBRN weapons program. The Niruai alsouse computer and limited AI technology tomaximize their efficiency through guidanceand fire control systems.

ARMOR

In light of all the new and interesting ways to diein the 25 th century, Engineers and Scientists fromall three species have done their best to keep up

with defensive capabilities. Armor for the mostpart usually consists of numerous metal andceramic layers. Large vehicles usually mounthighly dense metals and ceramics for addedprotection while personal armor revolves morearound metallic-fiber weaves and ceramicplates. Ablative shielding that is used to deflect or disperse laser weapons has also become morecommon. Recently, simultaneous independentbreakthroughs in both the Niruai and Humandefense technology industries have lead to the

development of directed energy shielding. Theseshields are powerful but tend to burn out quicklydue to their copious power demands.


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THE GALAXY

As it stands now, the worlds inhabited byHumanity, the Niruai, and the Rykshi (aswell as their subjugated races) cover aradius of almost 18 light years within theMilky Way Galaxy, centered on Earth.Most craft would take over a month in theEpsilon Band of Subspacewith all of the accompanying dangersto cross thisexpanse. For comparison purposes, thefollowing table outlines the amount of timea craft must spend in the appropriate bandto travel various distances of light-speed.

Distance Alpha Band Beta Band Gamma Band Delta Band Epsilon Band

1 light hour 44.04 Hours 4.89 Hours 32 Minutes 3.6 Minutes 0.4 Minutes

1 light day 45.35 Days 5.04 Days 13.44 Hours 1.5 Hours 10.2 Minutes

1 light year 10,302.1 Days 1,144.68 Days 127.19 Days 14.13 Days 1.57 Days

This separation doesnt necessarily mean

that planets and colonies are totallyisolated from one another. Many inhabitedworlds are only within a few light hours or days from one another. This grouping of

planets and colonies are generally referredto as Systems. For example, the HumanSector has one major System (Sol) andtwo minor Systems (Proxima Centauri andEpsilon Eridani).

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

Each cultures individual history stretches back for millennia, with at least ten-thousand years of combined history amongst them. With such a back-log,any meaningful history of even one of the races could fill volumes. This book will instead focus on the major conflicts between the three factions and howthey have shaped the current landscape.

this attack, they received a second shock:the same fleet of alien ships appearedagain approaching Mars, hundreds of thousands of miles from Ganymede, andless than a week later. Mars, however,was among the first footholds Humanityhad placed off of its native planet, and theHuman population of Mars was too largeto be taken by storm as Ganymede hadbeen. Despite the destruction of nearlyevery ship and station in orbit and thebombardment that rained down from theinvaders ships wherever it seemed thatHumanity might win even a small victory;Mars fought with desperate courage.

The population of Mars rose to its owndefense. Casting aside all separatecommand structures and points of origin,the surviving national and corporatenaval ships were joined by a swarm of hastily armed civilian craft, from yachts tofreighters, often entering battle carryingnothing but a drive system and a crewwilling to fight and die. Rallying aroundwhatever leaders seemed most effective;

this makeshift unified fleet took the battleto the invaders circling their planet. As thesurviving Human military ships sought toengage their technologically superior foes,the swarm of lightly armed civilian craft thataccompanied them threw themselves onthe Niraui fleet with suicidal fury. Freighterslumbered deliberately into enemy fire, dyingunder weapons meant for far stronger foes in order to buy the armed Humanships just a few more seconds in whichto fire. Ore-haulers, tugboats, cutters andshuttles dodged or plowed through the

Niruai escorts to ram enemy battleships,sometimes packed with explosives, andsometimes with nothing but speed andmass. Through these desperate measures,Humanity showed the Niruai invaders thatthey would not quietly lie down. Nearlyforty-eight hours after the Niruai attack onMars began, new Niruai craft appearedaround Mars. Fearing the worst, Humanitypressed their attacks. Suddenly, the Niruaicraft began disengaging from the Humandefenders, vanishing as quickly as they hadarrived. Almost inexplicably, the battle of Mars had been won and the First Invasionrepelled, but at a great price to Humanity.

THE FIRST INVASION (2298 CE)

As Humanity as a whole continued to findnew ways to both divide themselves intonew groups, it was an outside force thatwould provide the final impetus towardsunification. Beginning in the closingyears of the 22nd century, sightings of strange ships on the very edge of sensor range began cropping up across Human-occupied space. In 2298 Humanity foundonce and for all that it was not alone inthe Universe, as a fleet of alien starcraftappeared without warning not far fromJupiter, descended on the fledglingcolonies on Ganymede, and took them bystorm. The Niruai had arrived, and withouta word spoken or transmission made, their intentions were still quite clear.

Alarm spread throughout Human settlementas rapidly as laser communications couldsend word from planet to planet, andcolony to colony. The few transmissionssent from Ganymede showed a swarm of ships, many larger than the various armedships the multitude of Human governmentand corporate navies had produced. The

invaders advanced with ruthless speedthrough Human settlements, calling inmassive orbital strikes wherever thedisjointed resistance of the Ganymedecolonists began to stiffen. Three days after the appearance of the Niraui fleet, thetransmission from the last Human outposton Ganymede had ceased: every colonyand enclave had been taken, and everyHuman on the moon either killed or driveninto the wastes between colonies.

As governments and boardrooms alikewere grappling with the implications of


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THE RYKSHI/NIRUAI WAR (2300 2304 CE)

Humanity later learned that the Niruai hadnot fled due to the tenacity of the defenseof Mars, but instead due to the Rykshiinvading Niruai space. The war betweenthese two races was titanic as huge pitchedbattles raged through the Amatas Sector.The Niruai were too fragmented internally toput up any coordinated effort, however, andthis lack of organization cost them dearly inthe war. The Rykshi, on the other hand, hadnever encountered such fierce resistancebefore and had to admit a growing respectfor their foes over the years of battle.

In the Battle for Amatas IV, the Jago andSynae Tribes gave glimpse of what power a unified Niruai armada could do. AtamasIV was held by the Synae Tribe and servedas a shipyard. The Jago Tribe had somesmaller holdings on the planets surfacemostly for research purposes. Havingheard of the invading forces, the Jago and

Synae elders on Amatas IV decided tocombine their forces to defend the planet.While the Synae Tribe was better armedand equipped than the Jago, Jago-hul metShehona master strategistwas visitingfamily friends at the time. The Synae agreedto submit to Shehons orders with a pledge

that the Jago would relinquish control of one-quarter of their holdings on AmatasIV if victory was secured. Thus, when theProtectorates Maw Strike Force appearedfrom Subspace they met a combined Jagoand Synae force led by one of the fineststrategic minds in the Niruai sector.

The battle was intense, with the Niruai craftvastly outnumbered and outclassed by theinvasion force. Jago Shehon realized thatthe battle was not a winnable one, but shepressed the attack, inflicting great losseson the Rykshi force. But it was when allseemed lost that the Niruais cultural drawto glory saved the day. A small gunboatcaptain by the name of Synae-tom bi

Aeron made a gamble that entered hisnames in the glorious ancestral lineage of the Synae Tribe. His craft, disabled savefor a few maneuver thrusters and a singleLASE cannon, floated dead in space as

the battle raged around him. Biding histime, Captain Aeron powered down allsystems and floated amongst the deadmembers of his crew wearing a batteredand leaking vacuum suit. Then, as aRykshi Cruiser, the Ekki Kann , loomedinto view, Captain Aeron powered up his

ship and set the capacitors on the LASECannon as well as his Fission drive tooverload. Thirty seconds later, a fireballripped through the bridge of the Ekki Kann destroying the Rykshis only Carrier support in the battle. In the end, the Niruailost the Battle of Amatas IV, but it showedthe Empire what could be accomplishedthrough the unification of the Tribes.

By 2304, the Rykshi had conquered everycorner of the Amatas sector. The Niruai,however, had left little for them to lordover, destroying any piece of equipmentor materiel they could as they left. In theend, the Niruai abandoned the sector tothe Rykshi, ending the war in a sort of stalemate. The Niruai never acceptedthe terms of the Rykshi to submit, nor did they defeat the Rykshi in combat.Their withdrawal left the Rykshi at aloss. The Protectorate Navy, realizing the

Niruais society spanned multiple systemsimmediately began a data recovery andscouting effort to discover the Niruais truehome-world in order to secure a soundvictory. In this effort they did not discover the location of Ukolniruai, but they didlearn of Humanity.

THE BATTLE OF APRIL SECOND (2324 CE)

The differences between the Rykshi Invasionand the attack by the Niruai twenty six yearsearlier were apparent almost immediately.On March 16th, the Rykshi Fleet emergedfrom Subspace well within the Solar System, and began broadcasting. Echoedon every newscast in the Hegemony wasthe message from the Rykshi Warleader Hrolfir Friholm with translations providedby the Rykshi themselves. The messagewas simple: the Solar Syste;m and all of humanity were now part of the RykshiProtectorate. Any human armed forces wereordered to stand down and the Rykshi wouldbe arriving on Earth shortly to determinethe arrangements for Rykshi governorship.With the same directness that humanitywould learn characterized almost all Rykshiactions, the fleet promptly returned toSubspace and set a course for Earth.

The blunt, simple announcement that theRykshi considered themselves alreadyvictorious provoked a variety of reactionsfrom humanity at large, but an invadingfleet advancing through Subspace directlyfor Earth was a scenario that Hegemonymilitary planners had long considered,and orders emerged from New Beijingalmost as soon as the Rykshis course

was confirmed. All across the Earth andthe Moon, planetary firebases and orbitaldefense stations brought their systemsonline, even as the ships of the HegemonyNavy moved into position and quickreaction forces scattered throughout thesolar system raced towards Earth to join inthe impending battle if they could.

On April 2nd, the Rykshi fleet emergedfrom Subspace to find the Navy of theHegemonys Battle Group 2, stationedon Earth, and quick-reaction Task Forces

Alpha and Gamma combined under thecommand of Vice Admiral Thomas Graveswaiting for them. The Rykshi fleet had justbegun maneuvering in response to the

apparently unexpected mass of humanwarships when Graves sent a single, brief transmission to the Rykshi flagship: Wehave received your message, and do notaccept your terms. With those words,what would later be known simply as theBattle of April Second began.

In one short, brutal hour, the battle ended.The Rykshi reacted remarkably well despitewhat amounted to an attack from ambush,and displayed a degree of fleet coordinationthat few human commanders could have

managed under similar circumstances.Each Rykshi ship had absorbed far morepunishment before falling out of action thana Hegemony ship of a similar size could havedone. The Navy of the Hegemony sufferedheavy casualties despite their overwhelmingnumbers, and Vice Admiral Graves himself was killed when his flagship exploded under enemy fire with all hands aboard. Despitehis death, his victory was complete: theentire Rykshi fleet, from the eight titanicbattleships to the last escorting cruiser, hadbeen destroyed. Not a single Rykshi ship hadmanaged to escape back into Subspace.


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THE HUMAN INCURSION (2324 2325 CE)

After the victory on April 2 nd, Humanity rushedto amass a fleet to send a more decisiveresponse to the Rykshi. By September 14th,2324, the Second Fleet of the Hegemonypassed the orbit of the outermost planetof the Rykshi home solar system. AdmiralRebecca Zimirs ships traveled at their maximum speed in the Gamma Band of Subspace: a layer theoretically safe in theimmediate area of a star only at a cautiousspeed and when good navigational chartswere available. Second Fleet had no suchcharts, nor the luxury of traveling at a safespeed, and paid the price for it.

The unmanned reconnaissance dronesprovided a layer of protection for theheadlong plunge towards the planet Ryk,but they didnt prove enough for the speedthe fleet was making. After the heavy cruiser

Ares was destroyed in a collision with whatwas believed to have been the gravitational

shadow of a small comet in the first day of thecharge, Admiral Zimir refused to lower theFleets speed or move up to a higher layer of Subspace. Instead she reformed the Fleetsformation to place all of its lighter ships in abroad screen at maximum communicationsrange from the Fleets main body. Thusshe screened the heavier warships fromdamage but sacrificed her lighter ships andtheir crews in the process.

As cold-blooded as the screening maneuver was, it succeeded in its intended purpose.Second Fleet tore across the Rykshi solar system without losing any more of itsheavier ships. Meanwhile, four destroyersand a light cruiser were destroyed inthe course of Second Fleets charge.Second Fleet raced from the very limits of detection range to all the way to Ryk itself in a scant six days, and Rykshi Protectoratereaction forces were just beginning their pursuit when Second Fleet emergedfrom Subspace within sight of the Rykshihomeworld. All that stood in the Fleets waywas the Ryk Planetary Defense forces.

In the battle around Ryk, the individualsuperiority of Rykshi warships

demonstrated itself once again, as thedefenders took two of Second Fleetsships with them for every one that wasdestroyed. Second Fleet had not flownacross the light-years to be turned awayin defeat, however. Even as Admiral Zimir spent her warships destroying the Rykshifleet and every orbital defense station thatcould possibly interfere, the remainder of Second Fleet went into action. TheHegemony had sent out the greatest partof its strength as a weapon of conquest,not mere raiders, and armored troop

transports roared towards the planetssurface even while the battle in orbit wasstill being fought.

The Battle of Ryk was anything buta clear cut victory for the Hegemony.Second Fleet paid dearly to destroy theProtectorate fleet guarding the planet,

and the Hegemony Marines found that theRykshi were every bit as ferocious fightingon the ground as their Navy was in space.Even if Second Fleet paid a heavy price,in the end, it accomplished what it came todo. By the time the Protectorate reactionforces had assembled in strength, Ryksorbit was guarded by Hegemony shipsand several major cities on the planet itself were occupied by Hegemony Marines. As

Admiral Zimir rallied her damaged fleetto meet the oncoming Protectorate Fleet,humanity received yet another surprisefrom the Rykshi: they sued for peace.

Admiral Zimir found herself in an unexpectedand unenviable position. While armisticenegotiations were far better than fightinga losing battle against the assembledRykshi fleet, she was neither a diplomatnor a negotiator. Admiral Zimir and her staff quickly assembled the best set of peaceterms that they thought they could get awaywith: cessation of hostilities, reparations for the damage caused by the Rykshi invasionof the human Solar System, free passage for any Hegemony ship traveling through Rykshispace, and the contents of any computers

or databases that the Marines had alreadyseized on the planets surface. The Rykshi

Armistice was a simple, straightforward setof terms and something that Admiral Zimir and her staff hoped would be a statementof a clear victory by the Hegemony withoutmaking any demands so unacceptable thatthe Rykshi would choose to resume the fightand simply wipe out her entire command.

It was a moment that would be studiedby xenologists, Human and Rykshi alike,for decades: Fleetleader Kyr Helmwyrssurprised confusion at receiving AdmiralZimirs terms and Admiral Zimirs surprisedrelief when they were immediatelyaccepted. The Rykshi Armistice wassigned with little fanfare, and the leadersof the two fleets returned to their flagshipsand prepared to return home. Though theterms of the Armistice would be criticizedby dozens of politicians, Hegemony High

Command reviewed all the data that hadbeen brought back and reached manyof the same conclusions that AdmiralZimirs staff had: the war needed a quickand decisive end. High Command quietlycommended the Admiral on her decision,and officially ratified the Armistice with onlylittle more fanfare than it had been signed.The Rykshi War began with a roar andended with a whisper, but as narrow andinexplicable as their victory had been, theHegemony was now without question theforemost power in known space.

THE ENDLESS WAR (2417 2437 CE)

The Endless War was named by theRykshi. They called it such as they hadnever engaged for so long against a singleenemy without a decisive victory. Foughtbetween the Human 1 st , 4 th, 7 th and 10 th Battle Groups and elements of the 1 st and 3 rd Protectorate Navies, the EndlessWar was almost textbook in it execution.

A purely military engagement in largelyunpopulated areas, the war waged on

for almost two decades. Scholars andhistorians have fought over the truecauses of the conflict and, in the end, mostagree that the Endless War was mostlikely fought simply over mining rights in asmall sector of Epsilon Eridani.

The war was at a stalemate until Niruais SecondInvasion in 2435. With their destruction of Hegemony high command, the Human BattleGroups became disorganized. The Rykshicapitalized on this strange turn of events, blithelyunaware of their allys actions in the Human

Sector. Battle Groups 1 and 7 were almostcompletely wiped out in their attempt to break theblockade over the Beth-El colonies. This failedgambit, however, strengthened the resolve of the Beth-El colony and lead to a bloody guerillacampaign by the colony against the Rykshi.

After the Second Invasion, many elementsof the 10 th Battle Group abandoned their posts in hopes to help in the Human Sector.This dissolution of the Human forces further confused the Rykshi. A successful raid bythe 4 th Battle Group that swept the Rykshipresence completely out of the AlphaCenturi Sector but then abruptly stoppedcombined with reports of Human craftdisappearing finally made the ProtectorateCouncil suspicious. They began sendingEnvoys to the Niruai as well as Scoutsdeeper into the Human Sector. When one of their Envoys returned a prisoner of a smallHuman contingent from the Niruai Sector,the Rykshis confusion quickly ended.


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When they learned of the events transpiringin the Human Sector both from their

Ambassador and returning Scouts, theProtectorate Council acted quickly. Allhostilities between Humanity and Rykshiwere ended on August 5, 2437 and a force

was quickly organized to repel the Niruaiinvasion fleet. Mere days later the combined2nd Protectorate Navy and the remnants of the 4 th and 10 th Battle Groups started their

journey to meet up with Human BattleGroup 34 to take the fight to the Niruai.

THE SECOND INVASION (2435 2437 CE)

The most recent of wars, the NiruaisSecond Invasion of the Human Sector has had the largest impact on the climateof the world of Victory 2442. Its history isintermingled with the Endless War in manyways, as events such as the Rykshi/Niruainon-aggression pact greatly influenced theactions during the war.

THE WHITE FLEET

Seeing the bulk of Humanities forcescommitted to the Endless War, the Emperor of Niruai managed to work out an armisticewith the Rykshi. Armed with protection

from aggression on one front, the NiruaiEmperor assembled the White Fleet tobe an overwhelming force, one that woulddecapitate the Human government before itknew it was at war, and then systematicallydestroy every Human settlement untilcapitulation or eradication. The Niruai hadlearned much of Human tenacity in theFirst Invasion, and hoped to head off suchresistance with a scorched earth campaign.Kamisori met Saijan, the Minister of Foreign

Affairs had personally persuaded theEmperor of the surety of the plan.

The White Fleet crawled through the AlphaBand, following almost fatally close to HaleysComet as it traversed its eons-old path throughthe Human Sector. This risky proposition paidoff as White Fleet passed through the Navy of the Hegemonys perimeters and checkpointsundetected. When the Fleet finally left theComets shadow and sped towards Mars, theHegemony Navys nearest quick reaction forcesknew that they would be too late to be of any aid.

After their successful destruction of NewBeijing, the fleet continued its systematicdestruction of Human infrastructure andmilitary bases. Before long the Fleet

was harried by Human craft performingsurgical strikes or even suicide missions. Admiral Grahm-roh bi Ehan was killed inone such strike, which lead to the rise of acting Admiral Admiral Tybri nikh Sotas.

Admiral Sotas, frustrated by the tacticsemployed by the Humans, grew more andmore ruthless in her attacks. She approvedthe use of chemical and biologic assets asconventional warheads were depleted.Over time, she became entirely fanaticalabout wiping out all Humanity.

BATTLE GROUP 11When the Hegemony Navy finally arrived atMars, the entirety of the Hegemony centralcommand was destroyed. The Navy, withouta central command, fractured. Some craftleft immediately to defend settlements or military bases according to their standingorders. Admiral Rachel Sherman about thecarrier Manfred von Richthofen made animpassioned plea to the remaining craft,calling to them to join her in following theWhite Fleet wherever it may go. At thatmoment, Battle Group 11The Ghosts of New Beijingwas born.

The Ghosts were tenacious in their pursuit of the White Fleet. They employed quick strikesand even a few suicide missions to harassthe Niruai. The few remaining Hegemonygovernors chafed at these tactics. Instead, theywanted BG11 to spread out and defend theremaining settlements. Admiral Sherman knewthat plan was folly, there were too few ships.Even bo

StarSiege Event Horizon - Victory 2442

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