Rules of Play

RULES OF PLAY A GAME BY C HRISTIAN T. PETERSEN To J.R.R. Tolkien, for endless inspiration and the courage to dream of new worlds To George Lucas, for he once understood the star in our mind’s eye To Frank Herbert, for bringing intrigue and spice to the stars To Gene Roddenberry, for his continuing mission To Isaac Asimov, for showing us to look in, so that we may look out To Dad, for the quest of knowledge, and for the games To Gretchen, for her love To Lars, forever - CTP My name is Mahthom Iq Seerva. In protest over imperial trade oversight, the Baron of Letnev had begun a blockade of trade traffic through the Quann wormhole. As this had been far from the first I am the Winnaran keeper of the Custodian Chronicle, and I write this from the trouble with the Letnev, an unconcerned Lazax emperor sought to solve the conflict ancient Tower of Annals in old Mecatol City. Since inheriting the duties of the peacefully in the Galactic Council. chronicle from my father, I have enjoyed the view of our city from my wide win- dows; enjoyed the old buildings, ancient towers, and bright lights that proudly Then, without warning, the blockading Letnev ships were attacked and annihilated stretch into the remote distance. Yet, like the shadow at my feet, I can never escape by a Sol task force acting without imperial mandate. Losing valuable trade-income, or forget the lethal finite borders of my city. I cannot cast aside the fact that less the Sol federation had lost patience, and had acted in its own interest. than a hundred leagues from this tower, our city shields rise to protect us from the poisonous dust that is the Sea of Desolation. The terrible wasteland that covers our Angered, the emperor attempted to consolidate his control by issuing the Maandu planet. edict, which would place all warships under direct imperial supervision. The Maandu edict would be the stone that shattered a brittle empire. After this procla- My people, the Winnarans, have kept this city safe for more than three thousand mation, the Letnev, Sol, and Jol-Nar civilizations announced their immediate with- years. Ever since the time of the great scourge, we have been the custodians of the drawal from the council, drawing the galaxy into civil war. imperial throne, the imperial records, and the galactic council here on Mecatol Rex. We have indeed been faithful to the promise that we made to the last emperor. The Quann conflict marks the beginning of the Age of Twilight. My hands tremble as I write this. Events are now unfolding which I believe to be As race fought race, as a thousand territorial disputes erupted over a few years, the the harbinger of great change. I foresee that, in my lifetime, our custodianship will Lazax desperately sought to assert their authority. Holding together a crumbling come to an end. This is why I have contacted you. I will here seek to give you a empire, Lazax fleets fought across the galaxy. The final days of the Lazax began in brief, but true, summary of the recent history of our galaxy. I give this to you, the seventy-third year of the war. Without warning, an alliance of Sol, N'orr, and because I know that you will spread this knowledge far and wide. As we enter the Hacan attacked Mecatol Rex itself. dangerous years before us, I fear that the galaxy shall have a great need of the past. Of all the planets in the galaxy, no planet was more war-torn than Mecatol Rex. It is told that the Lazax emperors arose from the ashes of the Mahact kings. Little is Over the course of only a few years, the planet’s ecology was ravaged by bombard- known of their early ascension, but it is impossible to deny that the Lazax must ments, its population decimated, and its green fields blasted into a toxic wasteland. have been a profoundly intelligent, benevolent, and wise people. After their prehis- The last Lazax emperor and his entire family were executed during an early Sol toric rise to power, we know that they chose the central planet of Mecatol Rex as incursion and no successor was named. their home world. The year that the Lazax first arrived on Mecatol Rex is recorded in the Imperial Chronicle as "first" and marks the beginning of my account. After the death of the last emperor, all semblance of Lazax control collapsed. The Lazax people became hunted across the galaxy in the vengeful wave of murder that For untold ages, the Lazax ruled the known galaxy. As new races came into contact is known as the great scourge. Lasting only twenty years, the scourge resulted in the with the empire, they would be allowed to join the Galactic Council that represented complete annihilation of the Lazax race. Until now, no Lazax had been seen in the the needs and voices of the empires people. The great races: Xxcha, Hacan, Letnev, known galaxy for more than 3000 years. Hylar, Sol, and N'orr were all represented in the council during the last time of the Lazax empire. The Twilight Wars continued for centuries. Yet no race was powerful enough to seize the throne and risk the fate of the Lazax. Slowly the strength of the great civi- Yet, as the years passed, discoveries of new races and planetary systems began to lizations failed as their economies crumbled and whole technologies were lost from slow. Little by little the mood of the empire changed as technological and intellectu- the strain of long war. al growth began to diminish. In their need for advancement, the great races began instead to look to the power of the Lazax and the resources of their neighbors. The Twilight Wars died in a slow whisper. The time that followed, now known as Greed and ambition slowly grew in the hearts of statesmen and councilors. The the Dark Years, was a period of economic, cultural, and intellectual collapse. The spirit of the empire turned suspicious and fearful. It is during this time that the first great races had by then retreated into their own small, safe areas of space. conflicts between the great races are recorded in the Imperial Chronicle. The Galactic Council became a seedbed of intrigue, ushering in an era of spies and With time, the Dark Years did come to an end, and a calm but uncertain period of assassins. First in secret, and later in public, the great races began at this time to rebuilding began. As I write this, the great races have regained elements of their build their military capabilities. Many started territorial expansions that extended former strength. In my city, the Galactic Council is growing in influence once beyond their original charter. Border strife and resource disputes began to prolifer- more, while the great races are embarking on the colonization of neighboring sys- ate, gnawing at the very foundations of the empire. This was a time of growing tems, abandoned during the Dark Years. darkness that is now known as the Age of Dusk. The signs of great change are everywhere. I taste it in the air I breathe. This year, Throughout most of this age, the Lazax held authority without question. Except for as if walking out of ancient prophecy, the Lazax returned from the darkness of his- a few minor and unsuccessful rebellions, few dared to openly challenge the emper- tory in a foreboding cybernetic form. To me, their coming is like the first wind of a ors. Yet, blinded by assurance of eternal rule, the Lazax did not perceive the threat terrible storm. I feel as if the galaxy is waking. As if an ancient beast stirs from of ambition that grew around them. As years passed, tensions between the great slumber in a dark cave. races grew deeper, and so did their hunger for power. In the end, they held only one thing in common: They hated the Lazax, hated the imperial rule, and hated the The day will soon come when a new empire will rise. For the sake of all, may the benevolent arrogance of the emperors. new emperor not only have the power to seize the throne, but the strength to con- quer the peace. A small affair near the Quann wormhole was the spark that set the galaxy aflame. If not, I fear that a sea of desolation will drown us all. • 144 Technology Cards (24 each in six decks sepa- from which the great races hail. Systems containing Welcome rated by color) an interior red outline are Special Systems (such as • 51 Planet Cards Asteroid Fields) governed by special rules. • 103 Action Cards Welcome to a galaxy of epic conquest, interstellar • 60 Political Cards trade, and political intrigue. TWILIGHT IMPERIUM • 30 Objective Cards (Secret and Public) is an exciting board game in which 3-6 players seek • 20 Trade Cards (2 each for 10 races) to build a galactic empire by the cunning use of strat- • 10 Race Sheets egy, diplomacy, and resource management. By taking • 30 Leader Counters on the role of a great interstellar race, players will • 8 Cardboard Strategy Cards seek the ultimate goal: to claim the Imperial Throne • 160 Command Counters (16 each for 10 races) on Mecatol Rex and lead the galaxy to a new age of • 150 Control Markers (15 each for 10 races) glory. • 8 Bonus Counters • 40 Trade Goods Counters But the road to the Imperial Throne is long and the • 23 Fighter Supplement Counters The Plastic Game Units galaxy holds many dangers.

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