Shazbot! A Guide to the Four Great Tribes of Man
EXPANDED TIMELINE ca. 2832 Starsiege ends.
2845 Beginning of The Chase. Caanon Weathers is the new Emperor. Humans pursue defeated Cybrids to other star systems using FTL technology derived from Tharsis cache discoveries.
3289 Discovery of first "meta-jumpgate," allowing for travel over galactic distances.
3291 Cyberstorm corporations battle for control of the meta-jumpgate.
3350 THE DIASPORA Explorers discover the meta-jumpgate is part of a colossal network of jumproutes. Consequently, humanity begins a rapid expansion into the galaxy. The first generation of people traveling through the jumpgate, later to become known as "the First Who Jumped," forsake the security of the Empire to journey into the unknown. These pioneers develop a nomadic culture and find new pride in their ability to survive away from the mainstream of Imperial civilization. The ever-shifting galactic frontier comes to be known as the wilderzone. The Diaspora continues to this day.
3400 Wilderzone settlers begin to refer to themselves as a "tribe," calling themselves the Children of Phoenix. They claim to follow the teachings of the renowned warrior Harabec Weathers, hero of the Cybrid Wars. These teachings eventually find their way into written form as the Tenets of Harabec. 3450 THE SPLINTERING A force of Imperial Knights called the Order of the Blood Eagle invades the wilderzone to "subdue" the frontier for the Empire. The conflict fractures the Children, and countless groups break away to form their own tribes.
3455 Starwolf tribe forms, supposedly founded by renegade Children of Phoenix and deserters from the Blood Eagle, although the tribe's true origin remains a mystery.
3480 The Blood Eagle, far from their home bases for decades, begin to consider themselves a "tribe." Finding Hercs and quantum weaponry too difficult to maintain without a heavy industrial base, they adopt the lighter powered armor favored by the tribes.
3500 The Blood Eagle break with the Empire and declare themselves an "independent tribe." At this time, the intensity of the conflict with the Children of Phoenix fades, but warfare is still a constant in tribal life.
3610 During a conflict between the Starwolf and Blood Eagle on Ganges III, an ecocidal weapon is used, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and reducing the planet to a lifeless husk. Each side denies using the weapon. The enmity between these two tribes deepens radically.
3630 The Diamond Sword tribe appears in the wilderzone under the tutelage of The Enlightened Master. Small in number at first, their teachings attract many new followers, and the Sworders' ranks swell.
3641 After much political maneuvering, the Children of Phoenix host the first Firetruce. This intertribal celebration and festival will take place twice each century on a planet chosen by The Children. The collective tribes gather on these worlds to compete in martial games and trade stories and technology. Much diplomacy occurs, as well as much intrigue. The Tenets of Harabec, long known among the Tribes of Man, are modified to include a ban on ecocidal weaponry. Remembering the death of Ganges III, all the Tribes of Man agree to abide by this new Tenet.
3670 Using innovative strategies and striking with precision and economy, the Diamond Sword rapidly carve out a large holding for themselves. They become known as one of the Four Great Tribes, along with the Children, Starwolf, and Blood Eagle.
3691 Second Firetruce: The Children make little impact on the fractious feuding that has become customary among the tribes. 3700 The Empire begins to demand more influence in the wilderzone, but meets heavy resistance from the many tribes.
3741 Third Firetruce: It is a time of much prosperity among the Tribes of Man, and a lengthy period of relative peace ensues. Many smaller tribes rejoin the Children of Phoenix.
3770 The Blood Eagle initiate a stunning series of offensives, doubling their world count. No other tribe escapes unscathed. Bitter critics accuse the Blood Eagle of taking up the cause of the Empire once again.
3791 Fourth Firetruce: The Blood Eagle are forced to surrender a number of their gains from the previous twenty years in the face of a possible alliance between the Diamond Sword and Starwolf tribes. Realizing that such a war would be overly costly, the Blood Eagle leadership backs down. The Children are quite pleased with these turn of events.
3831 Hector Komarosu, Great Eagle of the Blood Eagle, is assassinated. The culprit is never caught or identified, but the Blood Eagle’s age-old nemesis, the Starwolf, is blamed.
3841 Fifth Firetruce: Whispers of the Empire battling some distant "scourge" abound as Imperial advances into tribal space falter and cease. In the wilderzone, little progress is made toward tribal unification. Splinter groups from larger tribes seize the opportunity to declare themselves independent tribes. This year is no different, as the Blood Eagle leadership, still unsettled, fails to hold the allegiances of the Wolfsbane, Excelsior and Shadow Stalker groups. Many fights break out between Blood Eagle and Starwolf. The Diamond Sword champion humiliates the chief of the Gorgon Killers. This "time of reconciliation" sees little progress toward peace.
3844 Illya Ajax Konovalev is named Great Eagle of the Blood Eagle. The Wolfsbane tribe rejoins the Blood Eagle, but the Excelsior and Shadow Stalker tribes choose to remain independent.
3859 An unknown assassin kills the leadership triad of the Diamond Sword. Moving quickly, the Sworders are able to avoid the chaos and anarchy that plagued the Blood Eagle decades before. The assassin evades capture.
3891 Sixth Firetruce comes and passes uneventfully. 3903 Phoenix Prime Acantir Stefanos yl-Harabec, aged leader of the Children of the Phoenix, dies in his bed. His son, Renn Gistos yl-Harabec, is elevated to Phoenix Prime.
3904 Alexandre Konovalev, grandson of Illya Ajax, assumes the mantle of Great Eagle. In an effort to reconcile age-old differences with the Starwolf, he takes Freya Cloudchaser, daughter of a Starwolf chieftain, as his wife.
3905 Birth of Ulysses Konovalev to Alexandre and Freya.
3921 The Starslayer tribe settles on Theta Draconis IV after winning a lengthy battle with Diamond Sword over possession of the planet.
3924 The relationship between Alexandre and Freya decays to the point where she leaves him to rejoin her pack. Ulysses Konovalev reluctantly takes command of his father’s Marathon Pennant to force her to return to the Blood Eagle.
3925 Most of the Marathon Pennant die in battle with the Starwolf Hepta Ourubis Pack. Ulysses Konovalev is not found among the survivors. An inconsolable Illya Ajax Konovalev vows to destroy the Starwolf once and for all. Freya goes into seclusion, reportedly numb with grief at the loss of her only son.
3928 The Blood Eagle Wolfslayer Pennant, including the elite Eviscerator and Deathbringer talons, begin an offensive against the Starwolf holdings in the Hepta Ourubis system.
3929 Starslayer tribe vanishes mysteriously from Theta Draconis IV. No trace of the 100,000 tribesmen remains.
3930 Blood Eagle forces prevail in the Hepta Ourubis system. The Ourubis Pack, nearly 80,000 strong, is wiped out. The Starwolf charge the Blood Eagle with use of ecocidal weapons, outlawed for centuries, and call for all tribes to aid them in destroying the Blood Eagle once and for all. The Blood Eagle vehemently deny the charge, claiming ecocidal weapons were used against the Marathon Pennant in '25.
Many Starwolf swear an Oath of Vengeance upon the Blood Eagle, declaring all-out war upon them. The Children of the Phoenix offer to act as judges and mediate the conflict. 3931 First attempt at mediation by the Children of the Phoenix between warring Starwolf and Blood Eagle factions results in thirty-eight dead, over two hundred wounded. The Children declare this outcome a "promising beginning."
3935 Pursuant to successful negotiations, the Blood Eagle declare the Wolfslayer Pennant dissolved and relocate the members elsewhere. They also withdraw any forces from Hepta Ourubis II, ceding possession of the planet to the Starwolf. Several tribal allies, including the Sons of Heracles and Gibraltar tribes, break their ties with the Blood Eagle. Other tribes, notable enemies of the Starwolf such as the Black Vulture tribe and aggressive tribes such as the Way of the Red Sun, now choose to ally with the Blood Eagle. Many subgroups of the Starwolf and Blood Eagle continue to battle one another. The Diamond Sword remain neutral.
3937 The Hell Lantern Flame of the Children of the Phoenix destroys Imperial outposts that infringe upon their holdings in the Kepler system.
3938 Two full packs of Starwolf attack Blood Eagle holdings on Deus Sanguinus in a massive frontal assault, reportedly coming in under a flag of truce. The Red Paladin Pennant is wiped out to the last man and woman. Alexandre Konovalev is now being described as either "determined" or "insane," depending upon whom you talk to. Attempts by the Children to mediate are summarily rejected by all sides.
3939 Imperials resettle worlds of Kepler II and VI and place garrisons on these worlds to protect inhabitants. The Hell Lanterns watch but do not attack.
The Children of Phoenix leadership rejects the militant demands for a tribal crusade by general Anton Malderi, self-proclaimed "Harbinger of Phoenix."
The Red Paladin Pennant is reconstituted by a group of Blood Eagle who claim to rededicate themselves to the ideals of honor and ancient chivalry.
The Children of the Phoenix decide to use the devastated world of Hepta Ourubis II for the next Firetruce. Both the Blood Eagle and Starwolf show little pleasure at this choice. The Starwolf have been working for years to repair the ecosystem. They now transfer a massive number of thralls from other holdings to speed the effort.
The Blood Eagle General known as "Fury" reconstitutes the Wolfslayer Pennant as a symbol of vengeance against the Starwolf. The Wolfslayers reportedly ignore the authority of the Great Eagle and answer solely to Fury. Initial victories over the Starwolf Old Ymir Pack show the new Wolfslayers to be even more ruthless than the old Pennant, and Fury proves she is a brilliant strategist. Many Blood Eagle flock to her banner. The Starwolf attempt to form an alliance with the Diamond Sword against the Blood Eagle. Unsurprisingly, the Diamond Sword deny the petition and remain neutral.
3940 The Children of the Phoenix conclude that an alarming number of independent tribes have taken sides with either the Starwolf or Blood Eagle. Full-scale planetary invasions have begun, and bloodfeuds grow more common. The Phoenix Prime remarks that "this path to unity would be a fearful one." Backed by growing support, General Malderi again demands that the Children of Phoenix mount a crusade to force unity upon the Tribes of Man. Again his argument is rejected, but by a far more narrow margin.
After a series of inspired victories against the Starwolf settlements along the Tessellate Trailing, Alexandre Konovalev inexplicably withdraws his forces to Euralio VI and goes into seclusion. Fury argues that the Great Eagle is too hampered by grief and rage (and madness) to lead the tribe effectively. Blood Eagle sworn to the service of the Line of Konovalev are troubled, but remain loyal.
The Diamond Sword Triad meets on the world of Falcon's Crossroad to discuss the interpretation of a philosophical tract said to hold significant meaning for the tribe's future. Sworders appear unusually restless during the seven months of the debate, but say nothing to outsiders.
The Starwolf continue to shift their forces and reserves toward the war with the Blood Eagle. Heartened by Konovalev's sudden withdrawal, Starwolf Packs go on the offensive and strike far afield, deep into Blood Eagle holdings. Divided in their loyalties, the Blood Eagle muster poorly coordinated defenses against the wolves of space. Guide to the Tribes Universe
2. THE TRIBES OF MAN Hundreds of human tribes have scattered across the galaxy, each numbering anywhere from a few thousand to over a million members. A true census of the Tribes of Man is virtually impossible. The largest groups are the Four Great Tribes: The Children of Phoenix, Blood Eagle, Starwolf, and Diamond Sword. These large tribes each have populations of at least one to five million, and can field at least 150,000 warriors, before counting in allied tribes, reserves, mercenaries, and the like.
A proper way to regard larger tribes – and certainly the Four – is as tribal nations united by a common culture and spiritual history. Nevertheless, the honor-based culture of the wilderzone hearkens back to the Old Earth of the Cybrid Wars, and tribal allegiances can mutate rapidly. Almost all of the flux of tribal politics can be explained by perceptions of honor. If a tribe loses too much honor, its membership will shrink as disaffected groups defect to form their own tribe or even join another that offers a new place of honor. Leaders who embody the principles of honor – and who can lead wisely – gain many followers in a short time. However, loyalty is a key component of honor, and those who shift allegiance find they must work hard to earn the trust of their new allies. The independents are the most prone to shifting alliances, and it is said that they hold the balance of power in the wilderzone if they were to unite. Certainly it is true that the Four forge alliances with independents to one degree or another, and that tribal alliances are an important factor in securing critical Hyperweb junctions.
The Tribes of Man, as they collectively refer to themselves, are hardy explorers. They exist on the frontier of the Great Human Empire, in the wilderzone far from the core of civilization. They recognize themselves as part of the great body of Humanity, but they pay only token heed to the sovereignty of Imperial rule. Tribal emissaries negotiate with the Imperial legate at Rho Silvanion IV, but in truth, the Empire exercises no power in the lawless wilderzone. There are those who claim the Empress would like to send magistrates and the dreaded saar-marines to tame the Tribes, but cannot because of the great battle against the enemy called the Scourge.
Still, as Imperial settlers and refugees from the Scourge begin to enter the wilderzone, tension increases. The Tribal nations raid the newcomers, and those Imperial groups who can muster forces retaliate. Taken together with the constant raids and the new political tensions building between the Tribes themselves, the wilderzone is ripe for an explosion.
BLOOD EAGLE
Heart of Darkness Nicknamed "butchers" or “buzzards,” the Blood Eagle claim descent from an Order of Imperial Knights sent to pacify the tribes long ago. Their past is said to hide a dark secret, and the Blood Eagle still seem motivated by ancient shame and a deep, abiding fury. One story claims that the ancient Emperor Caanon I, on his deathbed, sent the Blood Eagle to find his immortal brother the Phoenix and return with him to Terra. After swearing a great Oath, the Order searched deep among the stars, but failed to capture the Phoenix by the time Caanon died. Suffering from the dishonor of failure, the Blood Eagle fell upon the so-called Children of Phoenix. The ensuing storm of war was the genesis of the Tribes of Man. The story ends by saying the Blood Eagle cover their shame with rage and exaggerated honor. It also says they still search for the Phoenix, and that if they ever find him, they will take him to Terra and thus fulfill their Oath.
The Blood Eagle maintain a formal military hierarchy marked by Byzantine politics. Succession always involves great uncertainty, as the rank of Great Eagle goes to the candidate who can best seize power. As with most other Tribes of Man, leadership passes by blood unless a rival family seizes power. Heirs to the Great Eagle find themselves under great pressure to build a reputation for strength early.
Some among the tribes say the Blood Eagle maintain close contact with the Imperial High Command, but the Blood Eagle vehemently deny these rumors. Nevertheless, Blood Eagle are a common sight on the world of the Imperial Legate, and they seem to have little difficulty in acquiring new equipment. Some stories whisper that one Blood Eagle faction has ambitions of returning to Terra and taking the Imperial Throne, but most tribesmen scoff at such outlandish tales.
In battle, the Blood Eagle display unbridled ferocity, raising the flayed bodies of fallen enemies as banners and following a scorched earth strategy. Their code of honor closely resembles that of medieval samurai from ancient Earth, and they never break their sworn word. They teach their enemies to fear them, and they obliterate their foes completely. Despite their brutality, Blood Eagle are surprisingly courteous hosts during a parley. Blood Eagle units commonly adopt colorful titles, for example, the Second Pennant, Third Talon, is known within the Blood Eagle as "the Eviscerator Talon of the Wolfslayer Pennant."
CHILDREN OF PHOENIX
The Ancient Saviors Nicknamed "preachers" or "crusaders," this oldest and most traditional of the Tribes of Man traces its ancestry back to the legendary Harabec, the immortal Phoenix. The Children's ultimate goal is reunification of all tribes under the Phoenix banner. The Children adhere to a body of custom called "The Tenets of Harabec" and expect other tribes to follow it as well. They were the ones who started the Firetruces, and they are the consummate diplomats of the wilderzone. They also pay the greatest respect to the legendary Immortals, those mysterious beings said to guide humanity through the ages. Many Tribes are curious as to the secrets the Children of Phoenix hide, and wonder whether the Children speak the truth about being protected by the Immortal Harabec himself.
Though the Children constantly urge peace among the Tribes, they are also warriors without peer who finish their battles with terrifying finality. They respond to raids when necessary to protect or avenge their people, but they seldom engage in all-out feuds or long-term wars. "When the Phoenix wakes" is a tribal expression for "when hell freezes over." This phrase comes from recognition of the potential threat posed to tribal independence should the Children of Phoenix cast aside their history of restraint.
The Phoenix take pride in their elite status. So far, no other tribe has succeeded in shattering that reputation. Though they more arrogant than any other Tribe, even the Blood Eagle, the Children of Phoenix are also the most compassionate. Their regal leadership is the closest thing to a unifying force among the Tribes of Man.
Lately, the Children of Phoenix struggle with division in their own ranks. The Harbingers of Phoenix argue for a great Crusade to unify the other Tribes by force, while the Keepers of Phoenix maintain the best way to achieve true unity is to lead by example. So far, the Keeper faction continues to hold power, and the Harbingers are content to argue in the tribe's councils.
DIAMOND SWORD
Strategy and Mystery Nicknamed "Sworders" or "sandrakers," the Diamond Sword craft the most innovative and dangerous strategies of any tribe. They say the mind is the greatest weapon, and practice a philosophy derived from the Zen Buddhist teachings of ancient Terra. Tribe members tend to be enigmatic, even cryptic. When not fighting, they meditate on obscure riddles. The phrase "talking to a sword" comes from the Sworders' reputation for answering a question with a question.
An interesting tale links the origins of the Diamond Sword to the Empire. Long ago, the story goes, the Emperor of Earth used as bodyguards a force of Imperial Knights so hard and elite that people called them The Diamond Sword. These Knights served with honor and distinction until one day a mysterious figure addressed the Imperial Court. This man, the Enlightened Master, foretold a day when the Empire would have need of a weapon in a faraway place, a weapon of surpassing hardness and strength. His words moved the Court, and the members of the Diamond Sword petitioned the Emperor to allow them to be that weapon. The Emperor agreed, and the Diamond Sword followed the Enlightened Master into the wilderzone. When warriors who hear this tale claim the Diamond Sword are lackeys of the Empress, Sworders typically answer, "Can the hand made of smoke draw a sword?"
If the Diamond Sword have a weakness, it is that they rely overmuch on their elaborate plans. If caught unprepared (a rare event), Diamond Sword warriors are said to have difficulty adapting to circumstances. They become surprisingly vulnerable in those situations. Of all the tribes, the Diamond Sword are the ones least likely to enter feuds and protracted wars.
Diamond Sword forces fall into three main armies: the Unyielding Facet, the Reflective Facet, and the Pure Facet. Each follows its own particular philosophy on battle.
STARWOLF
The Deadly Hunters Nicknamed "howlers," the Starwolf tribe sprang from harsh, mysterious origins. Some tales tell of a band of Blood Eagle and Children of Phoenix stranded on an icy world, of a truce that became true friendship. Other tales tell of a great hunter of Cybrids, an errant Knight or a lost soul, a woman who found new life among enemies and gave her name to the tribe born under her leadership. Many of the stories add mention of a vision or a visit by the Great Wolf. Whatever the truth, adversity bred strength. When the Starwolf eventually exploded into the tribal struggles of the wilderzone, they carved out a large holding with predatory swiftness.
Their symbol is the most ancient among all the Tribes, taken from the aboriginal American tribes of ancient Terra. Though other Tribes ridicule the "Starpony," the Starwolf smile in the knowledge that the others use shallow symbols empty of meaning. The corpses of those who jested about the Starwolf banner litter the wilderzone, giving rise to a common tribal expression for foolishness: "to mock the wolf to its face." However, Starwolf factions that have ventured beyond the Cassopeian Gate have reportedly adopted a new sigil that departs from the original tribe’s traditional look.
The Starwolf follow a shamanistic religion, honoring "The Great Wolf" as their tribal totem. Warriors who fall in battle are said to "walk with the Great Wolf." Starwolf holdings sprawl across vast regions of space, and Starwolf warriors are the first to explore new worlds and follow jumpgates into the unknown. This great dispersal makes massing large armies difficult, and so the Starwolf favor fluid, guerrilla-style tactics and mobility.
Of all the tribes, the Starwolf are the most independent. This independence has been both a great strength and a great weakness, for they distrust powerful leaders even within their own ranks. Their own clan-feuds are the stuff of legend, and they do not cooperate well in large groups.
Starwolf organize themselves into Packs named for their world of residence. THE INDEPENDENTS Nickname: "Indies." Hundreds of minor tribes populate the wilderzone, constantly fighting for precious space among the relatively few livable planets or filling a niche in the wilderzone’s economy. Some indies ally themselves with the Great Tribes, sometimes even joining them. However, most of these small tribes are just as proud and independent as the Four, so alliances are usually somewhat prone to flux.
Most indies can only field about 10,000 warriors under the best conditions. Only coalitions of indies are capable of challenging one of the Four, and only then in a limited conflict, since to draw the ire of one of the Four is a dangerous thing. Nevertheless, these so-called "lesser" tribes frequently bloody warriors of the Four in small-scale conflicts and raids.
3. SOCIETY AND CULTURE
CLASS STRUCTURE The typical tribe divides itself into three basic groups. The names of these classes vary from tribe to tribe, but the generic terms are Warriors, Holders, and Stringers. A fourth class may be present depending on the particular tribe: the Thralls, or slaves.
Warriors Warriors are the active soldiers among a culture where everyone has combat training. >From an early age, tribesmen and women train with all manner of weapons and styles. Prestige and power come through success in battle. When not in battle, Warriors of most tribes are expected to assist in maintenance of the holdfast. Some tribes use thralls instead, but then a portion of a holding's warriors monitor the slaves to prevent revolt.
Holders This class is composed of the technicians, nurses, cooks, farmers, and other non-combat roles. They are responsible for maintenance of a tribe's holdfast, labor, construction, and any necessary terraforming.
Stringers These are the spacefarers and pilots of the tribes, those who control transportation of warbands and settlers between star systems. They also handle the trade among the Tribes of Man. Stringers have a reputation for gaudy attire and equipment. They can be just as touchy as the Warriors in their own way, and are reportedly famous for their love of gambling.
Thralls Slaves, pure and simple. Depending on the tribe (many tribes abhor slavery), a thrall may be well treated, almost a member of the family, or he may be subjected to abject humiliation. An entire tribe composed entirely of escaped thralls is rumored to exist. Some tribes use brutish, inhuman thralls called "BioDerms," creatures said to be grown in vats instead of born from the loins of humanity. These things are somewhat rare, however. SETTLEMENT The Tribes of Man rule over spheres of influence composed of holdings. A "holding" refers to a planet controlled by a single tribe. A “contested holding” refers to a planet where two or more tribes battle for domination. A “pax holding” refers to a planet where multiple tribes have divided the territory by treaty into two or more holdings. A “ghost holding” refers to an abandoned planet no longer settled, but still considered in the control of a tribe. Ghostheld worlds may have garrisons or bases or mines, but no settled holdfasts.
The complexity of the trans-galactic jumpgate network called the Hyperweb means tribes think of territory less in terms of a volume of space and more as a network of worlds. Each Tribe's holdings form a web of territory within the larger Hyperweb. They tend to be contiguous, except when the fortunes of war separate one net of holdings from another. While it is more accurate to refer to the Diamond Sword's "webzone,” most tribesfolk speak of "the Diamond Sword territories" or "Sworder holdings."
Holdfast (aka Hold, Toring [SW], Polis, Vár [CoP], Arx, Chapterhouse [BE], Sentaken, Tazan, Chuo [DS]) Holdfasts are settlements where the Tribes of Man make their homes and raise their crops and families. Since terraforming and agricultural conditions are primitive enough to limit food production, holdfasts typically stock up on fundamentals in case of a siege. This wealth makes them attractive targets for raiders.
There are comfortable quarters in holdfasts, though greater effort goes into making attractive common areas for the tribesfolk to gather in. A heavy deployment of autoturrets and guards defend holdfasts. Holdfasts typically consist of a central stronghold, sentry posts, a landing pad for dropships, and a surrounding city or town. Other holdfasts may indeed be a city with several smaller citadels. However, if a settlement lacks any citadel fortification, it cannot properly be called a holdfast.
Each of the Four has its own customs and outlook regarding holdfasts. Though “holdfast” is a universal term throughout the wilderzone, the Four also substitute or add unique terms that fit within their particular culture. The Starwolf add “Toring” after a holdfast’s name if it is the primary settlement on a world and has a Thane in residence. The Children of Phoenix add Vár as a suffix to any holdfast where a Wing is stationed. The Blood Eagle add Arx as a prefix to their most heavily-fortified holdfasts. The Diamond Sword sometimes add a prefix that fits with the particular facet to which the holdfast is considered “attuned.” Many independents also add their own linguistic twists.
In terms of holdfast planning, the Children of Phoenix prefer wide streets and many public places in their spacious urban grids, whereas the Diamond Sword make theirs more temple-centered and district- oriented. The Blood Eagle maintain a strong fortress at the center of their holdfasts, a place usually called the Chapterhouse, but aside from a few main cross-streets that center on the Chapterhouse, the tribe allows a snarled knotwork of growth with few regulations. The Starwolf vary greatly, but seem to prefer compact settlements with easy access to open spaces and parks. Many Starwolf holdfasts are simply a citadel surrounded by agridomes. Fortresses (Bases, Bastions) These are the outposts raised to establish a defensive perimeter around tribal settlements. Tribal honor codes mandate that an invading force attempt to penetrate the fortresses before reaching the holdfasts and attacking the Holder populace. That doesn't always mean engaging. If a raiding group can slip through the defenses, they can honorably lay waste to any holdfasts the raiders find. Honor only requires that they not drop directly on the holdfast. Instead, they must begin outside the defensive ring. If the invaders cannot detect a defensive ring, custom requires they drop at least three kilometers from their target. Tribal mobility is so great that holdfasts would never be safe otherwise.
Fraytowns The most populous holdings sometimes support a patchwork cluster of businesses and residences located outside the largest holdfasts. These so-called "fraytowns" hold non-tribe settlers, traders, and frays of all kinds. A fraytown provides a locale for commerce to take place without violating the security of the holdfast itself. The bazaars, souks, and cantinas of a typical fraytown are a good place for mercenaries and other outsiders to advertise their services. If the holdfast can be likened to a castle, a fraytown is akin to the village that lies under the castle's shadow.
Camps Camps are field outposts for tribal patrols. They usually have a perimeter picket line of sensors and autoturrets, unless the warriors are trying to move extremely swiftly and stealthily.
Building Materials Tribes most commonly build with prefabricated slabs of teralloy or stahlplast; antigrav machinery and nanotech constructor sequences allow permanent prefab structures to be raised quickly. These buildings typically appear somewhat crude and blocky. They're built to be durable and defensible, not comfortable. However, tribal architects often set holdfasts and fortresses into cliffsides or mountain slopes, and in these settlements, the additional excavation allows leeway for considerations of comfort.
POPULATION The Tribes of Man are spread across hundreds of worlds that span the wilderzone. Despite the great distances and the relative wealth of worlds, the tribal population remains relatively small, and the wilderzone is a sparsely populated region. The Four major tribes number only between twenty and thirty million in total population, whereas most of the independent tribes have populations of under 100,000.
No one has successfully executed a census of the wilderzone, but estimates by Imperial sociologists place the total human population at approximately 100 million. Reasons for the low numbers are twofold, as with all population trends: a low birth rate combined with a relatively high mortality rate. The population of the wilderzone grows only at a snail’s pace. Two major factors keep mortality rates high in the wilderzone: (1) the martial culture and constant raiding, and (2) Xeno-pox.
Low Birth Rates Most hard labor is done by thralls, robots, and entek, so there is little need for many children to provide workers. In addition, the warrior culture permits female warriors, and practical necessity requires these women to take either oaths of chastity or contraceptive implants. No leader wants soldiers off-duty due to pregnancy. Inevitably, the result of allowing women to take combat positions means a delay in having families, even if many women later give birth to several children. A State of War The constant conflict in the wilderzone means there are always raids or small-scale wars going on. Ritual warfare like the famous Flag Contests keeps collateral damage to a minimum, but still results in death of warriors who could become parents. The potential devastation of a large-scale war could cripple even the larger tribes with high casualties.
Xeno-pox Another factor that keeps wilderzone populations under control is the spread of viral microorganisms from world to world. Few quarantines exist in the wilderzone, and even with panimmunity treatments, epidemics are almost as common as they were in the preindustrial days on old Earth. Medical technology is much better than it was then, of course, but the time required to implement a solution still means a fast-moving virus can decimate a small holding. Some worlds have fallen silent in a matter of days.
These scenarios represent the worst cases. The greatest impact of the epidemics is a dramatic increase in infant mortality rates, which in turn hinders population growth in the wilderzone. Tribals call this fact of life “Xeno-pox.” Traders and most tribals do take precautions, but nothing has completely eliminated the danger.
TERRAFORMING A higher-than-predicted number of jumpgates (see Hyperweb, below) connect terrestrial worlds, worlds that are already capable of supporting human life. Terraforming in those typically involves bringing in soil with the appropriate microorganisms, and then killing off any harmful indigenous lifeforms that threaten settlements. The tribes push deeper into unexplored regions of the Hyperweb, searching for new worlds to serve as population bases and sources of wealth.
A WARRIOR SOCIETY Tribal life and culture revolves around the glorification of the military. The constant struggle for resources and worlds has forged a tough and deadly warrior class. Leaders and tribal chiefs are almost always famous warriors; the culture bears a strong parallel to the feudal period on ancient Earth, or even far more distant past of Homeric Greece. The fluid, mobile raids typical of tribal warfare and the extension of the Imperial honor system to the diffuse clan culture of the various tribes have forged a unique society.
Warnoms Tribal warriors customarily — but not always — take warnoms. A warnom is simply a colorful callsign that operates as a handle on the battlefield. Some warriors become so well known that they go solely by their warnom, with only their intimate friends using their birthnoms. Warnoms are bestowed in a variety of ways. Some warriors choose their own names, others receive names from their superiors or from the senior warrior in their first unit. By tradition, a newblood becomes eligible for a warnom only after performing some notable deed on the field of battle. It need not be a heroic deed, but should represent the “blooding” of the warrior to real combat. For that reason, a warnom is also called the “bloodnom,” though that is a far rarer term. Armor and Honor In the early days of tribal battle, winners stripped equipment and salvage from the losers. As time passed, the reasons for defense of a fallen comrade and her gear shifted from practicality to honor. Now some of the fiercest fighting in a tribal battle may be over a body. Stripping the gear of a fallen foe is considered a victory in itself. Likewise, defending a fallen comrade from being plundered maintains the honor of the tribe. Some warriors wear trophies of their kills, using weapons and armor parts taken from other tribes.
The Role of Women Except in a few tribes dominated by matriarchal rulers, most tribes adopt an egalitarian ethic. With the equalizing effect of powered armor, there is no rationale for women not fighting, especially since every blaster counts in the wilderzone. Indeed, most of the best warriors among the Tribes of Man are female. However, the practical need to keep up population levels means many women retire from the battlefield to bear children. In that case, they take up defense of the holdfast.
Imperials who come from a planet with male-dominant cultures are like fish out of water among the tribes. Tribal women have a reputation for being forward from an Imperial perspective. The tribes consider sexual relations a matter of individual choice. The only real constraint is maintaining the honor of the family and the tribe. Another consideration is not stumbling into the middle of someone's blood feud, since lovers often become secondary targets in the grim wars of vengeance that break out in the wilderzone.
Martial Honor Prowess in battle is the primary measure of honor, though the greatest honor typically goes to successful commanders. Nearly everyone is armed, and everyone in a tribe knows who outranks whom. Even in tribes that use a loose hierarchy, there exists this sense of division between "commanders" and "grunts." Elevation depends on combat competence initially, then derives from tactical skill, then proven strategic aptitude and command potential.
Differences of opinion may be settled by duel or by adjudication. Tribes tend to be practical so long as honor is not involved. Personal honor is extremely important in the frontier societies of the tribes. A warrior's word must often serve as bond; there are no Imperial courts and contracts used. This custom does not mean the Tribes of Man are ignorant or illiterate. Records are kept of transactions, and all warriors are expected to read. However, the bond of honor comes from the spoken oath, not electronic chits in a clipboard's memory.
When engaging the enemy, anything is allowed. Only when a challenge sets particular limits does personal combat shift to a restricted format. These duels of honor may occur in close proximity with hand-to-hand weapons, with or without armor, or they may take place across sweeping terrain as each warrior stalks the other with spinfusor and laser rifle.
The primary motivation behind tribal war is raiding for technology, honor, or territory. Since multiple tribes on a particular world typically engage in severe raiding, some tribes have adopted a zero tolerance policy for intruders on their worlds, and respond to any incursion by mustering maximum force and mounting a full-scale assault. FAMILY TIES Kinship ties are extremely important, but most tribesmen and women travel extensively. One reason is the constant raiding, but another reason is to seek out mates and lovers. The sparse population of many holds encourages a tribe's various branches to mingle. Cross-tribal marriages are common, with the marriage negotiation settling in advance which tribe the couple will settle among. The practical effect of marriage is to keep members of some families from fighting one another. For example, if Hektira of the Gorgon Killers marries Valevan of the Ancient Rage, they may agree to live among the Gorgon Killers. Valevan is honor-bound to function as a Gorgon Killer in every conflict except with those of his original tribe (battles in which he may decline to participate). His family in Ancient Rage and his holdfast in Gorgon Killers will typically try not to raid or battle one another. If a couple separates, each returns to the original tribe.
TRAINING Physical fitness is necessary among the Tribes of Man. Though the battle armor enhances strength, speed, and mobility, it does nothing for stamina. Consequently, the tribes place great emphasis on physical conditioning as a necessary component of warrior training. Think a combination of track and field and Highland games. Long distance races and athletic competitions are almost as important as weapons training and tactical drills. One reason the tribes hold a scornful attitude toward the Empire is the typical lack of such conditioning in Imperial citizens visiting the wilderzone.
THE TENETS OF HARABEC The Children of Phoenix drew up the Tenets in an effort to set some controls on the scale of tribal conflict, as well as to provide the Tribes of Man with a set of laws for resolving disputes. Some tribes, such as the Blood Eagle, flout the Tenets openly, but other tribes follow them closely. The major Tenets are:
• Challenge Honorably. When duels take place, the challenged chooses weapons. The challenger sets the time. Each combatant must select approximately the same level of weapon, i.e., not bring a gun to a knife fight. Either party may waive his or her rights (may choose to take a knife to a gunfight). Unless provoked, it is dishonorable for a superior warrior to challenge those of lesser status. It is also dishonorable for a lesser status warrior to challenge far above her station unless the provocation was severe. Victory over an opponent who uses superior equipment earns the victor great renown. • Accept Honorable Surrender. When a warrior throws down his/her arms, that warrior's surrender should be construed and accepted as an Oath to cease resistance. As a practical matter, however, tribes view surrender as cowardly unless terms are offered first. The Blood Eagle maintain that any surrender is dishonorable, but they accept "cessation of hostilities" with warriors who have fought honorably enough to earn their respect, and they have "ceased fire" themselves when permitted to save face. Payment of ransom customarily redeems prisoners to their tribe. • Torture of prisoners is dishonorable. This tenet is widely ignored by many tribes that frequently use torture to extract information from prisoners. The Blood Eagle use it as a test of courage for some captives and for those of its own warriors who seek to regain their honor through a display of fortitude. Contrary to reputation, the butchers' grisly customs use dead bodies — with rare exceptions. • Submit disputes to the elders of the Tribe. Practically speaking, this Tenet is ignored where honor is sufficiently involved. • Slay warriors in battle, spare the innocent. One of the cardinal rules of tribal war is that warriors fight warriors. Surprise raids are allowed, but wanton slaying of non-combatants is considered vile and dishonorable. This rule often falls prey to the problem that nearly everyone is a trained fighter. During planetary invasions, the level of resistance is so high that virtually the entire populace functions as warriors. During raids and invasions, the custom is to have the invading warriors seek out and engage the enemy warriors first. Only Pirates drop onto villages and holdfasts and avoid confrontation. • Remember the suffering of our Ancestors on Terra. Do not tolerate the existence of Cybrids. Do not destroy the ability of Man to make any planet a home. This rule forbids the use of ecocidal weapons and other strategic weapons of mass destruction on any inhabitable planet. Biological warfare is forbidden. All tribes are expected to unite against Cybrid attack, though the Cybrids have never ventured into the wilderzone and appear to have all but disappeared from human ken . "Without the Tenets, we'd be nothing but rabble." - Kellion Hasekawa, Diamond Sword Ku-Mori-Soumon
Virtues among the Tribes of Man Courage, generosity, courtesy, honor, martial prowess, hospitality, wit, eloquence, and a sense of humor are all prized qualities. Tribesmen who display knowledge of art, history, and craftsmanship also receive respect.
THE TRIBELESS There are those who do not belong to any Tribe, but who wander the stars from hearth to hearth, taking news and trade down string and fray, sometimes sowing mischief or carrying dark secrets. Because these tribeless people are outside the social fabric, the Tribes of Man refer to them as "the Frayed" or "frays." There are wild rumors that the Frayed have begun to form their own tribe, a diffuse brotherhood of sorts, but this has not been confirmed. Below are listed the major fray groups, in rough order of their social standing from the tribal point of view.
Free Traders Free traders are the lifeblood of tribal commerce. They are often on friendly terms with tribal Stringers. Some are Imperial citizens, but they all share a rough independence and canny judgment. Traders have to be tough and strong. The weak ones vanish, victim to pirates or tribal raiders. Many have earned respect from the Tribes of Man.
Scholars Wise men and women in search of the answers to great secrets also travel extensively in the wilderzone, exploring alien ruins, surveying newly discovered planets and stars, or studying the ways of various tribes. Some tribes even sponsor scholar expeditions as a way to gain prestige (and possibly new knowledge the other tribes lack). Many scholars come from the Empire. Minstrels/Jongleurs Wandering musicians bring song and story to the various settlements scattered throughout tribal space. Most minstrels remain with the tribe of their birth, but some quit their tribes and begin a life of wandering and exile. Reasons vary. Some minstrels serve as spies, though this occurs rarely, and most tribes take care not to allow visiting minstrels to obtain any useful intelligence. Other minstrels accept exile as punishment for a crime against the tribe. A few leave their tribe for political reasons following a leadership dispute. Minstrels are sworn to neutrality, and any harm done them absent strong evidence of spying tarnishes the honor of the host. True minstrels are well-respected in the wilderzone.
"Thank you for the honor of your hospitality, warriors. Let me tell you the story of Ranarkin Soulstain, and how he fought off a Children of Phoenix company at El Cid, in the Beta Janus system." - Besicca James, Jongleur
Mercenaries Some bands of warriors become mercenaries, selling their skills for payment. They are not fully trusted by tribesmen, though more for reasons of prudence. At the end of a contract period, mercenary groups may go to work for an enemy, so wise leaders limit what the mercenaries learn. During a contract, mercenaries are considered as reliable on the field as any tribesman; treacherous merc groups are cast out and hunted down like dogs.
Fraytowners These tribeless people settle around a particular holdfast. They often provide a center for commerce and profit for the controlling holding, so they are tolerated as a necessary evil. When the local tribe moves on, sometimes the Fraytowners go with them; at other times, they stay and try to build their community into a true city — assuming another tribe does not take control of the holding.
The Broken Ones These poor souls are those who have left their tribes for reasons of broken honor and do not have the talent or inclination to become a Frayed Minstrel, a Free Trader or a Scholar. Instead, they wander as solitary mercenaries, ronin who hope to redeem themselves in battle. Fierce warriors, Broken Ones are only useful in certain situations. They usually do not take orders well, and their past leaves them burdened with guilt or self-loathing. Most tribesmen look upon a Broken One with a mixture of pity and scorn, and regard them as one might a savage, barely-trained dog.
Grievers Originally dispossessed scavengers who picked over battlefields and mourned the dead in the aftermath of the Cybrid Wars, the so-called "grievers" have evolved into loose clans of pirates and smugglers by the 40th century. Some griever bands are mere traders and scavengers, the gypsies of the wilderzone who are a common sight in fraytown bazaars and auctions. Others – called peshtûl by the “true Grievers” — are composed of tribal outcasts and murderers who turn to outright piracy.
Imperials claim they cannot tell the difference between piratical Grievers and tribal raiders. The Tribes of Man know the distinction is simple: Grievers have no honor. They raid and kill indiscriminately, like maddened beasts. The Tenets of Harabec do not apply to Grievers. Nevertheless, those tribals who treat Grievers well may win themselves valuable and useful allies, for the Grievers have contacts across the wilderzone and accumulate much gossip and interesting data. 4. THE EMPIRE The Tribes of Man have a complex relationship with the rest of the Empire. Contrary to popular Imperial holovids that portray the Tribes either as ferocious barbarians or noble, free savages, the reality is that most tribes consider themselves a breakaway part of the Empire. However, most tribes also hold a deep contempt for what they see as a bloated society that fosters weakness and dependence in its people. The lawlessness of the wilderzone is freedom to the tribesman, but anarchy to the average Imperial.
TECHNOLOGY Imperial technology far outstrips what the Tribes of Man have. Imperial military might is far superior to Tribal capabilities. However, the tribes have developed the most mobile infantry in human history. An apt historical analogy for the relationship of the tribes to the Imperial Legions and Navy might be the Apache light horse in the nineteenth century. The advanced nations of Earth at that time could field cannon, mortars, heavy cavalry, infantry, gatling guns, and ironclad naval vessels, as well as far superior troop numbers. The Empire also possesses superior aerospace capability, grav tanks, medical technology, and other advanced technologies. If the Great Human Empire of Terra ever chose to go to war against the Tribes of Man, the outcome would be certain. The Tribes would undoubtedly make the war a bloody, lingering, extremely costly affair for the Imperial Legions, but in the end, they would not prevail.
Hercs still exist in the 40th century, though they have much changed from the 29th century days of Starsiege. Modern Imperial Hercs are equipped with antigrav components and fast-twitch exo-muscle systems of polybraided neurocrystal. They are far more nimble than the antique models, and they wield incredible firepower. However, the most common armored vehicle in the Imperial Legions is the far cheaper and more easily piloted grav tank.
POLITICS The Empire has a base in the wilderzone, ostensibly to provide Imperial law to the "tribal sector." However, outside the base's immediate zone of control, the Empire has essentially no voice. The Legate, as she or he is called (to reflect a status of ambassador, not governor), offers arbitration services and provides a neutral territory for the Tribes to use for meetings. The Four have a presence on the Imperial planet, though the Starwolf and Diamond Sword groups are merely token emissaries there to observe. The Children of Phoenix and the Blood Eagle compose the main tribal presence here. The Blood Eagle remain unusually quiet, and treat the Legate with courtesy despite having little respect for the Imperial garrison. The Children maintain a strong, diplomatic stance, and offer themselves as advisors on the vicissitudes of the wilderzone.
The Empress The current ruler of the Great Human Empire of Terra is Her Imperial Majesty Catherine Solontha Lewis VI. She is 29 years old, still unmarried and without heir. She is said to be incredibly beautiful, though some stories paint her as tragically disfigured and claim the holos of her unblemished face are fakes. Her nickname among the Imperial military is "The Lioness."
On the advice of the current Legate, Empress Catherine has not demanded tribute from the wilderzone. She reportedly devotes all her energies to battling the Scourge. Many songs and jokes feature the Empress. Only the Blood Eagle and the Diamond Sword tribes refrain from any of the latter. The characteristically calm Diamond Sword have even fought duels against those whose jests portray the Empress in a vulgar or utterly demeaning light. "The Empire's soft, all right, but this girl's got claws. Don't insult her name in front of me, hear?" - Leut Kantoskar Hendricks, Blood Eagle
TRADE Imperial trade is sporadic, since the Tribes of Man have little the Empire desires beyond some raw materials or unusual works of tribal art. Nevertheless, many free traders have vast networks in the wilderzone, doing brisk business between the Tribes themselves and between Imperial corporations and the Tribes.
THE SCOURGE The Empire is at war. Reports vary, but the Empire apparently struggles against a merciless foe, one that threatens the heart of Sol itself. The enemy is the Scourge, a revolution by humanity's artificially bred servants, the BioDerms. Originally cyborgs created from convicted criminals in the 27th century, BioDerms referred to a vat-grown artificial humanoid by the 32nd century. By the 38th century, genetic engineering rendered form only remotely human. For centuries, they were the slaves of humanity, but finally, under the leadership of an exceptionally charismatic member of their kind, they revolted against the Empire.
The Legate and the Imperial garrison seem calm enough. However, reports from an ongoing trickle of refugees tell a story different than the Imperial media line. The Minstrels sing tales of crushing defeat deep within the Empire, and whisper stories of desperate battle.
THE KEPLER MARCH The Tribes consider themselves part of the Empire, but they also resist any incursion by the soft side of Imperial civilization. The Children of Phoenix have skirmished with Imperial troops over the Kepler system and its Starburst jumpgate for centuries. Imperial settlers currently hold the Kepler system, seemingly at the whim of the Children of Phoenix. Given the growing number of war refugees coming into Kepler and the protective stance of the Children's Hell Lantern sub-tribe, some observers argue a quid pro quo has been reached between the Phoenix Prime and the Empire.
5. WILDERZONE TECHNOLOGY In general, tribal technology lags behind that of the Empire. The tribes favor durable and mobile materials that can permit quick deployment and repair. Anything that requires extensive training and resources to maintain is considered a drag on the tribe. Still, there are startling contrasts. A tribesman may heal himself with a nanotech spray one moment and ride off on his lumbering Hve'Sphinx the next.
JUMPGATES AND THE HYPERWEB The discovery of artificial wormholes called jumpgates triggered the Diaspora, the great exodus of humanity that ultimately formed the Tribes. The structures that afford entrance and egress to the wormholes not natural, the jumpgates' origin remains a mystery, although some religious cults whisper fearfully of the Masters and an apocalyptic reckoning. Jumpgates allow near-instantaneous transfer across interstellar distances. Not all jumpgates are created equal, however. Some lead to only one exit point, whereas others have many possible destinations. A destination is referred to as a "thread.” Through precise quantum-field manipulation, specially equipped "spindleships" weave a coherent exit point in any jumpgate, allowing travelers to select destinations when using the more thread-gifted jumpgates. A jumpgate's location in the web and the number of threads it possesses contribute to its importance.
• Starburst jumpgates boast six or more threads. These are highly sought-after locations, the rarest and most-prized class. One in twenty jumpgates is a Starburst. One in fifty Starbursts is a Grand Starburst, with twelve or more threads. • Cardinal jumpgates have more than two but fewer than six threads or establish a particularly distant or long-term, strategically important threads. Cardinals are uncommon; four out of twenty jumpgates belong to this class. • Open jumpgates possess two threads, allowing "entry" and "exit" to no more than two stars. This group is the largest of the four classes. Nine out of twenty jumpgates qualify as Open. • Terminal jumpgates have but one thread and represent dead ends in the larger Hyperweb. The worlds or settlements located at the end of these "frayed" threads are called "frays," a slang pun that also refers to the type of battles said to occur on these worlds. Approximately seven of twenty gates are Terminal.
The Hyperweb Jumpgates stretch through the galaxy like a spider's web, some threads travelling far longer than others. This vast network was dubbed the Hyperweb, a term that originally referred to the ancient Imperial communications network.
The known threads of the Hyperweb include the following classifications:
• Grand Axis - A thread that connects two Starbursts across distances greater than 10,000 light years. • Axis - A thread that connects two star systems across distances greater than 10,000 light years. • Thread - The standard connection between two jumpgates. • Fray - A thread that leads to a Terminal gate.
The types thread connection include:
• String - A linear series of threads. Another common slang term for jumpgate travel is “stringing” or "riding the string(s)." Likewise, career space travelers are called "stringriders" or "stringers." • Trailing - A string with branching Frays. • Unravel - A string that ends in a Fray.
The types of networks created by thread connection include:
• Lattice - A network of star systems that forms a tightly linked region in the Hyperweb. Lattices typically exist around a high concentration of Cardinals or a Starburst. • Tuft - A Lattice that expands from the end of a single string and has no other connection to the Hyperweb aside from that one string. Also referred to as Plugzone or a Shatter. • Snarl - Where two or more lattices intertwine with no direct jumpgate connection or intersection between them. Grav-warp travel from one lattice to another may be possible between stars that lie particularly close together. Fluxstorms occur in what appear to be damaged threads, increasing the risk of jumps through them. Fluxstorms usually happen in Snarls.
"Yeah, rode the Hellcrest Axis to Bira Marduk, out in the McCrae Lattice. From there, we followed the Tsuni-Ko Trailing out to Meridian. Then we tucked up into Avachel's Shatter and went to ground at Ogden-Ur. Hell of a trip, I can tell you. The Shatter has a few bad snarls in it, and we hit a fluxstorm on the Abanax thread. Blew one of our spindle arrays. If we hadn't had our backup ready, we'd be spread all through the Web by now. The Great Wolf was with us." - Cinderion Riley, Starwolf Stringer
POWER GENERATION Tribal settlements obtain their power from two archaic sources: photovoltaic solar cells and reliable cool-fusion generators. By no means state-of-the-art compared to Imperial engineering, these provide all the power the tribes need, producing little in the way of excess heat or environmental damage. Both types of device incorporate standard superconducting material, and are portable. When a tribe leaves for a new home, it pulls up all the power generators first, along with water filtration systems and agricultural plasm.
ARMOR The Tribes of Man rely on powered armor equipped with integral superconducting batteries, phased- shield generators, and nano-threaded exo-muscle weave. Typical material is a fusion of advanced alloys and polycarbons that produces enormous tensile strength, hardness, and heat resistance. Each armor generates a flickering shield aura that cycles perhaps a thousand times per second. This aura provides the primary component of an armor's protection. Excessive damage to the aura overloads parts of the shield array and reduces the shield's strength. Nano-repair of armor specifically prioritizes restoration of damaged shield arrays. When the shield drops, death usually follows immediately after, unless the warrior is very lucky. Tribal weapons are designed to penetrate shields and advanced armor, and are more than sufficient to kill an unarmored human being with one hit. Some warriors choose to enhance their shields through supplementary modules.
The armor itself does add protection, chiefly in deflecting damage that penetrates the shield aura. The heavier the armor, the larger the shield array it can support. Otherwise, armor's role is to provide strength and mobility. The nano-thread flexors grant enhanced strength, whereas an antigravity mesh and thrusters give the Tribal warrior unparalleled personal maneuverability. The T-grav components in armor and in many weapons themselves allow a warrior to maneuver an ungainly weapon easily with one hand, keeping the other hand free for other tasks.
Armor is a very important part of Tribal culture, both for its military value and its symbolic worth. Minor raids have escalated into ferocious battles as warriors battle to keep the armor of a fallen comrade. The victor will strip the armor later and either add it to her Tribe's plunder or return it to the dead warrior's family. WEAPONRY Tribal weapons are extremely powerful for their size. Most are advanced models of designs created centuries earlier by the Empire. Not much progress occurs in Tribal weaponsmithing. Gunsmiths receive honor for crafting reliable or esthetically pleasing weapons. Weapons containing some improvement of balance, sighting, or accuracy are prized, but overall, the Tribes of Man hand their weapons down through the generations, carefully maintained and honored with names and histories. A few tribes, such as the Forge of Hephaestus, specialize in smithing and weaponcraft, and engage more in commerce than in battle. Famous Gunsmith families include the Telamon of the Photonic Horsemen and the Sabot-Styx of the Blood Eagle.
VEHICLES The Tribes of Man use a variety of transports, ranging from sleek grav attack speeders and APCs to tracked gun platforms to riding beasts. Even given the incredible mobility of the armored warriors, vehicles offer greater speed or altitude, more protection, or heavier weapons. Most transportation is mechanical, but animal use is common in some holdings. For example, the agile bipedal beasts called Chakrunners offer the advantage of a trained steed able to react quickly and independently in the midst of tribal skirmishes. They are rarely used in tribal raids, however, due to the difficulty of transporting them across light-years to a target planet.
"One of the Scar Captains wanted to bring a squad's worth of Chaks along, and you can bet the pilots threw a starkissin' fit. 'No way we're gonna turn our dropship holds into stables,' they said. Turned out the raiders seized cattle from the Sworders on Oberon's Veldt, so the Dee-ships had to be hosed out when they got back, anyway." - Abrazos Genn, Children of Phoenix Tanar
MEDICINE Tribal field medicine is nanotech-based, using "knitterbeams" to project dedicated "nanodocs" onto injuries together with an analgesic mist. The nanodocs use dead skin, plaque, hair, and other material to close wounds and regenerate tissue. Though the Four have access to nanodoc production, many other tribes do not. Medical resources are a principal target of raids, and destruction of an opponent's nanodocs carries nearly as high a priority as destruction of nano-repair devices.
Drugs and other medical materials are in sporadic supply. Most tribal medicine involves dealing with battlefield injuries. It is highly advanced in terms of tissue regeneration and shock treatment. Otherwise, tribal medicine is not far removed from late twentieth century levels. Only the larger tribes have facilities to train new doctors. Some Imperial-trained doctors have settled among the Tribes of Man, but these are rare.
CYBERNETICS The same technology that makes the powered armor possible makes cybernetic limbs and other implants possible. However, the Tribes maintain few advanced medical facilities compared to the Empire, and neurosurgery facilities on most worlds are generally quite primitive. Thus, only cruder implants are commonly performed, such as limb replacement, limited subdermal armor, HUD links, and the like. Deep conversions and neural remappings are not within the province of most tribal technology. GENENGINEERING The strong live, the weak die. The Tribes of Man do not manipulate the Original Plasm, except to bolster immune systems or assist healing. Instead, they concentrate on breeding strong children and training them well.
COMMUNICATION Radio communications represent the predominant transmissions among the Tribes of Man. The larger tribes possess a number of transcomms that use quantum reed technology for faster-than-light communication, but these are somewhat uncommon since Q-reed manufacture is an art lost to the tribes. Existing transcomms are obtained through trade with the Empire or through taking them from Imperial outposts. The Children of Phoenix are said to have seized a large number of transcomms from the Imperials in the Kepler systems.
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND DROPSHIPS Spindleships travel the Hyperweb between stars. Starships use the gravity warping Xavier-Ryu drive to move between star systems off the Hyperweb. Warp travel functions by orders of magnitude more slowly, travelling at a maximum speed of a parsec (3.25 ly) per week. Once in a star system, strikeships, troopships and landers (collectively "dropships") transfer personnel to a planet's surface.
COMPUTERS Computers are typically tiny in the tribal era, most of their size remaining for ergonomic purposes only. Interfaces utilize advanced neural conduction with holographic icons and displays. Storage occurs on the molecular level in wilderzone units, and is said to have reached the subatomic level in current Imperial technology. Portable storage occurs in "shards," which are picocrystal matrices embedded in a synthex cover, typically comparable in size to an inch-long toothpick, though the actual matrix cluster matches the size of a pinhead.
T-GRAV Anti-gravity technology is commonplace, and can be made small enough to float something as small as a porcelain vase, though most tribals see such use as ostentatious and frivolous. Tribal armors incorporate T-grav components and stabilizers.
6. SLANG N.B.: All the usual swearwords and slang terms are part of the TRIBES Universe. However, the Tribes of Man have their own particular slang and cusswords for those who wish to avoid "real world" swearing.
Ayia: Emphasis word, usually added at the end of a sentence. (“Should be easy, ayia?”) Also used as an exclamation. (“Ayia! They’ve got us pinned!”) Also an affirmation, like sure, OK, yeah. (“Ayia, I can do that.”) Battle-rattle: Powered armor. Bitch, The: Vulgar term for the Great Wolf. Strangely enough, it’s a uniquely Starwolf term rarely used by other tribes. Bleed, The: Slang term for the “command circuit” used in powered armors. Butchers, butcherboys: Blood Eagle. Carps, crabs, redboots, stickers: Blood Eagle security (Order of the Cardinal Spear). Catchers: Counter-Intel or border security agents with the power to arrest. CC: Command Circuit, also term for “Roger, acknowledged.” Clunkers: Hercs. Cube, cubed: Cool, or a lot. (“That’s totally cube.” “There were butcherboys cubed all over the plaza.”)Comes from the mathematical term to cube a property, e.g., 23. Cube that: Affirmation, sure, OK, absolutely. Cut an eagle: Finish things with finality. Gate: To use a jumpgate. Hop, Hopper: Medium (hoplite) armor. Also used to mean movement in armor using the on-board jets, e.g., “Ferox, you and Chill hop over to the ridgeline and scan the far side.” Hunchin’: Cussword. Vulgar, vaguely sexual epithet used as an adjective/adverb. Hypercast: A reference to the radio arrays that beam signals through jumpgates, the most common form of interstellar communication. Also called “hype,” as in “we hyped the message to Bira Marduk.” Jimmies, the Juma, pathcops, pure-pukes: Diamond Sword security (from Junshin-Masamichi, the “Correct Path to Purity.”). Lac: (1) Short for “Neolac,” the dialect of Cantonese-influenced Anglic spoken in the wilderzone. (2) A vaguely great number, such as “a lac of sheks.” Lice: General term for Imperial military. Said to be an ancient insult. Mock the wolf to her face: Do something foolish. Newblood: Newbie warrior. Pop: Kill. Popjell: What's left of a body after a mortar or direct spinfusor hit. Q-Reed: FTL communication device, the “quantum reed.” Also “squirt.” Scan: OK, to check stuff out, to understand, e.g., “I scan you, brother,” or “It scans fine,” or just “Scan.” Scrof, scroffing: General-purpose swearword. Comes from skin pustules some settlers got from alien microorganisms. Sharp: Good, ready, prepared. Originally "when the knife is sharp enough, you cut," this expression has shortened drastically. Sometimes used as an mild cussword. Sheks: Money, cash. From “shekels,” the unit of currency used in the wilderzone. Shell: Powered armor. Also known as “hardshell,” “armor,” or simply “suit.” Skads, SVD, the Clap: Starwolf security (from Skaduvarg Directorate). Skaduvarg means “Shadow Wolf” in an Old Terran dialect. However, some say it stands for “Security and Counter-Intel Directorate and Variance Guardians.” Slug: Heavy (myrmidon armor). Slide, spin: To travel to another star. Squik: Kill. An ancient term said to have been coined by Harabec himself. That's why it's still around. Also a universal swearword. Starkissin’: Cussword. Mild, the equivalent to “darn.” Bad, lousy, or awesome, depending on context. Also sometimes used as a mild emphasis. Stinksuit: The skintight layer of entek-impregnated clothing commonly worn under a powered armor to recycle bodily fluids and prevent chafing. String, stringing: To travel the Hyperweb’s “strings.” Usually used by tribal stringers. Also known as “threading.” Synner(s): Synthrall(s). Talking to a sword: Doing something pointless. Threadbare: Isolated, no way out, not many options. (“Situation’s threadbare, sir!”) Tin, tinny: Light (peltast) armor. When Phoenix wakes: When Hell freezes over. With more devout tribes, however, this means “when the reckoning comes.”
Wings, EGV, the Vuur, e-gees, flappers, hotbirds: Children of Phoenix security (from Erényr Gondanokos Vuur). The name is said to mean “Bright Guardians of Virtue.” The nickname “wings” comes from the winged badges carried by EGV personnel.
7. CALENDAR The Tribes of Man have adopted a variant of the Empire’s Current Era calendar, which is based on the old Anno Domini reckoning of Old Earth. Tribal Reckoning, abbreviated "TR," (aka Terran Reckoning) retains the 24 hour Terran day and the 365 day Terran year. However, that is where the similarity ends. Each of the eighteen TR months consists of twenty days, and a five-day festival called Convergence falls at the end of the year. The parentheses contain the short form of the month’s name for less formal use. The colorful tribal calendar terms are supposed to have come from Phoenix himself, who desired to break with the sterile, overly precise version of the Imperial calendar, which by the time of the Cybrid Wars had become purely a decimal number which tracked the year to the ten- thousandth part. Even today, Imperials prefer to use their chronometers and reckon their year purely numerically. Common Imperial custom still retains days of the week, but all other calendar references have been outmoded. 1. Jeweled Door (Jewel) - Month of Openings. This is an auspicious time for swearing oaths of allegiance or making great decisions. 2. Burning Swan (Burn) - Month of Glory, a time of music and storytelling among the Tribes of Man. 3. Scarlet Bat (Scar)- Month of Passion, considered auspicious for young lovers and secrets. 4. Barbed Knife (Barb) - Month of Rites, this is the traditional month for newbloods to join their first raids, and for children to become adults. 5. Shadowed Suns (Suns) - Month of Silence, considered a holy time by the Diamond Sword. 6. Jaguar's Hunt (Hunt) - Month of Vengeance, some say of Justice. Said to be connected to the Immortal called "the Jaguar." 7. Eagle's Oath (Oath) - Month of Honor. Curiously, this is said to be an inauspicious time for bloodfeuds, but auspicious for honorable war. The Blood Eagle celebrate their origins during this month, though some outsiders report that these festivities are more akin to a ritual of penitence. 8. Wolf's Passage (Tail) - Month of Journeys. Auspicious time for pilgrimages and other travels. During this month, the Starwolf commonly seek the holy places of the Great Wolf and offer newborn children to the elders for naming. 9. Phoenix Wept (Tears) - Month of Sorrow. Said to be named for the reaction of the Immortal Harabec at the outbreak of the first war between the Children of Phoenix and the Blood Eagle. The Children of Phoenix consider this a time to rededicate themselves to unification of the Tribes. The Firetruces always begin on the first of this month. 10. Lost Sword (Lost) - Month of Patience. This is an auspicious time for preparation and planning. The Diamond Sword gather before their philosophers during this period, asking questions and receiving riddles as answers. 11. Starry Cloak (Cloak) - Month of Vision, this is an auspicious month for dreamers and mystics. Artists also see this as a time for inspiration and appreciation of beauty. 12. Void Executioner (Void) - Month of Vigilance. Tales are told of the ancient Cybrid Wars, and children are frightened with the bogeyman of Prometheus, the great enemy. 13. Seventh Sky (Sky)- Month of Prosperity. The Free Traders hold their Great Bazaar on the Imperial Legate's world during this month. The time is considered auspicious for repaying debts, inauspicious for incurring them. 14. Emperor's Curse (Curse) - Month of Testing. The name of this month is said to come from the ancient Emperor Petresun I, who some believe still lives as an Immortal. The story says he used his dying breath to pronounce a terrible curse: that humanity would endure ten thousand years of chaos before being found worthy. 15. Jade Laser (Jade) - Month of Crafting. This is a month said to be auspicious for the making of weapons or the focusing of purpose. Many tribes call it the Month of War. 16. Chained Breath (Chain) - Month of Obedience. This is the time of restraint and of submission to authority. Tribal squads use traditionally use this time for drills that focus on cooperation and precise teamwork. 17. Cobalt Orb (Orb) - Month of Remembrance. Also known as the Month of the Rooted Tree, the Tribes of Man take this time to look back to a common origin on Sol III, Mother Terra. Traditional celebrations include gathering to listen to the histories and ancient tales of Earth. 18. Ashen Scroll (Ashes) - Month of Endings. This is a good time to complete business, close out affairs, and end feuds (one way or the other).
The Firetruces
INTRODUCTION Ah, now we approach a topic dear to my own heart, for it holds the hope — perhaps even the promise — of peace for the Tribes of Man. These old eyes will probably never see such a miraculous development, but I can pray that fortune will favor my granddaughter with an end to this war and tumult that threatens to overwhelm us all.
I shall examine now the famous custom of the Firetruce, begun centuries past by the Children of Phoenix. The reader will forgive, I hope, the gaps in my knowledge. Despite the rigors of my scholarship, some details are forever lost to time, or lie locked in the secret histories of the Four.
Nivek ilac Azanti, Savant Astrakhan, BIRA MARDUK 17 Lost Sword 3940 What is the Firetruce? Held twice per century, the Firetruce represents a singular tradition among the Tribes of Man, one modeled after the Olympic Games held on Old Earth millennia ago. The Firetruce began as an effort to promote tribal unification, a return to the days when all tribesfolk were of one tribe. Though that purpose ostensibly remains, the Firetruce has become a forum for competition among the Tribes of Man. Tribal delegates now view the Firetruce as a showcase for political grievances, an opportunity for intrigue, and a stage for humiliating rivals.
In The Beginning At the outset of the 35th century, the explorers and settlers who roamed the fringes of the Empire called themselves "The Children of Phoenix." Though they sprang from diverse backgrounds, they had evolved a set of customs and a sense of kinship that they described as tribal.
In 3450, the Empire sent the Order of the Blood Eagle to subdue these frontier “tribes.” The subsequent war shattered the unity of the Children as splinter groups fled the Blood Eagle or denounced the Children of Phoenix leadership for failing to protect them. By the end of the century, the Children had broken into many different tribes, but the Blood Eagle had become a “tribe” as well, and war continued unabated through the wilderzone.
By 3600, over 100 different tribes existed, the two largest being the Children of the Phoenix and the Blood Eagle, which made up over fifty percent of the total tribal population. The Starwolf were just beginning to emerge at this time, and the Diamond Sword had yet to form. At this time, tribal warfare began to subside. Chief among the new tribes was the Gorgon Killers, a group of ex-Children who had adopted the brutality of the Blood Eagle. Through the dominance of the Children of Phoenix, the Blood Eagle, and the Gorgon Killers, warfare had declined to small-scale raids and skirmishes. The Phoenix Prime dared to express hope that peace would come to the Tribes of Man.
In 3610, the Starwolf and the Blood Eagle fought over the planet Ganges III. At some point during the battle, ecocidal weaponry was used, leaving the planet a lifeless husk. Each side blamed the other, and so began the centuries-long hatred between these two tribes. The relative peace that had begun to blossom appeared ready to die like a candle in a windstorm.
THE FIRST FIRETRUCE (3641)
Bright Dream of Unity By 3640, every tribe was again either at war or preparing for war. Desperate to find a solution that would head off another destructive conflict, Phoenix Prime Quinn Istvan yl-Harabec brought a bold proposal to his people. The Tribes of Man would have a temporary cease-fire, a truce between all the tribes that would open the way to the exploration of peaceful solutions.
At first, even the Children of Phoenix were skeptical, but Quinn Istvan yl-Harabec would not be denied. “If we do not take this first step, who will?” the Phoenix Prime told his assembled generals. "Who will assume the responsibility? We must not look at the other tribes as blood enemies, but as rebellious children who have lost their way. They are all children of Blessed Harabec. Can we not dare to tame even the Blood Eagle or the Gorgon Killers? Can we not dare to risk ourselves for peace?" After considerable debate, the Phoenix elders agreed, and the Children opened their heartworld — then the planet Navaj Erath, famous for its canyons of windcarved sandstone spires — to a gathering of all the Tribes of Man.
Doing so entailed a great risk for the Children, as they made their heartworld vulnerable. However, Quinn Istvan, like many Phoenix Primes, was a scholar and a historian, one familiar with the ancient history of Terra. He held a particular interest in the Hellenic cradles of civilization. Thus, he crafted his cease-fire to mirror the flavor of the classical Olympic games.
Ultimately, every tribe agreed to attend. Some groups required more persuasion than others, but in the end, the Children of Phoenix prevailed. On the Month of the Seventh Sky, 3641, the Tribes of Man assembled on the heartworld of the Children; the first time they had assembled in peace since The Splintering. Originally called "The Gathering of Unity," the event quickly earned the name "Firetruce" after the great torch Quinn Istvan caused to be ignited by the leaders of the Three during the opening rite. The new name stuck, and the Phoenix Prime's original term fell into disuse and then into history.
The Firetruce was wildly popular. The duels and competitions drew huge crowds, the largest ever seen in the wilderzone. The iconoclastic Children of Phoenix stringer called the "Space Monkey" won all the grav racing events, and Miroko Flannery of the Frost Queens took the dueling prize after a bloody final match with Tubman Slash of the Blood Eagle. The Children of Phoenix won the flag capture competition after turning back an unexpected challenge from the Starwolf.
As their people mingled and participated in the many festive events, leaders met behind closed doors. Quinn Istvan led discussions including Great Eagle Achilles Nagashima of the Blood Eagle, Geali Blood-Burns-Even-Steel of the Gorgon Killers, John Redbear, reluctant spokesman for the upstart Alliance of Starwolf Packs, and the famous Diezral Chen of the Starslayers. They and representatives of the other tribes codified the body of oral traditions called "The Tenets of Harabec." The Tenets became the closest the Tribes of Man had for laws. The Firetruce Assembly also agreed a Firetruce would be held every fifty years on a world of the Children’s choosing.
The records kept of this meeting are lost now, but Quinn Istvan clearly accomplished the near impossible by convincing the Blood Eagle and Starwolf, as well as the many other tribes, to agree to these tenets. Tribal histories tell little about the life of Quinn Istvan other than that he was a charismatic and forceful leader who preferred to offer the hand, but was not afraid to use the shockwhip. He clearly recommitted his tribe to the cause of peace, to the point where much progress occurred because of “gifts” made by the Children to the other tribes. The extent of the Phoenix Prime's generosity is unknown, but the records suggest he strained the Children's considerable wealth. Shortly after the Firetruce, the Children transferred several disputed systems to the Blood Eagle, the Gorgon Killers received several new starships, and the struggling Starwolf gained access to much better weapons technology.
At the conclusion of the month-long festivities, Quinn Istvan may have examined his accomplishments and concluded that peace was at hand. Many tribes had rejoined the Children of Phoenix during the Firetruce, and the Starwolf and Blood Eagle had tentatively agreed to end their hostilities. The Phoenix Prime had every reason to hope that tribal unity was more than a mere possibility. Quinn Istvan would not live to see the next Firetruce, however. He died in a hunting accident ten years later, and leadership of the Children passed to his young son, Quinn Andrei yl Harabec.
SECOND FIRETRUCE (3691)
A Peaceful Step The second Firetruce began in the Month of Jaguar’s Hunt in 3691, on the silvery grasslands of the planet Ushasia. Nearly all the Tribes of Man came freely, the memories of the first Firetruce having sown the seeds of legend throughout the wilderzone. The month passed successfully, with a general sense of good will permeating the events. The status quo was comfortable for most tribes, and they chose not to deviate from it. By this time, the Starwolf had risen nearly to a prominence sufficient to challenge the dominance of the Three. Still, the Starwolf penchant for riding the unexplored threads of the Hyperweb to settle new worlds meant that little territorial conflict ensued. It was a time of relative peace in the wilderzone.
Quinn Andrei was a reasonably capable leader, though not a great one. He lacked the charisma and decisiveness of his father, the intangibles that separated the good from the great. Though he lacked the vision of his lionized father, he nevertheless kept the Tribes of Man open to the potential for unification. The Second Firetruce was larger than the first and was considered a political and commercial success by the participants, even if it did not inspire the tribes to set aside their differences and rejoin the Children of Phoenix.
The Second Firetruce did mark the first recorded appearance of the Diamond Sword. An unknown quantity before the Firetruce, this newcomer tribe made its presence known by winning many of the competitions, particularly events requiring either knowledge of martial arts or precision of tactical coordination. By sweeping to victory in the prestigious Banner Coup Contest and reaching the finals of the Grand Duel, the Diamond Sword earned itself a formidable reputation virtually overnight.
The only other piece of notable drama that occurred was the arrival of a small but aggressive tribe whose leader claimed to be Harabec himself. These Winnowers of Fire departed in shock after Kral Rashad of the Gorgon Killers slew "Harabec" over a rumored gambling debt. Other Winnowers killed Rashad before Children of Phoenix guards intervened, so the truth about the debt was never uncovered; the Winnowers of Fire have never been seen since.
Though uneasy at the symbolism inherent in the death of a "Phoenix" — even a false one — Quinn Andrei and the Children of Phoenix celebrated the close of the Second Firetruce, for the event proved the Tribes of Man were willing to continue a discussion on the topic of unity. It showed hope was possible. THIRD FIRETRUCE (3741)
Imperial Aftermath The Third Firetruce was held on the world of Chalice, a lushly forested world chosen for its great beauty. But the years prior to the event were dark with the threat of invasion.
Early in the 38th century, Emperor Tashane Kellison Lewis made a renewed effort to impose the Gracious Rule on the denizens of the lawless wilderzone. The 37th, 39th, and 45th Legions established a base of operations in the Kepler system and began to push into Children of Phoenix holdings. Fighting was fierce as the Children refused to bow to the supremacy of Imperial law. Other tribes joined forces with the Children, and pitched battles were frequent. The Empire dispatched another pair of Legions in 3732; these drove into the territory of the Blood Eagle, who retaliated against the Imperial resort world of Sarabande Proxima II. The stage appeared set for an all-out civil war in the wilderzone. The superior Imperial weaponry was offset by tribal guerrilla tactics that targeted supply centers and made heavy use of sniping tactics against Imperial pilots and officer cadres.
By the time of the third Firetruce, however, the Imperial offensive had ceased, and the Legions withdrew except for a garrison force in the Kepler system. Information was sketchy, but rumors emerged of a revolution deep within the Empire, an uprising that had spawned a fearsome “Scourge" to threaten the Imperial Seat of Terra itself.
Phoenix Prime Manfred Gregor yl-Harabec was still a relatively young man at this time, having come to power in 3737 when the former Phoenix Prime was lost with a spindleship in a Hyperweb fluxstorm. High Captain Gregor had commanded a Pyre in the war with the Empire, and had earned a reputation as a competent officer. Nevertheless, the sweeping charisma he displayed at the Firetruce impressed even his detractors. Many leaders in history have grown into their offices. Manfred Gregor did more than grow; he exploded.
Though the Firetruce began with jubilant tribes arriving to celebrate the withdrawal of the Imperials, the Blood Eagle and the Gorgon Killers came with the intent of challenging the Children of Phoenix. The perception of Manfred Gregor as a young and inexperienced political leader perhaps contributed to the situation. The Blood Eagle in particular sought the lion's share of credit for the Imperial retreat. At issue was the large number of independents who sought to join one of the Three, a reaction to the specter of another Imperial invasion.
The Phoenix Prime in particular welcomed this influx, as he believed unity was crucial for the Tribes of Man to remain free of Imperial tyranny. He also welcomed the challenge, as it gave him an opportunity to show his mettle. Manfred Gregor proceeded to charm his way through the Council negotiations with unprecedented flair. When an issue called for reason and diplomacy, he was unmatched. When the Great Eagle Brenthu Shirowara alluded to a possible intertribal war with the Children, the Phoenix Prime laughed and asked her if the Gorgon Killers would accept Blood Eagle supremacy. When the Chief of the Gorgon Killers emphatically answered that such a state of affairs would be intolerable, Manfred Gregor promised that such a war would greatly weaken the Blood Eagle, and that if war broke out, the Children would look for ways to strengthen the position of the Gorgon Killers. Shirowara smiled and conceded the point. Gregor's natural charisma made the exchange a smooth, even humorous, affair.
Ultimately, the Children absorbed the greatest part of the independents, though many joined the Blood Eagle as well. The Gorgon Killers fared less well, however. They made many boasts prior to the competitions, but enjoyed small success.
In the Firetruce events, the Diamond Sword once again won the team competitions. The Blood Eagle duelist Carve October defeated Magamort of the Gorgon Killers in a particularly bloody Grand Duel that left Magamort dead and Carve October with permanent neurological damage. The Phoenix Prime is said to have lamented the Firetruce concluding with such violence fresh in the minds of the tribes, but all accounts of the period called this Firetruce the most successful yet. A feeling of accomplishment and promise permeated the festivities, with even the Blood Eagle admitting grudging consideration of the Phoenix Prime's traditional call for unification.
FOURTH FIRETRUCE (3791)
Humbling the Eagle Unlike the previous three Firetruces, the Fourth was fraught with tension.
In the decade prior to 3791, the Blood Eagle embarked on an ambitious and controversial series of offensives, seizing territory from what seemed almost every tribe. By the time of the Fourth Firetruce, the "butchers" had almost doubled their holdings, including capturing the key trading world of Bira Marduk from the Gorgon Killers in 3788. By the time of the Firetruce, the lesser tribes were dispirited. The Children of Phoenix and the Gorgon Killers seemed unable or unwilling to contain the Blood Eagle, and the leading independent tribes, the Starwolf and the Diamond Sword, kept their own counsel but did nothing.
Manfred Gregor still ruled as Phoenix Prime. He had become far more Machiavellian in his old age. The events of the Fourth Firetruce would be attributed to his wily leadership, although he took no responsibility whatsoever, though he would occasionally refer to it as the most successful step toward unity yet taken by the Tribes of Man.
The Firetruce was held on the volcanic world of Crucis Stigmata, in the spartan setting of an ash plain far from any established settlements. Crucis Stigmata was located close to the Blood Eagle's new conquests in the McCrae Lattice, and all tribal delegates came heavily armed and prepared for war. Only the maneuvering of the Phoenix Prime made the Firetruce possible in the first place, as several tribes called for its abandonment. When the Blood Eagle landed, they made a great show of their arrival, complete with a military parade drill and martial music. At the end of their display, a company of riflemen fired a volley of laser fire over the heads — well over — of the Phoenix Prime and his entourage. Many tribals flinched, fearing in that instant a Blood Eagle coup was about to happen, but Gregor sat as though he was carved from stone and graciously welcomed the Blood Eagle contingent. Following the traditional call for unity and the opening speech by the Phoenix Prime, Great Eagle Hector Komarosu openly boasted the Blood Eagle would hold the next Firetruce. These were blasphemous words when spoken to the face of the Phoenix Prime, but Manfred Gregor merely nodded his wrinkled face and replied, "We'll see what happens."
Fortune was not kind to the Blood Eagle. The butchers were defeated in every event they participated in, the other tribes offering them stiff competition, but seeming to cooperate among themselves. Wherever Blood Eagle warriors turned, they faced resistance and a determined unwillingness even to drink alongside them. Had that been the only tribulation the faced, the Blood Eagle surely would have persevered toward their larger goals.
During the negotiation phase of the Firetruce, however, the Starwolf, Diamond Sword, and a host of smaller tribes agreed to an alliance on an unprecedented scale, intending to form an army to strike at the Blood Eagle. The ranks of the Starwolf and the Diamond Sword had swelled in the last fifty years; together with a collection of independents, they constituted a serious threat to the Blood Eagle. If the Children of Phoenix and the Gorgon Killers joined, the Blood Eagle faced almost certain extinction. The Great Eagle accused Manfred Gregor of manipulating this development, but in the end conceded many of his tribe's recent conquests back to the vanquished parties. The Blood Eagle retained the world of Bira Marduk, however, as well as several other rich planets. As soon as Komarosu publicly swore his tribe would abide by the agreed-upon concessions, the alliance promptly dissolved.
The Blood Eagle left this Firetruce angry and embarrassed, but arguably wiser. Since that time, none of the Great Tribes have attempted to embark on large campaigns of conquest that would unite the others against a common foe, though some scholars of war have written that if any tribe were capable of defying the entire wilderzone, it would be the Children of Phoenix.
FIFTH FIRETRUCE (3841)
The Dream Falters Asta Michaelis was a damp, mist-covered world, a suitably gloomy setting for the Fifth Firetruce. After several positive steps towards unification, the Fifth Firetruce marked a great step backwards. The Blood Eagle, in disarray after the assassination of Komarosu, did not send an official delegation at all, but was represented by belligerent splinter groups flirting with independence, notably the Wolfsbane, Excelsior and Shadow Stalker factions — which indeed declared independent status by the conclusion of the Firetruce. These breakaway factions openly fought with other tribesmen, most notably the Starwolf. Tribal rivalries flared, and frequent quarrels marred the celebration. Even the Diamond Sword, noted for their desire to remain “above the fray,” were involved in several altercations, culminating in a fatal sword- and-tetrahook duel between the Sworder Enlightened Champion Senzu Pax and the Battlequeen of the Gorgon Killers, Rachel "Shargon" Andeles. Pax won the combat with a clinical style that left observers deeply impressed with Diamond Sword combat training. The blow to prestige was numbing for the Gorgon Killers, and many sub-factions abandoned the tribe. Coupled with the increased influence of the Diamond Sword and the surging Starwolf Alliance, only the Children of Phoenix retained the status of a leading tribe of the Three.
Yet even the Children of the Phoenix fared poorly here. Phoenix Prime Anachrussa Mari Menai yl- Harabec has not been looked upon kindly by history; her warnom was "Naginata" but a more common derisive nickname was "Scatterbrain." A dispirited leader with a serious trekohl addiction, she did little to continue the positive progress made by her progenitors, almost causing an insurrection within the ranks of the Children — an unthinkable occurrence. She left a legacy of apathy that pervaded the Children for years after her reign, which ended in 3847 after a trekohl binge caused her to collapse and drown in her sanctuary's koi pond. She provided nothing of leadership during the Firetruce, and her faltering opening speech set the tone of the following events. Many observers concluded this Firetruce would be the last, a noble but failed experiment. The open contempt for the Children and for Unity shown by the departing tribes seemed to support this reasoning.
SIXTH FIRETRUCE (3891)
Wresting Order from Chaos The Children rebounded by the time of the Sixth Firetruce, however. Alvarada "Firespear" Mari Menai yl-Harabec, grandniece of Anachrussa, ruled the Children of the Phoenix with fiery passion and iron will. Like her ancestor, Quinn Istvan, she was a powerful, ambitious leader concerned about her place in history — and she refused to allow the Firetruce to die. Unlike every other Phoenix Prime to that point, Alvarada possessed a violent temper and little patience for those who disagreed with her. Some contemporaries believed she struggled to clear her name of the taint left by her great aunt's legacy. Others joked (though not to her face) that she was switched with a Blood Eagle at birth. Regardless of her motivation, Alvarada commanded enormous respect among not only the Children, but the other tribes as well. It was whispered that she was the lover of Harabec — even that she was an incarnation of Harabec. Her martial prowess was legendary, her personal charisma nigh-irresistable. She represented the epitome of the tribal warrior-chief, and her fame swept through the wilderzone. Only thirty-two at the time of the Sixth Firetruce, Alvarada Mari Menai never married; neither did she have children. She was "born to war," she would reply when asked about producing an heir. And at the Firetruce she reached her prime.
Times were hard in the wilderzone in the years before the Firetruce. The Tribes of Man fought constantly. A mysterious blight had crippled agricultural output on scores of worlds. Raids and bloodfeuds were common, and the balance of power had shifted dramatically. The Children of Phoenix had lost a disturbing number of worlds prior to Alvarada's rule. The Diamond Sword and the Starwolf had ascended to challenge the Children and the Blood Eagle for dominance, whereas the Gorgon Killers had fallen into dissipation and decay hastened by the stark fact that their worlds were the most heavily damaged by the blight. Common consensus among the tribes held the Sworders and Wolves as Great Tribes and dismissed the Gorgon Killers. Grievers and opportunistic independents attacked outlying worlds and slaughtered entire holdfasts.
Initially, few tribes expressed interest in reviving the "dead" Firetruce. Alvarada had to use all of her considerable charisma and power to convince the Tribes of Man to attend. First she offered Tycho Brahe IV, one of the jewels of the Children’s holdings and perhaps the most beautiful planet in the entire galaxy, as the site for the Firetruce. Then, in a move calculated to draw attendance by its sheer audacity, she challenged the leaders of the Blood Eagle, the Diamond Sword, and the Starwolf to personal duels, wagering key star systems on the outcome.
With such drama behind it, the tribes came to the Firetruce in droves. This time, the Children of Phoenix kept the peace, with the "gracious assistance" of the other three Great Tribes. Alvarada's Unity speech was the shortest ever. Surveying the assembled warriors and holders, she simply said, "We shall see if you are worthy," and left the platform. Subsequent nonplussed speeches by the other tribal leaders were largely ignored. The Grand Duel was anticlimactic. The Starwolf champion defeated a Diamond Sword warrior, but everyone looked forward to what the harpers were calling "Firespear's Challenge," and the other events were afterthoughts.
Alvarada did not disappoint. On successive days, she defeated the crafty Starwolf leader Sekreh M'klannin, the enigmatic Diamond Sword Court of Blades champion Autumn Thunder, and Alvarada's warrior-queen contemporary, the Great Eagle Helena "Harridan" Konovalev. The awe Alvarada awakened in the spectators was infectious. When a limping Konovalev embraced her after their battle, the stunned silence exploded into a deafening roar of approval.
The rest of the Firetruce was a riotous celebration that tribal historians describe as one of the wildest parties of all time. Certainly the mood was jubilant. The goodwill from this event lasted for the next fifteen standard years, as many independents "returned" to the ranks of the Phoenix, the Blood Eagle put aside many of their feuds, and the severity of raids plummeted dramatically. The glory and promise of the Firetruces had been restored.
Unfortunately, the reign of the Firespear came to a sudden, bloody end in 3893, during a campaign against the Gehenna Shark tribe on the jungle world of Ashkelon III. A sniper round severely wounded Alvarada during a siege of the G-Shark base. Though the wound itself was not fatal, the local microbes caused an untreatable and fatal infection. Alvarada died three days later, naming her great-grandfather Alexi Stefanos as her successor. Though ancient, Alexi was still hale, and he possessed a keen mind and wealth of experience that served the Children well. THE SEVENTH FIRETRUCE (coming in 3941)
Prophecy of Destruction The upcoming Firetruce comes at a critical juncture in the history of the wilderzone. The falling out between Great Eagle Alexandre Konovalev and his Starwolf bride Freya Cloudchaser has deteriorated to all-out war. As the Blood Eagle and Starwolf tear at each other’s throats, almost every smaller tribe has taken sides or tried to exploit the unrest. Even the Children of the Phoenix stand at the brink of civil war, as radical elements calling themselves the Harbingers of Phoenix argue for a Crusade to force unity on the rest of the tribes. Phoenix Prime Renn Gistos yl-Harabec faces growing opposition to the path of peace. The Diamond Sword gather their forces into a defensive position, pulling back from their more vulnerable worlds. Dark Griever bands pick off fringe settlements, and refugees flood into the wilderzone from Imperial space, fleeing a reinvigorated Scourge. Fearful rumors circulate about the return of Gir Draxon and a massing of BioDerm Hordes for a new offensive against the beleaguered Imperials. Some alarmed voices among the tribes cry that the Scourge may even invade the wilderzone itself.
In addition to the threats of war from within and without the wilderzone, the Children now face an unexpected political challenge. In an effort to force some sanity into the increasingly bloody conflict, the Phoenix Prime declared the Seventh Firetruce would occur on Hepta Ourubis II, the world devastated in the last war between the Blood Eagle and the Starwolf. The other Great Tribes protested this choice, but Gistos remained firm, relying on the prestige of the last Firetruce and his own tribe's stature to support the decision. However, political problems have undermined his authority. The Diamond Sword Court of Blades, in an uncharacteristically radical move, has offered an alternative setting for the Firetruce on the Sworder world of Bella Omega, formerly known as Sahranon Xi IV. The Blood Eagle accepted immediately. Konovalev is known for his desire to topple Phoenix pre- eminence, and he may wish to demonstrate strength in the face of the rising popularity of Fury within his own ranks. The Starwolf, on the other hand, seem reluctant to relinquish the opportunity to remind the other tribes of Blood Eagle ecocidal crimes. One radical chieftain, Ursula DiVaragas, has even suggested the Diamond Sword are secretly in league with the Blood Eagle. Though respected as a leader, DiVaragas is known for an even greater hatred of the Blood Eagle than most members of her tribe, and so her opinion is discounted by cooler heads. The greater number of Starwolf chieftains seem willing to follow the Sworders’ lead in hopes of securing support for the war with the Blood Eagle.
The Children's position is less clear. Renn Gistos has declared he is willing to change the location, an acquiescence that shocks those individuals accustomed to the sometimes haughty leadership of the First Tribe. One observer writes:
My personal belief is that Renn Gistos wishes to impress upon the Harbingers that he is not alone in his desire for tribal unity (although the Sworders' motives for this turn of events remain clouded at best). Perhaps the Phoenix Prime has finally realized the extent of the cancer which infects his tribe and is fishing for outside support. In fact, it was Renn who suggested that the body of the founder of the short-lived Diamond Sword Republic be interred under the primary meeting hall of the Firetruce. This rather obvious political move is perhaps meant to indicate some understanding between the two great intellectual tribes, though the fact that the Starwolf and Blood Eagle supported the idea makes it a symbol of changing political winds in the wilderzone. from “Fall from Grace: Commentaries,” by Nabterayl, Priestess of the Ko l'Yah The leader of the Harbingers, General Anton Malderi, warns that this “concession” constitutes an unacceptable loss of face for the tribe. The Harbingers have also condemned the writings of scholars such as Nabterayl, with some of the louder voices even threatening retaliation. The rumormongers of the wilderzone claim the Children of Phoenix have begun to disintegrate, though tribal stringers and merchants scoff at this idea. Other sources contend the Diamond Sword seeks to usurp the position of the Children and therefore issued its challenge at a time of great tension and confusion among the Tribes of Man. Regardless of the truth, the Phoenix Prime faces a serious dilemma within his own ranks as well as without.
In this ominous atmosphere, a new, highly disturbing rumor has emerged. Some say it originated in the fraytown slums of Bira Marduk, others ascribe it to Diamond Sword philosophers, the Ur-Shaman of the Starwolf, or even the Immortals themselves. Strange wanderers calling themselves "Fenicians" are circulating this rumor and other warnings through the wilderzone, but most tribals dismiss these individuals as frays and charlatans. Nevertheless, the rumor has taken on disquieting weight for many tribals, and it spreads swiftly. The "Fenecian prophecy" has many variations, but the most common version is:
The Tribes of Man shall be scattered like smoke, and the Four shall succumb to madness. The sword shall be drawn too late, the eagle shall bathe in its own blood, the wolf shall fall into its shadow, and the phoenix shall with two heads devour its children. A thousand worlds shall be rent with fire, and even the Immortals shall tremble, for there will be no haven but the night, no safety without fury, no peace until the ashes grow cold.
The Seventh Firetruce comes at an unusual juncture. What will emerge from it is anyone’s guess, but the tribes may never again be the same.
RITUAL AND COMPETITION
Preparation An event such as the Firetruce requires intense preparation for months prior to the arrival of the tribal delegations. Emissaries from the major tribes meet with the Children of Phoenix to prepare the site. Though the Children maintain control over the site and oversee the work, the other Great Tribes and even some of the leading independents have opportunities to suggest changes or particular features.
Opening Rites The official opening of the Firetruce comes with a lighting of the Truce Flame by a representative of the tribe that won the previous Firetruce's Grand Duel. The Children nurture the Flame in the years between Firetruces. Thereafter, the attending tribes present themselves to the Phoenix Prime and the other tribal leaders in an extended martial parade called the Salute.
The Firetruce typically lasts ninety standard days. Since the event occurs so infrequently, the Children have traditionally set aside a large bloc of time for it. Unity Speech The Phoenix Prime offers the first speech of the Firetruce, speaking to the assembled hosts with the Firetruce Council arrayed behind him/her. The speech describes the common history of the tribes and argues point by point for a new unity in the wilderzone. This speech often highlights the personal charisma of the Phoenix Prime and also offers the Children a unique forum for their views. Political subcontext usually riddles the Unity Speech, such that other tribes pay close attention, as the focus of the speech heralds the tone for the rest of the event.
Other Speeches Following the Phoenix Prime, delegates sent by the other Great Tribes each offer a speech. There is also a speech by a leader purportedly selected by the independents, but more often than not, this individual only speaks for a dozen or so of the smaller tribes. On occasions when the Imperial legate attends, he or she may offer a short speech on behalf of the Empire. The legate has attended the Fifth and Sixth Firetruces.
THE COUNCIL Without doubt, the heart of the Firetruce is the Council, a collection of tribal representatives, principally from the Great Tribes, that meets to discuss the prospects for unity, negotiate over holdings, settle grievances, and make adjustments to the Tenets of Harabec. Each tribe sends a delegation made up of leading officers and other influential figures important in tribal politics. The Phoenix Prime always attends, and occasionally the Great Eagle and a member of the Diamond Sword Triad will make an appearance. The independents have a small group, easily outnumbered by the representatives of the Great Tribes. The Imperial Legate may also attend, either in person or through an agent, though the Imperial is not allowed to vote and may be excluded from deliberations through a simple vote.
Much political maneuvering goes on during the Council, often accompanied by a range of clandestine effort to influence the voting blocs for various issues. Economic concessions and political threats are the most common means of affecting votes, though blackmail, personal threats, and even slander are not uncommon (though unsanctioned). Much intra-tribal power-brokering goes on during these Councils, with only the Children showing much unity. The Diamond Sword are not immune to such struggles, though their politics are a cipher to outsiders.
THE CONTESTS These are the true draw for the average tribal, and competitions of all varieties rage throughout the Firetruce, from races, duels, and contests of strength and technical proficiency to gambling, drinking, and art. The prizes for victors range from custom weaponry to cases of Imperial cognac. Incredible gambling accompanies the contests, and intrigues aimed at manipulating results are common. The tribes are particularly vindictive toward anyone caught trying to blackmail or unfairly influence the outcomes of contests. Nevertheless, these efforts continue. The Phoenix Prime behind the First Firetruce, Quinn Istvan, was well aware of the warrior culture of the tribes, and he refused to try to change it. “Unity,” he reportedly said, “does not require us to forget who we are, or how our ancestors fought their way to triumph during the Cybrid Wars. The Blessed Harabec is a soldier, and he has died countless times in battle for us. We must not forget, and so although some say the Grand Duel is barbaric, I say it is a celebration.”
Races Races range from unassisted footraces to armor races to vehicle contests. Some races are purely speed and maneuvering, such as the Snake Race, whereas others such as Morningstar’s Run require participants to move through a gauntlet of obstacles and even live weapons fire.
Combats Again, drawing parallels to the ancient Olympics, contests of martial and physical prowess are a highlight of this festival. Hand-to-hand combat is most popular, as are competitions involving marksmanship. “Traditional” events, such as feats of strength and displays of agility are supplemented with competitions as to who can reassemble a chaingun the fastest.
Team events, such as “capture the flag,” are very popular and last the entire month of the Firetruce — though they do not use real weaponry for fear of igniting blood feuds and disruptive battles in the midst of the Firetruce. Instead, low-powered weapons with links to a central computer are used to simulate a true battle. Some versions use no weapons but permit virtually unlimited physical contact. The tribe that wins the overall team competition gains great glory and enhances their combat reputation tremendously.
The duels are the most popular event, however, as well as the most frowned upon by tribal peacemakers. Although duels also use low-powered weaponry and computer-linked judging, the intensity of the average duelist leads to incredibly violent competition. The Grand Duel, for example, is close combat, typically unarmed (though some Grand Duels have involved knives or even plasmafax). Nevertheless, the Grand Duel is invariably the most violent officially-sanctioned event of the Firetruce, with several deaths among the contestants a regular occurrence. It is also the most popular and the most prestigious, so the Children believe it serves a cathartic function, even for their own warriors.
Blood Feuds and the Sandtraps Though dedicated to peace, the Firetruce does not escape the tribal predilection for feuding. Old feuds and new feuds alike lead to numerous encounters during the various events, most of which are broken up by tribal peacekeepers. Nevertheless, persistent warriors can find an outlet in the underworld that springs up like mushrooms around each Firetruce. These “sandtraps,” named for their traditional sandy floors, are clandestine arenas that permit betting and live weapons for duelists. They are mostly used by the bloodthirsty, the desperate, or the vengeance-oriented. To keep the peacekeepers quiet, heavy weapons are not used. Most sandtraps allow the use of melee weapons and powered armors. Some of the better-concealed locations may even permit blaster use. Betting on sandtrap duels is fierce, the more so if a genuine blood feud is involved. The winners receive a healthy share of the purse, and the word spreads. Performance in the sandtraps can either boost or kill a warrior’s reputation. The Grand Duel The centerpiece of the Firetruce competitions, the Grand Duel is a one-on-one close-combat contest that culminates on the last week of the Firetruce. It is the most popular event of the Firetruce, and tales of the finals become legend for many years after.
The rules are single-elimination, with the contestants fighting until one drops or yields. The warrior who wins the Grand Duel earns lifelong fame, as well as bragging rights for his or her tribe. Grand Duels often become personality contests by the final rounds, and grudge matches between participants are common.
At times, depending on the contestants and the whims of the judges, blades or plasmafax are permitted the contestants. Usually, such weapons are only demanded where the fighters have declared blood feud against each other. These bloodmatches are usually short, brutal, and even more well-attended.
The Jewel of Glory The winner of the Grand Duel receives as prize the Jewel of Glory, a singular artifact crafted for each Firetruce by the finest crafters in the Children of Phoenix. Each jewel has a unique name and setting, and families that wear a Jewel to the Firetruce are treated like celebrities, though they are expected to be able to tell the tale of how their ancestor won the Jewel — and tell it well.
Kailoh Plays and Street Theater Entertainment is an important part of the Firetruce. The Children of Phoenix have troupes putting on plays that detail the rich history of the Tribes of Man, especially the deeds of the Immortals. These plays are called “Kailoh Plays,” after the stylized masks used by the actors. It is an old style dating from the 31st century, and very popular among the tribes, especially the Children of Phoenix, who consider Kailoh a mark of culture. Imperial visitors, however, consider tribal versions quaint and unsophisticated.
The fraytown that always grows around a Firetruce offers a counterpoint to the formal styles of the Kailoh. Various street shows bubble up amid the bazaar and in the taverns and around the tribal cantonments. Some shows are more artistic, whereas others are burlesque or satirical. The shows of the Fourth Firetruce were noted for their biting attacks on the Blood Eagle.
The Great Bazaar The Firetruces are also well known for substantial trade markets that spring up around arenas and amphitheaters. Tribes circulate and trade. “Weaponsmith” tribes such as the Forge of Hephaestus or the Blood Eagle's Sabot-Styx are very popular.
Everything is for sale at the Bazaar: weapons, neosilks, thralls, light tattoos, food, art, music, exotic drugs, and secrets. Minstrels play the latest ballads, mercenaries solicit contracts, and itinerant grievers sell salvage and read fortunes. Imperial merchants descend on the Firetruce in great numbers, and occasionally bring advanced devices with unusual capabilities. Anything is for sale here. Parties and Celebrations Tribal intermarriages are also common at this time. Younger tribesmen and women often indulge in bacchanalian activities and these lead to the founding of long-term relationships. Liasons between members of rival tribes, however, tend to be fleeting at best. Still, even the Eagle can lie down with the Wolf, so to speak, though the results may prove disastrous.
Konovalev and Cloudchaser The Sixth Firetruce marked the first meeting of Alexandre Konovalev and Freya Cloudchaser. Konovalev was a young Blood Eagle prodigy, said to be a brilliant tactician and determined warrior. He had risen to the rank of Talon Prime in the Incarnate Vengeance Talon of the Marathon Pennant. Cloudchaser was a renowned duelist from the Starwolf’s Girru Bandai Pack, daughter of the Pack High Chieftain. The two are said to have met while on opposite sides of a tribal brawl. Another story says they met while fighting one another in a sandtrap, and later slipped away to share a bottle of Tirnathian froth brandy. Whatever the truth, the attraction between the two was clear, and they began a liason that continued beyond the Firetruce itself.
When Alexandre became Great Eagle in 3904, he proposed marriage to Freya as a way of bringing peace to the two rival tribes. The records of Alexandre’s communications leave no doubt as to his love of Freya, but they also hint at the madness that would later consume their relationship. Ironically, this gesture of reconciliation would provide the fuel for an even more terrible conflict between the Blood Eagle and the Starwolf. Had Konovalev not married Cloudchaser, it is possible the Children’s efforts to mediate would have succeeded, and the fate of the wilderzone would not have rested in the hearts of star-crossed lovers. Space Travel and Combat
Xavier-Ryu, Ion, and Reaction Drives: Motive Technologies
The nature of interstellar warfare demands powerful drive systems. As in most other areas, the wilderzone features an eclectic variety of technologies to propel ships between stars.
Xavier-Ryu Warp Drive The Xavier-Ryu gravity-warping drive is the primary method of transportation in the wilderzone. The X-R was humanity’s first “stardrive,” and has been used ever since the days of the Chase. These warp drives are powerful tools, but bulky and large. The smallest X-R drives mass about fifty metric tons, with mass and volume increasing geometrically with the amount of force the drive will be required to produce in sub-light mode. Modern X-R drives have three settings.
Faster-Than-Light This was the original setting for the Xavier-Ryu drive, and allows faster than light travel in the absence of a jumpgate. The drive traps a pocket of normal space in a powerful bubble-shaped gravity field. The ship lies at rest in this pocket. The gravitational force created by an X-R drive in FTL mode is so strong that the bubble is essentially a pocket of non-Einsteinian space. This means that the pocket can be accelerated nearly instantly to velocities faster than light. The field harmonics of tribal X-R drives allow them to produce FTL velocities from 56c to 169c - that is, a maximum velocity of one parsec per week. It is important to note that an X-R drive can only produce a given range of velocities. It is impossible, for instance, for a tribal X-R to produce a velocity of twice light-speed. Doing so would rip the generator - and the ship along with it - to shreds. FTL mode is only used between star systems, for several reasons. First, the enormously powerful gravitational bubble blinds all sensor systems and makes fire into and out of the bubble impossible. A ship under FTL drive has no connection with the outside world. While this effect has enormous tactical potential in theory, practically speaking it is more of a liability than an asset in combat. Interference between the X-R drive and the local star’s gravity well would blow the drive nanoseconds after activation in FTL mode, leaving the ship crippled and helpless. It becomes safe to use an X-R drive in FTL mode about forty light minutes from a system, depending on the mass of the local sun. While such “microjumps” are used occasionally as evasive maneuvers, tribal skippers generally consider the cost of destroying their ship’s primary mode of locomotion great enough that the microjump escape is used only as an absolute last resort. Moreover, FTL jumps only take place along straight lines - FTL navigation consists of dropping out of warp and re-entering along a different vector. A moderately skilled tactical officer can thus predict the terminus of a microjump fairly accurately; the maneuver is successful as an escape only if the enemy skipper is unwilling to subject his vessel to the same stress as the fleeing one. A peculiar side effect of FTL travel with X-R drives is the so-called “FTL boom.” As a ship travels between stars its grav envelope encounters radiation and particles that get trapped on the surface of the bubble by the gravitational forces. When the ship drops its bubble and drops to sublight speeds, these cosmic rays and particles are released at light-speed along a cone centered on the path of the ship. This advance warning of a ship finishing an FTL journey is a serious tactical consideration, since the boom is quite distinctive and can easily ruin a clever skipper’s attempt to enter a system undetected. Astrogators generally try to end their FTL journeys on a vector that will direct the boom away from the areas of a system where enemy ships are expected to be, but it is of course impossible to predict where enemy vessels will be with absolute certainty. Sub-light This is the most common setting for X-R drives in the modern era. Miniature X-R drives only capable of sub-light settings are referred to as “grav drives” instead of “warp drives.” As Xavier and Ryu’s work was improved upon by successive generations of scientists, it became feasible to manufacture warp drives that could operate in a range of harmonics that allowed for sub-light travel. In sublight mode the drive operates very similarly to a spinfusor. The drive produces a powerful gravity source along the desired axis of travel, accelerating the ship towards the source like an animal chasing a carrot attached to a rod tied to its back. The ship is continually “falling” in the desired direction. This means that X-R drives in sublight mode are essentially very powerful thrusters. X-R drives offer several advantages over conventional thrusters, however. Compared to reaction thrusters they are very fuel efficient, although not quite as efficient as ion thrusters. Unlike ion thrusters, however, X-R drives can produce their thrust at any angle. Finally, they are capable of producing far more raw force than either ion or reaction thrusters. Depending on the size, mass, and make of the drive, an X-R in sublight mode can produce accelerations of anywhere from 300 to 600 gees for a typical starship. The amount of thrust a warp drive can produce in sub-light mode varies inversely with the square of the distance to local gravity wells. That is, the closer a ship gets to a planet or star, the less power its drive can provide without tearing itself apart due to interference with other gravity wells. By the time a ship is in orbit, its X-R drive is all but useless. Jump A jumpgate normally exists in space as a small aperture; large jumpgates have realspace apertures only a few microns across. This is far too small for a ship to pass through. Xavier-Ryu drives can be set to “pulse” a jumpgate with a powerful gravitic wave that opens the gate to a blazing disk up to hundreds of kilometers across. The gate will remain open for approximately ten minutes between pulses. While this means that any warp-capable ship can enter a jumpgate, it is important to note that X-R drives in jump mode have severe limitations. First, the range of the warp drive in jump mode is very short. The most powerful tribal warp drives cannot open a gate at ranges longer than 100 kilometers. This means that careful timing of the warp drive is necessary if a jumpgate is to be entered at high velocity. Second, a warp drive in jump mode cannot select threads. The jumpgate may be opened, but any object passing through it will travel down the same thread as the last object. To change a jumpgate’s active thread requires a spindle array.
Spindle Arrays and Hyperweb Travel Spindle arrays are not, strictly speaking, drive technologies. These long, finger-like projections from a ship’s hull are used to switch the active thread of a jumpgate. Spindle arrays are massive, bulky, and fragile. They are by far the most delicate part of a ship’s hull. Unfortunately, the arrays can be sheltered only so much, because they must physically enter the disk of an open jumpgate to accomplish their work. Retractable spindle arrays are possible, but rare. Spindle array size increases with the length of the thread they will be switching. Spindle arrays are expensive to manufacture even in small forms, so most tribes have a policy of creating spindle arrays capable of handling large threads; the marginal cost for increasing a spindle’s size is small compared to the initial cost of building a spindle in the first place. The standard benchmark is for a spindle array to be able to handle a thread of 20,000 light years - resulting in a spindle of about 400 meters in length. The size of each individual spindle can be reduced by adding more spindles to the array; a “standard” (20,000 LY) array requires 1600 meters of spindle, but if the array includes eight spindles each need only be 200 meters long. Because size is only loosely related to the expense of producing a spindle array, most arrays consist of four or less spindles. Having large numbers of spindles makes the most sense on warcraft, who naturally wish to minimize the size of these delicate components to shield them as much as possible from enemy fire. For a spindle array to be active, it must be in free contact with the thread and within one hundred kilometers of the terminus. A ship can switch threads only during the first and last one hundred kilometers of its journey; this tactic is sometimes used by spindleships to avoid an ambush or evade pursuit. A spindle array that is retracted or folded against a hull will not work, because the hull is in contact with the array. The area of spindle that must contact the thread depends on the size of the thread - for a 20,000 light year thread, for instance, requires 1600 meters of spindle in unobstructed contact with the thread. Technically speaking, a thread requires a certain area of spindle in contact with it. However, spindle arrays must be manufactured to exacting specifications; spindles are shaped like a trapezoidal prisms with a fixed relationship between dimensions. For this reason, thread requirements are given in length instead of area as a matter of course. The mechanics of hyperweb travel are not thoroughly understood, since the method of the web’s manufacture remains a mystery. What is known is that a thread compresses the distance between two points into a much smaller distance. Thus a ship traveling a thread experiences a much smaller distance than the thread appears to span in normal space. It is important to note that ships traveling a thread observe themselves as moving at sublight velocities. Maximum velocity in a thread for a ship is .8c, while electromagnetic waves can still move at lightspeed. This is why hypercast is a faster mode of communication than couriers - the radio waves simply move through the hyperweb faster. The time it takes for a ship to move through a thread, however, is relatively low, and given by Laschetecher’s First Law: time is equal to the “length” of the thread (that is, the distance between entrance and exit points in real time) divided by the square of the velocity of the ship in the thread. Thus, a ship traveling a 10,000 light-year thread at .8c will arrive at its destination in a mere twenty-two minutes. A radio message would arrive in eighteen. Needless to say, most skippers feel that the faster a ship can move through a thread, the better. Skilled warp drive and spindle array crews, working as a team, can coordinate their efforts to pulse a jumpgate and select the proper thread moving at breakneck speeds. This maneuver is generally considered risky, however, since if the ship overshoots the jumpgate before it is fully opened, or the spindle array techs are a just a little slow in selecting the wrong thread, much valuable time can be lost as the ship turns around to correct its error. In a combat situation such bungled jumps can have disastrous consequences. Most skippers make hyperweb translations at much lower speeds because of this. Unfortunately, ships without spindle arrays cannot accelerate inside a thread. That means that ships with X-R drives who make jumpgate translations travel the thread at the same speed they enter it - and that warp capable ships must either attempt a high-speed jump or settle for much longer transit times than a spindleship. Spindle arrays allow acceleration by Laschetecher’s Second Law: spindle acceleration is equal to the maximum acceleration of the ship’s warp drive in sub-light mode squared. It is important to note that Laschetecher’s laws describe the effects of jumpgate travel, rather than the actual mechanics. A ship capable of accelerating at 600 gees in normal space does not actually accelerate at 360,000 gees in a thread; that would override even Imperial acceleration compensators and turn the crew of a spindleship into unrecognizable goo from the gee forces. However, relative to an observer outside the thread, the ship behaves as if it is accelerating at 360,000 gees. This makes web capable ships much more convenient to use in jumpgate transits, since they can accelerate to the maximum thread velocity of .8c in mere minutes and travel the thread essentially instantaneously even if they enter it at close to a dead stop. The ability to vary one’s acceleration with a spindle array also allows warships to lay in wait in a thread, awaiting information from advance scouts before committing to exiting the thread.
Hazards of the Hyperweb Though space travel is fraught with peril because of the sheer number of components aboard a starship, there are two dangers spindleship skippers must be especially wary of. The first of these are fluxstorms, energetic discharges that occasionally inhabit threads. The causes of fluxstorms are unknown, and little definitive research has been done on the phenomena because they are so dangerous. When a ship encounters a fluxstorm in a thread the results can be spectacular. The faster a ship is moving, the more havoc a fluxstorm tends to wreak - at best, a spindle or two may be blown; at worst, the ship can be ripped to shreds. If a craft is equipped with spindle arrays, it has limited steering capability within the confines of the thread. The average thread is a mere thousand kilometers in diameter, however, so it is not uncommon for fluxstorms to span the entire thread. If a ship cannot avoid a storm, it is best to pass through it at low velocity. Fluxstorms are another hazard that make stringers wary of using merely warp-capable ships in threads, since a ship without a spindle array cannot even slow down to avoid a fluxstorm. The other hazard peculiar to the hyperweb is collisions. On the scale of space a thread is a very narrow tunnel, and spindleships tend to travel them at very high speeds. Usually collisions can be avoided, since most spindleships are civilian transports and travel threads at an agreed-upon standard velocity of .65c. If all traffic moving through a thread is moving at the same velocity the odds of a collision are very low, especially since spindleships can steer to avoid oncoming traffic. The odds of collision are slightly greater at the realspace termini of a thread, but since exiting ships must pulse a jumpgate to open a sufficiently wide exit point the traveling ship usually has plenty of warning that traffic is waiting to enter the gate. Because of Laschetecher’s Second and Third Laws, a web capable ship in a thread has far more maneuvering power than it would normally have. According to stringer custom, the onus for avoiding a collision is always on the ship exiting the thread rather than the ships waiting to enter the thread.
Ion Thrusters Ion thrusters (or “ion-grav drives”) are a hybrid technology similar to tribal battle armor jets. Thrust is accomplished by expelling heavy-element ions through a charged grating, and a gravitic inertial enhancer is used to amplify the thrust far beyond that of a pure ion drive. Sometimes a magnetic sail is added to further augment the drive’s effectiveness, essentially allowing the ship to surf its own drive. Ion thrusters are by far the most fuel efficient drive system in the wilderzone, making them popular for use on fighters. They do not offer the maneuverability of a grav drive, since the thrust ports must be physically moved to alter the direction of thrust. To make up for this, most ships with ion drives mount secondary “maneuvering thrusters” at various angles and places along the ship’s hull. Ion maneuvering thrusters are also common with small and medium warcraft as station-keeping and maneuvering-thrusters. Delicate maneuvers like docking require a level of finesse that grav drives cannot provide close to a gravity well, so a secondary set of thrusters is necessary. Unlike warp drives, ion thruster systems are small enough to be mounted on starfighters. They cannot produce the raw power of a warp drive, but because the ships they propel are usually much smaller than warp-capable vessels they are capable of producing higher accelerations. A typical ion thruster vessel is capable of anywhere from 450 to 800 gravities of acceleration. Despite these impressive figures, a grav drive would be capable of even greater accelerations on a fighter-sized craft. The reason that most fighters mount ion drives instead of grav drives is related to the interference problems grav drives experience in the presence of gravity wells. The performance of an ion drive is degraded somewhat by the proximity of other gravity wells, but not by much. Since most fighters are designed to operate close to planets by astronomical distances, ion drives allow them to remain nimble when grav-drive ships have become sluggish and lumbering. Moreover, ion drives are cheaper than grav drives, which is always considered a plus from the standpoint of tribes’ fragile economies.
Reaction Thrusters Reaction thrusters are the most primitive drives in the wilderzone, or indeed all of human- inhabited space. These systems are simply refined versions of rocket engines, which expel exhaust through a nozzle of some sort to produce thrust by equal and opposite reactions. They are extremely fuel inefficient, and far weaker than either ion or grav drives. On very large warcraft reaction thrusters are sometimes used as maneuvering thrusters. Very large cruisers or transports require too much force from ion-grav systems to use those as maneuvering thrusters, since the size of the thrusters would render their gravitic inertial enhancers clumsy and imprecise in the presence of a nearby gravity well. This leaves reaction thrusters become the only viable alternative for such vessels. This makes very large craft particularly unwieldy as range to a planet or star decreases. The only real benefit to reaction thrusters is that they are cheap. Purely atmospheric fighters can often get away with reaction thrusters and still claim a quite satisfactory 400 gees of acceleration, although they have very short legs at such high thrust settings. More often, reaction thrusters are used on missiles. The primary virtue of missiles as a propelled weapon is their low cost, so it makes sense to provide them with cheap reaction thrusters for steering purposes only.
Shields and Electronic Warfare: Detection and Defensive Technologies
Since the earliest days of space combat using reaction thrusters in the Sol system, space combat has been fundamentally about detection. With modern grav-drives and ion thrusters the scale of black- ocean warfare has only increased. The first steps in the deadly dance of space combat always focus on detection. Only after a foe has been located with pinpoint accuracy can energy weapons and guided projectiles be brought to bear. Tribal skippers who are skilled at this “sensor combat” gain the greatest respect. Although sneak attacks may be considered cowardly in ground combat, they are applauded by tribal convention in space warfare as commendable displays of skill. A pulse sensor is just as much a weapon to a spacer as a spinfusor is to an infantryman. Spacers divide sensors into three categories: pulse sensors, gravitic sensors, and ladar.
Pulse Sensors “Pulsers” are simple devices, nearly identical to the pulse sensors used in ground combat. These sensors blanket the EM spectrum in radiation, from the low radio waves to the high-frequency gamma waves. The EM waves bounce off of objects like asteroids and spacecraft, and since they move at the speed of light a pulse sensor can determine range by the time between a wave emitted and the time the “echo” was received. This wide-spectrum approach precludes detection by Doppler shift, but pulse sensors are sensitive enough that this is rarely a problem. Because they transmit over such a wide range of frequencies, pulse sensors are difficult to jam. Avoiding detection by pulse sensor using a ship’s passive electronic counter-measures suite is considered a high art by spacers. Pulse sensors are reliable out to a range of about one light-minute, or eighteen million kilometers. However, a skilled crew with a military-grade ECM suite may avoid detection by pulser until the range is as low as three hundred thousand kilometers or less. When it is absolutely imperative that a ship not be detected, multi-phasic cloaks can be brought into play. MPCs are essentially large-scale versions of infantry pulse sensor jammers. Powered by the ship’s onboard fusion plant, a starship can maintain its MPC essentially indefinitely. The cloak makes the ship invisible to detection by pulse sensors, although it will not stop ladar. Full-spectrum (“true invisibility”) cloaks are actually less sophisticated than MPCs, but most skippers consider them impractical. Blocking even visible light makes it impossible for a ship to fire out, whereas a vessel under MPC can use its fire control. Detection by this method is very difficult, since an MPC blinds the cloaked ship’s pulse sensors as well as an enemy’s. Tactical officers must cast about in the dark using pencil-thin beams of light. The real advantage of an MPC over traditional ECM is that a ship under a multi-phasic cloak is invisible to pulse sensors. Traditional ECM creates a large area of electromagnetic “white noise” that allows the jamming ship to see out with its own pulse sensors but gives away its general location. Carefully modulated ECM can be made to look like the background radiation of space to a certain extent, while poorly handled ECM will alert potential targets to the jamming ship’s presence and usually cause a frantic ladar search of the jamming’s area of effect. MPCs require no skill to use and cause the cloaked vessel to simply drop off of enemy pulser screens. Despite their impressive-sounding maximum range, pulsers are really only accurate at ranges of a few light-seconds. At eighteen million kilometers, information received by a pulse sensor is two minutes old. By that time a contact is far away from where the sensor originally detected it.
Gravitic Sensors Gravitics are the second category of long-range sensors in the wilderzone. Like ancient pulse radar, pulse sensors are best suited to determining a target’s location. The advent of the pulse sensor, with its full-spectrum emissions, made Doppler-shift sensor systems obsolete. Unfortunately, Doppler systems are far better at determining information like a target’s speed. Gravitic sensors fill the hole left by the obsolescence of Doppler sensors. Gravitic systems detect the gravity wells generated by a ship and the ship’s grav-drive. Gravitics are reliable out to about 25 million kilometers - a little less than one and a half light-minutes - but since they receive their information at lightspeed as well they are subject to the same data lag that pulse sensors are. All warcraft include powerful T-grav ECM suites to reduce their gravitic signature. This is more of a brute-power approach than avoiding pulser detection, but the skill is no less important in a tactical officer. The difficulty with gravitic sensors is that they are notoriously specialized. Because they are essentially passive systems, gravitic arrays receive a constant flow of information that makes them well suited to determining heading, bearing, speed, and similar data. However, gravitics are far less capable than a pulse sensor at detecting range. A planet at very long range may have the same gravitic signature as a corvette at very short range, or vice-versa. The best way to discriminate between two such similar objects would be velocity, so vessels attempting to blend into the gravitic signature of an object in space must be careful to match velocity relative to any observing vessels. T-grav ECM is significantly different from the counter-measures used against pulsers. T-grav nullifies all or a portion of a ship’s gravitic signature by matching its N-wave emissions with antigravitons; more powerful suites are needed to eliminate more powerful signatures. However, if TGECM is not monitored it may end up giving away the ship’s position. If a ship is using a planet to hide its gravitic signature and turns its TGECM too high, the opposing ship will notice a “hole” in the planet’s gravitic signature that neatly pinpoints the hiding ship. Moreover, ECM crews must be careful of graviton-antigraviton annihilation: when the two particles collide in space they annihilate and produce high-energy light radiation, which can be detected on passive EM sensors. If a ship is massive enough it may not be able to completely mask its gravitic signature without creating a radiation “ghost.” These conflicting variables are one of the major reasons that countermeasures are still supervised by human operators. Because of this, the “terrain” of a solar system is a major part of gravitic sensor duels. For instance, an opponent in orbit around a planet has a pronounced disadvantage against a force rising from the planet’s surface. The planet’s mass provides a natural jamming effect that fills gravitic screens with a single massive contact. Starfighters especially are fond of positioning themselves to attack with a planet or sun at their back to mask their already small gravitic signatures. If no such natural cover is available, it is best to approach a ship along its axis of thrust. The target’s grav-drive provides some gravitic distortion. Although it is a relatively simple matter for gravitic sensor operators to compensate for their own drive’s gravitic signature, keeping a ship’s grav drive between it and oneself is better cover than none. LADAR This is an acronym for LAser Detection And Ranging. Ladar is similar to a pulse sensor, but instead of creating a wide-spectrum detection sphere, ladar continuously emits a very thin beam. The return echo for a ladar pulse is very precise, making ladar the preferred method of fire control in tribal navies. Once a target’s general position has been established with gravitic or pulse sensors, ladar is trained on it to gain a pinpoint fix on the target. Because ladar pulses travel at the speed of light, they are only useful for fire control at relatively short ranges. The generally accepted convention in the wilderzone is that ladar information is useless for fire-control purposes if it is over four seconds old (that is, targets at a distance of two light seconds). “Maximum range” for non-propelled weapons is generally defined as the distance a weapon can fire in two seconds. Because ladar beams are very thin, they can be dodged. Once a ship is hit with a ladar beam it generally engages in a series of evasive maneuvers in an attempt to break the fire-control lock. This is best done at relatively low velocities, which allow a ship to generate vector changes quickly. A ship moving at 40,000 kps may be difficult to pin down with a ladar beam, but once lock is achieved the targeted ship has a very difficult time deviating from its heading because it has so much momentum to overcome. This means that tribal space combat tends to take place at very low velocities. Of course, the preferred way to break a ladar lock is to destroy the lasing ship itself. A ship using ladar has created a laser-straight path back to itself, making it a simple matter for answering ladar operators to lock on to that ship. As both ships twist and turn in an attempt to break each others’ ladar locks, the ladar operators themselves must attempt to keep those locks despite the fact that both their own ship and the target are moving. At long ranges warcraft can maneuver for minutes at a time before firing a single shot. Weapons can be fired without a ladar lock, but the result tends to be wildly inaccurate except at very close ranges. The sheer scale of space combat means that a weapon can be only a fraction of a degree off and miss wildly, making very accurate fire control information a necessity. One of the major advantages starfighters have over warcraft is that their tiny size results in very low sensor profiles. Fighters can approach to such close ranges that they can engage without using ladar, giving them a major advantage over larger targets. Ace fighter pilots can even engage with the fuzzy data generated by gravitic sensors, without even alerting their targets by pulser emissions.
Passive Sensors “Passive sensors” refers to those sensors that are electromagnetic in nature but do not produce any emissions. Instead, these devices can detect pulse sensor and ladar emissions that strike them. They are less capable than pulsers at determining a target’s bearing and range, but a ship using its passive ECM and passive sensors can detect a ship using pulsers long before the passive ship is detected. This makes the judicious use of passive sensors an integral part of the sensor warfare that makes up most of space combat.
Shields Spacecraft shields are based on the same technology that battle armor uses, but a ship is a very different animal from a suit of battle armor, so there are a few important differences between battle armor and starship shields. Thresholds and Force Walls Battle armor shields work on a “minimum-maximum” threshold principle. A certain amount of energy is required for a contact to cause an armor’s shields to exert resistance. This is a practical model for infantry. If a shield went active every time a warrior attempted to put his foot down or grab a tree limb, battle armor would become more of a nuisance than a tool. Starships, of course, rarely have to come in contact with their surroundings. For this reason starship shields are designed to resist everything that comes in contact with them. This constant resistance-force gives rise to the term “force walls” to describe starship shields.
Burnout This difference in resistance models means that starship shields never “burn out” like battle armor shields do. An armor’s shield nodes exert more resistance as the energy of an attack increases, with no upward safety limit. This makes sense - after all, it is better for the node to burn out bleeding energy from an incoming attack than simply “give up” after a certain amount of resistance. It hardly benefits the warrior to have an intact shield node if the first attack kills him! Starship shields, however, exert a constant amount of resistance at all times. As a shield is forced to deal with attacks the energy used to maintain the shield bleeds away. Higher-energy attacks constitute a greater drain on the shield’s capacitor, which is constantly being recharged by the ship’s onboard fusion plant via the primary shield generator. Maintaining a lock on a target’s position is sufficiently difficult, and warcraft hulls sufficiently resilient, that it is usually considered better to save the physical shield generator than have it burn out after a certain amount of damage is absorbed. In the long run, this gives a starship more service from its shields than a battle-armor “burnout” operational model would. This means that starship shields can be overcome but never permanently destroyed in the sense that battle armor shield nodes can be physically destroyed. Starship shields recharge, given enough time. Battle armor nodes must be repaired.
Shield Geometry Battle armor nodes generate a shield around based on the node’s location - a node placed on the right arm, for instance, generates its shield around the right arm and the right arm’s firearm. If the node burns out another will extend its shield coverage to include that arm. Starship shields work on a similar model. A starship’s “force walls” are generated in a geometric pattern as follows: Rectangular shields have two walls. One wall covers the forward arc of the ship, and one wall covers the rear. Square shields have four walls: forward, rear, left, and right. Hexagonal shields have six walls: forward, rear, and two for each side. Octagonal shields have eight walls: forward, rear, left, right, and one wall between each of those. It should be noted that the term “force wall” is something of a misnomer. The tribes are more than capable of bending their starship shields to cover the dorsal and ventral aspects of a ship, as well as deforming the entire bubble to conform more closely to the skin of the starship. Shields also bend laterally - obviously a ship with a rectangular shield geometry is not unshielded to its left and right! A “wall” then is simply a segment of the overall shield bubble that absorbs energy from an attack without weakening its neighboring segments. If one wall is defeated, strength from the other force walls can be diverted to bring up the downed wall quickly. Because a starship’s shields must encompass all of the ship’s bulk the transfer can take a few seconds, but the system gives starships a great deal of defensive flexibility. Why Walls? Civilian observers sometimes wonder why starships bother with generating walls at all instead of a single shield bubble. The reason is that walls can be reinforced with energy from others. If all of a ship’s attackers are in its forward arc, the rear shields can be depleted to increase the capacity of the forward ones to absorb damage. At the same time, it is difficult for a ship’s attackers to concentrate their firepower, since they must be close together in order to fire on the same shield facing. This means that shield geometries with more facings are more powerful tactical tools. The larger the number of walls, the smaller volume of space each can be fired upon from. That means that shield power can be concentrated more effectively, as well as making it easier to force the enemy into dangerous maneuvers. If a ship is surrounded it can continually distribute its shield power equally among its walls, causing the walls to behave as if they were a single shield bubble.
Shield patterns Although walls can be manipulated to cover a ship’s whole volume in a quasi-spherical “bubble,” with screens stretching from the “north” to “south” poles of the bubble, that is not the ideal arrangement. Ideally, of course, a ship would have an infinite number of screens: each individual point on the shield bubble would have to be penetrated separately. Sadly, this feat of relative invulnerability is beyond even the reach of Imperial technology. The tribes content themselves with their four geometry patterns, with each increasing number of walls representing an increase in efficiency. However, those geometries describe walls arranged around the ship’s bow and flanks. In space, of course, ships must also worry about deflecting fire from above and below. Normally a ship’s side walls are bent to cover the dorsal and ventral aspects of the ships. Ideally, of course, the ventral and dorsal arcs would have their own set of shields. The tribes currently use three patterns of shields to deal with this problem: Alpha patterns are laterally-based. The side walls are deformed to cover the dorsal and ventral arcs of the ship. Fire taken from above or below is deflected by the same shield that would take fire from the side. Beta patterns are vertically based. Instead of a single set of side walls, the ship is protected by a set of ventral and dorsal shields that are deformed to cover the ship’s sides. Fire from the side is deflected by the same shield that would take fire from above or below. This arrangement is somewhat unusual. Gamma patterns are a combination of alpha and gamma patterns. The ship is protected by three sets of shields: above, below, and sides. Shield geometries cannot be mixed within a pattern - that is, a ship cannot have six walls above and only two below. The most powerful shield generators are those with an octagonal gamma configuration, protecting the ship with no less than twenty-four separate shields.
Trade-offs Unfortunately, higher-order patterns and more complex geometries require larger and heavier shield generators, as do generators that can support larger energy reserves for their shields. A shield generator is rated on five specifications: its geometry, its pattern, the overall energy reserve it can support (that is, how much damage its walls can absorb before they collapse and must be rebuilt), how fast it can distribute energy from one wall to another (“focus”), and how fast it can convert reactor power into shield energy. Each of these specifications requires an increase in mass and volume. Thus, generators must trade off between specifications. It is possible for a starfighter to have an octagonal gamma shield pattern, but its overall shield power will be less than an equivalent starfighter with a rectangular alpha pattern. The second fighter can devote the mass and volume savings of its less powerful geometry to a more powerful capacitor. Similar trade-offs must be made for recharge and focus rate. Absorbing damage Shields exist in space as bent planes of particles and force fields. Stronger shields have greater particle density and more energy in their fields; similarly, a reinforced wall has higher-energy screens than its neighbors. When a shield facing is attacked, it absorbs the energy of the attack and re-emits it into space as light and low-level gamma radiation. “Damage” to the shield occurs during the conversion process. No machine is 100% efficient, so as a shield converts an attack’s energy into light it loses some of its own field’s energy in the process. Shields are more or less resistant to an attack based on how efficiently they can convert that attack’s energy. Kinetic energy is extremely easy to dissipate, whereas thermal and electrical energy is more difficult. Lasers lie in between. In addition to the primary protective layer, starship shields include a series of secondary layers that serve to filter out photons with high energies through a two-step filter process. The first step is simple diffraction of the light, by holding the charged particles in each successive layer tighter together. This serves to diffract radiation in the ultraviolet bands and higher at nearly right angles, stripping incoming beams of intensity. The second mechanism alters the optical density of each successive layer to bend high-energy radiation away from the primary layer. This system makes starship shields virtually invulnerable to nuclear weapons, and completely invulnerable to antimatter, since matter-antimatter annihilation produces extremely high-energy radiation. At the same time, it reduces pulse sensor effectiveness, since nearly half of the electromagnetic spectrum is eliminated by these shields. This is rarely used as an evasive maneuver, since the shields themselves are detectable on passive EM sensors. It is primarily a hindrance; a captain about to bring his shields up must keep in mind that his pulse sensor effectiveness will suffer as a result. The reasons for this secondary technology are twofold. First, it serves to protect a ship’s crew and equipment from being continually bombarded by cosmic rays. Second, it makes electromagnetic pulse weaponry obsolete. Until the 33rd century EMP weapons were the most devastating anti-shield weapons in known space. It was only natural that military technology attempt to circumvent these weapons, a goal which was achieved with the so-called electrically grounded shield. The mechanism was very similar to modern layered shields, and used successive shield layers to filter out the most damaging radiation produced by an EMP. The result was that the most powerful EMP weapons became no more or less damaging than a simple laser; indeed, since EMP cannons fired electromagnetic shells with lower muzzle velocities than laser beams, those weapons became nearly obsolete. For the most part, this situation has remained to the present day. It was the Tribes of Man that revived the EMP concept with their inappropriately named ELF guns. These weapons emit showers of electromagnetic radiation tuned to the resonance frequency of a shield, causing walls to lose contact with their neighbors and collapse the bubble. Spacers refer to these weapons as ELF beams, since their radiation is in the visible light range and visible as a lightning-like discharge. ELF beams are relatively short ranged, need many seconds to do their work, and must be focused on a single shield facing to be effective. Nonetheless, they can be devastating in the hands of a skilled operator. Energy Weapons
Energy weapons, known to spacers as “beams” or “beamers,” are the predominant weapon in wilderzone space combat. The term “energy weapons” is actually something of a misnomer; tribal stringers include all ammunition-independent weapons in this class. Thus, while a fusion cannon may not actually fire a coherent beam of plasma, it is still referred to as a “beamer” because it has essentially infinite ammunition. The reason for the predominance of beamers in space combat is twofold. First, most beams have a much longer range than missiles or drones. The majority of beamers are relativistic weapons - that is, they fire their projectiles at light-speed or very near it. This gives them a much greater effective range than most projectile weapons. Even the best drones can never match the velocity of a laser beam. A ship armed exclusively with laser cannons may not be able to damage an enemy craft as quickly as a ship armed exclusively with missile launchers, but the laser-equipped craft will be able to engage its opponents at many times the range of the missile-equipped one. The second reason is economic. The cost of equipping a ship with even the cheapest missiles quickly adds up. By their very nature, energy weapons do not require logistical support. That makes them a cheaper and more convenient choice for the Tribes of Man, whose economies are generally hard-put to support web-capable navies even without worrying about expensive missile or torpedo complements. Indeed, the reluctance of tribal navies to use large amounts of missiles is a chief difference between the wilderzone and Imperial navies.
Following is a brief description of the energy weapons to be found on a tribal warcraft. It should be noted that the hitting power of the weapon is generally proportional to the size of the ship it is mounted on. A laser mounted on a corvette is rarely as powerful as a laser mounted on a hyper cruiser, because the cruiser’s beams have a much more powerful power plant to draw on.
Blasters In general, the wilderzone has an obsession with particle blasters that often strikes Imperial observers as ridiculous. Unlike the much more powerful compressed plasma or laser packets that typical Imperial blasters use, tribal weapons in this class fire compressed bolts of charged particles. The technology often strikes military analysts from the Empire as a throwback to the days of particle microbursters - another technology of which the tribes are uncommonly fond. Although this quaint bit of technological culture may seem at first unfounded, the tribes swear by their particle blasters. The reason is mostly grounded in the fact that charged-particle blasters are equally effective against armor and shields. Laser or plasma blasters, while providing greater overall damage potential, have a significant bias towards shield damage. For economies that strain sometimes to equip even a single destroyer, and a research establishment that lags behind the Empire’s in many areas, particle blasters are an attractive alternative to blaster technology. Tribal blasters fire packets of charged particles encased in an electromagnetic shell. The shell can then be accelerated to near-light speed - about .9c in most cases - via a conventional mass driver. The result is an eye-searing beam that is far more powerful than a laser of comparable mass and power requirements. These “compression blasters” have an effective range of up to two light-seconds, although they begin to degrade in power at a range of about 250,000 kilometers as the EM shell starts to break up and “leak” particles into space. Less common than the compression blaster is the auto blaster. This weapon is similar to the pulse blasters of previous eras. The auto blasters fire bolts of charged particles like their larger cousins, but at a much higher rate of fire. The automatic fire mechanism causes autoblasters to fire weaker bolts than compression blasters, and at a slower muzzle velocity - about .5c. Against other warcraft these weapons are generally considered a waste. However, against incoming missiles or attacking starfighters, autoblasters come into their own.
Lasers Lasers are the longest ranged weapons in space. Tribal space lasers generally incorporate a compression technology that tunes the laser to a frequency more effective against armor. The compression has the side effect of turning the laser into a sort of low-powered laser blaster. Lasers, like blasters, come in an automatic variety. Because gatling lasers fire less powerful bolts, they are mostly used against incoming missile fire and to augment other weapons. A typical gatling laser may be effective enough against a starfighter’s shielding, but its relatively weak bolts lack the strength to defeat the fighter’s armor without help. Larger compression lasers (the “compression” nomenclature remains as a tradition, despite the fact that gatling lasers fire compression lasers as well) have better luck against armor, but remain a primarily anti-shield weapon. Because gatling lasers do not suffer the muzzle velocity reduction that auto blasters do, the choice between a compression laser and a gatling laser becomes fairly academic. Gatling lasers are nearly as effective against shields as a compression laser, owing to their high rate of fire. Some tribes prefer the larger weapons for their nominal anti-armor capability; others prefer the dual-purpose gatling lasers for use as anti-shield and anti-missile weapons. A third type of laser is the so-called “wavelock laser.” The wavelock laser is an outgrowth of the fire-control ladar tribals use. Unlike a ladar, whose pulse is just powerful enough to locate an enemy’s position in space with pinpoint accuracy, a wavelock laser fires a pulse powerful enough to cause shield damage and even some armor damage. Because they fire a continuous beam, a wavelock laser is easy to aim and devastating against shields. Very large warcraft sometimes go so far as to use them in place of ladar! However, the enormous power requirements of a wavelock laser tend to preclude this system from widespread deployment.
Particle Weapons Particle guns in the traditional sense no longer exist in the wilderzone. The tribes have put so much work into refining their primitive compression blasters that the difference in damage potential between a burst of charged mesons and a burst of ions is essentially nonexistent. Indeed, the tribes’ “modern” compression blasters are more powerful than charged particle guns ever were. For this reason, the term “particle gun” in the wilderzone refers to what is more properly called a particle beam. The difference between a neutron beam and a particle blaster is subtle but significant. Instead of EM shells, particle beams generate an electromagnetic field in a cylindrical “tunnel” open at both ends. Tribal particle beams fire either neutrons or positrons down this tunnel at relativistic velocities. Of the two, positron beams are more damaging, both against shields and armor. The resulting weapon is an odd device, even more primitive to Imperial eyes than particle blasters. Tribal shields have only moderate difficulty stopping subatomic particles as massive as a neutron, and the electrical charge carried by a positron makes it equally repellant to shields. Without the compression provided by a full EM shell, these weapons have only limited utility against shields. The electrical charge on a positron makes it somewhat more effective than a neutron at damaging shields, but without the compression of a blaster even positrons have slight anti-shield capability. However, both weapons disrupt armor at the molecular level quite easily, and are the most popular tribal energy weapons for serious anti-armor work. Very large warcraft sometimes have the raw reactor power to support wavelock particle beams, the anti-armor counterpart to the wavelock laser. The main limitation for any particle beam lies in the tunnel it creates. The tunnel is not as stable as spherical shell, which limits the range of a particle beam despite its c-fractional muzzle velocity. Larger guns have more range owing to the greater amount of raw power they can use to create the tunnel; tribal particle beams have effective ranges of 80,000 kilometers to a full light-second.
Envelopers These weapons are not truly beams. Enveloper weapons fire large bursts of subatomic particles that use the shield bubble itself as a conductor. The blast hits all of a target’s screens at once, making these weapons popular with fighters or small warcraft that must swarm larger ships in combat. Envelopers fire electromagnetic shells like compression blasters, but the shell is much larger and has the low muzzle velocity of about .4c. This limits the effective range of envelopers to about 240,000 kilometers.
Plasma Guns Plasma guns are as popular, if not more so, than particle blasters in the wilderzone. The tribes use a form of fused plasma in all their plascannons, which makes these weapons behave very similarly to the plasma guns that battle armor infantry uses. A powerful core of negatively charged particles is injected into the plasma to keep the plasma particles from dispersing. The use of a charged core instead of an electromagnetic shell reduces dispersion at the point of impact, concentrating the force of the bolt on a smaller area for increased damage potential. Plasma guns can be accelerated via mass drivers just like blasters, but their muzzle velocity is much lower. Plasma beams, the most devastating weapons of this type, have a muzzle velocity of only .3c. This limits their effective range to about 180,000 kilometers and lower. Plasma gatling guns can accelerate their bolts only to about .2c, making these weapons very short-reached indeed at about 120,000 kilometers of maximum range. Although plasma has a slight anti-shield bias in its damage curve, these weapons are essentially equally effective against both shields and armor. Plasma beams fire coherent streams of plasma, making them devastating weapons for close range engagements. However, these weapons tend to be large and bulky, so they are rarely found on fighters. Fighter-mounted plasma beams are referred to as “borers,” large-bore weapons that sacrifice a regular beam’s muzzle velocity for sheer volume of plasma flow. Plasma gatling systems, with their much higher rates of fire, are more suited to the short ranges of fighter dogfights. Plasma gatling guns are mainstays of the Children of Phoenix’s fighter forces. Autocannons Autocannons are rarely found in space combat. At a range of even a thousand kilometers an autocannon has difficulty finding its mark. Even the most powerful autocannon can only achieve muzzle velocities of about Mach 200, which is only .0002c. Moreover, the weapons are ammunition- based, which adds tremendously to their bulk. For these reasons autocannons are never found on warcraft. Nonetheless, occasionally autocannons find themselves deployed on starfighters. On a kilo-for- kilo basis, ATC shells are far more deadly than any drone or missile. They are also excellent ground support weapons. Fighter pilots whose mounts are equipped with autocannons tend to be uncommonly fond of the weapons. Pilots speak of their “autos,” “pulse guns,” “slashers,” or “shredders” almost as if the ballistic weapons were pets. A typical starfighter autocannon is a hybrid of gravitic and electromagnetic acceleration that produces muzzle velocities of about 20 kilometers per second, although very large autocannons can produce velocities of up to 70 kps. On the scale of space combat autocannons are hopelessly slow, and even with the ability to churn out 2000 or more rounds per second, ATC-equipped starfighters only use the weapons in low-speed engagements. In deep space one almost never encounters these weapons. ATCs can fire a wide variety of shells, which undoubtedly contributes to their popularity with pilots. The most common form of ammunition is some simple thermal high explosive like the ZJ-90 found in tribal spinfusors. These shells are effective against both armor and shields, although it takes many shells to equal the effect of a missile barrage. Antimatter shells are used for exclusive anti-armor operations; an AM shell is approximately six times as effective against armor as a THE shell of equivalent size. Finally, some autocannons are optimized for use against shields. So-called “thunder” or “hyper-flux” shells substitute an explosive payload for an electron-flux generator. A storm of such shells acts like an ELF gun or skytrop barrage, weakening the enemy’s shields at the point of contact to allow more powerful anti-armor weapons through. A popular ground-support form of this last ammunition type is the electro flechette canister. This makes an autocannon an near carbon-copy of the tribal chaingun. EF ammunition spews forth clouds of electrically charged flechettes that can sweep wide cones of terrain.
Missiles, Torpedoes, and Drones: Ranged Combat Technologies
Although energy weapons dominate tribal space warfare, missiles and other propelled weapons do have their place in tribal space combat. These weapons can offer greater hitting power at close ranges, or standoff capability at extreme range. Propelled ordinance in tribal arsenals comes in three varieties: missiles, torpedoes, and drones.
Types of Warheads The tribes generally restrict themselves to a few types of warheads. In contrast to the thermal high explosive warheads tribal ground-based rocket systems like the Diogenes turret features, most space warheads are energy-based. In small propelled weapons the power for such warheads often comes from a simple energy cell. Larger warheads can be powered by onboard fusion reactors or even, in the most extreme cases, antimatter reactions. As a general rule of thumb, larger weapons have more powerful warheads. A laser head mounted on a 50 kg missile, therefore, is nowhere near as powerful as a laser mounted on a two-ton torpedo. Thermal High Explosive warheads are similar in effect to tribal spinfusors and rockets. The explosive used is highly exothermic, and equally effective against armor and shields. Advantages: Splash damage without causing excessive collateral damage; useful for ground support missions. Cheap to produce. Disadvantages: Generally less effective than other types of warheads. Requires warhead to impact the target. Plasma warheads come in two varieties. Plasma field warheads generate a field of high-energy plasma that sheaths the weapon. Such weapons are highly effective at penetrating shields and armor alike. The second type uses a fused-plasma charge that detonates like a plascannon. Advantages: High damage potential, effective against both shields and armor. Plasma charges are good anti-infantry weapons. Disadvantages: Little splash effect with plasma fields, while plasma charges are less effective against ships. Requires warhead to physically impact the target. Laser warheads also come in two varieties. Some fire a single beam along the weapon’s axis of travel, while others scatter dozens of less powerful beams in every direction. In order to get maximum power, the laser bolt is compressed slightly with an electromagnetic field. Because the field degrades over distance, laser warheads lose power at ranges over one light second. Advantages: Longest-ranged of all warheads. The weapon need not actually impact the target; laser warheads detonate at ranges of about 30,000 kilometers. Laser clusters can be used to detonate behind a target, striking the potentially less powerful rear shields. Disadvantages: Not very effective against infantry; relatively ineffective against armor. Blaster warheads are similar to lasers in most respects, and come in both the single-beam and cluster variety. They are based around the tribes’ signature particle blaster technology. In essence, a starship blaster is a particle beam that has been compressed so tightly that it is very nearly a single point in space. The effect is similar to that found in SCARAB war blasters, but the smaller EM shell allows these compression blasters to fire at about .9c, giving them an effective range that rivals a laser’s. Blasters lose more power over distance, beginning their degradation at about 250,000 kilometers from the point of firing. Since blaster warheads detonate at 20,000 to 10,000 kilometers from their target, however, this is rarely much of a concern. Advantages: Long range. Weapon need not impact the target. More powerful than a laser; effective against both armor and shields. Disadvantages: Not very effective against infantry Antimatter warheads are powerful anti-armor weapons. They can gouge large holes out of starship hulls, since the reaction between the ship’s armor and the antimatter is what actually provides the explosive power. Advantages: Very powerful against armor. Disadvantages: Requires warhead to impact the target; totally ineffective against shields. Subatomic warheads utilize the shield screens as conductors, so that they envelope the entire shield bubble. Although the blasts of subatomic particles these weapons fire are very slow in comparison to compression lasers or blasters, they are stand-off weapons to a limited degree. An enveloper warhead will detonate at about five thousand kilometers and send its payload in an electromagnetic shell towards the target. More importantly, these weapons can make very effective warheads for fighters, since a hit on one side of the target benefits fighters that are maneuvering on the target’s other side. Advantages: Damages all shield locations at once. Significant area damage. Less effective against armor than antimatter, THE, or blasters but more powerful than a laser. Does not require warhead to impact the target. Disadvantages: Requires a great deal of energy to generate the enveloper pulse. Since damage is spread out across all of the target’s shield facings, enveloper warheads are less effective against a single screen than a directional blaster or laser warhead of similar size. ELF warheads are designed to weaken shields and play havoc with shipboard power grids. These weapons come in two varieties. The standard ELF warhead releases a powerful electromagnetic flux upon impact, weakening shields or causing momentary disruptions in power lines near the point of impact. ELF beams are found mostly in standoff drones as penetration aids due to their large mass. They emit a continual shower of EM energy against a shield, creating a resonance effect similar to that created by the tribal ELF gun. ELF beams Advantages: Capable of disrupting enemy fire and weakening shields. Often used in conjunction with antimatter warheads. Disadvantages: The effect of a single ELF missile is quickly shrugged off by modern shield technologies. The most powerful electromagnetic pulse is scarcely more effective than a much smaller one. Continual bombardment is required to drop a shield or create a long-term disruption in power grids. For this reason, ELF warheads are mostly found in large missile launchers that can disgorge their missiles in a ripple pattern, one after the other. ELF beams circumvent this problem, but are of limited effectiveness because of their proportionally greater mass and the fact that eventually the warhead impacts a shield. Gravitic imploder warheads are powerful weapons, popular with fighter pilots. A gravitic warhead generates a powerful gravity well that can literally rip armor off of a starship or warp a spaceframe. Gravitic warheads have the side effect of violently arresting the target’s movement, dragging it towards the detonation point. Imploders get their name from the effect of a direct hit. If a spaceframe is not capable of withstanding the stresses placed on it by a well-placed imploder, the craft will literally fold in on itself, crushing its occupants and mangling every system onboard. Advantages: Capable of antimatter-level effectiveness against armor. Popular for ground support missions because T-grav can narrow or widen the area of effect, whereas very powerful antimatter warheads are considered unsafe to use near friendly positions. Capable of shorting out a grav drive, leaving ships unable to maneuver effectively in space. Disadvantages: Less effective against shields than armor. Essentially requires the warhead to impact the target.
Missiles Missiles are the smallest of this class of weapons. Typical missiles can mass anywhere from fifty kilograms to half a metric ton. These weapons carry reaction drives for maneuvering purposes. Because their drives cannot produce enough sustained thrust to produce a meaningful velocity difference between their launch platform and themselves, missiles must gain their initial velocity boost from their launchers. Missile launchers come in two varieties:
Box launchers take up very little space - little more than the combined volume of the missiles. They propel their ordinance into space by producing a gravitic pulse that accelerates the weapon away from the launcher. Because the missiles receive only a single push, box-launched missiles have the lowest velocities of all tribal warheads. This limits their effective ranges to 100,000 kilometers or less in most engagements. Tube launchers are much longer than the missiles they launch. Missile tubes are powerful mass drivers that combine a gravitic pulse with electromagnetic acceleration down the length of the tube to produce much higher velocities than box launchers can achieve. Because of the greater volume of the tubes, however, ships that mount missile tubes can throw fewer missiles per salvo than a ship equipped with box launchers. This disadvantage is somewhat offset by the fact that tube-launched missiles’ greater velocities give them an effective range of about 250,000 kilometers in low-speed engagements.
Why missiles? The advantage of a missile lies in its low mass and volume. Ships can launch large salvos of missiles - large box launchers can incorporate up to one hundred missiles in a salvo, while tube clusters can carry as many as forty. Because these weapons add comparatively little to a warcraft’s mass and take up so little space, they can be carried in prodigious amounts. Furthermore, while missiles are slow, the sheer volume of warheads that a missile-equipped ship can put into space is capable of swamping almost any point defense system. There are simply too many of them to shoot down. Finally, because these weapons are little more than rockets with seeker heads and a payload, missiles are the economical choice for tribes who do not wish to devote great amounts of resources to their space forces. Missiles can mount laser, plasma, antimatter, ELF, high explosive, or subatomic warheads.
Torpedoes Torpedoes are larger than missiles and mount ion-grav drives. They are larger than missiles, massing anywhere from 750 kilos to two metric tons. This gives torpedoes a substantially heavier payload than most missiles. However, their larger size often seems to be a disadvantage. A single torpedo may be the size/mass equivalent of four missiles, and while the torpedo will localize its damage, making it more effective, the single warhead is more likely to be shot down than the four. Because of this, torpedoes are most popular on small craft like starfighters, who can close to very short ranges before releasing their weapons. Torpedoes can be launched in two ways:
Torpedo racks are little more than external hardpoints that the torpedo is mounted on. This arrangement is most common on fighters, although small warcraft sometimes jury-rig torpedo racks to augment their firepower. Rack-launched torpedoes have no velocity boost except from their onboard ion-gravity drives. These drives are powerful enough to provide up to 600 gravities of acceleration, and have enough endurance to give rack-launched torpedoes ranges of about half a light second. Torpedo tubes are similar to missile tubes, but much larger. A torpedo tube may be as long as thirty meters, and seldom is one found that is shorter than fifteen. The combination of the accelerated pulse tube and the torpedo’s own drive, however, means that the outside effective range of these weapons can nearly rival a laser’s: about 500,000 kilometers.
Why torpedoes? Torpedoes are somewhat uncommon on spindle array-equipped warcraft. Although they have a theoretical effective range of almost two light seconds when fired from a tube, they are insufficiently fast to avoid being shot down during the flight to the target. Warcraft that want a long-ranged weapon usually take standoff drones, while missiles provide a more economical close-range firepower boost. Because of this, torpedoes are most common on starfighters. At close ranges, torpedoes are much more deadly an equivalent mass of missiles, and their relatively high accelerations mean that at close range point defense lasers have little chance to shoot them down. However, torpedoes do have two unique advantages to recommend them. For one thing, torpedoes can mount laser, plasma, antimatter, subatomic, ELF, high explosive, subatomic, or gravitic imploder warheads. Imploder torpedoes are quite popular with some units because of their ability to both cripple and destroy, and it is generally considered a waste to mount such warheads on a drone. Because of their hybrid drives, torpedoes can also be used very close to a gravity well - making them popular with inner-system craft like corvettes and starfighters.
Drones Drones are the largest class of propelled ordinance to be found in the tribal arsenals. They can mass anywhere from two to sixty tons. Although few are capable of faster-than-light travel, all drones carry gravity-warping drives that give them powerful accelerations. These weapons are very large and can only be launched from accelerated pulse tubes. They generally have ranges on the order of one to two million kilometers. Drones come in several varieties:
Reconnaissance drones carry sophisticated sensor packages and communication lasers. They are small enough to avoid being detected by pulse sensors except at very close ranges - good quality recon drones are can remain undetected as close to the enemy as a thousand kilometers. These units can be used to gain first-hand intelligence of an enemy from far beyond engagement range. Alternately, a warcraft can shut down all of its emissions and deploy recon drones to provide it with sensor capability without giving away its position. Electronic warfare drones carry multiphasic cloaks, ELF beams, and a variety of gravitic and pulse sensor jammers to foul enemy sensors and allow friendly ships to approach without being detected by the enemy. Although an enemy being assaulted by EW drones will know that an attack is probably coming, the drones generally make it difficult for him to ascertain exactly where the attack is coming from. EW drones can also be used to augment point defense by locking ELF beams onto incoming torpedoes or drones and fouling their onboard electronics. They can even be programmed to mimic the sensor profile of warcraft many times their size, although only the largest drones can mimic very large ships for power requirement reasons. Courier drones are automated radios with grav drives attached. They are used to send a radio message through a jumpgate without using the local antipodal relay (important when that relay belongs to an enemy) or dispatch an HCAR message without drawing the mothership off station. Courier drones can even be sent through a jumpgate to transmit their messages, although using them in that capacity means that the message will be broadcast for all to hear. Because they cannot mount spindle arrays, courier drones cannot make full use of a jumpgate’s threads. Courier drones are therefore capable of ordering friendly antipodal relays to select the proper thread in advance when security concerns mandate that the drone transit a thread. Bombardment drones are special warheads used to attack a planet from orbit. A planet’s atmosphere will diffuse energy beams, and the friction of reentry will generally destroy a missile or torpedo. Bombardment drones are specially fitted with ion-grav drives and designed to execute careful
reentry maneuvers that allow them to enter the atmosphere with their payload intact and deliver it to groundside targets. Standoff drones are essentially very large torpedoes. Their powerful grav drives can give them accelerations of up to 6000 gravities, giving them very long range. Moreover, their large masses give them room for devastating payloads. Why drones? In a combat sense, drones can do something that no other form of weapon can. Bombardment drones can execute precision orbital strikes, while SDs give a warcraft an extremely long reach. The true value of an SD or BD, however, lies in its prodigious size compared to other forms of propelled ordinance. Even with the mass requirements of their special grav drives, drones can mount payloads many times the size of the largest torpedo. Alternately, the size of the payload can be downgraded to allow extra equipment to be packed into the drone body. A drone with a torpedo-sized warhead might also mount a multiphasic cloak, small shield generator, and its own ELF beam to aid in penetrating the enemy’s shields. Drones, like torpedoes, can mount any type of warhead. The down side to drones is twofold. First, they are very large, so a ship can only carry a few of them. Since most warcraft carry at least one courier drone, several recon drones, and perhaps a few EW drones, it is usually prohibitive to dedicate mass and volume to a battery of standoff drones with sufficient reloads. Second, drones are many times as expensive on a per-kilogram basis compared to torpedoes or missiles. A sixty-ton drone might cost eight to ten times as much as sixty tons of torpedoes. Because of this, most tribes reserve deployment of drone-equipped ships for very serious occasions.
Propelled Ordinance in a Ground Support Role Except for standoff drones, all propelled ordinance can be used in a ground support role. The most popular ground-support warheads are THE, plasma, and imploders. THE weapons are most common close-support missions. SCARABs are generally comfortable operating close to explosives, since many common hand weapons utilize that technology. Moreover, of the three most common ground support warheads, THE offers the maximum amount of firepower per cubic meter of effective volume. Other weapons may be more powerful, but they generally require a larger area of effect. When a fighter pilot makes a run in support of friendly infantry that is important, because it allows the SCARABs to follow as closely as possible on the heels of his warheads. In the ground-support role, plasma warheads are generally of the plasma charge variety. These weapons are akin to dropping an enormously powerful plascannon bolt on the target. A small salvo of such missiles is far more effective than old-fashioned flammable liquid weapons like napalm. Plasma warheads are used primarily in preparation for ground assault. Their larger, more powerful warheads allow them to deal more damage to a greater area, and using them when no friendlies are present ensures that their fury will not harm friendly warriors. Gravitic torpedoes are popular with pilots for shooting down enemy dropships. Too big to launch in most ground-based batteries, even the largest fighters can only carry a few imploder torpedoes. Although these weapons are quite capable of being used against ground targets, most pilots consider them too valuable for that role. Instead, they are used as quick, one-shot kills against small dropships or other fighters. With the recent escalation of hostilities in the wilderzone, however, the richer tribes are experimenting with using gravitic torpedoes in a ground-support role once more. Several field trials have indicated that imploders would be highly effective against HERCs and grav tanks. Even if the vehicle is not killed outright, the imploder generally brings it to a crashing halt. In field tests with training rounds, several HERCs have actually been flipped on their heads by near-miss imploders. The Role of Fighters For the most part, the tribes consider ground combat the realm of SCARABs. Most tribes use small support vehicles - wheeled or tracked vehicles, and even low-level fliers with ion-grav drives are fairly common. True close-infantry support has traditionally been provided by grav tanks. Generally faster than infantry vehicles like scout bikes or flying personnel carriers, and sporting shields and heavy weapons, grav-tanks tend to operate in the wilderzone like pre-Fire helicopters. Hovering on their T- grav, and with a maneuverability that even starfighters cannot match, grav tanks are the preferred method of supporting infantry with heavy firepower. Observers frequently point out that starfighters are just as capable of hovering as a grav-tank, and even mount heavier weaponry. While this is true, three considerations tend to keep starfighters from remaining stationary on the battlefield. First, on a kilo-for-kilo basis, a grav tank is cheaper to operate than a starfighter in atmosphere. The tribes find both types of vehicles distastefully resource- intensive, so they prefer to keep their starfighters from spending prolonged periods in the field. Second, even starfighters can be shot down by SCARABs. Not only is the loss of a fighter to infantry a source of considerable shame for the pilot, it is considered a shamefully wasteful use of resources. Third, while there is nothing in the Tenets that specifically proscribes the use of fighters in support of ground troops, almost all tribes seem to view the practice as criminally unfair. That my strike an Imperial observer as an absurd tactical consideration, but the tribes take it very seriously. Ritualized warfare like their Banner Coup contests is more than just a quaint entertainment: it reflects an institutional reverence for fairness in combat. Because of these considerations, starfighters are usually called down from orbit or from their planetside bases by infantry commanders only when sorely outclassed. The fighters make a low- altitude, high-velocity approach against a target designated by the friendly senior officer on the ground. They release their ordinance and peel away. If the situation warrants it they will sometimes make another run.
The Role of Warcraft Although kinetic strikes from orbit, or even outside a planet’s orbit, are possible with good enough sensor data, these methods of warcraft support are generally avoided by the tribes. The use of orbital strikes against holdfasts is specifically forbidden by the Tenets, as is the use of extra-orbital strikes. Mass drivers used from orbit are permitted, but rarely used. The reason for this is twofold. First, it is extremely dangerous for any warcraft, even a destroyer, to enter a hostile world’s gravity well. Enemy fighters possess a significant advantage over warcraft in orbit owing to their far greater maneuverability and the fact that the background of the planet’s mass hides them from hostile gravitic sensors. Because of this, warcraft enter hostile orbits only if they intend to use their firepower to conduct orbital strikes against targets of high value - meaning enemy fortresses. This sort of maneuver gives the planet-bound forces plenty of time to react, and fortresses routinely undertake evasive maneuvers when an enemy warcraft is in orbit. Although it is possible to still conduct accurate kinetic strikes with accurate enough data from the ground, the process is generally considered too complicated to be worth it. Instead, warcraft use bombardment drones. BDs are essentially high-powered cruise missiles. They are routinely equipped with multiphasic cloaks, powerful ECM suites, and shields to ensure that their payload reaches the target. Once the drone has entered the atmosphere, onboard systems guide it to the target area. At that point, friendly targeting lasers or a pre-loaded target profile can be used to designate the target in question. Bombardment drones fly fairly slow; a typical velocity is one hundred kilometers per second. The low drive emissions helps keep their sensor profile down, since a BD on approach is a very vulnerable target. Once the target has been acquired the drone executes terminal attack maneuvers and delivers its payload. Almost any type of warhead except a laser will work to destroy or cripple a powerful fortress. The advantage of a bombardment drone over a kinetic strike are twofold. First, a BD can be launched from any point in orbit, whereas a kinetic strike requires a precise orbital location. The longer flight time is offset by the fact that a warcraft generally only enters bombardment range to attack fortifications anyway, and those are incapable of dodging a self-guided warhead, especially with friendly ground troops to provide secondary guidance. Second, BDs allow for more precise strikes. Kinetic strikes that retain the mass and cohesion to strike the targeted point require a certain amount of kinetic energy, and few tribals take joy in wanton destruction. Besides that, if an engagement is serious enough to warrant the use of warcraft in a ground-support role, the attacker is likely moving in to stay. It is self-defeating to blow a holdfast’s defenses to rubble, when a counterattack is likely to come in a few days even in the event of a victory. BDs allow a commander the flexibility to destroy particularly troublesome fortresses at need, but in other cases the fortress can be damaged sufficiently to allow it to be taken relatively intact by ground forces.
Starship Classes and Design Philosophy
Combat spacecraft in the wilderzone are divided into dropships, fighters, and warcraft. Of the former, only strikeships are routinely armed with anything other than infantry-support weaponry. Even strikeships are seen as heavily armed transports, however, although an enterprising commander may use them to augment his forces in a pinch. Fighters are generally one- or two-man vessels, and typically mass from sixty to two hundred tons. They are the primary fighting forces of tribal navies - the pilot and his fighter are to space combat what the warrior and his SCARAB are to ground warfare. Close to planets and stars, fighters are extremely cost-effective compared to warcraft due to the limitations of grav drives. Deeper into space, fighters become less effective. This means that combat around jumpgates is typically the arena for warcraft, although grav-drive equipped fighters can hold their own in deep space. Warcraft are larger vessels, requiring crews of twenty men and upwards. These vessels are most common in the frigate classes and smaller, employed as the cornerstones of planetary defense fighter squadrons. Warcraft also tend to accompany serious raiding flotillas, freeing spindleship docking space that might be used for fighters to carry more dropships. Warcraft with Xavier-Ryu drives are referred to as “warp capable,” and those mounting spindle arrays as well are referred to as “web capable.” In deep space, warcraft know no equal. Closer to a planet, however, their maneuverability drops radically, making fighter screens or heavy destroyer support a necessity.
Fighter classes Interceptors are fast ships, in the 60 to 100 ton range, with a premium placed on drive power and maneuverability. Interceptors typically mount rectangular or square shields and light armor. Their primary mission profile is to engage other fighters, leaving more heavily armed craft free to engage without being molested by heavy fighter attacks. Interceptors are also sometimes used against dropships. Space Superiority Fighters are larger than interceptors, massing from 80 to 130 tons. These craft strike more of a balance between speed and firepower than interceptors do. Although their primary role is still to engage enemy fighters, they are capable of engaging larger craft in a pinch and have the endurance to stay in space longer than interceptors. While it is somewhat rare for interceptors to mount propelled weapons, SSFs mount torpedoes regularly. Strike Fighters are designed to fight their way through hostile fighter screens and engage enemy warcraft. They inhabit the 120-160 ton range. Strike fighters have a definite bias towards firepower over drive power. Strike fighter weapon configurations generally favor heavy, slow- firing weapons over the lighter, rapid-fire weapons of interceptors and SSFs. Most strike fighters mount square shields. Attack Fighters are the heaviest starfighters, massing from 150 to 200 tons. They are relatively slow and designed expressly for engaging enemy warcraft. Attack fighters generally mount heavy missile or torpedo armaments, as well as powerful direct-fire armaments. Very large attack fighters sometimes mount hexagonal shields, and occasionally even a beta generator.
It is important to note that the most important definition of a fighter’s class is its primary role. For instance, a deep-space interceptor might mass 100 tons to accommodate a grav drive. A grav-drive attack fighter might mass over 200 tons, although craft much more massive than that are generally considered to be specialized dropships and require crews large enough to conflict with the independence and initiative expected of a tribal fighter pilot.
Warcraft classes Corvettes (CV) are the smallest warcraft. These multi-purpose vessels most often mount ion drives, since their primary purpose is to defend a planet in conjunction with the local fighters (if any). Corvettes tend to mass from 5,000 to 20,000 tons, measure up to 100 meters long, and require crews of fifteen to thirty. They mount weaponry heavier than attack fighters, though they are slower and less maneuverable than fighters. Corvettes can generally hold one or two fighters or a small lander in their small craft bays. They are generally not warp-capable, although there are always exceptions. Frigates (FF) are larger than corvettes and usually mount full X-R drives. They are tough enough and heavily armed enough to hold their own against multiple fighter opponents, given conditions that allow the frigate to maneuver. However, frigates’ primary roles are to engage enemy warcraft and transports, and their weaponry reflects this bias. In conjunction with other warcraft, frigates serve as escorts for larger craft. The typical frigate masses from 18,000 to 40,000 tons, measures from 100 to 180 meters in length, and has a crew of forty to ninety. Frigates are large enough to support small SCARAB complements, and a few shuttles or fighters. Light Carriers (LC) are system-defense craft designed to support fighters. They are warp capable, but lack spindle arrays. Light carriers almost always mount ion drives, but they are essentially unarmed except for point defense and a few light weapons. Their primary purpose is to shuttle fighters around a system, allowing the smaller craft to conserve the fuel and ammunition a long flight beyond a planet would take. LCs are relatively inexpensive, and can add a great deal to the utility of a planetary fighter wing, but they are essentially glorified transports and many tribes disdain them. Light carriers mass from 20,000 to 35,000 tons, measure from 90 to 200 meters in length, and require crews of thirty to ninety, not including the fighter pilots and support personnel. Destroyers (DD) are the smallest web-capable vessels. They are designed as raiders and anti-fighter platforms to protect larger craft and transports. These vessels are designed with multiple rapid-fire weapon mounts, X-R drives, and spindle arrays. Some destroyers even mount full ion thruster systems to allow them functionality close to a planet, although a destroyer-sized ion drive is a major mass and volume consideration. These vessels are by far the most common web capable warcraft in the wilderzone and mass from 40,000 to 60,000 tons. Without their spindle arrays, destroyers measure from 170 to 260 meters in length, with crews of 80 to 170. Destroyers do not usually have a small craft capacity greater than a frigate’s, although their marine complements are substantially bigger. Destroyers typically mount hexagonal shields. Hunter-Killers (HK) are raiding vessels. They are scarcely more heavily armed than a frigate, but carry large numbers of fighters or dropships. Hunter killer vessels are fast, and typically carry full- sized ion drives in addition to their warp drives and spindle arrays so that they can support their fighters close to planets. HKs typically mass from 35,000 to 70,000 tons and measure from 150 to 300 meters in length. Because most of their bulk is devoted to dropships, fighters, and the supplies those craft require, HK crews are typically only 70 to 150. In practice, they carry more passengers, since the HK’s crew is not responsible for piloting or servicing the fighters they carry. Light Cruisers (CL) are larger than destroyers and formidable vessels. Light cruisers are capable of engaging many frigates at once and emerging victorious. They have reasonable anti-fighter capabilities, though ton for ton a destroyer is a better anti-fighter platform. CLs are designed for conquest, particularly holding jumpgates, and to this end they are designed with the ability to hold off both warcraft and fighters in mind. They rarely mount ion drives except as maneuvering thrusters, since they are not expected to venture close to planets. However, light cruisers are capable of putting a platoon or two of infantry onto a planet with a handful of fighters to support the dropships. Light cruisers mass from 90,000 to 130,000 tons, measure up to 400 meters in length, and require crews of 200 to 450. Jump Carriers (FC, for “fighter carrier”) are larger than hunter killers and can support many fighters on an extended campaign. These vessels carry fairly heavy armaments, with many point defense and anti-fighter batteries. A jump carrier’s main weapon against enemy warcraft is its fighter wing. These vessels are tough, typically mounting octagonal shields. They usually do not mount full ion drives. Jump carriers mass from 90,000 to 150,000 tons, and measure from 350 to 600 meters in length. The crew required to run a jump carrier, aside from the fighter personnel, is typically 200 to 500 spacers. Heavy Cruisers (CA, for “attack cruiser”) are the heaviest warcraft one is likely to find in the wilderzone. These vessels are expected to form the centerpieces of task forces, and their armaments are heavily biased towards engaging other warcraft. They also tend to devote a greater proportion of their armament to propelled weapons than other classes of warcraft. Heavy cruisers routinely mount octagonal shields and can mass from 150,000 to 300,000 tons, with maximum lengths running up to 700 meters. These vessels can require crews of about 500 to 800, and represent an impressive investment for even the most wealthy tribes. Hyper Cruisers (CH) are veritable black-ocean fortresses. These vessels are rarely seen because they are so expensive, but there are few things a hyper cruiser cannot do. They can carry the dropship capacity for an entire raiding force, with the fighter capacity to match. Hyper cruisers always mount octagonal shields, usually in a gamma pattern. They can engage whole fleets of smaller warcraft and win, and even if their weaponry is primarily devoted to engaging other warcraft, the sheer number of mounts they carry makes them tough targets for fighters as well. They can mass anywhere from 400,000 to 900,000 tons, measure from 800 to 1500 meters, and demand crews of 1,000 to as many as 2,500 spacers.
Sample Vessels The following are examples of each of the above classes of fighters and starships, most taken from the arsenals of the Great Tribes. Some of these vessels are typical of their class, while others are exceptions to the rule. A note on maneuverability statistics: for fighters, pitch, roll, and yaw rates are given assuming that the fighter does not attempt to change its vector (for instance, flip over without altering course or speed). The vector change number states the maximum speed a craft can move at while completely reversing course in six seconds. Faster velocities result in less ability to alter course, while slower velocities increase maneuverability. Also note that while some fighters are scarcely faster than certain types of warcraft, they generally outperform warcraft closer to a planet or star. Most fighters mount ion drives, which lose only a fraction of their available power near a star or planet. The amount of force a grav drive can safely produce decreases by four every time distance to a gravity well is cut in half. Thus, a heavy cruiser drive capable of producing 902 giganewtons of thrust at distance d from a planet would only be able to produce 226 giganewtons of thrust if that distance was cut in half. Shipboard T-grav suites can mitigate this effect to a certain extent, but the fact remains that ion-driven vessels are far more useful in the inner system than a warp drive ship. Moreover, even grav-drive “deep space” fighters are more effective than warp driven warcraft deep in a gravity well, for the simple reason that they require less force to accelerate them. The end result of this technological bottleneck is a split of the black ocean battlefield. The inner system belongs primarily to fighters and small, ion-drive warcraft like corvettes. Such craft can battle in a system’s outer reaches, but deep space combat truly belongs to warp capable warcraft.
Regarding variety In general, the tribes do not mass-produce weapons of war. Even relatively simple devices such as war blasters are usually lovingly constructed by skilled craftsmen. Indeed, tribal smiths tend to be offended by the very idea that a mere assembly line can replace their hard-won skills. Since even “hand-crafted” weapons are usually wrought using entek, they are not far wrong in this assertion. A factory is scarcely faster than an entek-equipped craftsman, and the factory cannot take advantage of nano-construction sequences without human supervisors in any case - essentially turning it into an amalgam of individual craftsmen. With regard to starships this paradigm shifts slightly, as the components produced are so large that a certain amount of machinery must be used to assist the craftsmen. Despite this, the basic cultural preference for hand-crafted designs remains. Starships can be fitted with different weapons, but the process is time-consuming and relatively difficult. To save space and mass, warcraft are usually designed with the ability to supply a given weapon loadout with power. To change a ship’s weapons plays havoc with its power distribution system despite the redundancy built into ships of war. Altering equipment configurations is most common on fighters, whose systems are relatively simple compared to a warcraft’s. Nonetheless, some tribes prefer ships that are designed with extreme flexibility of equipment in mind, crafting their ships out of a few large pieces and/or designing weapon pods that provide the requisite power couplings and adapters. That kind of flexibility comes at a price, however. Compared to ships whose hulls are made of a single piece of armor, they are far more susceptible to damage in battle. Such ships and components also tend to weigh more and be larger than their purpose-built counterparts. Most tribes prefer to compromise by designing ships that are capable of handling a wide variety of roles, which is a large reason for the predominance of hulls in the destroyer class and smaller in wilderzone navies. Nova Flare interceptor Length: 18 meters Wingspan: 8 meters Mass: 65 tons Armament: 2 plasma gatlings Shield Generator: Alpha rectangular Armor: 5 cm Drive: Ion thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 950 g (rated at 605mN) Maximum Yaw: 100º/second Maximum Roll: 160º/second Maximum Pitch: 120º/second Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 16.1 kps Endurance: 5 hours Crew: 1 Description: The Nova Flare is a common interceptor among the Children of Phoenix. Though lightly armed, Nova Flares are formidable foes in a dogfight. They work best at close range, where their plasma gatling guns are not hampered much by muzzle velocity, since most of the Nova Flare’s mass is devoted to its acceleration compensator and ion thruster bank.
Raider Space Superiority Fighter Length: 24 m Wingspan: 30 m Mass: 100 tons Armament: 1 120mm autocannon, 3 autoblasters, 2 16-missile box launchers Ammunition: 400 rounds Warheads: 96 75-kg warheads Shield Generator: gamma rectangular Armor: 12 cm Drive: Ion thrusters (rated at 785mN) Maximum Acceleration: 800 g Maximum Yaw: 100º/second Maximum Roll: 150º/second Maximum Pitch: 130º/second Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 13.6 kps Endurance: 8 hours Crew: 1 Description: The Raider is a common sight aboard Diamond Sword hunter killers. Able to out-climb most interceptors, the Raider can more than hold its own in the inner-system dogfights for which it is designed. The Raider’s primary anti-warcraft system is its box launchers, which are typically equipped with multidirectional laser heads. Flights of Raiders hit a target’s shields from multiple angles. The craft are maneuverable enough to overfly the typically weaker “rear” shields and hit them with their autocannon once the laser heads have downed the screens. In return for its powerful maneuvering specifications, the Raider’s shields are little better than the average interceptor’s. Its hull armor is also somewhat weak for an SSF. Howler Strike Fighter Length: 36 m Wingspan: 50 m Mass: 145 tons Armament: 1 enveloper, 2 gatling lasers, 6 torpedo racks, 2 compression blasters Warheads: 6 1000-kg warheads Shield Generator: beta square Armor: 34 cm Drive: Ion thrusters (rated at 967mN) Maximum Acceleration: 680 g Maximum Yaw: 80º/second Maximum Roll: 100º/second Maximum Pitch: 90º/second Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 11.6 kps Endurance: 12 hours Crew: 2 Description: The Howler is an aging Starwolf strike fighter design. Its main punch comes from the sextet of torpedo racks it carries. Howlers must fight close to enemy warcraft to deliver their warheads, which makes these craft poor choices for fighting destroyers or light cruisers. As an inner system attack vessel, however, Howlers are still quite capable units. They are especially noted among fighters of their class for their durability.
Osprey Deep Space Assault Fighter Length: 50 m Wingspan: 96 m Mass: 260 tons Armament: 10 missile tubes, 2 autoblasters, 4 neutron guns, 1 plasma borers Warheads: 50 100-kg warheads Shield Generator: alpha hexagonal Armor: 45 cm Drive: grav drive (rated at 1530mN) with ion maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 600 g Maximum Yaw: 70º/second Maximum Roll: 90º/second Maximum Pitch: 75º/second Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 10.8 kps Endurance: 20 hours Crew: 1 Description: The hideously expensive Osprey is a relatively new class of Blood Eagle assault fighter that has entered service since the start of the Starwolf feud. Almost half as expensive as some corvettes, Ospreys were designed as force multipliers for the Blood Eagle navy. Squadrons of these units, backed by a frigate or hunter killer, would be dropped into enemy territory to lay siege to the system or seize control of its jumpgate. The Osprey’s powerful armament fails somewhat on the anti- shield side; once an Osprey’s missiles run out it must rely on supporting craft to down an enemy warcraft’s shields. Without a full ion thruster bank, Ospreys do not operate well in gravity wells. In deep space, however, these fighters are serious contenders. Denlord-class Corvette Length: 63 m Maximum Beam: 21 m Mass: 12,000 tons Armament: 1 compression laser, 6 autoblasters, 1 neutron gun, 2 plasma gatlings, 2 16-missile box launchers Warheads: 960 300-kg missiles Shield Generator: beta square Armor: 115 cm Drive: Ion thrusters (rated at 55gN) Maximum Acceleration: 470 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 5.8 kps Spindle Array: N/A Small craft capacity: 80 tons + 2 ships on docking collars Crew: 20 SCARAB complement: 5 Description: Denlord corvettes are an example of system-defense warcraft and are fairly common in Starwolf territories. Although Denlords fare poorly in deep space because they lack grav drives, they can hold their own close to their home planets. These vessels’ main defense is their relatively powerful ECM suites and the large number of missiles they can fire at once. Denlords typically carry a mix of missiles, and often seed their salvos with multiple types of missiles for maximum effect.
Deflected Strike-class Frigate Length: 140 m Maximum Beam: 34 m Mass: 28,000 tons Armament: 20 torpedo tubes, 6 compression blasters, 6 positron guns, 14 gatling lasers Warheads: 600 1000-kg warheads Shield Generator: beta square Armor: 170 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 137gN) with ion maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 500 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 8.5 kps Spindle Array: N/A Small craft capacity: 100 tons + 200 tons on docking collars Crew: 68 SCARAB complement: 9 Description: Deflected Strike frigates are assigned to important Diamond Sword holdings as system defense craft. Though weak against fighters, Deflected Strike vessels are powerful enough to deter most commerce raiders and protect convoys. Protector-class Light Carrier Length: 140 m Maximum Beam: 57 m Mass: 24,000 tons Armament: 30 gatling lasers, 3 compression blasters, 1 plasma beam Warheads: none Shield Generator: gamma square Armor: 180 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 122 gN); ion thruster (rated at 71 gN) Maximum Acceleration: 520 g; 300 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 8.8 kps; 3.9 kps Spindle Array: N/A Small craft capacity: 1,700 tons + 6 ships on docking collars Crew: 56 SCARAB complement: varies Description: Protector light carriers are one of the more ubiquitous vessels found in the wilderzone. These vessels are cheap to produce and popular with smaller tribes, since a Protector can turn a fighter wing into an offensive weapon. These vessels carry heavy protection for their fighters, but are virtually unarmed. Of particular note is the fact that Protectors mount two separate drive systems to allow them the ability to maneuver near their fighters’ home planet.
Khopesh-class Destroyer Length: 215 m Maximum Beam: 80 m Mass: 55,000 tons Armament: 8 compression blasters, 4 neutron guns, 12 drone tubes, 28 autoblasters, 32 gatling lasers Warheads: 200 35-ton standoff drones, 8 10-ton bombardment drones Shield Generator: alpha octagonal Armor: 220 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 297gN) with ion maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 550 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 9.3 kps Spindle Array: 2 800-meter spindles, retractable 160 meters Small craft capacity: 300 tons Crew: 130 SCARAB complement: 12 Description: Khopesh class destroyers are the backbone of the Blood Eagle’s web capable navy. These ships are fearsome foes against fighter attacks, though compared to some other destroyer classes they are light on anti-fighter mounts. The reason for this is the powerful drone complements that Khopeshes carry, making them almost the equivalent of a small light cruiser until they run out of ammunition. Khopeshes are easily distinguished visually by their distinctive ovoid shape, dorsal and ventral spindles, and the two rings fore and aft. The rings carry most of a Khopesh’s beams, while the drone tubes are situated broadside. Charge of Truth-class Hunter Killer Length: 230 m Maximum Beam: 80 m Mass: 60,000 tons Armament: 4 envelopers, 10 compression lasers, 4 positron guns, 2 wavelock lasers, 6 16-missile box launchers, 10 autoblasters Warheads: 3840 100-kg missiles Shield Generator: gamma hexagonal Armor: 200 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 294gN); ion thrusters (rated at 259gN) Maximum Acceleration: 500 g, 440 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 8.5 kps; 6.4 kps Spindle Array: 6 300-meter folding spindles Small craft capacity: 2,800 tons + 4 ships on docking collars Crew: 140 SCARAB complement: 18 Description: The Charge of Truth class is a common Diamond Sword raiding unit. The mother ship is expected to enter combat along with its fighters, lending them anti-shield support against large craft. HKs are the largest craft the Diamond Sword routinely fields, and their skippers use the number of spacecraft at their command to continue the tribe’s tradition of innovative strategies. While Charge of Truth vessels are well protected, they have two weaknesses. The first is their relative helplessness against other warcraft in the absence of their fighter support. The second is the gamma hexagonal shield generator. Such a complex shield pattern is typical of the Diamond Sword, but leaves each individual screen weaker than one might expect on a 60,000 ton vessel.
Valhalla-class Light Cruiser Length: 320 m Maximum Beam: 70 m Mass: 105,000 tons Armament: 40 torpedo tubes, 20 autoblasters, 15 compression lasers, 20 neutron guns, 6 plasma beams Warheads: 1200 1500-kg warheads Shield Generator: alpha hexagonal Armor: 240 cm Drive: Xavier Ryu (rated at 477gN) with ion maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 460 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 7.8 kps Spindle Array: four 400-meter spindles Small craft capacity: Crew: 2,000 tons + 5 ships on docking collars SCARAB complement: 75 Description: Light cruisers, as a rule, are the heaviest units that the Starwolf employ. The Valhalla class typically Starwolf in the simplicity of its design. Rather than a complex shield pattern, Valhallas have an alpha hexagonal generator with unusually powerful screens. They are heavily armed for ship to ship combat as well as fending off fighter attacks. Valhallas can carry an entire warband of warriors, and support the dropships with a skyclaw’s worth of fighters carried externally. Glorious-class Jump Carrier Length: 490 m Maximum Beam: 200 m Mass: 118,000 tons Armament: 8 plasma beams, 6 compression blasters, 30 plasma gatlings, 20 gatling lasers, 16 drone tubes Warheads: 480 40-ton standoff drones Shield Generator: beta octagonal Armor: 240 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 498gN) with reaction maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 430 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 7.3 kps Spindle Array: 6 260-meter spindles Small craft capacity: 8,000 tons Crew: 390 SCARAB complement: 30 Description: Glorious-class carriers are the capital ships of choice for the Children of Phoenix. That tribe’s emphasis on elite fighter pilots makes the jump carrier class a natural choice for the First Tribe; indeed, outside the Children FCs are rarely seen at all. The ships are powerful in their own right, although certainly not the match of a properly handled cruiser without their fighters. The carrier’s powerful drones make it a formidable partner to its fighters, which can focus more heavily on anti-armor weaponry with the knowledge that the mothership is available to engage a target’s shields.
Unbreakable Strength-class Heavy Cruiser Length: 630 m Maximum Beam: 196 m Mass: 230,000 tons Armament: 30 torpedo tubes, 10 drone tubes, 18 autoblasters, 10 envelopers, 30 positron guns, 30 compression blasters Warheads: 1050 2000-kg torpedoes; 200 15-ton bombardment drones Shield Generator: gamma hexagonal Armor: 305 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 902gN) with reaction maneuvering thrusters Maximum Acceleration: 400 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 6.8 kps Spindle Array: 3 530-meter retractable spindles Small craft capacity: 2,300 tons + 9 ships on docking collars Crew: 640 SCARAB complement: 162 Description: These vessels are most often seen with the Diamond Sword and represent incredible concentrations of firepower. Oddly enough, the Unbreakable Strength class was designed with a bombardment drone complement. The Diamond Sword has only a handful of these vessels, usually assigned to the Pure Facet for “peacekeeping” missions. For serious warfare, the Diamond Sword considers heavy cruisers to be crude tools. Paramount-class Hyper Cruiser Length: 1340 m Maximum Beam: 400 m Mass: 800,000 tons Armament: 10 drone tubes; 4 64-missile box launchers; 20 plasma beams; 30 gatling lasers; 10 autoblasters; 40 compression blasters; 25 positron guns Warheads: 180 60-ton standoff drones; 7680 500-kg missiles Shield Generator: gamma octagonal Armor: 540 cm Drive: Xavier-Ryu (rated at 2746gN); ion thrusters (rated at 628gN) Maximum Acceleration: 350 g; 80 g Maximum speed at 30º vector change per second: 5.9 kps; .96 kps Spindle Array: 4 400-meter retractable spindles Small craft capacity: 6,000 tons + 2 ships on docking collars Crew: 2,100 SCARAB complement: 600 Description: The Blood Eagle maintain only one hyper cruiser in their fleet. The single Paramount class vessel is always named after the current Grand Master Paramount and assigned to his pennant. The Great Eagle’s hyper cruiser is supposed to be the single incontrovertible evidence of his authority. Equipped with a blistering array of weaponry and carrying an entire talon of hardshelled warriors, this vessel is arguably the single most powerful force in the wilderzone. Paramounts have only been destroyed twice in the history of the tribe, once from within and once while in orbit around a hostile planet. The symbolic significance of the Blood Eagle’s hyper cruiser is so great that the designers devoted over one hundred thousand tons to providing it with a bank of ion thrusters to allow the ship to fight in the inner system, though 80 gees of maximum acceleration hardly qualifies Paramounts as in-system fighters in the minds of most skippers. The Alexandre Konovalev pulled out of Starwolf territories in 3940 when the Great Eagle himself withdrew from the conflict.
Communication Technologies Entertainment vids often portray starships as lone operators in the deeps of space, but the reality is more complex than that. Even if a task force centers around a single transport or warcraft, starships rarely travel alone. A starship always has to communicate with shuttles, dropships, fighters, other starships, or planets.
Radio The simplest form of starship communication is the radio. This technology has changed very little over the centuries: long-wave electromagnetic radiation is emitted by one ship and received by another, then decoded at the receiving end into voice or data. Tribal radios support a variety of encryption techniques, and “hop” frequencies every few seconds to discourage eavesdropping. The frequency-hopping algorithm is a secret as closely guarded as a military’s IFF codes; without it hostile vessels have an almost impossible time listening in on radio conversations. The key to the radio’s longevity lies in the invention of the pulse sensor jammer, or multi- phasic cloak. Such devices cover a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Only extremely low frequency radio waves or extremely high frequency gamma rays escape the coverage of modern jammers. Since gamma rays are filtered out by modern shields, radio is the only method of electromagnetic communication available on the modern battlefield. This allows radio communication even in combat situations, when vessels are shrouded by complicated layers of ECM. RASERs The primary downside to radio is that the vastness of space requires transmissions to be made over a large area. While radio transmissions can be made directional, it is still possible for an enemy ship lying close to the line of transmission to detect the broadcast on his radio receiver or passive EM sensors. When absolutely secrecy is required, starships use radio-frequency lasers to communicate. Intercepting a raser requires physically interposing the eavesdropping ship along the beam, which is whisker-thin. Best of all, unless a raser actually strikes an enemy vessel there is no way to detect its existence at all. The disadvantage to raser communication is that it requires that the beam be aimed with pinpoint accuracy. The process is almost exactly that of aiming a ladar beam; communication by raser in the middle of combat is therefore usually impossible. When the transmitting and receiving vessels are keeping relatively still, raser communication can be established after about half a minute of trial and error.
HCAR A subset of radio communications is the HCAR, or hyperweb coherent antipodal relay. The heart of this system is the antipodal relay, a large satellite comprised of a spindle array, radio, encryption gear, gravitic pulse emitter, and station-keeping thrusters. These stations are used to relay messages through jumpgates. A ship with the proper authentication codes can transmit a message and destination to the AR, which then opens the jumpgate, selects the proper destination thread, and re- transmits the message. The advantages of this system are twofold. First, it allows vessels without spindle arrays to send messages through the hyperweb. The message travels at many times the speed of light, and in many cases substantially faster than a mail courier vessel would. Second, the AR allows a vessel to send messages through a jumpgate without stopping to open the gate and select the proper thread itself. Civilian vessels enjoy the luxury of sending messages without wasting valuable time and operating expenses. Military vessels oftentimes use a hypercast to transmit news of hostile invasion without leaving their patrol routes. Antipodal relays are found near most jumpgates in inhabited systems. Gates in uninhabited space rarely have an AR station, since there is nobody to perform maintenance on the satellite should it break down. Because it incorporates a spindle array, AR stations represent a considerable investment for a planet’s population. Usually the increased traffic they bring is considered worth it. Some planets charge skippers a toll for authentication codes to the local relay in an attempt to exploit the asset further. The biggest disadvantage to sending hypercast messages lies in a peculiar property of electromagnetic radiation called diffraction. Unless activated by a powerful gravitic pulse, a jumpgate exists as a microscopic aperture in space. Because the jumpgate terminus is so small, radio messages that exit the gate exit not as a beam but a hemispherical wave. If a raser is used, the message beam exits the jumpgate at an angle so extreme that it almost always misses the intended receiver. For this reason, hypercast messages can be received by anybody who cares to hear. The only way to ensure privacy is to encrypt the message as heavily as possible.
Courier Drones Most starships carry one or two courier drones for emergency purposes. Too small to mount warp drives on their own, CDs can be launched to send a final message from a dying ship to the local antipodal relay. They also serve as backup communication devices for ships whose radios have been damaged, and a method for warships to communicate clandestinely when a raser connection cannot be established. Manned vessels can be used in this role as well, but CDs are much less likely to be detected. A CD is a torpedo-shaped object from three to nine meters long. The typical CD masses five to ten tons. It contains a grav and ion drive, a sensitive sensor suite, some rudimentary ECM, and a radio/raser transmitter/receiver. CDs can be preprogrammed with the sensor profile of the intended receiver and allowed to seek out the vessel autonomously, or directed by a ship’s communications officer.
Encomm Encomms (“N-comm,” from the ancient practice of calling graviton emissions “not-waves”) are simple devices for transmitting messages outside of the electromagnetic spectrum. Encomms are little more than a low-power pi-field inducer that directs an alternating stream of gravitons and antigravitons at the receiving vessel. The transmission rate is somewhat slower than that for radio transmissions. If the receiving vessel is operating under extremely strong TGECM the message can become garbled, but in general encomms can punch through such jamming with the help of skilled communications officers. Tactically speaking, encomms suffer numerous limitations. Primarily they are useful for communicating when one vessel is under MPC and unable to send or receive radio transmissions. They can only transit in cones, increasing the likelihood of somebody intercepting the transmission the farther it must travel. Since the encomm does not operate on the same action-at-a-distance principle as the transcomm, it can only be used between two vessels with a line of sight to one another. Encomm transmissions cannot be hypercast, since the same forces within a thread that prevent warp drives from functioning stop the transmission only a few meters into the thread. Finally, encomm effectiveness degrades according to the same principles as warp drive interference with other gravity wells. Passing the transmission too close to a planet or star scrambles the transmission beyond hope.
Transcomms The rarest of all communication devices, transcomms allow instantaneous communication over distances as great as 5,000 light-years. More often than not, these devices are as expensive as a full- fledged warcraft. Indeed, they are more precious than warcraft in the wilderzone, because only Imperial specialists can manufacture transcomms. The heart of a transcomm is a resonating object called a quantum reed. The basic premise is to create a macroatom and split in two while maintaining the quantum link between the two objects. Any change in one half will instantaneously produce a predictable and matching change in the other half, allowing faster-than-light communication. Modern Q-reeds are “grown” in matrices that produce many reeds. A reed can transmit to any reeds from its own matrix, but to no others. A reed’s matrix identity can be switched after it has been grown, but the process is taxing even on Imperial technology and only a handful of technicians outside of the Imperial military possess the skill. Because they are so rare in the wilderzone, tribal transcomms are usually used to link strategic worlds into defense sectors. They are almost never found aboard starships. A reed can only transmit to its own matrix. Tribal task forces are usually formed on an ad hoc basis, making the concept of transporting an entire batch of Q-reeds to a given group of vessels a logistical and strategic nightmare. The Imperial Navy, on the other hand, has a virtual monopoly on Q-reed production. In the Empire task forces are formed on a more permanent basis, making it practical to assign a single matrix to each task force. The instantaneous and absolutely private communication this allows gives the Imperial Navy the level of coordination that make it such a deadly force in combat.
Weapons, Armor, and Common Technology
Introduction To the Honored Dottore-Illuminatus, Danladi Haroun-Nicanor:
Danli, here at last is the report you requested summarizing the current state of tribal technology. My apologies for not compiling it earlier, but extreme circumstances prevented me from attending to it in a timelier manner. As it happens, however, the delays allowed me time to discover answers to several additional items not contemplated in the original report.
Before I begin, let me note the assistance of a pair of very helpful tribal warrior-scholars I befriended during my journey with Sous-Legate Panderson several months ago: Inquisitor Nabterayl and Priestess IshM’lak (yes, the titles are somewhat quaint, I know) of the tribe calling itself the Sons of Thunder. Without their insights, much of the information on the tribal armors would have been woefully incomplete. Now, please allow me to offer a few introductory comments before you move on to the meat of this report. Danli, I must stress that tribal technology is a mix of the old and the new. It incorporates sparkling innovations with recycled concepts. Compared to the Empire, of course, the so-called “Tribes of Man” use antiquated, even primitive technologies, and our officers openly disdain the “barbarians.” However, such prejudices sorely underestimate the flexibility and effectiveness of tribal engineering. The weapons and armors used by tribal warriors proved deadly enough when directed at our garrisons in the Kepler system, and the veterans of that campaign no longer scoff at the prospect of facing tribal warriors on the battlefield.
Though most tribes no longer follow any semblance of a nomadic lifestyle, they remain highly mobile within their territories, and this mobility provides the key to their military strategy. Thus, tribal technology remains relatively portable and easy to maintain. The freedom and self-reliance valued in the wilderzone’s frontier atmosphere make durability and practicality primary design goals in any tribal device.
Aesthetic concerns also occupy an important place in tribal design. Many weapons and most armors will feature decoration pertinent to a particular tribe’s customs and history. Most notable in this regard are the Children of Phoenix, who take great pride in their brightly polished and engraved armors, but the Starwolf are also famous for the elaborate patterns carved in the hardwood stocks of their blasters. The Diamond Sword favor a Spartan but elegant look, and the Blood Eagle opt for drama with a more pragmatic - some would say secular - appearance.
This report attempts to summarize the state of tribal engineering and the cultural and political impact technology has had on the denizens of the wilderzone. I will not address spacefaring technology, however, as that topic is distinct enough to warrant its own report. It is my fervent hope that with better understanding of the capabilities of the Tribes of Man, the Empire can avoid a repeat of the Kepler tragedy.
Iridescent-Dottore Jarita Xu-Lachillan Honorable Scholar-Mandarin In the service of the Imperial Legate November 19, 3940 Terran Standard Reckoning
Nanotechnology (Entek) A brief review will help to establish the proper context. Nanotechnology is a common part of wilderzone life. The technology has existed since well before the Diaspora: microscopic robots (called “nanites” or “bugs”) manipulate matter on the molecular level, thereby creating or destroying either organic or inorganic material. Practically speaking, nanotech has always been somewhat overplayed by the directors and writers of holovids and speculative fiction. While it is capable of miraculous effects, nanotech labors under several limitations. It requires oversight to ensure it does not mutate into rogue forms dangerous to human life. It must be adaptable enough to function in a variety of environments on a variety of materials. It requires a reliable power source.
The need for oversight means any population of nanites must include a highly redundant control segment which monitors for mutation and removes potential rogues. Another segment monitors the environment and facilitates communication between the worker nanites so that the objective is constructed accurately. Finally, generator nanites exist to provide energy for longer jobs, though in some nanite populations this function is replaced by an exterior microwave broadcast. Such a broadcast produces an additional fail-safe, since cutting the power shortens the effective life of the nanites. The end result is that nanotechnology is not the panacea ancient futurists first projected. The more complex the task, the more oversight and control is required. The denser the material, the more energy is required. In short, while nanites can quickly repair broken bones and seared tissue, they cannot create a steak or make a living sheep.
An additional fear developed after the Cybrid Wars, namely that nanotechnology could become a tool for the extermination of humanity. The Starsiege conflict of the 29th century saw such a nightmare come to pass, but the defenders of Earth were able to circumvent Cybrid nanotech plagues with controlled EMP bursts that disabled the bugs with little collateral damage. With the establishment of the Second Empire following the Cybrid Wars, nanotech was used under controlled, human-supervised conditions, usually in medicine or construction. The great fear of sentient AIs commanding nanite armies means computer control of nanotech is limited to dedicated “idiot savant” systems, and the networking capacity of nanite populations is likewise lobotomized to prevent a sentience-establishing algorithm from developing.
The Five Limits Over the centuries, certain standards and protocols have evolved to control misuse or loss of control over nanites. The nanotechnology used by the Tribes of Man differs greatly from the varieties used within the realm of the Empire. Tribal nanotech (or “entek,” derived from N-tech) is used exclusively for construction and medical procedures, but not for destructive purposes or psychological modification. In a section commonly referred to as The Five Limits, The Tenets of Harabec expressly condemn use of entek against human foes. The Empire also officially forbears from using nanotech (since the bugs have a history of being notoriously unstable under combat conditions), but as you know, the Imperial military has experimented with killer nanites and covert modifications as the war with the Scourge drags on. We’ve all heard the rumors of horrible battles deep within the Empire, where entire platoons dissolved into thin air, eaten by nanite predators. There are dark tales of worlds under perpetual orbital quarantine because of rogue entek run amok. Whatever the truth, tribals treat entek with as much skepticism as we Imperials, perhaps more so if the Tenets are any indication.
Other rules and traditions exist, but the Five Limits are the primary controls over entek in the wilderzone. So strongly does the average tribal feel about the misuse of nanotechnology that even Imperial citizens in the wilderzone use bugs very, very quietly. A witch-hunt can erupt quickly in tribal space concerning perceived abuse of nanotechnology, either by violation of the Limits or use of the less-recognizable, advanced Imperial variants. In fact, the tribal term “witch” seems to mean someone who uses unfamiliar entek or who flaunts the Limits. THE FIRST LIMIT: Control by Man Entek must always be deployed and supervised by a human being. There are no automatic entek-using devices in the wilderzone, nor do the Tenets permit direct supervision of nanites by a computer without the presence of a human decision-maker, though computer monitoring of nanite functions is also required.
THE SECOND LIMIT: Confine the Reach Nanites’ range of effect must be limited. Most nanites are programmed to remain within a specific range of a “nucleus” and consequently they don’t function for more than a few meters beyond their deployment. When in use for major projects, entek seeds are sown in the desired patterns.
THE THIRD LIMIT: Confine the Generation Nanites must have a limited lifespan and a limited number of generations. Again, much of the limitation is controlled by the “nucleus” nanites that form a necessary part of any deployment.
THE FOURTH LIMIT: Strike Not the Living Nanites must never be programmed to break down living organic tissue except as a necessary adjunct to medical operations. Anyone who deploys such a flesh-eating weapon automatically becomes a hunted outlaw under tribal law - and Imperial, as I need not remind you.
Many rumors have accused the Blood Eagle of violating this limit, but the Sikkiyn-Captain I interviewed on Deus Sanguinus laughed at such accusations, calling them Starwolf propaganda. “Only a complete fool would risk losing control of such devices,” he said. “Haven’t we learned from the Cybrids?”
THE FIFTH LIMIT: Destroy Mutations Any nanite that deviates from its programmed function shall be immediately destroyed.
Entek Roles Entek fills four specific roles, each role requiring a specific “species” of nanite. The roles are extraction of metal from ore, construction of structures, repair of equipment, and healing of the injured, carried out by “miners,” “skels,” “wrenches,” and “docs” respectively.
I note that entek fills a strange role here in the wilderzone. All of the major entek industrial species must be used in conjunction with human labor. For example, miners are either seeded over ore-bearing rocks that have been collected by hand, or are deployed in a mine delved by human labor. In practice, the tribes have a great need for laborers despite the relatively common presence of worker bugs. This is particularly true where conditions require flexibility of judgment or aesthetics. It’s worth noting again that the bugs only do as they are programmed to do, and the various safeguards severely limit any autonomous decisions.
Miners Miners are the first nanites seeded on a new planet. They extract metal from raw ores in the vicinity of their deployment. The metal is then collected and refined into stahlplast for use in structures or tribal machinery. Actual forging or further construction is accomplished by tribal craftsmen using other entek tools. Skels Skels are nanites used in heavy construction. Skels are also used to assist in the building of ships and vehicles. Unlike in Imperial virts, skels do not construct ships and vehicles out of thin air in a matter of seconds. Given time, they can accomplish such complex tasks, but require hours for a relatively simple task, days or weeks for a more complex task. In addition, the specs for each piece of equipment must be programmed in great detail into the bugs, a complex task for all but the most proficient entek engineers. Consequently, the Tribes of Man use only a few hardy and proven designs, and they keep their entek construction confined to the deeper levels of their holdfasts. Tribals often keep arsenals stocked with weapons, armor, and vehicles in their bases, calling them up for deployment via use of “inventory stations.”
Tinkers Tinkers are a subset of skels used to assist in the production of armor and other smaller components intended to be worn or held by human beings. These nanites are always used under exacting direction of a human engineer, and have almost no independence. Because tinkers require so much direction, tribal crafters skilled in their use become valued assets. Essentially, tinker entek manipulates microscopic pieces of the target component.
Reparis Reparis, or “reppers,” are the mechanical repair bugs. They repair any damage done to buildings and equipment. Using the imprint code found within any tribal device, they can repair an existing piece of equipment to its original state. As long as the item in question hasn’t been totally disintegrated, these nanites can repair it-armors, turrets, drop ships-all can be repaired within a matter of seconds. These nanites are found in the repair packs used by battlefield engineers, and are powered by a beam from the armor’s energy reserves. When the user cuts off the energy beam, the nanites destroy themselves.
Repair packs and kits used on tribal battlefields contain charges of reparis designed to seal breaches and repair damaged circuits. When applied to powered armor, the reparis are programmed to give top priority to damaged shield systems. Repair kits also contain smaller amounts of knitters programmed to check the warrior and effect minor microsurgical healing. As with tinkers, they manipulate the target material, whether mineral or organic, into the desired configuration.
Knitters Knitters, or “docs” are similar to reparis, but are engineered to repair human flesh instead of inorganic material. They can easily repair traumas such as cuts, skin and muscle burns, abrasions, and broken bones in mere minutes, but are less effective at dealing with major internal organ trauma due to the great variance in individual human physiologies and body chemistries. More serious injuries typically require suspended stabilization and transport to a location with a portable hospital array.
The handheld devices that use nanodocs are generally referred to as “knitterbeams.” A knitterbeam applies nanodocs under an electrostim field that promotes rapid cell regeneration. Warriors receiving knitterbeam healing in the field need to take extra fluids and electrolyte supplements to ease the tissue strain of accelerated regeneration. Part of the function of knitters is reweaving the biological tissue, but knitters are also able to form stitches to help maintain the flesh integrity. Such knittings dissolve over time. Knitterbeam work does leave scars, however, as nanodoc healing is somewhat of a strain on human cells. Thus, a warrior who receives much field healing will carry visible signs of numerous brushes with death. Of course, many tribals view scars as badges of honor and courage, and so refuse to have any cosmetic repairs after a campaign. ENERGY GENERATION
Fusion Most power for tribal settlements comes from stil-fusion generators considered antiques by Imperials. Compared to the antimatter chambers and ion flux wells used in the Empire, these tribal generators are old and inefficient. However, they more than fulfill the requirements of the tribal holdfasts. They are reliable, durable, easy to maintain, and relatively portable. Further, due to its isothermal input and low radioactive signature, stil-fusion is far safer and environmentally friendlier than antimatter, as well as more stable than the notoriously twitchy flux wells. The only byproduct of the fusion generators is water, formed by the fusion of plentiful hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
Naturally, the size of the generator controls the potential energy output.
Solar Hyper-efficient photovoltaic cells embedded within solar panels permit tribals to supplement the fusion power plants used by holdfasts and bases. A square meter panel is capable of generating several megawatts of electrical power on a bright sunny day. A network of panels can match the output of a fusion generator under proper conditions.
However, these solar panels are useless at night or in inclement weather systems. On a desert world, they are extremely useful. In the dense jungle undergrowth of Helena Prime, they serve little purpose. Overall, fusion power remains the most efficient generation system.
SENSORS The Tribes of Man use pulse and motion sensors to detect enemy presence. Critical to tactical planning in any situation, sensors are nevertheless severely limited. Tribal armors and vehicles all include standard ECM packages, such that average sensor effectiveness drops dramatically within several hundred meters. Outside of line-of-sight (LOS), even concentrated pulse sensors can be rendered virtually useless. On the other hand, once within a sensor’s effective range, escaping detection is virtually impossible without powerful jamming equipment. The honor-based culture of the wilderzone has prevented adoption of outright cloaking technology (deeming it dishonorable), though that capability has existed since the Cybrid Wars. Interestingly, one of my contacts in the Blood Eagle, an aspiring duelist who recently left Fury’s service, has hinted that the exiles have quietly begun to incorporate cloaking gear into their inventories. If this is true, we should expect tribal warfare to grow considerably bloodier.
Motion sensors are simple, short-range detection devices using an optical interface and sensitive air pressure triggers. When any object within its detection radius moves, a motion sensor “sees” and tracks that object as long as it remains within range. Many varieties of motion sensors also screen for intruder sound profiles. Some tribes use IR or laser “tripwires” to add an additional layer of protection. Such low-tech strategies are scoffed at by those familiar with the Imperial military, but tribals simply smile in the knowledge that their less-advanced equipment nonetheless continues to serve well. Pulse sensors blanket almost the entire EM spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays, in a manner similar to ancient radar. They can be jammed by a technology that utilizes a multi-phased cloaking field to make the shielded object or person invisible to pulse sequences. However, such broad jamming fields require enormous power and can only be maintained for long periods where supported by a dedicated energy source.
All information collected by the sensors in a tribe’s holdfasting is downloaded to a master tactical computer, which in turn relays the data to each warrior’s command circuit, or “Bleed.”
COMMUNICATIONS
Hyperweb Coherent Antipodal Relay (HCAR or “hypercast”) Most star systems on the wilderzone Hyperweb have powerful radio transmitters and receivers set up in the vicinity of the jumpgates. Tribal engineers have long known how to squirt dense message pulses through the jumpgates. However, the message must be relayed from transmitter to transmitter. Energy requirements are far lower than with message ships and transit through jumpgates slightly faster than do spindleships. Some star systems are close enough to maintain regular hypercast commlinks and thereby a localized trans-stellar O-Web (with some delays and interference due to jumpgate flux). This is the most common means of trans-stellar communication.
Advantages: Convenient and reliable. Any ship near a jumpgate can send or receive messages with nothing more than basic radio. Disadvantages: (1) Not private unless heavily encrypted. Any ship near a jumpgate can receive messages. (2) Over a longer thread such as an Axis or Grand Axis, Hyperweb flux commonly corrupts part of the signal, causing the message to arrive in varying degrees of gibberish. (3) Occurs at substantially the same speed as spaceship travel. Definitely not real-time communication. A message may take minutes to cross the even the shortest threads, and several hours to days for longer threads. (4) It needs to be relayed across star systems. If you were to transmit from System A to System B, the message would stop at B unless someone at B retransmits through the B jumpgate to System C.
Quantum-Reed Transcomm (“Q-Reed,” “Q-R,” or “squirt”) Q-Reed devices make true faster-than-light communication possible with amazing clarity, but this miraculous technology has severe limitations.
Advantages: Convenient and reliable. Real-time communication across any distance up to 5,000 light years. Disadvantages: (5) Due to a limit enforced by the laws of quantum engineering, a Q-R transcomm can only transmit between units that contain “reeds” grown in the same proto-singularity matrix. Odds are virtually impossible that a randomly encountered Q-R device will link to someone you know. You can alter the resonance of a transcomm to reach unlinked reeds only if you have samples of those reeds present when you begin the relinking process. In so doing, you sever the transcomm from all of its old connections. This process is time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous. (6) The hardware is rather bulky and cannot be carried as a hand-held device. The smallest Q-Reeds are about the mass and size of a modern-day car engine block. (7) They require substantial amounts of energy to function. (8) The heart of a Q-reed system is the quantum resonator “reed,” which is constructed of unstable proto-singularity matter. If subjected to powerful implosive force, the reed will explode and (again due to the strange dictates of quantum engineering) a probability exists that every reed in its matrix chain will likewise detonate. (9) Production of transcomms is hideously complex and expensive. The Tribes of Man do not have any capacity for independent production. Consequently, only a few transcomms exist in the wilderzone, virtually all of them owned by the Four. (It’s rumored that the Imperials brought one to Kepler, and that the Children of Phoenix assault was a pretext for capturing the device.) Though they are more frequently encountered in the Empire, they are still uncommon there as well, and are virtually monopolized by the Imperial Military, which uses them in naval tactical coordination.
Mail packets Basically a Pony Express style of communication wherein messages must travel with ships in order to get to their destinations. A variation of this is the Proxy (or Courier), a person who memorizes the message and transmits it orally. Proxies with brain implants can be conditioned to tune out their messages so they don’t remember what they’ve said or what’s been fed into them until they hear the appropriate codes. See “Johnny Mnemonic,” by William Gibson for the classic example of this kind of courier. Advantages: Fairly high security possible. Can go anywhere, be concealed in objects, offer full hologram presentation, etc. Disadvantages: Can be intercepted and/or faked. Limited to the speed of Hyperweb travel.
WEAPONRY The whirlwind speed of tribal combat has led over the centuries to a small core of weapon varieties becoming the standard loadout on the battlefield. The use of entek-assisted production and craftsmanship means most weapon designs don’t vary significantly from tribe to tribe, although tribes with more technological savvy will make incremental modifications and improvements. The great majority of stock tribal weaponry is effectively the same across the wilderzone, with particular makes prized for durability and quality.
The so-called “weaponsmith” tribes, frequently independents such as the Forge of Hephaestus and the Daughters of Iron, are responsible for the most trade in tribal armaments, particularly in modified versions or improved models. Advanced Imperial weapons occasionally find their way into the wilderzone, but not in numbers sufficient to make a difference in the balance of power among the Tribes of Man. Most of these imports eventually seem to find their way into the hands of the Sabot- Styx weaponsmith bloodline of the Blood Eagle. The Blood Eagle deny accusations of Imperial collusion and also reject rumors of running a bounty price on Imperial gunrunners.
FIREARMS Without exception, tribal weapons are simple, time-tested models that have existed for centuries. The only new twist is the spinfusor, with its gravitically accelerated aerodynamic payload. Most weapons designed for use with armor are heavier and carry a greater payload than hand weapons. Aside from blasters, armor-scale weapons are bulky and unwieldy for an unaugmented user. Neither do these weapons lend themselves well to concealment. Hence, when a distinction must be made, tribals frequently refer to armor-scale firearms as “war” weapons, and call personal sidearms “free” weapons. Every armor-carried gun includes a T-grav nodule that helps minimize the weapon’s effective mass for purposes of carrying and aiming it. In some cases, warriors set the T-grav node so high that when the warrior drops the weapon, it simply drops to within a half-meter of the ground and floats there. Such use will burn out the T-grav node fairly quickly, so most tribals only use this setting if they believe they will need to come by and pick up an auxiliary weapon quickly and in a short time. The more formalized a tribal conflict, as with the duels or team duels, the more likely such floating weapons are to be found.
Blaster Strictly speaking, “blaster” describes any weapon that uses compressed energy to increase damage potential at a cost in muzzle velocity. The tribal war blaster operates by producing a compressed particle charge (which can be analogized -somewhat inaccurately from a physics standpoint, I’m afraid- to ball lightning), and then accelerating that charge to the target. Energy for the war blaster comes from the microfusion paks in a warrior's armor, though light blasters feature self-contained power sources that provide a limited number of shots.
Tribals personalize blasters more frequently than any other weapon. The stock - usually plastic or ceramic but occasionally terawood - is frequently covered with ornate carvings or stencils. Warriors commonly add notches to represent the confirmed kills made with their blasters. Finally, some blasters are given names by their owners. Among the Starwolf, for example, many improbable stories circulate about the famed Great Sergeant Kwinton M’kraken and his trusty blaster “Old Blue.” I am also given to understand that before his death, Ulysses Konovalev was becoming quite well-known for his skill with a richly-engraved blaster given him by his Starwolf mother.
A blaster is traditionally handed down from a parent to a son or daughter at the child’s Rite of Newblooding. Many such weapons have belonged to a particular family for generations, perhaps originally war prizes of a revered ancestor, and are considered valued heirlooms. Most tribes consider the gift of a blaster a symbol of entering adulthood and preparing to join the elders on the battlefield.
A blaster used in conjunction with an armor feeds off a powerlink set in the armor’s gauntlet or vambrace, automatically connecting when a warrior draws the weapon. The powerlink draws energy directly from the armor’s microfusion paks, which permits unlimited ammunition at the expense of armor jet mobility.
Blasters designed to be carried on armors are essentially heavy carbines in the hands of someone not wearing a suit. The grip is a malleable ortho-resin that conforms to the hand and style of the last person who held the weapon.
Plasma Gun The plasma gun, or “plascannon,” is a relic of the old Imperial armies, and dates as far back as the fabled Earthsieges. When Those Who Jumped ventured forth into the galaxy, they brought plascannons with them.
This weapon initiates controlled ignition in a “bullet” of compressed hydrogen to create a ball of dense, superheated plasma. The explosion of the surface layers of the hydrogen bullet provides the force to accelerate the plasma charge toward the target. A core of charged particles injected into the center of the bullet keeps the plasma from expanding for a few seconds after exiting the barrel. Upon impact, the charge explodes and splashes plasma across a radius of three to five meters. This result is extremely effective against a group of targets. Peltasts in particular enjoy the benefits of the plascannon’s firepower when attacking enemy Myrmidons.
For the same reason, the plasma gun also works well indoors, because enclosed space confines the target’s mobility and sometimes concentrates the plasma’s splash damage in a manner similar to a shaped charge effect. As with other explosive weapons, the wielder risks injury or death from her own plasma if she fires at targets too close to her.
The various tribes frequently use colorful nicknames for the plasma gun. The Starwolf call it the “Dragonsbreath.” For the Children of Phoenix, it is the “Firespear.” The Diamond Sword and their allies refer to it as the “Sunfinger.” The Blood Eagle, however, simply call it a plascannon.
Unlike many other weapons, the Plasma gun has few variants. Most tribes will tweak weaponry to their own tastes, but a plasma gun used by the Children of the Phoenix on Priam III features almost exactly the same design as a plasma gun used by the Blood Eagle on Deus Sanguinius, many jumpgates away. Tribal historians believe the tried-and-true plasma gun simply continues to serve its purpose with enough effectiveness to discourage experimentation.
Plasma guns use a standardized canister for reloads, a reinforced bottle attaching with a magnetic- mechanical seal. The canister compresses the plasma supply and is itself constructed sturdily enough to minimize the chance of a stray breach in the field.
Due to its rugged and safety-reinforced construction, the plasma gun is a heavy piece of work. With the enhanced strength granted by most armors, wielding this weapon is little different from waving a blaster.
Chaingun This weapon has changed little from its “Gattling gun” ancestry some two thousand years earlier. The principle remains the same: multiple barrels spin at high speeds and spit out explosive flechettes at an extremely high rate. The flechettes are propelled via a primitive binary chemical system that nevertheless is supremely efficient. Armor strength augmentation and inertial compensators make recoil a negligible issue.
At close range, the chaingun can chew up all but the most heavily shielded targets in short order. Even an enemy encased in well-shielded Myrmidon armor will fall. The explosive flechettes are similar to bullets but are more aerodynamic and consist of a sharp stahlplast tip set on a two centimeter long shaft of hardened polyvulkanar resin that explodes on impact. The explosion drives the stahlplast tip forward to add to the flechette’s penetration value. A typical flechette hitting an unprotected human in the torso will punch a coin-sized hole through the body while blowing open a hole the size of a dinner plate at the entry point. The rapid onset of multiple small explosions wears down even the toughest armor’s shields surprisingly quickly. The ammunition clips for the chaingun consist of packets of flechettes. Each clip feeds into the stock of the chaingun behind the grip, and is completely encased within the stock. Each “round” represents approximately five explosive flechettes and two armor-piercing flechettes. The armor-piercing variety use duracore stahlplast tips with secondary propellant for higher penetration velocity. The flechettes of each round tend to hit in a tight cluster with minimal spread against targets within twenty meters of the gunner. Outside of twenty meters, the flechettes spread rapidly and their effectiveness plummets accordingly.
The chaingun is a devastating weapon at what passes for close range in tribal combats. It has many nicknames. The Starwolf refer to it as “Ripfire,” “Deathsong,” or “Eagle-plucker” (along with other, less-savory names along the same lines). The Blood Eagle call it “Shrew” or “Bloodblaster,” and the Children of Phoenix are fond of the name “Havoc.” The Diamond Sword call it “Mother of Fury” when they care to use a nickname. Some scholars I’ve spoken to have some disturbing theories about a possible link to the Blood Eagle sirdar who uses the warnom “Fury.” (Perhaps I’ll relate these in a future report; they’re such absurd speculations that I would be embarrassed to include them in this document.) And the independent tribes also add their nicknames. The Sons of Thunder, for example, seem quite attached to the term “Rolling Thunder” for this weapon. With all these various and sundry nicknames, it’s a wonder anyone here really communicates at all. I personally think it absurd to say something like, “I have to reload my Rolling Thunder.” Sounds like the kind of euphemism I’d expect to hear from a saar-marine on leave in the skinpits of New Caanan.
Spinfusor This weapon is an odd hybrid of magnetic and gravitic acceleration technologies. Most warriors call it the "spinfusor" after the ammunition it fires. It is also called the Stormhammer or by the more archaic spinfusil. Some tribes just call it the disk launcher.
The weapon fires a light, discus-shaped charge (the “spinfusor”) wrapped in a transferro-covilium skin. The explosive is usually a magnetically activated, hypervolatile impact-oxidizer such as Gamma-T or ZJ-90. Once activated, the weapon creates a localized magnetic field that suspends the disk in the ready position and spins it up to a high speed. Without the magnetic field, the disk remains inert. However, with exposure to the spinfield, the ordinance gains its explosive potential, which is apparent in the “inflation” of the disk to a more discus-like shape, and by the flashes of electrical sparks that become visible within the disk itself.
When the trigger is pulled, a gravitic pulse accelerates the disk to subsonic velocity without disturbing the magnetic field of the disk. The disk’s spin then provides a gyro-stabilizing effect such that the disk travels in a straight line to its target in all but the fiercest atmospheric conditions. In addition, the weapon creates a gravity “line” to further stabilize the disk’s vector. This line persists for a moment or two only. Anyone who comes into contact with such a line would feel a slight wrench or push, not enough to deflect a man-sized mass, but perhaps enough to break a warrior’s concentration. The gravitic "direction" imparted to the disk also forces it to travel at a constant speed. In flight, the transferro-covilium skin of the disk superheats and ablates, giving the ordinance its familiar light-blue trail. The disk alone is capable of beheading a warrior in light armor even if the explosive somehow malfunctions (a very rare event). The gravitic pulse also triggers the loading of the next disk from the magazine. In the current model of the spinfusor, a very short delay occurs between the time of pulling the trigger and acceleration of the disk. Removal of the kinetic dampers eliminates this delay, but dramatically increases the risk of the magnetic field collapsing and detonating the weapon’s entire payload. Consequently, warriors accept a lower rate of fire as an unalterable feature of this weapon.
Outside of the mortar, this weapon produces the greatest splash damage (over five meters’ diameter) of all the traditional tribal weapons. Given the highly mobile nature of tribal warfare, this explosive damage effectively increases weapon accuracy, since even a near-miss can be sufficient to disable or kill a target. It should be noted that the explosion is thermal and concussive, but that the disk disintegrates completely without producing any shrapnel.
Standard ordinance for a spinfusor - one disk -- weighs about half a kilo. Lighter and heavier ammunition is available to achieve longer range or greater splash damage, but the standard loadout remains the most popular. A typical spinfusor magazine sits on top of the weapon and feeds the disk into the launch position, each disk is flat and takes up relatively little space until it has been magnetically charged. The gelid blue color remains dull until the disk enters the magnetic field, at which time the disk takes on its luminous blue, electrically-charged appearance. The weapon’s greatest disadvantage is the low magazine capacity, since only fifteen disks can be carried at any one time.
Grenade Launcher One of the most primitive ranged weapons still in use, the mechanics for this weapon are simple: a chemical charge propels an explosive device. The smoking residue of the powder gives the ordinance its familiar white smoke trail upon ejection from the chamber. The explosive operates on a timed fuse of approximately three seconds, normally bouncing once or twice before exploding. Unlike spinfusor or mortar rounds, grenades are typically designed to fragment and thereby produce shrapnel.
Tribal warriors favor the grenade launcher because it is simple, cheap, and provides indirect fire capability. The Empire is rumored to use micronuclear grenades with integral antigravity drivers and target-seeking capability, but even if these tales are true, the expense would be far more than the simple, tried-and-true tribal version of the weapon.
Laser Rifle The laser rifle has by far the longest range of any weapon of the tribal infantry arsenals and is accurate to a range of several kilometers. It is also known as a sniper rifle or longrifle. It works best when combined with an armor’s built-in optiks for targeting across substantial distances.
I heard a ludicrous story about the Diamond Sword having invented this weapon-as if we haven’t had laser rifles in the Empire for over a thousand years! The Diamond Sword originally produced the popular Artemis model of this weapon, but the weapon itself has a long history that predates the appearance of the tribes themselves. Still, the current exaggeration is consistent with the tribals’ love of heroic myth. I don’t think anyone actually believes the story, but they all speak of it as though it were fact. The truth is, the Diamond Sword made extremely effective use of snipers when they appeared in the wilderzone, so much so that the tribals probably invented this yarn to explain the sworders’ prowess. And like so many other apocryphal parts of tribal history, folklore evolved into accepted facts. Our historians have quite the knot to untangle out here, to say nothing of intelligence services.
The longrifle requires a great deal of energy to use and will rapidly drain the normal energy cell of an armor. Consequently, only with the augmentation of an energy pack can a warrior fire this weapon and retain use of the armor jets. Only tribals wearing light armor can use longrifles. The reasons are simple. First, the longrifle is a relatively delicate mechanism by tribal standards, easily disabled by powerful concussions. Heavy and medium armors typically lack sufficient mobility to avoid battlefield explosions to the degree required to keep a longrifle safely functional. Second, tribal armors have incorporated, over time, specific secondary powerfeed requirements for the longrifle that have been integrated into light armor design schemes, but not in the larger armor classes. Since the longrifle requires more immediate energy than any other tribal weapon, the need for a dedicated channel from the armor’s energy pack is crucial. Finally, the designs of the medium and heavy armors do not typically permit the range of motion optimal for use of a longrifle. Still, I am told that every so often, some renegade tries to use a longrifle with a modified myrmidon armor. The amusing results of these attempts at innovation provide tribal warriors with grim jokes they are fond of telling to lighten the mood during dropship assault runs. The expression “like Artemis with a slug” means two things that just don’t go together, something utterly ineffective or idiotic.
Continuing my anecdotal departure, Danli, I’ve heard this weapon is well-balanced and a pleasure to use. As with the blaster, the typical longrifle features extensive terawood use in its stock, though less ostentatious ornamentation. Tribal snipers are quite fond of their weapons and are fond of giving them names.
ELF Gun The Electron Flux Gun, or ELF Gun, has undergone a great deal of change from its origins as a powerful Herc-mounted weapon. Military historians remember the dagger-shaped Electron Flux Whip discharging blasts of controlled lightning at a target. The original ELFs were definite energy hogs, but ones capable of knocking down shielded targets quickly.
A handheld version of this weapon was produced as early as 2734, although it never made it past the prototype phase of testing. For centuries, attempts to miniaturize the ELF failed for two reasons: the enormous power requirements and the excessive amount of shielding required to prevent the injury or death of the shooter.
Sometime before the Sixth Firetruce, a workable variant began to see use on the battlefield. The old weapon was essentially “lightning in a bottle,” a massive, barely-controlled electrical discharge. This new version was more of a finesse device; creating a resonance effect. When fired, the ELF bathed the target in a wide emission of electromagnetic energy. A microcomputer in the weapon analyzes the feedback from the initial burst and shifts the next discharge to a resonating frequency. This process takes only milliseconds and is ongoing.
Against a shielded target, the effect apes the use of sound to shatter a glass. The target’s shields will falter, then fail. Against another tribal, the resonance effect not only knocks down powered armor shields, but causes an energy drain that renders the armor jets and energy-dependent weaponry useless.
This functionality comes at a price. The ELF Gun has only a very short range, and does not cause immediate damage to an armored and shielded target. The sensation of being hit by an ELF has been described as “like putting a battery to your tongue, but with your whole body being one big tongue.” Painful but not excruciating, the ELF can produce fatal results if directed at a person long enough, generally around eight to twelve seconds. It does so by draining armor energy and then causing the unshielded human target to go into cardiac arrest. Some electrically insulating armors have managed to blunt this effect, but the supplementary insulation adversely affects armor performance in other ways. I’ve heard reports that this weapon is commonly used as an interrogation tool. Evidently with a little ion-gel rubbed on extremities, the pain of a low-level ELF discharge is enough to crack all but the strongest wills.
Most of the tribals I interviewed regarded this weapon with distaste. They acknowledged its place on the battlefield on disabling enemy turrets, but few were eager to carry one. “It’s as accurate as a bull with a blindfold,” one wag told me. Still another warrior told me the ELF was his favorite weapon in close quarters.
The Scorpion turret mounts a larger version of this weapon. This variant is far more powerful and inflicts greater damage but does not drain energy as rapidly, and can be considered a close “cousin” of the original ELF, essentially a lightning whip.
Mortar This particular weapon evolved from a Herc-mounted weapon developed in the post-Starsiege era. The Hellstar Vehicle Mortar (HVM) appeared on Hercs from approximately 2900 to 3300, primarily the Talon Mk. III, Skullsplitter, and Perdition-class Hercs. In the corporate wars of the 33rd century, the Unitech Giant-class Herc also incorporated a version of this weapon.
When the Blood Eagle first moved into the wilderzone, they brought Hercs and related equipment with them. Against the lightly-armored tribesmen, the mortar-equipped Hercs proved extremely effective. Years passed, however, and the Hercs broke down far from the supply lines of the Empire. Lacking the Herc platform to carry it, the Blood Eagle discontinued use of the mortar.
Once the Blood Eagle adopted the powered armors of the tribes, they revisited the weapons they have used on Hercs to see what they could modify for their use. The Hercules mortar was one such weapon, miniaturized and re-engineered for use with powered armor. It rapidly became one of the most feared weapons in the wilderzone. Nothing else in the tribal arsenals has the capacity to deal as much damage.
The weapon works like the grenade launcher, but on a much larger scale. The propellant is far stronger than ordinary chem propellants, making use of a surprisingly stable mix of hypervolatile compounds. A large percentage of cuprous oxides present in the mixture gives mortar shell smoke trails their characteristic green color.
With a thermal splash radius of ten meters, this weapon is capable of clearing a room, destroying heavy equipment with a single shot, or scattering a group of enemy warriors like rag dolls. Warriors equipped with mortars can rain destruction upon an enemy base from a reasonably safe distance. Most mortar round do not incorporate a shrapnel design, as the effectiveness of shrapnel against armor shields is minimal.
Some veteran tribal warriors have mastered the skill of “mortar jumping.” This action involves the warrior firing a shell at her feet and letting the blast carry her over a significantly greater distance than use of the armor jets alone would permit. It sounds suicidal, I know, but such is the kind of bravery one finds among the barbarians. It is a typical example of how the tribals find new uses with their core of admittedly unsophisticated technologies. Given the mortar’s unmodulated weight of almost one metric ton and the weight of its ammunition, only the heavy Myrmidon class armor possesses the capacity of lifting this weapon (even with T-grav nodes reducing the mortar’s effective mass).
Targeting Laser Not a true weapon, of course, the targeting laser operates as a simple rangefinder. Linked with the armor computers of other tribesmen, it enables the bearer to “paint” a target for his companions who carry mortars or grenade launchers. The tribes who coordinate best between laser spotters and mortar bombardiers clearly enjoy significantly more success than less-disciplined tribes. According to my Sons of Thunder friends, many warriors disdain use of targeting lasers for reasons of pride, and choose instead to seek personal glory.
MELEE WEAPONS Most tribal combat waged in earnest involves solely the use of firearms. However, my tribal sources say that though less common, melee weapons do have a place in tribal combat. Such weapons include swords, axes, flails, whips, staffs, and any other implement that necessitates the user being at close range to the target in order to deal damage. These are effective because they do not carry sufficient kinetic energy to exceed the threshold of the armor shields (save when the weapon uses pak or battery- powered energy in some manner). Hence, melee weapons essentially bypass shields and attack armor directly. When driven by the augmented strength of tribal armor, a sword or axe can pose as severe a threat to a tribal warrior as a chaingun.
Swords, Knives, Katars, and Tetrahooks Though tales of rocket-assisted warhammers and blaster maces are quite common in the mouths of tribal storytellers, the most common melee weapons having relevance on the battlefield are of the bladed variety. Since tribal armor shields do not protect against the far more slowly-delivered impact of these weapons, tribal warriors occasionally do bring various melee sidearms to war.
Most commonly found are swords of various types. The Gehenna Sharks were known to use a wickedly serrated blade made of splint-etched memory metal. Upon penetrating to flesh, the sword would essentially release a jagged piece into the wound, an effect often more devastating by the tribe’s frequent use of poison.
Monomolecular-edged swords and knives are also used, but although these are devastating against unprotected targets, they yield far less effective results against tribal armor. The diamond-coating and ultradurable carapace of an armor quickly blunt monomolecular edges and can stop all but the most determined blows, unless those blows find an exposed point in the protection. Joints and areas lacking armor covering are the best targets for such blades.
Many swords have a hollow core partly filled with a heavy liquid metal such as mercury. Such a feature adds to the sword’s momentum during a swing by shifting the balance from the hilt toward the point.
Katars, or punch-daggers, are surprisingly effective in armored close combat, though they offer no overwhelming advantages over regular combat knives. They are especially favored by the Blood Eagle. I found a tetrahook in a bazaar in Bira Marduk and had the opportunity to see its use demonstrated by a streetfighter against a melon. The tetrahook is a curious and disturbing weapon mostly used in unarmored tribal duels. It consists of a grip sprouting four (sometimes three) curved and barbed - often serrated - blades at cross angles, much like a monstrous dragon’s claw (which is, incidentally, the nickname of this instrument). One holds it as one would hold a cross-shape gripped by the hub. A tetrahook is designed to collapse into a flat plane for sheathing. When ready to use it, one triggers a spring-loaded or memory-metal mechanism that snaps the four blades open to their ready positions. Some tetrahooks have backward curving or forked blades, and some have hollow channels for injecting poison into wounds. Some variations are strapped around a wrist rather than gripped, but my sources say the handheld version is far more effective in practice. Either way, the tetrahook is an intimidating weapon. I gathered from the demonstration that tetrahook duels are extremely bloody affairs, wherein the users try to close so they can punch the barbed hooks into each others’ vitals or hook flesh so as to manipulate the victim with pain. Tetrahooks also make excellent parrying weapons.
Curiously, the Children of Phoenix are the most frequent users of tetrahooks. The Blood Eagle apparently consider them too flamboyant, though the Halakar bloodline of Bira Marduk encourages use of the weapons in streetfighting contests. A thought strikes me as I write this, Danli; perhaps the Blood Eagle see tetrahooks more as recreational toys than true weapons. Chilling, if true.
Fluxtorches Fluxtorches are an example of simple tribal technology that nonetheless works well despite its lack of sophistication. A fluxtorch is nothing more than a plasma torch partly contained in a magnetic bottle. The magnetic containment only channels the plasma into a rough cylinder-shaped “blade,” something like a hose channels water. The tip of a fluxtorch is a spreading flare of plasma, which dissipates quickly enough but still produces tremendous heat. The weapon has been likened to a flame-thrower waved around like a sword, with plasma vapor trailing in the arc of the swing. It can by no means be considered a “finesse” weapon. My understanding is that using it without the protection of armor is tantamount to suicide. The plasma is at least as bright as burning magnesium, such that an observer lacking optical filters will be temporarily blinded.
The plasma is hot enough to do substantial damage through shields and armor, but it also splashes considerably, so the wielder must take care not to injure himself by holding the weapon against the target for too long. The fluxtorch’s blade measures approximately one to two meters in length and holds enough plasma for two minutes of continuous use. Unless the materials in the hilt are rather more advanced than the usual tribal alloys, the chance of the weapon malfunctioning in prolonged use rises substantially.
Such a volatile weapon holds other dangers. Nabterayl told me a story of a Child of Phoenix who attacked a Starwolf in heavy armor with a fluxtorch, only to have the warrior grapple unexpectedly and turn the fluxtorch against him, burning his arm off and cooking his chest badly enough to cause internal damage. The Child of Phoenix killed the Starwolf by slapping a mine on him and jetting out of the explosion range, only to perish shortly thereafter from the fluxtorch’s horrific burns.
These tribal warriors may be unsophisticated, Danli, but if Nabterayl’s story is true, they appear all the deadlier because of it. Choices of the Four The Great Four Tribes, as the barbarians refer to the four dominant tribes of the wilderzone, display markedly different preferences in their selection of melee weapons. Some, such as the Blood Eagle, retain such weapons for ceremonial occasions, whereas others such as the Diamond Sword appear to invest great spiritual significance in their blades.
The Diamond Sword, unsurprisingly, favor a long hand-and-a-half sword of duracore parasteel. My suspicion is that many, if not most, of these weapons were brought from Imperial space, since nothing I have seen indicates tribal weaponsmiths are capable of producing DPS. Be that as it may, surodoi of the Diamond Sword always appear with a sword while out of tribal armor, and only surrender them in rare circumstances, such as at a parley or a tea ceremony. Many of the unit and rank names appear to connect to the tribal sword theme. Clearly, swords have great psychological weight for this tribe. The variety of swords varies greatly, with some following the styles of ancient Nippon and others drawing from a host of European and Near Asian influences. You are just as likely to see a member of the Diamond Sword carrying a claidh mor as a tachi. I am told a gathering of surodoi is an impressive display of antique martialry. Remind me to tell you sometime of the curious stories I have heard regarding the origins of this enigmatic tribe.
Displaying typical ingenuity, the Starwolf are fond of using a modified halberd that incorporates inertial enhancers to increase the effective mass-energy of the weapon’s impact. Other Starwolf melee weapons focus more on hunting purposes than outright combat. Depending on the prey sought, however, certain of these items are just as effective on the battlefield. “Skytrops,” for example, are small spiked balls containing a small gravitic motor that allows them to be thrown over a far greater distance than the powered armor would ordinarily permit. They can be modified to home in on an armor’s shield signature so that their flight paths curve toward the target. Many skytrops are coated with drugs or toxins, while others are timed to explode on contact with a target. The latter have the force of a microgrenade, but can be geared to produce an electron flux pulse that weakens the target’s shields for an instant. The Starwolf have also been known to utilize rocket-driven spears and magnetically-adhesive alloy nets.
The Children of Phoenix prefer explosive-tipped javelins and fluxtorches. Part of this choice may be traced to the tribe’s thematic obsession with fire, but undeniably Phoenix warriors are considered the most effective of melee fighters, even more so than the Diamond Sword. Some Children mount sharp blades on their vambraces and greaves, so that in close combat they have the opportunity to strike at their opponents without having to draw a blade. Despite their insistence on unity and their efforts to appear cultured and regally sophisticated, there is a brutal side to this tribe that causes me much puzzlement and unease.
Many Blood Eagle use a wickedly barbed katar, or punch-dagger. Some of these weapons feature a small laser engineered to fire from the hilt down alongside the center of the blade. In duels, the Blood Eagle use taloned gloves and swords, but almost never bring them into line combat. The typical Blood Eagle blade - if it is not a katar -- is curved after the Arabic styles of Old Earth. Indeed, sharp blades hold great significance for this ex-Imperial tribe, as you might imagine from all the horrible stories. One of the enlisted ranks is even named after a knife, and one of their officer ranks literally means “Knife-Captain.” Of course, the Blood Eagle talent with knives is well-known in the wilderzone, Danli, well-known and feared. ARMOR Imperial adventure sims set in the wilderzone frequently portray the Tribes of Man as savages in garishly-painted armors adorned with spikes, hologram tabards, and fur cloaks. Those zeit-visioneurs who know better engineer a more realistic perspective, but even they are prone to fanciful flights. The one thing all depictions of the wilderzone share is the presence of powered armor. Even though perhaps only ten percent of the population at most even has the training necessary to use powered armor, the overwhelming stereotype in the Empire is that all tribals wear shells.
It is a stereotype we in the Empire should not let cloud our thinking. Though they have many strange customs, a brazen independence, and a penchant for tremendous violence, the Tribes of Man are not primitives. At the same time, there is a paradoxical truth in the popular misconception. Tribal warriors are trained to be deadly in and out of their suits, but by far the most significant combat unit in the wilderzone is the warrior in powered armor. When a tribal speaks of going to battle, she means in her hard-shell. Though tribal warfare can involve frequent switching of armors to accommodate shifting tactical needs, most tribal warriors keep a personal armor, to which they can become quite attached. The more “professional” tribes such as the Blood Eagle or the Stormguard do not form such emotional bonds.
Armors are technically called “scarabs,” from SCARAB, which in turn is said to stand for Servo- Coordinated Armor with Refluxed-Agility Boost. However, I understand this term could also refer to powered armor’s origins as a primitive form of exo-suit used by ancient colonists on the planet Venus in Sol system during the Cybrid wars. Despite its antiquity, few tribals use “scarab” in common parlance, simply calling the gear “armor, “hard-shell,” “shell,” or simply “suit.” There are indications that some more traditional tribes have lately taken to calling their armors scarabs once again-this practice is particularly noticeable in the radical faction of the Children of Phoenix: the Harbingers. (I’ll speak more of this group in a future report, but I warn you now that they are a frightening source of discord in the wilderzone, and I fear they are gaining influence.)
Engineering Basics Armors are primarily composed of a layer of titanium-cerapolymer alloy fused over shaped plates of honeycombed semiflexible stahlplast. The stahlplast contains a dense ablative gel that provides a secondary defense against thermal penetration. Finally, a soft orthoderm padding cushions the wearer. Each suit features mechanisms that open and close the suit on the user’s command. A further automatic contraction-expansion capability in the frame allows the armor to alter its fit to accommodate the wearer, though this capability is somewhat limited.
Basic armor grants the wearer augmented strength, a protective shield aura, and enhanced mobility. The outer shell is quite resilient, and even without shields, an armor provides tremendous protection against physical attacks. The firepower of most modern weapons, however, means that unless a warrior wears a myrmidon, unshielded armor does not stand up to a well-armed foe. All armors receive a peren-diamond varnish that greatly enhances armor longevity by increasing resistance to environmental conditions, general wear and tear, dirt, dust, and the effects of heat and cold.
Modern tribal armor incorporates many components we may find somewhat unsophisticated, but the design has been refined through ages of near-constant conflict, and the current result serves its purposes admirably. As with the weapons, however, the tribal philosophy is that the armor does not make the warrior; it is merely a tool that becomes effective only when used by a well-trained soldier. Control Systems Gross maneuvering in armor-running, using weapons, lifting, throwing-is accomplished via normal movement. In these cases, the wearer moves body, arms, and legs normally, and the armor amplifies that movement, adding strength and speed as needed up to the limits of the armor’s safe augmentation rating. A sophisticated neural link detects and implements the desired range of effect, in effect determining whether a warrior intends her grip to hold a teacup or crush steel and bone.
The neural-interface biofeedback system also regulates auxiliary armor functions such as the command circuit, optiks, and the armor jets. The interface uses a mix of direct neural impulse (DNI), pre- configured macromaneuvers (“macros”), and other biofeedback from the user. For safety reasons, most armor functions require a dual-phase trigger to access a function, such as (1) thumb-touching-index- finger in conjunction with (2) a squint. An analogy can be made to ancient computer commands featuring such quaint “keystrokes” as Control-Alt-Delete. A tribal is trained extensively until she can use all her armor’s features reflexively, from the vision-enhancing optiks to the famous jets.
Upon donning armor, a brief period is required for the neural interface to establish itself. Warriors have described the sensation of neural synchronization as a prickling across the skin.
Optiks Armor optical systems are called “optiks.” They include integral flash protection, binocular zoom, low light, and a Heads-Up Display that tracks energy use, weapon status, waypoints, and targeting. The system operates via a close-neural induction link that paints the display directly onto the cornea using microlasers in the armor’s headgear. However, optical magnification and the other vision-enhancing features are enabled by the armor’s visor. Typical visors include a mutable opticrys layer hardened with an outer layer of peren-diamond and an internal lattice of metaplas nanofilaments. I know, Danli. It’s surprisingly crude, but I am informed it is very reliable and effective despite the inelegant, hybrid nature of the technology.
Given a little time, a warrior can adjust his or her optiks to unusual battlefield circumstances. However this kind of action must be taken when the warrior is out of the line of fire. To try to make such adjustments in the heat of battle is suicide, I am told. An armor’s on-board pulse sensors allow the warrior to navigate and select targets even in utterly dark environments.
Command Circuit Command and control tactical communication is accomplished via a linked encrypted radio circuit among the members of a squad. This feature is called the “command circuit” or (again in typical tribal parlance) “the Bleed.” The command circuit, abbreviated “CC,” enables a commanding officer to coordinate the actions of her squad, by setting waypoints, issuing orders, and providing other tactical direction as needed.
The tribals customarily maintain a sub-channel as a “public” frequency. Any tribal who patches into it can communicate with any other tribal within range-even the enemy. Nicknamed the “patch” or the “underbleed,” this integrated radio channel is commonly used for taunts, challenges, and sometimes negotiations. It is an optional channel, and most tribals find it sufficiently annoying that they simply keep it mute. Strength Augmentation Even light armor grants the wearer several times the effective strength of an unarmored human, whereas the heavy myrmidons have been described as miniature Hercs (a rather obvious example of dramatic exaggeration). Practically speaking, lifting strength of a light armor is approximately five times that of a man of average fitness in his prime. A medium is perhaps thirty percent more, and a heavy is easily twice the strength of a light. In conjunction with T-grav nodes in the weapon stocks, the armor allows a single individual to carry more firepower than an infantry platoon of the Cybrid wars.
The microservo network enhances all tactically relevant muscle motion, including the hands, oblique abdominals, and rotator cuffs as well as the more obvious gross limb movements. Flexor expansion- contraction sequences are keyed to the armor’s neural link such that augmentation activates in proportion to a warrior’s perceived need. Thus, an armored warrior can crush a human skull as easily as she can pick up an egg.
The design restricts an armor’s servo output to levels the human body can tolerate, though some stories tell of warriors overriding their armors’ limits to accomplish feats of speed and prowess considered quite improbable in real life armor use. Again, the popularity of these “tales of battle” is a common thread whenever one discusses military subjects in tribal space. There have been some documented cases of warriors who ripped their joints apart and caused serious permanent injuries by overriding the safety parameters of their armors’ performance. In the popular “Renegades” vid series (to which I shamefully admit my addiction), the heroes continually ignore their armors’ limitations to perform completely superhuman feats. Remind me to send you an episode sometime. You’ll get a kick out of the tacnuke machine guns.
Shields Tribal armor shields are based on the same technology used during the Cybrid Wars and still used by the Imperial military today. The standard military paradigm of the last fourteen centuries still applies: Take down shields first, then armor.
Shield generators apply non-Newtonian fluid field harmonics to create a protective barrier of phased electromagnetic energy capable of deflecting high-energy attacks. I don’t pretend to understand the specific details of the physics involved, but I hope to summarize sufficiently for any reader not versed in the science. In this non-Newtonian model, the barrier’s resistance increases with a magnitude inversely proportional to the amount of thermal, electromagnetic, or kinetic energy exerted at the point of impact. The practical threshold for triggering the shield’s resistance is high enough that hand weapons and fists may pass unhindered through shields, but bullets or lasers will not. However, shields weaken quickly under sustained fire or a sufficiently powerful attack, since the actual resistance consumes enormous amounts of energy, often more than the power source can provide in a short amount of time. The shields are not one hundred percent efficient; some energy does bleed through to armor. Shields are more effective with kinetic energy than with thermal or electromagnetic attacks, hence the diminished role of non-explosive ballistic weapons over the last millennium. When resistance is not triggered, the ambient field does requires only a small amount of energy.
A tribal armor carries approximately a half-dozen shield nodes, usually one per limb and two to four on the torso and head, but configurations vary, depending on the designers’ decisions regarding concentration of maximal shield strength. Approximately three centimeters in diameter apiece, the nodes create a force field aura around the wearer. Normally invisible, shields become visible when sufficient excess energy from an attack is reflected outward from the armor as light and low level gamma radiation. Tribal engineers skirt the energy drain issue by linking each node to an independent capacitor that provides power independent of the onboard energy cells. As capacitors burn out, shield protection drops.
Typically, a shield node burns out when an attack (or aggregate attack) exceeds the node’s energy dissipation threshold. As node capacitors overload and burn out, the armor’s shield protection decreases. Secondary damage (that is, damage that penetrates the shield aura) reaches the warrior consistently when the shields reach fifty percent, but the armor typically absorbs such a “damage bleed” quite well. As the shields fade toward zero integrity, the armor takes progressively more of the role of protection until it is all that keeps the warrior from death. When a damaged armor is repaired by nanites, the repairing unit transfers energy from its own source to replenish the energy in the capacitors. In some cases, tribal warriors can rig a refresh from their own energy cells, but they only do so under dire circumstances, as the procedure is a tricky one. The basic concern is that a link between a microfusion cell and the shield nodes risks a feedback surge that could disrupt or destroy the power cell itself.
As stated above, shields have a minimum energy limit that must be reached before the fluid field resistance activates. Lower energy attacks, such as those imparted by most melee weapons, do not trigger shield deflection. Hence, knives and other hand weapons can actually be used on the battlefield, though they must contend with the armor itself. Typically, the highly mobile nature of tribal battle mitigates against widespread use of melee weapons. In confined spaces and the hands of a highly- skilled blademaster, however, a sword can prove devastatingly effective.
The tribes have engineered an interesting feature into the shield nodes. Each node generates a field “bottle” that envelopes the entire armor to a thickness of two to three centimeters; the node but also concentrates protection for a half meter around itself. The overlap and the concentration combine to provide a layered aura that maximizes defensive potential. However, the true innovation comes in the tribal manipulation of the shield bottle’s shape. The tribals have succeeded in having the bottle deform so as to partly cover weapons that normally would project from the aura. This deformation occurs automatically for all standard tribal firearms. The bottle stops short of covering the mouth of the weapon, such that the weapon is not plugged by a shield overlapping the tip of the muzzle. For non- standard weapons, a warrior can simply cancel the bottle extension. When the extension is dropped, the shield aura does not cover a melee weapon, but conforms to the surface of the armor.
Some tribes, such as the Children of Phoenix, wear partial armor that exposes portions of the bare skin. The rationale behind this behavior is rooted in the wilderzone’s honor-based culture combined with the Children’s peculiar elitism. They seem to believe they are so superior to other tribes that they can expose their vulnerable flesh and still prevail. Consequently, Phoenix warriors rely enormously on their own agility to keep them from harm, fully aware that most of their protection comes from the shields- unless they happen to be wearing Myrmidon-class armor. However, as the flames of the Eagle-Wolf War spread, most tribals - even those of the Phoenix - have begun to increase the secondary protection of armor once again. Thus, the tribal stereotypes may be even less accurate in future, as half-naked barbarian warriors vanish from the wilderzone’s battlefields altogether. Life Support Armors offer wearers the ability to function in otherwise inhospitable environments. Built-in heating and cooling units enable the wearer to operate in extremes of nearly -50°C to over 45°C. The armor’s shielding units will also protect the wearer from excessive radioactivity that would otherwise be fatal, and environmental filters can screen out harmful toxins. The shield aura also provides protection against high pressure environments, but this capability is subject to shield degradation. Recently, many tribes have begun to produce sealed armors that can function as EVA suits in the cold and airless environment of space. I understand most Myrmidons already had this capacity, but now the lighter armors are being sealed as well.
Energy A microfusion energy cell powers all armors. It is located in the back section of the torso, and is quite a heavy component due to the ultradense medium required for stil-fusion operation. The cell enables the armor’s wearer to use the jets, keep shields online, and power energy-based weapons and packs. It has a limited maximum output per second, although for all practical purposes the energy it generates is unlimited. The need to manage available energy forms the primary foundation of tribal tactics and armor skill.
The armor’s heads-up display (HUD) monitors the level of energy reserves available. When energy reserves dip to a certain level, all nonessential functions of the armor automatically deactivate and the cell begins its brief recharge sequence. Essential functions-which include shields, life support, the command circuit, and strength augmentation-are always maintained, otherwise the armor’s utility would drop dramatically. The first priority of the armor is to keep the wearer alive and unharmed.
Armor also includes a certain amount of backup energy storage capacity, but the battery alone won’t last long. Without the microfusion cell, backup on most armors lasts for less than five minutes if the warrior sustains use of jets and armor-powered energy weapons. With judicious jet use, a warrior can stay operational for over an hour on battery power alone. Warriors typically keep a set of small tools in an armor compartment that can be used to remove and replace a microfusion cell from another armor, but this is a tedious and time-consuming operation. Mobile turrets and other deployed items that use microfusion are easier options. The tools can also be used to jury-rig a battery recharge from another armor or deployable device, which enables a warrior to continue operation as long as she has access to helpful squadmates or other convenient power sources. Nabterayl calls this practice “leeching.”
Jets and Gravitics The name “jets” is a misnomer. In actuality, the famed tribal armor jets are powerful ion thrusters paired with a gravitic subsystem that permits limited flight “jumps.” The ion jets port from exhaust points located on the lower back of the Peltast and Hoplite armors and in the heels of the Myrmidon armor. The gravitics include stabilizers that enable the armor’s wearer to remain oriented and upright during flight. The DNI interface allows a warrior’s physical reflexes to play a role in the speed and agility of jet use.
A biofeedback trigger activates the jets. The location and nature of the particular trigger depends on the warrior’s preference, but this is one area in particular that relies on the DNI component of the interface more than phased-sequence macromaneuvers. Once triggered, the armor jets provide thrust until the trigger is “released,” at which time the jets deactivate and begin recharging. Cutting thrust is a flight maneuver that has saved the life of many a warrior with a sudden altitude drop to throw off an enemy’s aim. As with many tribal engineering choices, redundancy and durability is prized. It is extremely rare for an armor’s jets to be disabled. However, the jets default to an inactive state if the energy reserve falls to below eight percent.
Acclimating to gravity differences between worlds can cause warriors to make mistakes on entering battle on a new world. Typically, faux-grav settings on D-ships are adjusted to allow the warriors to adjust their weapons and armor according to the target world’s parameters. An armor’s onboard gravitic systems incorporate an adjustment capability keyed to a reading of the local gravity. The armor’s performance is then adjusted to account for the gravimetric reading. If the warrior wishes, he can override the system to remain at the same operating level. However, HUD targeting, ground agility, and jetting range can be severely affected by a change in gravity. On lighter worlds, warriors make few adjustments or throttle back jet output to conserve energy. On heavier worlds, the tendency is to increase the power output to keep agility and targeting performance within standard parameters.
Jet components are fairly modular and can be moved from armor to armor relatively easily. Over a recent dinner, Sub-Consul Margales St. Quebocher offered a rather hilarious story she’d heard about a Starwolf prankster who fitted jets to some cows and flew the poor beasts around his holdfast using a remote control. (Remind me to tell it to you in person when next we meet. It’s even funnier with the facial expressions St. Quebocher used.)
The Warharness This device is seldom featured in the entertainment sims, but it represents a crucial component of tribal armor. The warharness holds the unused firearms on the armor and allows a warrior to swap between weapons swiftly. Simple warharnesses are little more than woven metaplas and alphasilk combat webs with attachment points for grenades, weapons, mines, and the like. They typically have mechanisms that release the weapon quickly upon the wearer grabbing and pulling the desired object. More advanced versions of this web contain interface-integrated microservos (IIM) so as to hold weapons automatically upon command, and to shift so that the desired weapon is easy to reach.
The most advanced warharnesses-which are quite rare-are composed of nothing more than a layer of nanites incorporated onto the armor’s torso. These nanites are programmed to hold weapons and make them available to the user upon command. Hence, the weapons of a warrior possessing such a warharness simply “stick” to her back until needed for use. When the warrior wants to draw a weapon, she simply reaches for it, perhaps triggering the request with a quick macro such as by tapping first her fist and then her middle finger on her breastplate. The selected weapon then swiftly slides along the armor’s surface so that the grip slides into the warrior’s waiting hand. When the warrior closes her hand, the warharness releases the weapon. Needless to say, this feature is heavily customized. The Blood Eagle possess the greatest number of this type of warharness.
Armors also have standard belt attachments for holding grenades, flares, medkits, and the like. Blasters are light enough to be slung from the hip, despite their size being close to that of a carbine. For holding more or heavier weapons, however, a warrior must use a warharness.
The Grievers and some indie tribes sometimes use a spidery mechanical variation of the warharness, but these jury-rigged devices are prone to malfunction or damage in the field and have not found acceptance among the Four. Donning and Removing Armor Tribal armor looks heavy and cumbersome, but in fact it is extremely collapsible when not being worn and weighs far less than it appears to. Peltast armors can be carried in a duffel bag or small suitcase. A Hoplite can only be carried in a duffel, and is somewhat awkward to maneuver easily. A small person could not carry it without the help of a T-grav porterclip. Myrmidon-class armor is definitely too heavy to be carried by one person without assistance.
As I mentioned earlier, all tribal armors include microservos and memory-plates that open and close the armor along designated seams. A person simply steps into Hoplite or Myrmidon armor and it seals up around her. A Peltast is usually donned one piece at a time after decollapsing it, as though it were normal garb. Nanoseals close the seams tightly and only open to a sequence of touch commands, though these can be activated by the wearer very quickly if necessary. The armor’s fit is typically snug to allow for the best somatic feedback, but light clothes can be worn without reducing the control efficiency to wholly impractical levels.
An armor’s headgear will automatically bind back the warrior’s hair (if any) so as not to interfere with control systems. As the neural interface synchronizes, the wearer will feel a minute twitch from the armor’s servos as they run through a brief test sequence. Then the warrior’s vision will blur momentarily as the optiks come online. As with standard Imperial HUDs, microlasers paint the data displays directly onto the wearer’s eyes.
Maintenance Despite the many innovations and clever workarounds tribal engineers have worked into armor designs, they cannot escape the need for maintenance. However, many armor systems are modular enough to encourage easy replacement. Entek repari baths make much basic maintenance relatively painless. However, entek only deals with physical aspects such as microservo arrays, armor plating, seals, and gross component integrity. Checking operational efficiency of complex subsystems such as sensors, the command circuit, the DNI, onboard computers, and shield aura gestalt-overlaps requires a human technician. In addition, field repairs from entek repair kits do not return damaged components to a pristine condition. The reparis frequently leave stress fractures and may have reduced the strength or integrity of other components from which the material was drawn for repairs. Moreover, inevitable armor variants mean the reparis may not be programmed with the specifics of a particular armor, and so the repairs may leave the armor prone to breakdown or malfunction if follow-up maintenance is not performed. Finally, although the armors are designed internally with null-friction materials at joints and moving parts, some lubricants are necessary. Reparis are known for poor repair of such junctures.
Rule-of-thumb optimal maintenance requires one man-hour of troubleshooting and service per three hours of operation in the field under combat conditions or in unusually taxing environments. While this time seems unusually low by Imperial standards, one must remember that tribal systems are far less complex than standard Imperial military equipment, though I understand our saar-marines now use armors that incorporate simpler tribal design principles.
A typical service (absent major battlefield re-repair) can be accomplished by a single person. For the exterior, the first step for a warrior or technician is to spray the armor’s exterior with a cleaning solution and wipe it clean. The cleaner, the better, I am told. Even though the peren-diamond varnish prevents most grime from adhering to the armor’s surface, dust and other material can accumulate in the joints and over the optiks. (This is not unusual, as Imperial equipment still has trouble in the dust pockets of Old Mars.) The next step requires application of an oily silver paste that contains metal and carbon molecules that provide repair material for the entek. In the final step, a typical repair pack is used to apply the entek. For interior components, a maintenance computer is patched into the command circuit and DNI for diagnostic purposes. Any damaged or fatigued components are repaired or replaced. The cross-layered opticrys components of armor optiks frequently require replacement, since realigning the thin sheets of molecular crystal is a time-consuming process. Replacement is typically easy for “generic” components, such as shields, microfusion cells, and sensor nodes, which are common to perhaps ninety percent of all tribal armors. Optiks and DNI components usually require replacement. Occasionally, a technician may not trust the entek to do the work. In these cases, microscopic goggles, a laser welder, and an autosleeve are used. Such special repairs are quite time- consuming.
DNI interface replacement is a complex process requiring a period of “retuning” a warrior’s neural signature. Typically, the DNI “node” is easily removed and replaced in a new armor, an approach warriors invariably prefer to breaking in a new node. Older interfaces often retain remnants of previous signatures, dissonant elements that can interfere with armor operation. Of course, myths have sprung up around the ludicrous idea that the DNI interface imprints some of its owner’s personality, or even the owner’s soul. A story in the Diamond Sword Kohan Scrolls tells of a newblood who inherited the armor of his uncle, a martial arts master versed in the Kamisori school of Venusian Zen. The newblood used the armor in a training match shortly after he received it. The style he used was far more advanced than his level of study, and he executed with a grace and speed that overwhelmed his teacher as completely as if his uncle still wore the armor. The newblood claimed later that he felt another presence with him, guiding each motion. As a consequence of stories like these, sworders value old interfaces and do not erase those used by masters and exceptional warriors.
Microservos can present problems when severe damage interferes with repari penetration or slags enough material together to confuse the entek. A microservo consists of a conductive metadura-coil fused around a flexor filament chain made of exo-crys. The exo-crys expands on application of an electrical charge, which is applied through the surrounding metadura coil. They contract when the charge is removed. The microservo cables network effectively mimics the human body’s range of motion, though as armor weight class increases, range of motion and flexibility drops. A Myrmidon cannot match the moves of a Peltast, though I am assured it is not nearly as restrictive as its bulk suggests.
Battle damage often requires replacement of an exterior component or armor plate, particularly if the damage melted through several layers. Such damage often blends the armor’s material and confuses the reparis, which may not “understand” how to recognize a muddled fusion of AKS and metaplas.
The Skinsuit Beneath tribal armor, most warriors wear a skintight body glove made of entek-laced metadura. This deceptively sophisticated underlayer serves several purposes. It protects the wearer from chafing. It contains a nanotech recycling system that collects body fluids and other secretions, detoxifies them and uses the collected water to rehydrate the warrior. Waste material is shunted to a discharge port in the armor, to be ejected at the warrior’s discretion. Finally, the bodyglove assists in establishing the neural interface with the armor, by providing an enhanced conductive medium via the wearer’s own salt-laden perspiration. Many tribals refer to the skinsuit as the “stinksuit.” The name is an exaggeration, however, as the nanotech recycling components produce very little residual odor. In fact, IshM’lak wrinkled her nose more at the nickname than any memory of bad smells.
Design Philosophy Peltast design philosophy values speed and agility, not raw power. Consequently, full coverage from the armor is not highly valued. The light microservos used in Peltasts burn out quickly if augmentation tolerances are exceeded. Given the lack of complete hard-shell coverage on many Peltast models, the lifting capacity provided from the armor comes more from a T-grav assist than from raw strength augmentation. The hard-shell components of several designs reveal quite a bit of the skinsuit.
Hoplite designs are intended to be mobile and hard-hitting, combining the best features of Peltast and Myrmidon. However, as with so many “compromise” designs, it appears to do nothing particularly well. Nevertheless, I am told that many tribal soldiers swear by their Hoplites and consider them either heavy recon or light assault gear.
Myrmidon designs are incredibly tough, and though they lack the deadly speed of the Peltast, they are unmatched in a defensive role. Moreover, the dense armor provides real protection once the shields drop, and a thick microservo array gives the wearer serious augmentation. A Myrmidon can deliver devastating blows capable of killing a Peltast outright-if it can hit the lighter warrior, that is. And that challenge, as always, is the rub. On the other hand, a Blood Eagle acquaintance told me of a highly- skilled Sikkyn-Captain who killed a Myrmidon in a hand-to-hand duel while using only a Peltast. This individual repeatedly delivered jet-assisted kicks to the head until the Myrmidon’s neck servos overloaded. Very, very difficult maneuver. The victor was Starkar Mace, who you might remember once served as the leader of Alexandre Konovalev’s personal guard. Mace was killed during the Marathon Pennant’s defeat by the Starwolf in the Fourth Battle of Hepta Ourubis III.
ANTI-GRAVITY (T-GRAV) One of the most ubiquitous technologies in all human space is anti-gravity (commonly referred to as “T” grav after the “ti” in “anti”), which we have had for over a millennium. The tribals are no exception. Although they do not create the elaborate floating cities of the Empire, such as Eleä Jacitala Es, Aloft, or New Xanadu, they do not hesitate to set floating citadels over their cities and holdfasts. Some tribal settlements are essentially underground dwellings, but I have yet to see any tribal town or holdfast where the people live in the sky.
There is little remarkable here, so I will be brief. Tribal T-grav capability is essentially the same as that of the Empire: pi-field inducers generate and direct gravitons or anti-gravitons in a manner that bypasses the need for incredible amounts of mass. T-grav technology can levitate items as small as vases or as large as the tribals’ blocky, inelegant citadels. As with our gravitic nodes, lifting capacity is determined by the power-to-mass ratio, which in a curve defined by to Muennichar’s Law (levitating greater effective mass requires a near-geometric increase in power). Interestingly, the tribals tend to keep their T-grav generators on separate power sources than those that power shields, etc. These microfusion paks are numerous and are diffused throughout the very walls of a base. This practice explains why tribals can destroy shield and weapon generators in a floating citadel, but fail to knock down the building itself. I believe the design is an intentional product of the honor-based ritual warfare so prevalent here, the better to reduce collateral damage. I hear that on several occasions tribal holdfolk or city dwellers have come out to witness a flag war between two opposing citadels, staying, of course, well outside the permitted boundaries of the conflict. I cannot imagine they would do so if the citadels were in danger of falling.
MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION
Anti-Kinetic Steel (AKS) This titanium-cerapolymer alloy forms the outer shell of tribal armors. It is extremely resistant to kinetic and thermal force and nearly diamond-hard. As with most exotic alloys, it’s expensive to produce, even with entek. Therefore, it’s rarely used for anything but armor construction. Strangely, it is susceptible to a peculiarly corrosive mold growing on its outer layer, which is the main reason tribals varnish the armor with peren-diamond. The “rust” produced by the mold does little more than discolor AKS, but given time, it can penetrate deeply enough to interfere with some of an armor’s peripheral circuitry. You’ll never see rusty armor on any decent tribal, Nabterayl insisted, much to my amusement.
Bioplas An advanced plastic with flexion capability via shape-memory imprinting triggered by an electrical charge or kinetic impact. It’s not as durable as metaplas, but it’s far lighter. It is often woven into articles of ordinary-appearing clothing that can protect the wearer somewhat from light weapons fire.
Cerapolymer A ceramic-plastic material used in vehicle engines, tools, and appliances. Hard and extremely thermally tolerant. Lighter than ceramic but not as light as fully plastic materials.
Crys Best described as a glass-plastic hybrid, crys is much harder and less flexible than plastic. It is easily worked into a variety of shapes, and its innate transparency makes it perfect for windows and a variety of other uses. During production, its qualities can be optimized to fill particular roles. Unlike many other materials, crys is usually “grown” in a process that’s relatively slow compared to other material production. It is therefore somewhat more expensive.
Duracrys This variety of crys is optimized for thermal and kinetic durability. Very, very tough, it is used for space and military purposes. It lacks any of the structural fluidity of other varieties of crys. Examples of duracrys use include armor visors, laser focusing lenses, and spaceship windows.
Exo-crys Exo-crys forms the heart of a tribal armor’s strength augmentation. Evolved from ancient Herc technology, hair-thin exo-crys flexors are braided into a “microservo” cable that expands under electrical current and contracts when the charge is cut off. Despite their long history, flexors are far more reliable than hydraulics or other artificial muscle systems. Prolonged use under extremely cold conditions - such as those faced on the outer planets of Sol during the Cybrid Wars - can cause exo-crys to become brittle and crack, but such failure is gradual and easily mitigated.
Opticrys This variety of crys is the least durable but has the most flexible structure. It is used in optical sensor arrays to provide quick and clear magnification. Due to its ability to selectively deform its structure under proper electrical stimulation, opticrys lenses provide unsurpassed magnification. However, tribal engineers seem to have ignored the potential of the material for laser focusing. I believe this neglect is the result of a deliberate design choice, as the tribes prize durability and reliability above virtuoso performance, and opticrys-focused laser rifles would be noticeably more fragile than the standard duracrys ones.
Opticrys can also be manufactured for holovid displays and computer datashards, since the optical storage capacity is enormous.
Parasteel A very hard, dense, and resilient metal that holds an edge better than anything. Frequently used in high- quality sword blades. In such swords, the duracore variety incorporates a dense metaplas core within the blade’s spine. This addition greatly increases the sword’s tensile strength.
Stahlplast Equally useful for constructing buildings or armor, stahlplast is, as its name suggests, an advanced blend of high-grade steel with plastic. The resulting fusion has produced a superdense, high-strength material that is nonetheless relatively lightweight for its mass. It is conductive, but has a much higher resistance than other metal-impregnated substances. It is also virtually rustproof, even when its bare gray surface is exposed to the elements for prolonged periods of time.
To say that tribals are overfond of unadorned stahlplast in their architecture is a profound understatement. I tell you, Danli, I am sick of the stuff, sick of gray buildings that squat like metallic bird droppings in almost every tribal holding I have visited. Only the most hideous damage seems to mar thick stahlplast walls. The only negative thing I’ve heard about it is that once its shape has been set, it is almost impossible to rework. Damaged stahlplast is notorious for its flaws and hidden weaknesses, although repari application can mitigate problems for a time.
Metaplas A workhorse synthetic evolved from the Cybrid Wars, metaplas is used whenever a durable and lightweight material is needed. It can be made as rigid or as flexible as necessary, and can even be made to vary its conductivity under proper conditions. Metaplas variants have been used historically for everything from vehicle and body armor to dinner plates, clothing accessories, and firearms. Metaplas can be made in any color imaginable. Metadura Metadura is essentially a conductive, highly flexible form of metaplas. It is usually used in fabrics or circuitry, and it is extremely difficult to tear or penetrate, though it is not as thermally resistant as straight metaplas.
Synthex A cheap variety of low-grade metaplas used commercially. Easily recycled.
Peren-diamond A synthetic diamond composite with substantial tensile strength, peren-diamond is commonly used as a protective varnish on the exteriors of armors and spacecraft. It sheds heat well and is nearly impervious to dirt and oxidation. It wears away with time and use, but is easily reapplied.
BIOTECH I have little to say in this area, since the wilderzone population uses mostly hard tech. Tribals tend to be suspicious of organic-based technology, more than we are in the Empire. There are a few obscure tribes who dabble more in biotech, but none of them have come to prominence. One of the great concerns, naturally, is the use of biological warfare, which the Tenets of Harabec expressly forbid. Already concerned with the ever-present threat of x-pox has made tribals rather sensitive to the danger of artificial plagues. Besides, modern panimmunity treatments mean any military disease organism would have to be incredibly virulent. Most wilderzone facilities haven’t the resources to create individually- targeted diseases. Perhaps we should be thankful for that, given recent Imperial history.
Implants As a rule, the wilderzone inhabitants use few, if any, biotech implants. They are prone to viewing invasive technology as anti-human, especially crafted biological constructs.
Breeding and Eugenics The Tribes of Man breed livestock as does the rest of human space. They have also incorporated genemod foodstuffs into their diets, but they are generally distrustful of such products. Compared to the Empire, the foods here are natural, wholesome, and bland. (I still miss spider-meat truffles like the ones we used to share at Vinalam’s during our University days. And the blood tomatoes! As you see, Danli, I sit here in the backwater of human space and long for the luxuries of the past. You will have to send me a package to succor me in the meantime!)
The tribals do not, to my knowledge, practice any organized form of eugenics. The x-pox and the comparatively high mortality rates seem to deter such artificial selection, though I believe the Tenets also speak against this issue. Occasionally, I came across fanciful stories of hidden tribes inbreeding themselves into some kind of cyclopean supermen, but such tales always proved to be products of some jongleur’s overactive imagination. The Tribes of Man appear to hold eugenics programs in much greater disregard than we of the Empire. I wonder how they will fare when the Scourge finally turns its attention to this part of the galaxy. MEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Medkits Since a comrade with a knitterbeam may not be available when a warrior sustains battlefield injury, every standard tribal armor includes a medkit. Unlike the automeds of Imperial armors, tribal medkits must be applied manually. The central item in a medkit usually consists of a spray applicator containing entek docs, painkillers, and adrenaline in a liquid solution. All sprayers feature a nozzle designed to adjust the spray to access a wound through a variety of armor breaches.
The liquid medium surrounding the docs is a general antibiotic and local analgesic, and is also rich in calcium and iron. Since the majority of combat injuries involve burns, the spray also includes a Quikskin option that covers the wound with a quick-drying bioplas film that protects against infection. Many armors keep an additional small sprayer in a vambrace or greave compartment. Warriors commonly equip themselves with emergency spray contents according to individual preference, but not all customization is medically oriented. The Gorgon Killers are known to load their secondary sprayers with a cocktail of amphetamines, synapse boosters, and adrenaline. Ish’Mlak says they call it “Berserker Juice” or simply “Killjuice.”
Bioplas pressure bandages and casts are also a standard item. The latter resemble a compact cloth sleeve that hardens to rigidity when the control tab is pulled.
Panimmunity Boosters With the threat of epidemics high from unregulated travel between worlds, the tribes have consistently worked on panimmunity boosters that incorporate viral and bacterial material from various worlds. These boosters fail to stem the high infant mortality rate that contributes to the wilderzone’s relatively low population, but they are effective enough for adults. When traveling to distant star systems, it is common for warriors to receive boosters that increase immune response and provide enhanced protection against exotic infection.
Cloning and Regeneration Cloning is available in the wilderzone, but mostly on larger worlds that enjoy fully-equipped hospitals. Some holdfasts clone livestock, but that technology is relatively less complex and will not support cloning of selective human tissue. Thus, limb and organ replacement requires access to major medical facilities.
Most heavy recovery is done in regeneration tanks, wherein the patient is completely immersed in a dense fluid of nutrients, antibiotics, and sophisticated nanodocs. Some holdfasts have these facilities, but again, they are typically found only on the larger or wealthier worlds. The Blood Eagle use Evacuation D-ships equipped with a dozen or more regeneration tanks for the most seriously injured warriors. Patients in a regen tank are commonly sedated to prevent them from moving and interfering with the various electrostim and intravenous lines connected to them as part of the treatment. Oxygen is supplied via a mask or simply by impregnating the fluid medium with sufficient oxygen to be breathable, much like standard deep-sea diving methods.
Limb regeneration without cloned replacement parts is not possible in the wilderzone. CYBERNETICS
Implants and Limb Replacement Hard tech implants are not uncommon here, but usually result from replacing body parts lost in combat and not susceptible to regeneration or cloning. Most implants are for glands, bones, or organs. However, some qualify as actual enhancements, such as hyper-adrenaline glands, subdermal armor, reflex-boosting neural wiring, and the like.
Tribals typically do not trust enhancement implants, which are expensive and require even more work than the usual implant to synchronize with an individual’s physiology. Moreover, in the case of warriors, cybernetic devices can interfere with an armor’s fitting and with armor neural control systems. Aside from a few optical replacements and the occasional limb replacement, warriors avoid deep cybernetic work, especially neural boosts.
Most cybernetic limbs use simple hydraulics, but the more expensive models use flexor technology. Sophisticated neural connections allow a modicum of sensory feedback. Advanced limbs have dermal sensors that replicate tactile input. These can be made to work with armor neural controls with some adjustment to the appropriate armor subsystems, but it takes an experienced armor tech or weaponsmith to do so.
Immortal Brains A fascinating question out here. Depending on the tribe, you get vastly different reactions. The Blood Eagle don’t believe in Immortals, or so I am flatly told. The Children of Phoenix view Immortal Brains as holy vessels of sainted souls or the mind of God. Most Starwolf assume an Immortal would be a super-Elder deserving of immense respect but not veneration. The Diamond Sword priest I spoke to on this topic tried to convey something about Immortality being an alternative path to enlightenment via “dreaming reincarnation.” I’m not sure what he meant. I have an uncomfortable feeling that the Immortal question plays a central role out here, more than the deification of Harabec. Most tribals believe, Danli.
The tribes do not have any such technology. Of this much I am certain. But the belief structures with regard to Immortality are fascinating. I may make them the subject of a future report.
COMPUTERS
Typical Computers Not so terribly different from the Empire, though far less apt to take the form of jewelry and body-sized holodisplays. The memory of the Cybrids and Prometheus runs deep here, as you might expect in a place so steeped in the legends of Harabec and Caanon Weathers. A typical tribal computer consists of a small metaplas housing for the netnode, something easy to carry in the hand and weighty enough not to blow away in a stiff wind. The display is usually a screen in the form of a thin opticrys panel layered between transparent layers of metaplas, though hologhosts are also frequently used (though far less private). Vidgoggles offer privacy for those who prefer to keep their computer display from prying eyes. Input is accomplished by stylus, vox, or datakey. Some systems use hologram controls with fingertip-tracking. All-in-all, nothing remarkable. As in the Empire, computers are severely limited in general networking complexity so as to avoid approaching the critical proto-sentience stage. Any hyperadvanced system AIs are heavily-monitored, narrowly dedicated idiot-savants, never broad-spectrum geniuses, and they rarely, if ever, communicate directly with each other. But such advanced systems are extremely rare. History has shown that the average user needs little more than a simple device with moderate storage. Quantum-nodes allow lightning searches of local worldwebs, so actual processing speed is comparable to commercial Imperial systems.
Datashards As I mentioned above, they still use datashards out here, quaint opticrys spikes protected by a synthex sheath. The Tribes of Man lack the interstellar network we have in the Empire, mostly due to tribal fractiousness, but there are also issues of sparse quantum reed supply. Data smuggling between star systems is still wholly physical.
About three centimeters long and half a centimeter wide for practical ergonomic reasons, a datashard tapers slightly toward the tip. The actual matrix which focuses the quantum data exchange with the computer is located in the tip.
Slicing Tribal slicers are much more like elite commandos than Imperial webcutters. Because so many systems are dedicated and minimally networked, slicers often have to access a targeted system manually. Some civilian worldwebs are vulnerable to slicing, but the system ravelers confine any mischief to an acceptable level. In general, web addiction syndrome is far less developed in tribal space than in the Empire. Call it a beneficial effect of the frontier mentality. Tribals enjoy good vids and holodreams as much as the next citizen - but far more casually.
Tribal slicers occasionally try to slice into enemy command circuits, but the honor-based culture and the highly mobile nature of tribal combat makes this practice unreliable at best. Most command circuits use a shifting encryption algorithm that makes on the fly slicing nearly impossible. Still, I hear it has been done, so the wilderzone must have some advanced talent. Military slicing applies more to dataraids from enemy computers.
Synthralls Synthralls, or synners, as tribal slang has it, are robotic servitors with sufficient AI to accomplish basic labor tasks. Some tribes have a secondary combat-programmed AI that patches synthralls into the local command circuit. The Tenets consider this acceptable, but honor codes do not apply against synthrall opponents. Because of the system limits, combat AI is adequate to basic defense or offense, but lacks initiative or creativity. Hence, synners don’t display much flexibility, and their tactical decision-making slows in the midst of a conflict with many opponents.
Tribals, like any other sane human, become uneasy when they see armed autonomous machines. As a fail-safe, all combat synners have self-destruct sequences that can be triggered via the command circuit.
A passing jongleur told a tale about a Griever band that recently tried to use a horde of combat synners to carve out a holding for itself on the fringes of Starwolf territory. They called themselves the “Bone Rippers,” and they had come into possession of an autofactory which they used for making new synners. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated the local Starwolf. When the Grievers started raiding some of the fringe Starwolf worlds, the Starwolf elders dispatched a Vengeance Fangs force and exterminated them. The jongleur claimed the battle took place on an out-of-the-way world called Desicca III and was quite the bloody affair. In a rather surprising plot twist, these Grievers apparently had access to equipment manufactured in the Empire. Another attempt by Unitech to create a corporate state in the wilderzone? The jongleur didn’t say, and I find myself still wondering about this loose end. This story isn’t the clearly impossible account I’ve heard in so many tales of battle. It had some thrilling details that rang quite true. I’ll try to get you a transcription if you’re interested.
"WEAPONSMITH" TRIBES Only a few multi-stellar corporations - such as Unitech, of course - operate in the wilderzone, usually under treaties with the Four. Everything else is local or tribe-based. In terms of the “art” of weapons technology, specific tribes have risen to fill the need for technical expertise in crafting the complex armors. These weaponsmith tribes are typically small, with no more than a world, possibly two, under their control. They focus exclusively on producing quality weapons and armor for tribal warfare. Most indie tribes obtain their weapons from such a tribe, in return for food or art or raw materials. Some of the smaller indies even pay for tech advisors from the weaponsmith tribe to perform maintenance duties and teach technical skills. Needless to say, tribes that depend on such services quickly become fast allies of the providers. Each of the Four has alliances or sub-tribes to meet weaponsmithing needs, but even they do business with outside tribes.
Most weaponsmith tribes are traders who maintain strict neutrality. The independent ones have formed a Compact with each other, to discourage assault by aggressive independents or bands of Grievers. There are reports that the Compact has an elite group of mercenaries on retainer to use as a retaliation force, but no one can confirm this for me. I did receive a mysterious message that warned against further investigation into this shadowy “TDC.” For the moment, I proceed with caution.
For purposes of further illustration, I have included summary profiles of the three most well-known weaponsmith tribes here in the wilderzone.
The Sabot-Styx This shadowy Blood Eagle lineage (their term for a sub-tribe) is the primary weapons and armor manufacturer for the tribe. The “snakes” (the nickname comes from likening the abbreviation SS to a snake’s hiss - rather than conjuring persistent images of evil from the pre-Devastation era) are famous for their expertise, particularly with explosives and projectile weapons. They command near-Imperial technological capability, and their numbers include some of the most accomplished pure scientists among the tribes. Finally, they are certainly the purveyors of Blood Eagle covert ops technology.
The Legate believes the Sabot-Styx intend to reintroduce cloaking technology to the wilderzone as the war with the Starwolf intensifies. Otherwise, they act as any other Blood Eagle lineage, and are as much involved in the tribe’s murderous internal politics as the Halakar or the Nagashima. Rumors of Sabot-Styx involvement in extensive underworld trafficking are rampant, but I have not been able to substantiate anything at this time.
One curious piece of information did reach me, and I suspect you’ll find it amusing. The Sabot-Styx apparently grade all their prototype weapons according to a battery of tests that is unremarkable except for one peculiar custom. The final test of a war weapon design is the damage it can deliver in a single shot to a human head. The curious part is that the weaponsmiths construct the target heads of high- density metaplas, far tougher than any human skull. If a weapon fails this test, the smiths always make adjustments until they feel a sufficient damage threshold is reached. This is one explanation as to why even ordinary Blood Eagle sidearms make often use plasma technology or Armor Piercing High Explosive (APHE) bullets.
The Sabot-Styx control four worlds deep within Blood Eagle territory. The Legate has hinted that they favor the tribe renewing ties with the Empire, but that they are unwilling to commit their political resources toward such an effort. Perhaps exploratory overtures on our part would be productive, in light of the Blood Eagle’s current turmoil.
The Forge of Hephaestus The small but vocal Forge of Hephaestus tribe claims to have invented most of the weapons of war currently used in the wilderzone, a preposterous idea most tribes ignore. However, the Forgers’ engineering skills seem formidable beyond doubt. They are reputed to be the most effective technicians in tribal space, specializing almost exclusively in small-arms and custom armors. They pursue a rigidly evenhanded trading policy with little negotiation, since their reputation for unsurpassed quality gives them a considerable bargaining advantage. They have emerged as the first-among-equals of the Weaponsmith Compact.
So far their neutrality remains uncompromised. Their skills make up for an appalling lack of social graces and disturbing eccentricities. Their numbers are said to be quite small, and they share the low- gravity world of New Samaria with two other independent tribes. The low gravity of their home explains some of their unique character. When they travel offworld, they disdain gravitics or biotech muscle enhancement regimens, instead choosing to wear exo-skeletons of their own construction to assist their movement. I haven’t met one of these individuals, but I hear they decorate their exos with buttons and holo-slogans, and always travel with toolkits. Their exos give them a strange, almost limping gait, and surely harbor some hidden capabilities.
The Daughters of Iron The DOI, as they are popularly known, are independents allied with the Starwolf. They claim descent from a dissident band of Imperial technicians who fled the Blood Eagle in 3490 after that tribe abandoned its Hercs for lack of replacement parts and supplies. They have since become one of the more aggressive weaponsmith tribes, selling services to any and all who can meet their price. I have not ascertained the reasons for their split with the Blood Eagle, but it’s clear the enmity has persisted over the centuries. A Blood Eagle acquaintance of mine claims the DOI problem is a mystery to his people. To quote him: “They left us centuries ago, and we let them go. They’re small fry. We don’t have any grudges there.”
Whatever the truth of the matter, the DOI allied with the Starwolf in 3932, and have worked to upgrade Starwolf tech and infrastructure ever since. The highly-diffuse settlement and independent nature of the Wolves has made this task even more challenging. I heard just last week that Fury has declared that the DOI have abrogated any claim to neutrality and should be considered “part of the Starwolf.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Daughters of Iron specialize in vehicle repair and modification, though they are active with armor and hand weapons as well. As their name indicates, they follow a matriarchal society. My contacts tell me they are skilled warriors who do not control any particular world, but collect in modular space habitats which they move from system to system. I have heard estimates placing their numbers at no more than fifteen thousand.
HERCS As I conclude this report, Danli, I feel it appropriate to end with a short discussion of HERCULANs in the wilderzone. Though the tribes focus the bulk of their strategy and tactics on the use of the Scarab- clad tribal warrior, the truth is that the larger tribes - especially the Four - have Herc-equipped forces on every major world. These forces are small, but they are organized so as to be highly mobile and available to transfer quickly to a battlefield somewhere on the Hyperweb. They are clearly meant more to safeguard the most important worlds, but they are also the tribal answer to the threat of a full-scale Imperial annexation. If the reassertion of Imperial authority beyond the nominal claims currently tolerated ever comes to pass, the Tribes of Man will have Hercs to help counter Imperial heavy armor. Tribal Hercs are a generation behind modern Imperial designs, but they may be catching up fast. The Blood Eagle and the Diamond Sword in particular seem to be engaged in HERCULAN mobilization at the moment. The Children of Phoenix and even the Starwolf are soon to follow.
Tactical Role Hercs bring Armageddon to the battlefield, weaponry with the firepower to penetrate thick stahlplast walls and destroy heavily-shielded grav tanks in mere moments. The light models are vehicle-killers, whereas heavy ones are assigned to assault bases and heavily-armored stationary targets. All Hercs can be used in an anti-personnel role, but a fireteam of well-equipped tribal warriors armed with anti- vehicle weapons offer a serious challenge to a Herc.
Mobility Gravitic boosters and inertial dampeners combined with fast-twitch exo-muscle systems of polybraided neurocrystal make modern Hercs far more agile than older generations of Hercs. Staying in motion is still a vital part of any pilot’s strategy, but Hercs carry enough protection to weather heavy fire. When faced with tribal infantry, a Herc can pause for a few moments to take better aim. Tribals who attack Hercs must learn to move quickly, use teamwork, and take great advantage of the surrounding terrain. Confronting a Herc in the open is suicide.
Anti-Herc Weaponry Anti-matter tipped tactical warheads and powerful anti-vehicle mines are the primary mobile infantry weapons used against Hercs, in tandem with targeting lasers and motion sensors. My sources report that tribal militaries may be experimenting with grav tank “Herc hunter” platoons and flyers armed with gravitic implosion torpedoes. Heavy plasma and blaster batteries combined with ELFs provide tribals with formidable defenses against HERCULAN assault. It’s no secret that most of these measures are directed at the scenario of a full-scale invasion by the Empire. I believe tribal strategy would be to cause any such conflict to cost the Empire as many lives and as much equipment as possible. Conclusion Danli, if there is any piece of advice I wish to emphasize, it is this: Do not underestimate the ingenuity and the technical sophistication of the Tribes of Man. They are not the crude barbarians the Coreworlders continually mock in their little political dramas, though undoubtedly less cultured than the average Imperial citizen. The Sirdar Corps should already know tribal military capability is substantially greater than media reports indicate. This is a warrior society. They have fought each other for centuries, and they are not exhausted; au contraire, tribal cultures are vibrant and dynamic. People are optimistic and highly independent. Combat training is widespread, part of the culture. I believe the tribes can possibly triple or quadruple their standing forces if pressed, at least for a short time. Their biggest vulnerability is their fractiousness and their small navies. Still, if they were to act in unison, they would be difficult to overcome. The Empire would prevail in such a hypothetical combat, but at what cost? Besides, I don’t believe the Imperial military is capable of sustaining a war against both Scourge and the tribes at the same time. I urge you to pass my observations to your contacts in the Halionate. Perhaps it is time to see if the tribes could be allies in the war with the Scourge.
Before it’s too late.
REMARKS TO REPORT A72384-Ψ IMPERIAL INTELLIGENCE 401214.2114TS ALCAZAR-MERIDIAN III … maximum encryption…
///FROM -- Colonel Danladi Haroun-Nicanor///
///TO -- Director Hesho Ayazumi [Halion Eta]///
Operative Scherazade has provided a reasonably comprehensive summary update of the current state of tribal technology. Please review it. There are a few new items I found interesting, especially her coded references about a superweapon that has been field-tested in the wilderzone. I have instructed Scherazade to continue her investigation of tribal military technology under academic cover. Perhaps her tribal contacts will turn up something more.
There have been numerous reports of Scourge activity along the Amrir-Sforza Axis near the fringe of the wilderzone. I maintain that this mysterious weapon must be the reason Draxon musters at least three of his Greater Hordes. We must not let this thing fall into Draxon’s hands, especially if what we’ve heard about its potential is true. I suggest you ask the Grand Sirdar and Lord Protector whether they can free up a few Legions. We may need to go in ourselves.
Personally, of course, I believe the barbarians deserve what’s coming to them. For centuries, we of the Empire have been locked in a death struggle with the Scourge while these various little inbred sects of tribal filth squabble amongst themselves. And when we tried to establish a base in the Kepler March? A refugee settlement? The thrice-damned Phoenix came in and burned everything. As far as I’m concerned, the Hordes can raze every damned one of the barbarians’ pigsty holdings. My apologies, Hesho. As you can see, my feelings haven’t changed. I’ll never forgive the murder of Fritha on Kepler, but that’s enough venom for now.
I’ll keep you informed as to any new findings.
-D. Rank and Organization of the Four Great Tribes of Man
BLOOD EAGLE RANK AND ORGANIZATION
1. Ranks KNIGHT (MYRMIDON) - KNT From the time they first appeared in the wilderzone, the Blood Eagle have always called their frontline soldiers “knights,” and indeed continue to derive their organization from the ancient order of Knights Templar. Interestingly, the other tribes began to apply the term “myrmidon” to Blood Eagle troopers because the Blood Eagle deployed so many heavy armors in battle that to speak of a Myrmidon immediately conjured images of the crimson, sable, and silver of the former Imperial Order. Among themselves, the Blood Eagle most frequently use the term “knight,” but the “infidel tribes” – and Imperials, who refuse to dignify the Fallen Ones with a reference of nobility -- call them “myrmidons.” KHANJAR - KNJ Quad leader. The term refers to a wickedly curved dagger used by assassins of ancient Earth. In an apparent effort to live up to the name, most Khanjars are notorious for being utterly fearless and pitiless. SERGEANT – SGT = Sword second-in-command LEUT – LT = Sword leader HAUT-LEUT - HLT Warrant Officer in charge of technical duties in a chapter. LEUT-PRIME – LTP = Chapter XO CAPTAIN – CPT = Chapter leader HOUSE-COMMANDER - HCM The officer in charge of a chapterhouse’s defense, traditionally in command of a “house chapter,” a group that could consist of several chapters depending on the size of the chapterhouse. The Captain who serves as XO for the House-Commander is traditionally called “House Captain.” House- Commanders positions are usually filled by the most steady and cool-headed veterans in the tribe. NARR-CAPTAIN (Fire-Captain) - NCPT The captain in charge of a retaliation chapter, effectively a temporary elevation in rank for the duration of the retaliatory action. Some individuals who distinguish themselves receive the rank permanently. Receiving this rank is considered a great honor. Narr-Captains are the glory hounds of the tribe, and are known for great daring. SIKKIYN-CAPTAIN (Knife-Captain) - SCPT These officers act as lieutenants to the leaders of Pennants and Talons. They are also placed in charge of special “strikeforces” assembled on an ad hoc basis and sent on missions of special importance or difficulty. Sikkiyn-Captains are expected to be utterly ruthless in carrying out orders. MASTER - MST Leader of a Chapterhouse, the Blood Eagle term for “holdfast.” If a House-Commander is also the leader of the chapterhouse, as is common among the Blood Eagle, the proper term of address for that individual is “MASTER AND COMMANDER.” According to the tribe’s most ancient traditions, the Master’s word while in the Chapterhouse is law, and only Sirdar rank or higher can overrule a stubborn Master in Chapterhouse matters. However, an unreasonable Master often simply turns up dead one morning, so Masters tend to invoke their traditional authority sparingly and diplomatically. In practice, they obey their superiors in matters of substance. TALON-LEUT – TAL-LT = Talon XO COMMANDER OF THE [TALON NAME] TALON – TAL-CMDR Talon Leader, also called “TALON-PRIME” or “TALON-COMMANDER.” Talon leaders are the highest rank that typically participates front-line combat, so they have a reputation for toughness and deadly combat skill. SENESCHAL – SEN = Planetary Administrator and Ruler *KNIGHT-EXEMPLAR – KNT-EX This purely ceremonial title carries no command perquisites or duties, but may well embody the pinnacle of glory within the Tribe. It is only awarded to individuals who have displayed extreme heroism and honor under the most dire of circumstances. It is most frequently awarded posthumously. There have only been 273 Knight-Exemplars since the Blood Eagle entered the wilderzone in 3450 (think Victoria Cross or Congressional Medal of Honor). Only the Grand Master Paramount may bestow this elevation, which is for life (if the recipient lives) and cannot be withdrawn. In practice, a Knight-Exemplar finds immediate duty on a Pennant-Commander’s or Sirdar’s staff. Needless to say, this rank is only rarely given, and constitutes one of the tribe’s highest honors. A Knight-Exemplar receives tremendous loyalty and respect. As of 3940 there are only two living Knights-Captain. One is Alexandre Konovalev, the Grand Master Paramount. The other is Neboar M’Klannin, Sikkiyn-Captain of the Deathshroud Talon of the Dragon’s Pennant. LEUT-COMMANDER OF THE PENNANT OF THE [PENNANT NAME] – PEN-LT = Pennant XO Also known as “Pennant-Leut.” COMMANDER OF THE PENNANT OF THE [PENNANT NAME] – PEN-CMDR = Pennant Leader Also known as “PENNANT-COMMANDER” or “PENNANT-PRIME.” The Blood Eagle are commonly thought to have only ten pennants, but this information is quite dated. Estimates by Starwolf spies place the true number at more than twenty. SIRDAR – SDR = Order Leader The tribe has but seven sirdars. Whether this fact provides an accurate indicator of the tribe’s true strength is unknown. If the Blood Eagle can put thirty-five full pennants into the field, their knights could outnumber even the fighting strength of the Children of Phoenix. A ceremonial sur-title for Sirdar is “GRAND MASTER.” In formal, non-military situations, the proper form of address is “SIRDAR AND GRAND MASTER.” In the field, simply “Sirdar” is appropriate. The use of “Grand Master” in the field is considered toadying. SIRDAR-PRIME – SDR-PR First among the Sirdars, traditionally the Champion of the tribe. Though greatly conducive to reputation, this office is seldom assumed, since the holder is usually striving to position himself for ascension to Great Eagle. Coincidentally enough, many Sirdar-Prime have been victims of assassination. Currently, Fury claims the title of Sirdar-Prime. THE BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL - BTHR Most commonly called simply “The Brotherhood,” this group forms the select circle of advisors to the Great Eagle. Each member is chosen by the Grand Master Paramount and serves at his or her pleasure. Despite its name, the group includes many female members. Rumors whisper that Fury has formed her own version of the Brotherhood, naming it the Circle of Fire. CARDINAL-PRIME – CDL-P The head of Cardinal Spear, the tribe’s internal security branch. The Cardinal-Prime answers directly to the High Seneschal and the Grand Master Paramount. Tribal custom forbids any Cardinal-Prime further promotion. HIGH SENESCHAL - HSN Deputy and advisor to the Grand Master Paramount. GRAND MASTER PARAMOUNT - PAR The Great Eagle, supreme leader of the tribe. The term Great Eagle was originally used primarily by non-Blood Eagle. Today it is a common term, used informally even within the tribe. On formal occasions and in correspondence, the title Grand Master Paramount is always used.
2. Organization QUAD (4 knights) 4k SWORD (3 quads) 12k = 3q CHAPTER (5 swords) 60k = 15q = 5s TALON (10 chapters) 600k = 150q = 50s = 10c PENNANT (10 talons) 6,000k = 1,500q = 500s = 100c = 10t ORDER (X# of pennants, usually 5) 30,000k = 7,500q = 2,500s = 500c = 50t = 5p
3. Notes Assuming the figure of seven Sirdar is accurate, the Blood Eagle could field seven Orders, or thirty five Pennants, placing total tribe strength at approximately 270,000. This figure does not include stringers, retired veterans, reserves, and mercenaries, though the Blood Eagle generally disdain use of “infidel” troops. Warriors from tribal allies who serve under Blood Eagle commanders (usually Sikkiyn-Captains) are called “janissaries.”
CHILDREN OF PHOENIX RANK AND ORGANIZATION
1. Military Ranks WARRIOR – WAR = Warrior HARCOSAR - HRC = Element leader LIEUTENANT – LT = Flame leader LIEUTENANT-TANAR - LTN = Warrant Officer TANAR – TNR = Fire Company or Holdguard XO SCAR-CAPTAIN – SCP = Fire Company leader HOLD-CAPTAIN – HCP = Holdguard leader EXARCH – EXR = Holdfast leader PYRAKOS – PYK = Pyre XO PYRE-CAPTAIN – PCP = Pyre Leader SPEAR-CAPTAIN – SPC = Phalanx XO PERANARCH - PER = Phalanx leader TELNARCH – TEL = Planetary Leader CAPTAIN-GENERAL – CGEN = Wing XO FIRELORD – FRL = Wing commander (couldn’t resist) FIST OF HARABEC - FHAR First among the Firelords (other than the Wing of Glory), this individual is on the Council of Flames. Anton Malderi currently holds this title, elected by the Firelords in 3934. Though the Fist is ostensibly outranked by Arkhons, the heroism and prestige accorded to the position gives the holder substantial influence in tribal decisions. ARKHON - ARK Lieutenants of the Council of Flames. If the tribe calls for the creation of Hosts, the Phoenix Prime selects Arkhon-Generals from the ranks of the Arkhons. The other Arkhons become lieutenants in the Hosts. ARKHON-GENERAL – AGEN = Host leader Hosts are only called under the gravest of circumstances, a general mobilization of the entire tribe. WARDEN OF THE COUNCIL OF FLAMES - WCF ARKHON OF THE FLAME - ARKF A ceremonial title with some administrative responsibilities. Arkhons report to the Arkhon of the Flame, who then reports to the Council and to the Phoenix Prime. The Arkhon of the Flame is a member of the Council. KEEPER OF THE FLAME - KPF Also known as “Keeper of the Children. When held by someone other than the Phoenix Prime, this individual is second-in-command of the tribe. The Keeper swears a personal oath to the Phoenix Prime, but also swears a higher duty of defending the integrity of the Tenets, to be sure the tribe does not fly from the paths of honor. . The Keeper of the Flame is a member of the Council. HIGH WARDEN -HWR The Wing of Glory is a double-sized Wing made up of elite and respected veteran warriors. KEEPER OF THE WORD OF HARABEC - KWD This individual is considered to have the duty of interpreting the Word of Harabec and has ultimate authority over spiritual matters within the tribe. PHOENIX PRIME - PP A title rising from possession of the last two, sometimes the last three titles, the Phoenix Prime holds supreme authority in the tribe, and can overrule the Council of Flames. The Phoenix Prime commands the Assembled Hosts, if such a mustering ever comes to pass.
2. Organization ELEMENT (2 warriors) 2w FLAME (3 elements) 6w = 3e FIRE COMPANY (5 flames) 30w = 15e = 5f HOLDGUARD (10 flames) 60w = 30e = 10f = 2c PYRE (4 fire companies) 120w = 60e = 20f = 4c PHALANX (3 pyres) 360w = 180e = 60f = 12c WING (10 phalanxes) 3,600w = 1,800e = 600f = 120 c = 10p WING OF GLORY (variable # phalanxes) 7,200w = 3,600e = 1,200f = 240 c = 20p HOST (variable # wings, usually 3) 10,800w = 5,400e = 1,800f =360c = 30p = 3wi 3. Notes The Blood Eagle have openly charged that the Children can field well over 100 Wings. Assuming these figures are accurate, the Children of Phoenix could field at least 300,000 warriors. Of course, the key to assessing Phoenix strength is what the Blood Eagle mean by “well over.” A reasonable guess is that the Assembled Hosts of Phoenix outnumber the Blood Eagle in and of themselves. Moreover, these numbers would not include retired veterans, militia reserves, mercenary groups, or allied tribes. This last group holds particular significance. Since the Children of Phoenix have the largest number of allies among the Tribes of Man, their total military power could easily equal or exceed the Blood Eagle and the Diamond Sword combined.
Assume that with technology, the support and command structure of the Hosts is approximately 1 supply and support unit for every ten warriors, and 9 command/administration for every ten warriors.
STARWOLF RANK AND ORGANIZATION
1. Military Ranks FREE WARRIOR – FWR = Warrior RANGER – RGR Second-in-command of a Claw, Rangers are typically fiercely independent, even by rugged Starwolf standards. SERGEANT – SGT = Claw leader GREAT SERGEANT - GST= Knife leader LIEUTENANT – LT = Warband XO UHLAN – ULN = Warband leader LAIR CHIEF - LCH Warrant officer and second-in-command of a holdfast’s defense. HOLD CAPTAIN - HCP This rank is given to the leader responsible for a holdfast’s defense, an individual who answers directly to the Thane. HUNTLORD - HTL This rank goes to the leader of a Pack’s Vengeance Fangs warband, an elite group of warriors devoted to seeking out and destroying the enemies of a particular holding. If a Pack has a Vengeance Fangs unit, the Fangs serve as the bodyguard for the Jarl. SKADURANT - SKA The second-in-command and executive officer of a strikepack, a Skadurant traditionally subjects the Star Captain’s decisions to intense scrutiny and is expected to challenge the Captain-of-Stars if the leadership is found wanting. In most tales of battle, Skadurants are portrayed as schemers or tricksters. CAPTAIN-OF-STARS - CST Strikepack leader. CAPTAIN-OF-RAVENS – CRV = Leader of an elite mobile strikepack assigned to a defensive role. CAPTAIN-OF-FANGS – CFG = Leader of a strikepack made up solely of Vengeance Fangs STRIKECHIEF – SCH = Great Strikepack XO GREAT CAPTAIN – GCP = Leader of a Great Strikepack HOLDSPEAKER - HSP= Second-in-Command of a Holdfast THANE - THN Holdfast ruler. Depending on the wealth and size of the holdfast, a Thane may outrank a Great Captain or may simply be superior to a Captain of Stars. SUB-JARL – SJR = Pack XO JARL – JRL = Pack leader, ruler of a Starwolf world ELDER OF THE PACK COUNCIL – EPC The Pack Council is a gathering of the most respected elders in the Pack, with the members elected from the world’s holdfasts. These elders advise the Thanes and the Jarl. Some Starwolf Packs are run by their Councils of Elders, in which case a Great Huntlord appointed by the Council serves as military commander of the Pack’s warriors. FIRST ELDER OF THE PACK COUNCIL – FE Speaker for the Pack Council of a particular world. This position grants the status of a first among equals. Many Councils rotate this position among their members, whereas many others do not have the position. ELDER OF THE CIRCLE – ECR Each Pack Council in a particular region (defined by the alliances of the Jarls and the Warlords) sends an emissary to a Circle of Elders. The Circle of Elders advises the military leaders of that region. Not all Starwolf Packs are part of Elder Circles. The highly individual nature of Starwolf Packs causes organization to vary from one part of the Hyperweb to the other. HIGH ELDER - HE First among a particular Circle. WARLORD – WLD = Great Pack leader WARCHIEF – WCH = Thousand Knife XO WARLORD-GENERAL – WGN = Thousand Knife leader SILVER COUNCIL – MSC The tribe-wide Council of Elders made up of representatives selected by the Ur-Shaman. A contentious but well-respected advisory body. The Starwolf have no single leader. The Silver Council has much influence, however, and its decisions are often heeded. UR-SHAMAN The spiritual leader of the tribe. Holds nothing more than great moral/spiritual authority. The current Ur- Shaman is Jarek Redmoon, currently alair on the world of Kestrel’s Gleam in the Galakon Scatter. The Ur-Shaman always has the right to address the Silver Council before a vote.
2. Organization Claw (5 warriors) 5w Knife (3 claws) 15w = 3c Warband (5 knives) 75w = 15c = 5k Strikepack (5 warbands) 375w = 75c = 25k = 5wb Great Strikepack (10 warbands) 750w = 150c = 50k = 10wb Pack (X# of strikepacks, usu. 5-10) 3,750w = 750c = 250k = 50wb = 10sp Great Pack (X# of packs, min. 2) 7,500w = 1,500c = 500k = 100wb = 20sp = 2p Thousand Knife (40 strikepacks) 15,000w = 3,000c = 1,000k = 200wb = 40sp = 4p
3. Notes The Starwolf claim they can field at least 400 strikepacks, which would yield a total force strength of 150,000 warriors. These numbers represent the “trigger-pulling” segment of the tribe and do not include support administration, internal security, retirees, reserve militia, and the like. Moreover, since the Starwolf are the most widely dispersed and least centralized of the Four, the possibility exists that even the Starwolf themselves do not know their total strength. Certainly there are branches of the tribe who have long ago disappeared into the wilderzone, and newly returned tribal subgroups such as the Starslayers could easily swell the ranks of the wolves. No definitive world count exists for Starwolf settlement.
During the war with Fury and the Blood Eagle, the Starwolf have mustered over 80,000 warriors to the Blood Eagle front, and the numbers continue to rise as bands of Starwolf kin keep coming from Harabec knows where. If the Great Eagle does not act soon, the possibility exists that the Blood Eagle may be torn apart by legions of Starwolf Thousand Knives. Assume that with technology, the support and command structure of the Starwolf is approximately 1 supply and support unit for every ten warriors, and 9 command/administration for every ten warriors.
DIAMOND SWORD RANK AND ORGANIZATION
1a. Military Ranks (Unyielding) SURUDOI (sharp) – SUR = Warrior HASAKI (edge of blade) – HAS = Heijin leader HAITOU (carrying sword) – HAI = Hakujin leader, the lowest officer rank. KU-MORI (shadow) - KMR Hyoujin XO. Expected to stick to the Shuurai and protect him/her from all threats. Many tribal dramas tell tales of faithful Ku-Mori who sacrifice themselves for their Shuurai. SHUURAI (lightning strike) - SHU Hyoujin leader. Considered one of the most glorious ranks in the tribe, since Hyoujin are the most common raiding units. Shuurai see a lot of action and produce the most innovative of Diamond Sword leaders. HIRAISHIN (lightning rod) - HIR Raikoujin XO. As the name indicates, the Hiraishin must protect and advise the Shirei-Rakurai. As the strategic focus at this level is so much greater, the duties of an advisor are far more prized than martial prowess. SHIREI-RAKURAI (bolt of lightning) -SHR Raikoujin leader. Shirei-Rakurai are expected to strike even more decisively than Shuurai, but such results require careful planning. Shirei-Rakurai are therefore known to be particularly careful and precise strategists. DAISHAN (General) - DAI Enkamenjin leader. From Daishan onward, a Diamond Sword must also hold rank as Priest and Teacher. Only in cases of extreme military talent or need are exceptions possible, and even then the wild talent is likely to be a Shuurai attached to a Daishan’s staff. SHOUGUN (Warlord) – SHG = Kenmenjin leader DAI-SHOUGUN (High Warlord) - DSH Each Dai-Shougun commands three Kenmenjin on behalf of the Triad and the Court of Blades. There are nine Dai-Shougun in the Diamond Sword. Unless ordered by the Triad, however, a Dai-Shougun spends most of his time planning and acting as a liason between the Shougun and the Court of Blades. KENSHIN (sword-truth) - KSH Representative of the “Court of Blades,” the executive council of the ruling Triad. A Kenshin must be at least of the fourth rank in either teacher or priest. Hence, a Kenshin-Jisai-Shihan is not possible, but a Kenshin-Shunken-Shihan is permitted. THE MA-KEJIDA (TRIAD MEMBER) There is only one of this rank in the entire tribe. The Triad governs the entire tribe and permits the Court of Blades to execute its will. The Ma-Kejida is also at least Jouchi and Ishikiri and controls the Unyielding Facets. The Ma-Kejida has seniority in military matters.
1b. Priest Ranks (Pure) KYD’SHA – KYD (one who seeks the way) JISAI - JIS(acolyte) SOUMON – SOU (priest) SHUNKEN – SHK (excellent wisdom) JOUCHI – JOU (supreme wisdom) THE JUNSEI (TRIAD MEMBER) There is only one of this rank in the entire tribe. The Triad governs the entire tribe and permits the Court of Blades to execute its will. The Junsei is also at least Kenshin and Ishikiri, and controls the Pure Facets. The Junsei has seniority in administrative matters, including internal security. It also provides guidance in spiritual and doctrinal matters. 1c. Teacher Ranks (Reflective) SENKAKU – SKU (learned man) SHIHAN – SHN (fencing teacher) An individual with this rank and at least Haitou may be assigned the position of Warrant Officer if s/he has the technical skills. ONSHI – ONS (honored teacher) SHISOU – SSU (priestly teacher) ISHIKIRI – ISK (stone-cutter) THE KAGAMI (TRIAD MEMBER) There is only one of this rank in the entire tribe. The Triad governs the entire tribe and permits the Court of Blades to execute its will. The Kagami is also at least Jouchi and Kenshin, and controls the Reflective Facets. The Kagami has seniority in matters of planning, research, and education. Combat training and philosophy is usually carried out by members of this Facet.
2. Organization BLADE (3 surodoi) = HEIJIN (Blade) SWORD (3 heijin) = HAKUJIN (Naked Sword) STRIKEFORCE (3 hakujin) = HYOUJIN (Glistening Sword) BOLT (3 hyoujin) = RAIKOUJIN (Lightning) FACET (3 raikoujin) = ENKAMENJIN (Mask of Smoke) SWORD FACET (9 enkamenjin) = KENMENJIN (This term has many meanings, including Sword Face, Sword Mask, Heaven Mask, Appearance of the Passage of Time.)
HEIJIN (3 surodoi) = 3s HAKUJIN (3 heijin) = 9s = 3hj HYOUJIN (9 hakujin) = 81s = 27hj = 9hk RAIKOUJIN (3 hyoujin) = 243s = 81hj = 27hk = 3hy ENKAMENJIN (X# of raikoujin, usu. 9) = 2,187s = 729hj = 243hk = 27hy = 9rk KENMENJIN (X# of enkamenjin, usu 3) = 6,561s = 2,187hj = 729hk = 81hy = 27rk = 3ek
3. Notes Each member of the Triad is said to control nine Kenmenjin, which would put the total Diamond Sword strength at approximately 177,000 warriors. This figure does not include retired veterans, reserve militia, and mercenary groups. The total Diamond Sword population is said to number over two million souls spread across forty worlds.
The Diamond Sword’s workings remain confusing and arcane to outsiders. The various three-prong rank structure provides contextually-based ranks and tie-breakers; each DS can attain three simultaneous ranks: Sword/Unyielding Rank (military), Jewel/Pure Rank (Priest), and Mirror/Reflective Rank (Philosopher/Teacher). Further rank permutations are obtained by compiling the totality of the three rank classes. Hence, a Shuurai- Onshi outranks a mere Shuurai and would be likely to be attached to the staff of a higher-ranked officer.
Context determines which rank takes primary precedence. In matters of spirituality, for example, a Soumon- Surudoi will outrank a Kyd’sha-Shuurai.
The Reflective Facet controls policy planning, research and education. The Pure Facet controls resource administration, proper demeanor, and internal security. The Unyielding Facet controls execution of policy and military control.