TM U N I V E R S E G U I D E WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF ALEXANDRO JODOROWKSY ABRIDGED EDITION PREFACE Phew! My head’s on fire!… I just blew a diode! But I’m not complaining — quite the opposite. I’m happy, for I know at last that I’m not human… The limitations of my bio-organism had been depressing me. Even more than that, it’s been the walls of the mental prison that hem us in from childhood, the “rational” mold called school. But then came the Yéti Mu- tants: Fred Le Berre, Marc Prudhomme, Kurt Mc Clung, and Julien Blondel. They put me under the red-hot rays of their psycho-interrogation lamp and bombarded me with questions for a full fifty hours. Initially, I was overcome with feelings of anger. What right did these young griffins have to dare infringe upon the inner recesses of my cerebral maze in this way, hunting down answers that like giant jellyfish were floating along the veins of my unconscious? But I had a plan! Slowly, step by little step, I was going to give them the keys to the Incal Universe, which is the same as the Metabarons and TechnoPriests. A hugely immense “oeuvre” that would have taken me at least ten years to recount. But I hadn’t been counting on the young mutants’ impatience. They wanted to know every- thing, right away. Showing no respect they fired off their mental probes, assaulting my impregnable Data Bank and under the incessant fire of their questions, my human mask disintegrated. I ceased being a man and became a universe. Far, far away, in an ethereal zone where my body didn’t exist, I saw myself giving away tons of secrets, with an absolute precision that I had never before dared to imagine, even in my dreams. At the height of the trance, streams of words — barely comprehensible for they were of human origin — gushed from my mouth, laying bare the hidden structure of the cosmos, the nature of the people who live there, the mysteries of parallel universes, thousands of centuries of history, countless weapons and vessels, outrageous doctrines, judges and laws, and billions of other things as well… A new chapter in the history of my Jodoverse came to life with each one of their questions. A moment of extreme ecstasy! A singular experience that can only be compared to what happened to me one day in Mexico while meditating in a Buddhist Temple with a Japanese Zen master. Suddenly, he subjected my spirit to a koan — a sacred riddle conceived to break the straight jacket of the intellect: “I have no beginning, nor end. Who am I?” I knew very well that some monks go into retreat for ten or twenty years looking for an answer, which isn’t necessarily expressed in words. But, body taught with effort like a readied archery bow, I wanted to find the solution in that very instant: “I am god; that’s it, I am everything.” Full of wrath and disdain, the master threw me out of the temple: “Intellectual! Learn to die!” My failure was filled with such disgrace and shame that a part of me died on the spot. Instantaneously, I became another. And from the deepest reaches of my unconscious, a voice that was already no longer human exclaimed: “There is no beginning and there is no end. There just is.” Thank you for your questions, Yéti. They blew my diodes. They made me into a galaxy of answers, nothing but answers. Ever since, I roam infinite space, in search of the first and last question. Alexandro Jodorowsky TM U N I V E R S E G U I D E ABRIDGED EDITION 1 The Empire 4 2 The Four Pillars 18 3 The Factions 36 4 Everyday Life 51 5 Endocities 61 6 The Universe 74 7 Worlds 80 8 Aliens 94 9 Mutants 101 10 Major Forces 105 11 Cults and Religions 112 12 Amarax and Necro-Dream 117 13 Technological Progress 122 14 Weapons 127 15 Cybernetics 139 16 Robotics 143 17 Transportation 147 18 The Metabunker 150 Glossary 153 Reading List 155 Note to Our Readers This PDF version of the Universe Guide was created from the original electronic files. Images and select text were left out or modified and the page layout was modified to reduce file size and production time. This electronic document is provided as an relatively inexpensive means for people to get previously unavailable information about the Metabarons Universe. If you received a copy of this file from a friend and would like to support the publishing efforts of Humanoids Publishing, please send US$15.00 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/) to [email protected]. This PDF requires the Metabarons Roleplaying Game Rule Book to play. You or your favorite local or Internet retailer can order the Metabarons Roleplaying Game Rule Book and other printed Metabarons supplements through Humanoids Publishing. You can find more information about ordering directly from Humanoids Publishing in the Games section of our Web site. The Metabarons and The Incal comic books and trade paperbacks are available at better comic and book stores around the world. For more information about these series or the roleplaying game and how to get them, please visit the Humanoids Publishing Web site, www.humanoids-publishing.com. TM Conception and Development: Julien Blondel, Fred Le Berre, Kurt McClung, and Marc Prudhomme, with the participation of Alexandro Jodorowsky American Adaptation: Nikola Vrtis with Scott Palter Short Stories & Writing Direction: Fred Le Berre Continuity: Marc Prudhomme Coordination: Nadège Delbos and Kurt McClung. Design of Original Book: Régis Haghebaert, Stéphane Martinez, and David Panzo Graphic Conception: Régis Haghebaert, Virgnie Bréham, Christophe Bonneterre, Olivier Hug, and David Panzo. Layout & Manufacturing of Original Book: Nathalie Rocher PDF Design, Layout, & Creation: Nikola Vrtis Cover Art: Travis Charest Interior Illustrations in PDF: Cyril Adam (pp. 98, 104), Bernard Bittler (p. 95), Aleksi Briclot (pp. 94, 97), Juan Gimenez (pp. 8, 40, 44, 96, 144), Boris Golzio (pp. 62, 63, 152), Zoran Janjetov (pp. 37, 42, 54 upper), Thierry Masson (pp. 129, 130, 132 lower, 133, 135, 136), Mœbius (pp. 18, 30, 54 lower, 59, 117, 142, 145, 146, 149), Gérald Parel (p. 8), and Roberto Zoulie (pp. 132 upper, 134). Coloring: Studio Beltran, Guillaume Bessis, Philippe Guinot, Walter Le Brec, Agnès Moreau, and Pascal Pontoire. French Editing & Corrections: Sophie Lamotte, Ronan Le Breton, Antoine Pinchot, and Loïc Portnoë. English Tranlsations: Diane Bertrand, Justin Kelly, and Joan Wilchins English Editing: Rachelle Brissenden, Kurt McClung, and Nikola Vrtis A big thank you to: Didier Gonord, Bruno Lecigne, Philippe Hauri and the Yéti Team. French version developed and published by Yéti Entertainment S.A. English version developed and published by Humanoids in association with Yéti Entertainment S.A. The Metabarons and The Metabarons logo are trademarks of Les Humanoïdes Associés S.A., © 2003 (US & EU) Les Humanoïdes Associés, Geneva (Switzerland). Original Metabaron character created by Moebius® and Alexandro Jodorowsky. The D6 System game mechanics used herein are used with permission of Humanoids, Inc. French First Printing March 2001. Printed in Spain. PDF Edition April 2003. PDF created in USA. T H E E M P I R E Wonder of wonders, fruit of the eye of the Omphal, After the citizens of Paleo-Paris, in 1789’s great current this vast universe is richly inhabited. Indeed, the area of wrath and joyful regicide, had cast aside the political mapped out by the eager reach of humans, far beyond order that had controlled their destinies, the Dauphin Louis the bounds of the Milky Way (Terra Prima’s galaxy), XVII, son of Louis XVI and heir apparent to the throne of contains a wide assortment of races and peoples, most Paleo-France, became the pivotal focus for both supporters of them human, but some mutant and alien as well. and enemies of the monarchy. This second child of Louis These worlds, completely alien to one another, are XVI, became first the Duke of Normandy, then the Dau- united beneath the authority of the Empire, a colossal phin when his older brother died on June 4, 1789, and con- organization whose powers extend as far as its ships can sequently he was jailed in the Temple prison in August 1792. fly. The Empire boasts an armed force — the Endoguard; Official history maintains that he quickly succumbed to an an ever-present clergy with godlike technological powers onset of illness caused by poor hygienic conditions, perish- — the Techno-Pontificate, also known as the Techno- ing in the Temple on June 8, 1795. Of course questions Technos or the Church of the Industrial Saints (C.I.S.); were raised, and over the following decades, many claimed and a financial institution — the Ekonomat, which has that the true Dauphin had fled and was waiting for the right great influence over all economic transactions. Besides time to return and reclaim his rightful throne. Then again, these, two other groups carry considerable weight: the over the next several years, numerous self-proclaimed “Dau- Maganats and the Union of Planets, also known as “the phins” appeared, demanding to be granted titles, honors, Colonials.” A Maganat is any planet, group of planets, castles, and all the other normal trappings of kingship. As system, or even group of systems placed under total own- time passed, reliable witnesses to the events disappeared, ership and authority of a leading Noble House. By defini- but the mystery remained. Had the Dauphin died at the tion, the Maganats are loyal to the Empire, and Janus- Temple or not? Had he escaped? Or had he been murdered Jana is their leader.