Game information and Character Creation

[Shameless]

It's the year 2225.   Two hundred and twenty five years ago, humanity discovered something so profound, it threatened the very fabric of society.   Whatever beliefs were held prior, The Visitor settled the debate once and for all.  
 

We were not alone in the universe.
 

The Visitor crash landed on a small island five hundred miles Southeast of Hawaii, Verity­­ island, which was an unincorporated territory.  The island was home to several large volcano, though they remain inactive, even after the crash.    Verity Island is roughly ten miles long to a side, and the Visitor itself was a full mile long when it came to rest, vitrifying the sand beneath it into glass, and boiling the seas around it.  
 

Nations around the world would send ships, scientific teams, engineers, and troops to the island, and for a full month, it was an uneasy detente.   The American forces were by far the largest and closest, but in a show of unity, the nations of the world decided to send a multinational force  and scientific team to actually investigate the Visitor.
 

What they found is highly classified, even over a century later, but the legacy of their findings is everywhere.   Man had already achieved spaceflight, but with what was learned, true colonization was made a reality.  First the moon, then Mars.  Soon the asteroid belt and Titan.   Massive shipyards were built in each place, as Mankind looked beyond the Solar system, and took their first bold steps beyond our home star twenty years after the Visitor's arrival.  
 

In the eighty years that followed, Mankind's technological level greatly improved, and the general quality of life for the average human was the highest it had been in the modern age.   Poverty and Hunger were a thing of the past, and no one had to wonder where their next meal would come from, or if they'd have a place to lay their head at night.  Mankind spread across the stars, within  three thousand Lightyears of Earth, Thanks to new versions of that first Hyperspace Fold Engine.
 

Over five hundred worlds were catalogued, and at least half of them would host at least some sort of colony, thanks to the miracles of space travel.  Sadly roughly ten percent of the colonized worlds have declared themselves independent of Worlds Government and bitterly contest any further incursions into their sector of space by the WG Navy.
 

One of these worlds is the Eden-like world of Aoshima.   The world has abundant native wildlife, a perfect climate and soil that supports any sort of plant one wishes to grow.   It's primary terrestrial predators resemble terran felines, though they tend to resemble the big cats of earth, and are generally larger in size.  Great herds of Bison like creatures, which have been domesticated, roam the vast plains and provide a source of edible meat.  The Oceans team with life, much of it edible to humans.  
 

One hundred and thirty years ago, a Conglomerate of Japanese origin, Fujiwara Heavy Industries, Constructed the first colony on the planet.   They offered large colonization bonuses, and provided furnished homes to the colonists who came, provided they signed an agreement to work for the company at least 5 years, for which they would be paid.
 

The initial outlay of capital would reap great benefits as the Aoshima blood rose flower, which only grew on the world, would provide  a nearly miraculous cureall for a dozen forms of cancer, as well as alzheimer's disease.  Study of the Marine life of the planet would yield treatments that rejuvenated cells, and could even at least partly reverse the aging process.
 

Many other companies made bids to colonize the world, and were allowed to do so, but only on the Southern continents, nearly fifty years after FHI had first set up shop.   In the Northern continent, which was essentially fief to FHI, they had their well guarded fortress-like factories, shipyards, and the orbital elevator to the massive orbital yards above.
 

Today, Aoshima is a bustling world, with large industrial complexes, yet it still has much of the world untouched by human hands or machines, as FHI wishes it to be.   Aoshima City, the planetary capital is home to the primary starport, the Worlds Government Garrison, and even a WG accredited academy, as the world is a major hub in the Coreward sector of the outer reaches of human occupied space.
 

This world serves as the opening setting for our saga.
 

You are all students at Corbulo Academy, a fully accredited school, with specialty colleges in Biology, Cybernetics, Engineering, Physics, and both space and terrestrial combat schools.   You do not have to be a native of the world, as colonization restrictions have greatly relaxed since the world was opened up.
 

This school starts with high school and goes all the way through Doctoral programs.   My aim would for you all to  at least be eighteen, and no older than 22.  Your parents likely work for FHI, or a "local" company within Aoshima City.  If they do work for FHI, they likely do not talk about work much, but are noticeably well paid, and your family wants for little.
 

FHI is likely looking at all of you, scouting you for whatever your talents are, as the company seems to have an innate knack for matching talent to occupations.

Political Information-
With regard to the WG, and the rebellion...  Much of it stems from taxation, and the smaller colonies, and newer ones seem to wield less and less influence the further they are from the Inner worlds closer to Terra itself.  They see the taxes levied as being an unfair burden.

Many of the Inner colonies are settled predominantly by the various countries, with the Big corporations in a band around that, and then the fringes are the furthest from terra,  the hardest to actually police, and where the sentiment of Independence takes greater hold, often with under the table backing from Corporate band worlds, looking to make inroads in the Fringe, at little real cost to themselves.

The WG itself is mostly benevolent, for a political body,  though it is Terra-centric.  Merit is still rewarded, but a certain amount of politicking goes into most WG pronouncements.   The First Minister of the World's Government is a Terran native, and served in the Navy.  He is generally well respected, and has put forth a plan for even further colonization and expansion, pressing the government for more exploration ships.

Those who are rebelling are saying this is false pretense to flood the Fringe with new spies and troops.  which of course the military Generals are planning though not to the scale the Rebels intend, as well as the WG Intelligence Bureau, as it hasn't been explicitly prohibited.    

The First Minister is dedicated to reducing Conflict, and is one of the few in the Upper Echelons of the WG  to openly consider granting them their Independence, in exchange for a Peaceful transition.   Unfortunately many of the others are quite hawkish, for a myriad of reasons.

As to intelligent Life, we know they did exist, yes.  But no information has been disclosed to the public, beyond the admission that yes, The Visitor was alien in origin.   

Technological level-

Interstellar travel is of course possible, and fairly easy.   Even though Aoshima is nearly 2500 light years from Earth, travel times are generally around three weeks to a month depending on variances in Hyperspace.
 

Mankind doesn't have flying cars, but they do have Hovercars, and motorcycles.   Maglev trains are quite common across the colonies.
 

2D and 3D hologram projectors are quite popular, and commlink communication systems keep people in touch across planets.  Hyperpulse Communication is possible, sending messages to distant worlds, though it may take a number of relays for extreme distances, which greatly increase the costs.
 

Medical technology has greatly progressed, but there are still maladies out there which have no answers, lives are still lost in combat.   Cybernetics can restore lost limbs, as cloning is still a prohibited technology across all human space.

The primary small scale craft that engagements are fought with are Aerospace Fighters.  As the name suggests, they can fight in space and in an atmosphere.  They tend to carry autocannons, missiles, and some even mount laser weaponry.

The Orbital Elevator is a relic of the Colony's early years, a massive undertaking which allowed for easy means of transferring raw materials from the planet to the orbital facilities.  it still functions, and is still used, though somewhat less than in it's heyday.   It and the service depot for it are on a small archipelago on Aoshima's equator.  It is held as a sort of Neutral territory, though predominantly FHI administers to the facility.
 

Character Creation-
 

We are playing human characters, but thanks to good genes, training, or just natural talent, you are all cut above the rest.   Any sort of character is open to you, though I would suggest you have at least some knowledge of Piloting or technology, as these will be very game relevant.
 

Base starting CP-60  This is high adventurer scale
 

Stats may not exceed 7 (Body Mind Soul)
 

Gear I'll be pretty free with, the basics, like a vehicle, phone, apartment if you live on your own, a taser or if you have a very good reason, maybe an actual firearm.   If you're looking to have something higher spec than normal you can buy that as gear.
 

Crime exists, but the police here are efficient, and good at what they're paid to do.

You will be limited to human attributes and adventurer scale limits.  What I mean here is that there are attributes which a normal human can have, like tough, or mulligan.   There are attributes, that a normal human cannot have, like Power Flux or Flight, those the pc's won't have.  The max ranks you can have in any attribute to start is 4.

There are some where a human can have them, but at set limit.   Extra actions is one of these, I think it fair to say that you can have one rank, and as the game progresses, potentially a second rank.   Combat techniques, let's cap at 4 to start, and potentially more as time goes on.

If there is a particular attribute you aren't sure about, talk to me, and we can discuss it.
 

If you have questions ask me.

As a bonus, Include a small writeup about your family members if any along with pictures for your character and said family, and I will award you 5 extra cp.

Edited February 11, 2022 by Shameless

[Shameless]

I should note that you can use both the core book and the extras book.   I know some of the combat techniques are only in extras.

[Veral]

Question: What skill costs are we using? The multigenre skill groups from the main book? The multigenre skill list in Extra? Or a specific skill cost chart from extra? 

[Nina]

extra?

[Shameless]

we will use what's in the core book.   For each skill you get over 4 ranks, you may choose a specialty.  when rolling that skill you will have a minor advantage in that particular field. This can be used to negate or reduce an obstacle.

[SalmonMax]

We're using the 'Skill Group' rules yeah? That's what's in Core, but since no one's referred to groups yet I wanted to be sure.

[Shameless]

yes we're using skill groups, and as a bonus, I will give you a free specialty in any skill you have at 4 ranks   when you roll that skill and the specialty applies, you will have a minor advantage on the roll

 

[SalmonMax]

Hm...tempting. Though 4 ranks is a lot for high school grad/early college types.

 

I'll give that some thought though! I have a rough draft now, but I am still tweaking it.

 

Are some Attributes bought as Items ok? Right now I have a 'cyberdeck' type thing with Data Access, and a 'hoverboard' that gives slow Skimming flight, and a hologram projector. And I may not keep 'em all cuz costs.

[Shameless]

I made some edits, in regards to gear, and and to clarify attribute limits.

Max in response to your question, a personal computer is no cost gear, as would be astandard hoverboard and holo projector (in this it's essentially what's taken the place of Televisions.  

If you want something that is better than standard gear, with higher specs, then yes that would be item or gear you'd need to purchase.   

[SalmonMax]

Well the Data Access attribute arguably goes a bit beyond a personal computer in its ability.

 

We can discuss the specifics in the character PM I will send soon.