For the last few months I have been running a play by post Stars Without Numbers campaign on the pbp site Mythweaver.
Because I feel this game is under represented, considering its vast quality, and because pbp style rarely gets much attention I am going to put the campaign details here.
This isn't a play log. This is the setting material and system hack that I am using. If one other GM finds one piece of information useful I will feel accomplished. If I end up simply using this as a format to noodle around with the ideas I will feel accomplished as well.
With that said steal anything you like from this campaign. If you have ideas you want to bounce back feel free to do it in the comments.
The following links jump you to the rest of this project
Section 2: Technologies
Section 3: Beliefs
Section 4: Life on the Ygg 1
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The Voyage of the Yggdrasil is a large multi part campaign. Ideally, it will take the PC from humble origin where survival has challenge, to unravelling some of the great lost secrets of the Mandate, and learning what impact that could have on the future. It is BIG.
BIG but starting small. That is where I want to start focusing here, but keeping the larger story (and its theme of “Space is stranger than we ever thought"), in the background as we go.
BIG but starting small. That is where I want to start focusing here, but keeping the larger story (and its theme of “Space is stranger than we ever thought"), in the background as we go.
In this first adventure your characters are transitioning from Crew of the Yggdrasil to Passengers.
Though, you are released from service with your equipment and some credits and given a living assignment, due to your very fogged memories of the past several years of service, you know very little of what you are getting into. In your exit interview, which is really when your mind starts to come fully online again, you are thanked for your service and ushered onto a transport. There you are zipped to the AM and from that to your new beginning.
Your characters will know each other, but also not. You were squad mates. You will know a few traits and skills, and quirks of your fellows, but really you will be meeting them again. Likewise, the ship you are exploring, the massive ancient Super Frigate Yggdrasil, is almost unknown to you, save for flashes of memories, that are backed up by double checking your data slabs (I will go into this important piece of technology more later).
Because your time as Crew, and the Yggdrasil itself, are so important, let's go over the details that are more publicly known. Most of this your character would remember, all of it would come through if the characters just compared notes, so we are going to move on with the assumption that this will happen in the background (no need to RP it if it doesn’t naturally come up).
Yggdrasil
The Yggdrasil itself is an incredibly large spacecraft. It has been called the Mountain of Space (though that maybe just propaganda). It has 10 known levels, the smallest of which holds a 10 story building and is the size of a large city. The diameter of all the levels is the same but the height can vary, as can the distance of machine layer between levels. These 10 levels are accessible through the “Axis Mundi” large column with both tunnels and elevators that acts as a shaft in the ship. The Axis Mundi (AM) is also home of the Crew. It is assumed that somewhere in it is the Bridge Crew and the Captain, but this is mere speculation.
The Yggdrasil is also seemingly ancient. Many buildings bare the image of the Mandate (a stylized bird of prey, probably an eagle, with outstretched wings and talons) above a wide spread stylized tree, both of equal size. The the two together are symbol of the Crew and are on all armor and uniforms of Crew members. (Passengers may never use this symbol on pain of death or indenture). The Mandate eagle isn’t the only reminder of that ancient power. The ship has amazing technological functions, like makers (fabrication devices) that can produce food, clothing, electronics, furniture, etc; advance medical bays which can assist with the recovery of nearly any injury or illness as well as installing cybernetic enhancement; and computer/ communication/ entertainment systems that include VI (virtual intelligence), robotics, Augmented Reality, and whole Virtual Reality realms. It is at the height of T4 technology, but the mandate era miracles of T5 are out of reach. Full body regeneration, Artificial intelligence, and transhuman miracles are not found on the Yggdrasil.
A last detail about the ship needs to be mentioned before moving on. The different levels are very different. Different cultures, different styles, and different governments. Movement between levels is strictly controlled.
The Yggdrasil itself is an incredibly large spacecraft. It has been called the Mountain of Space (though that maybe just propaganda). It has 10 known levels, the smallest of which holds a 10 story building and is the size of a large city. The diameter of all the levels is the same but the height can vary, as can the distance of machine layer between levels. These 10 levels are accessible through the “Axis Mundi” large column with both tunnels and elevators that acts as a shaft in the ship. The Axis Mundi (AM) is also home of the Crew. It is assumed that somewhere in it is the Bridge Crew and the Captain, but this is mere speculation.
The Yggdrasil is also seemingly ancient. Many buildings bare the image of the Mandate (a stylized bird of prey, probably an eagle, with outstretched wings and talons) above a wide spread stylized tree, both of equal size. The the two together are symbol of the Crew and are on all armor and uniforms of Crew members. (Passengers may never use this symbol on pain of death or indenture). The Mandate eagle isn’t the only reminder of that ancient power. The ship has amazing technological functions, like makers (fabrication devices) that can produce food, clothing, electronics, furniture, etc; advance medical bays which can assist with the recovery of nearly any injury or illness as well as installing cybernetic enhancement; and computer/ communication/ entertainment systems that include VI (virtual intelligence), robotics, Augmented Reality, and whole Virtual Reality realms. It is at the height of T4 technology, but the mandate era miracles of T5 are out of reach. Full body regeneration, Artificial intelligence, and transhuman miracles are not found on the Yggdrasil.
A last detail about the ship needs to be mentioned before moving on. The different levels are very different. Different cultures, different styles, and different governments. Movement between levels is strictly controlled.
The Crew
As one goes and comes in the Yggdrasil you will see blue, brown, and grey uniform clad persons who wander about. Most of them carry a big side arms and all of them wear a ship badge. These are the Crew. The Crew rarely interact with Passengers. Passengers ignore the Crew as much as they can.
The Crew are a people apart, but that doesn’t seem to bother them. They will joke and laugh with each other, but when Passengers come near they take on a blank stony expression. The Crew carry out the wishes of the Bridge. The Bridge is a semi mythical set of high ranking Crew members. The Bridge is only known by reference. A Crew Member may arrest someone under the authority of the Security Officer. Or a pirate vid stream maybe shut down under the auspices of the Communications Officer. They are theorized to be less than 10 Officers of the Bridge, but people differ on the actual number. The Bridge Crew are faceless and unknown, maybe unchanging. No one really knows. Beyond the Bridge Crew there is assumed to be a Captain. Everyone talks about him/her/they/it, but no details are known. It is just known that when two members of the Bridge Crew seem to be in conflict Someone sorts it out. This must be the Captain.
There is a lesser kind of Crew as well, but they are few and far between. Children of Passengers, born on the ship, must serve as Crew for a period of at least 2 standard years. Most of these “crew members” never have their memories tampered with, and just serve as “do bodies” for Agents (see below) or local governments. These persons almost never leave their levels and are ignored by the silent Crew as much as anyone else is. 1 in 10 born Crew are taken to work “abroad”. They are the same as planetside hires in every way. [This isn’t available to starting characters]
Beyond the Mythic Captain, the Invisible Bridge Crew, and the Silent Crew, there are Agents. An Agent is a special Passenger who has been contractually hired by the Bridge to do a job. It maybe longterm, like a liason, or short term like an assassin (if rumor is to be believed). Agents have no official authority but can frequently call on the assistance of assets of ship. Agents frequent wear the badge of the Tree sans Eagle. This is unregulated and even impostors can wear it. Mind that may irk your local Liaison who then sends a some security Crew to take it away.
There is a lesser kind of Crew as well, but they are few and far between. Children of Passengers, born on the ship, must serve as Crew for a period of at least 2 standard years. Most of these “crew members” never have their memories tampered with, and just serve as “do bodies” for Agents (see below) or local governments. These persons almost never leave their levels and are ignored by the silent Crew as much as anyone else is. 1 in 10 born Crew are taken to work “abroad”. They are the same as planetside hires in every way. [This isn’t available to starting characters]
Beyond the Mythic Captain, the Invisible Bridge Crew, and the Silent Crew, there are Agents. An Agent is a special Passenger who has been contractually hired by the Bridge to do a job. It maybe longterm, like a liason, or short term like an assassin (if rumor is to be believed). Agents have no official authority but can frequently call on the assistance of assets of ship. Agents frequent wear the badge of the Tree sans Eagle. This is unregulated and even impostors can wear it. Mind that may irk your local Liaison who then sends a some security Crew to take it away.
Passengers
Most of the persons on Yggdrasil are Passengers. Passengers are born on the ship or they are Crew members who have discharged their duties. Everyone who comes onto the ship serves as a crew member. Everyone born born on the ship is supposed to serve as a crew member.
On many parts of the ship there are persons born of Passengers, who on reaching the age of majority who for whatever reason chose not to serve. They flee from the centrally controlled areas into the uncharted ship. These are known as Feral Passengers or just Ferals (as opposed to Civilized Passengers or Civvies). Ferals are not especially degenerated, and there are many reasons they make that choice. At this point many Ferals have had children as well, so there are separatist colonies on the ship. Some born Ferals come back at the age of majority (or after) and volunteer to serve, rejoin the Passenger Lists, and become Civvies. Most do not.
Being a Civilized Passenger has its perks, depending on what level you are on. There is access to advanced medicine, hunger is little known (though while away from planets variety can be limited). The high entertainment and communication technologies give many diversion as well. There are also schools, philosophies, religions, cults, and politics to occupy time and energy. On most levels people still have jobs.
For whatever reason Passengers, whether Civilized or Feral, have only ¼ of the birthrate of similarly advanced societies on the surface. Naturally the Bridge is suspected.
Being a Feral, life is less certain. The Bridge only maintains Civilized areas. Many Feral areas are without power, functioning makers, access to communications, etc. Barter, rading, and theft are not unknown. Ferals survive largely by developing black market resources that Civies want but can’t or won’t make themselves. What this would be differs level to level depending on what illicit resources the Civvies need.
On many parts of the ship there are persons born of Passengers, who on reaching the age of majority who for whatever reason chose not to serve. They flee from the centrally controlled areas into the uncharted ship. These are known as Feral Passengers or just Ferals (as opposed to Civilized Passengers or Civvies). Ferals are not especially degenerated, and there are many reasons they make that choice. At this point many Ferals have had children as well, so there are separatist colonies on the ship. Some born Ferals come back at the age of majority (or after) and volunteer to serve, rejoin the Passenger Lists, and become Civvies. Most do not.
Being a Civilized Passenger has its perks, depending on what level you are on. There is access to advanced medicine, hunger is little known (though while away from planets variety can be limited). The high entertainment and communication technologies give many diversion as well. There are also schools, philosophies, religions, cults, and politics to occupy time and energy. On most levels people still have jobs.
For whatever reason Passengers, whether Civilized or Feral, have only ¼ of the birthrate of similarly advanced societies on the surface. Naturally the Bridge is suspected.
Being a Feral, life is less certain. The Bridge only maintains Civilized areas. Many Feral areas are without power, functioning makers, access to communications, etc. Barter, rading, and theft are not unknown. Ferals survive largely by developing black market resources that Civies want but can’t or won’t make themselves. What this would be differs level to level depending on what illicit resources the Civvies need.
(To come back to the topic of the age of the ship: Civvies live as long as a body can unless they are killed by injury or violence. The oldest Civvies on any level are in the area of 125 y/o, which seems to be a terminal age. These oldsters report that when they joined the crew there were only a few hundred people on the whole ship and those mostly crew, though a few of the passengers at that time were already extremely advanced in age and the basic tenets of life on the Yggdrasil were already in place. No one knows what it was like before then. Every locally recorded history stop at the age of the oldest person on the ship. The rest have vanished, despite the advanced computer technologies or maybe because of them.)
Planetside
Planetside
Yggdrasil is a spaceship. It travels planet to planet and sector to sector. Many believe the Captain seems to be searching for something. This is speculated, but there is very little other reason people can figure for its peregrinations. It rarely visits the same planet or even sector twice.
Yet, it does stop at planets with some frequency. When it does hover in orbit near a planet, many vessels descend to planetside. There, always after getting permission from local governments, it has a long “market” under the auspices of the local governments. Ship merchants buy produce, fresh meat, and unique local goods. This is done by Passengers and Agents. They are guarded by security Crew and soldiers of local law enforcement. Passengers mostly commit the commercy (though some go down just to sight see), but they are strictly held to selling things approved by both the head Agent of the mission and the local government. These tend to be very well made products that are at the top of the local technological scale, but never beyond. Agents will also interview potential crew members. Many are turned away but usually 20 to 50 cadets sign on at any stop agreeing to serve 4-6 years stints as crew and then to live as passengers on “the most advanced space transport in the galaxy, with all their needs seen to for life”. (Some bitter ex Crew have things to say about that recruitment speech). Any person over the age of majority for the planet and without familial attachments (they must swear to both facts) may apply. Even elderly persons do so, hoping the medical miracles of the Yggdrasil will buy them a happier old age.
It is not easy for a Passenger to get planetside. Landing ships are controlled by powerful persons or organizations (though a proven Agent rarely has trouble “leasing” a ship). Everyone else must lobby with whatever local Ygg organization controls the away ships to get a seat. Some Passengers go down to planet and never come back, but not very many. Most would rather roam the stars, even in the odd atmosphere of Yggdrasil, than be stuck on one backwards planet.
Government.
The Captain, Bridge, and Crew are not the government of the Levels. They are the authority on the Yggdrasil, but they really are very hands off to the life of the Passengers. Each level has its own local government (usually several) ranging from merchant oligarchies, to hereditary baronies, to religious theocracies. The Bridge doesn’t care how passengers arrange themselves, but two things are forbidden. There must not be anarchy and under no circumstances is the ship to be damaged. Oppression is fine. Revolution is fine. Rioting and destruction are not. In those cases the Security Officer sends Crew members in battle armor to sort it out. This is less true in Feral zones, but if a Feral coup tried to damage an essential ship function, like life support or a major power conduit, they would be fried with plasma as quickly as any Civvie upstart. Security is never far away and the Communication Officer sees all.
Yet, it does stop at planets with some frequency. When it does hover in orbit near a planet, many vessels descend to planetside. There, always after getting permission from local governments, it has a long “market” under the auspices of the local governments. Ship merchants buy produce, fresh meat, and unique local goods. This is done by Passengers and Agents. They are guarded by security Crew and soldiers of local law enforcement. Passengers mostly commit the commercy (though some go down just to sight see), but they are strictly held to selling things approved by both the head Agent of the mission and the local government. These tend to be very well made products that are at the top of the local technological scale, but never beyond. Agents will also interview potential crew members. Many are turned away but usually 20 to 50 cadets sign on at any stop agreeing to serve 4-6 years stints as crew and then to live as passengers on “the most advanced space transport in the galaxy, with all their needs seen to for life”. (Some bitter ex Crew have things to say about that recruitment speech). Any person over the age of majority for the planet and without familial attachments (they must swear to both facts) may apply. Even elderly persons do so, hoping the medical miracles of the Yggdrasil will buy them a happier old age.
It is not easy for a Passenger to get planetside. Landing ships are controlled by powerful persons or organizations (though a proven Agent rarely has trouble “leasing” a ship). Everyone else must lobby with whatever local Ygg organization controls the away ships to get a seat. Some Passengers go down to planet and never come back, but not very many. Most would rather roam the stars, even in the odd atmosphere of Yggdrasil, than be stuck on one backwards planet.
Government.
The Captain, Bridge, and Crew are not the government of the Levels. They are the authority on the Yggdrasil, but they really are very hands off to the life of the Passengers. Each level has its own local government (usually several) ranging from merchant oligarchies, to hereditary baronies, to religious theocracies. The Bridge doesn’t care how passengers arrange themselves, but two things are forbidden. There must not be anarchy and under no circumstances is the ship to be damaged. Oppression is fine. Revolution is fine. Rioting and destruction are not. In those cases the Security Officer sends Crew members in battle armor to sort it out. This is less true in Feral zones, but if a Feral coup tried to damage an essential ship function, like life support or a major power conduit, they would be fried with plasma as quickly as any Civvie upstart. Security is never far away and the Communication Officer sees all.
Section 2: Technologies
Thanks for the Stars Without Number goodies.I have just been downloading the setting at the moment and reading the stuff, not sure if I will just mess around with the setting or actually do any GM'ing with it. Any robotic lifeforms amongst the crew or aliens ?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to have taken so long to respond but this has been a bear of winter.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your questions yes there are both robotic and alien life forms on the Ygg. More of the former than the later though.
Though true AI are very rare VI are much more common. One of the levels focus on software production. That level is a sort of VR/AR wonderland and is used by some of crew as an escape valve, but it has grown very weird over the hundreds of years the Ygg has been around, and it has more content than it should and more is "auto produced" by forces that no one fully understands. VI are developed here both by intent and seemingly spontaneous. The level also designs and produces robotics (frequently just with advanced expert systems) for use on other parts of the ship.
Aliens come on board as crew when they are encountered and willing. Some effort is made to recruit them because one of the Yggs ancient directives is to preserve and spread biodiversity throughout the system.
Mutants of various sorts are very common on Level 1 "The Oak Park". No on is quite sure why. Most of these are monstrous, but some are peaceful enough to make NPC (and PCs if some player wished) that can be roleplayed with in a rational fashion.
Thank you for your interest on any level, and your questions. Questions always push the development of a setting and if you have anymore I invite them.
R.