Whoami — Roleplayer Guild

Welcome! I am hoping to start an RP within Corvus Belli's amazing cyberpunk universe 'Infinity'! I am posting this interest check in casual because I find advanced usually brings about a necessity to have to write large, long-winded posts. In a game like Infinity, long-winded posts just wont do! I am hoping for a group of about five or six players to tag along in this roleplay.

If you like cyberpunk, space, combat, anime, and/or mechs, then this is the RP for you! Please take the time to read follow through the 'Incoming Transmission' and, if you're interested, begin making a character! Character creation in this RP will be two-fold, beginning with a third party character creator to create the platform with which you will tailor in your own written CS afterward. Statistics and mechanics will be in play during the RP to keep things fresh, fun, and exciting from beginning to end. At the very least, I do hope that this interest check will at least shed some light on the universe of Infinity.

Greetings! I am Sibylla, a virtual interface designed to help acclimatize you to your new environment as quickly, and as smoothly, as possible. You have been selected to be a part of the O-12 High Commissioner's elite task force dedicated to maintaining peace within the Human Sphere from both external and internal threats. As you may already know, O-12 is a collaborative organization consisting of the Human Sphere's major powers, similar to the United Nations of Earth in the twenty-first century. O-12's agents are drawn from the best men and women from all empires, and are encouraged to work together despite current tensions between factions. It is because of this cooperation that O-12 Task Forces are some of the most flexible units in the Human Sphere. The High Commissioner has hand picked you all for the formation of this new team, and firmly believes that your diverse skill sets will result in a number of successful missions in the future.

Now that I have introduced myself, it is time you did the same- oh... It would appear your Cube has malfunctioned! Hold on while I search the databanks for a backup of your memories... Strange, it would appear you do not exist in any known databanks in the Human Sphere. Sabotage perhaps? No matter, this is not a permanent issue; rather, it's just a speed bump. Please sit in this chair here so I may interface with your Cube directly.

Oh my~ The corruption in this cube is quite widespread! It would appear your Cube has contracted a virus, and many of your core memories are quarantined to stop the spread. Tell me, do you know much of today's political structure? ((If you are familiar with the Infinity universe, selecting Yes will take you right to character creation.))
While the factions, save for the Combined Armies, live in relative peace with one another, they are often secretly waging covert wars through the use of elite black ops units. The task force that you have been assigned will act as an intervention unit, tracking down these black operatives and arresting them. Should the target, or targets, resist, lethal force will be authorized. In order to maintain stability in the Human Sphere while in the face of the Combined Armies' invasion, none of these operations will be brought to light. Your actions will go unnoticed by the public, but the consequences will resonate across the Human Sphere. Should you fail, humanity's integrity might well fail and open the door for the Combined Armies.

I have managed to secure the virus in your cube. Unfortunately, some memories are still lost. I will attempt to perform a deep delve and collate the data found with known records of your personal profile. This will only take a moment... ((This is where your character creation begins. To form the rough outline of your character, use this app and select the normal option. Feel free to run through this process as many times as you want until you make a character to your liking. This is NOT your character sheet, but it will help you form your character's personality, backstory, and skills. When writing the actual CS, feel free to creatively elaborate on the ambiguous results of the sheet developed by this app. When you are finished, press the Continue hider.))
Delve complete, I hope I haven't brought back any memories you weren't fond of. Now that we have the old you back, we must sadly fill out paperwork now before you are granted security clearance into O-12's facilities. Please fill out the forms accurately and truthfully.

[Appearance Picture Here]

Name:
Your current name, can be an alias or nickname.

Gender:
Your biological gender.

Age:
Your true age, before any possible transference to an L-Host body.

Faction:
The faction you were loyal to before being inducted into O-12. Unavailable factions are Tohaa, Combined Armies, and ALEPH. If you have no loyalties, you are a Mercenary.

Host Body:
Human/Dogface?

Birthplace:
Planet/Ship where you were first born.

Role:
Your role and talents while on the mission. Are you a T.A.G Pilot? An analyst? A hacker? This can be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, careers, and stats. Be creative with your role if none of the careers in the app suit what you had in mind for your character.

Personality:
Who you are as a person. Your likes/dislikes, character quirks, or habits. This can be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, traits, home environment, education, and social class.

Background:
Your life story. This will be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, careers, upbringing, and other such factors. Feel free to add more your character's backstory as you see fit.

Statistics:
This will determine your capabilities during certain scenarios. If you are unsure what each stat means, consult the 'Stat Guide' below.
((Stats borrows heavily from Modiphius' RPG adaptation of Infinity, modified to fit a roleplay format without the use of dice.))
Throughout the RP, there will be certain scenarios where statistics will come into play. That might mean the GM will allow for alternate options during the RP that weren't readily available at first. An example of this would be:

The apartment was empty, but it would seem the target left in a hurry and didn't have enough time to secure his assets. Opposite to the door was a small desk with a datapad on it. Unfortunately, the datapad is locked, though a hacker would be able to make short work of the firewalls. ((Hacking 12))

We have a character who's statline looks something like this,
Intelligence: 8
Hacking: E:4 || F:2
By adding the hacking expertise (4) with the parent attribute (8), we get 12. This meets the opportunity's requirements! The datapad reveals the location of the safehouse that the target has ran off to!

Stats have two areas: Expertise and Focus.

Expertise is rudimentary training in that particular field. Whereas Focus is specialized training. Focus can never be higher than a stat's expertise. Every stat opportunity has a hidden focus threshold. If the player's focus equals or is higher than that hidden threshold (provided the expertise requirements for the opportunity are met), then they critically succeed and gain even more bonuses. Returning to the hacking example:

The hacker's meets the requirements of the opportunity. His focus in hacking is 2, whereas the datapad's hidden focus threshold is 1! Not only does the location of the target's safehouse located, but security codes and escape routes are also provided!

It possible to fulfill an opportunity's requirements even if the character doesn't have any expertise in the need field. If the one hacking the datapad had no expertise in hacking, but his intelligence attribute met the requirements anyways, then it will still yield a success.

The parent attributes are:
Agility: Physical and manual dexterity, sense of balance, body control, and reflexes.
Awareness: Perceptions, sensory acuity, gut feelings, and instincts.
Brawn: Strength, toughness, endurance, and the ability to apply physical force.
Coordination: Hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Intelligence: Wit, intellect, logic, reason, and the ability to apply knowledge or interact with technology.
Personality: Charisma, comfort in social situations, and the ability to be threatening or charming as required.
Willpower: Grit, determination, and psychological resilience.

Parent attributes are always added to the stat required by the opportunity. If the opportunity can't be exploited, then the information or benefit provided by completing the opportunity is lost.

Infinity Points are spent to immediately succeed in exploiting an opportunity along with achieving its critical effect. Infinity Points are awarded at the GM's discretion for good roleplaying and other factors. These are not common and should be spent wisely. Everybody begins the RP with 2 Infinity Points.

Infinity Points: 2

Agility: #
Acrobatics: E:# || F:#
Close Combat: E:# || F:#
Stealth: E:# || F:#

Awareness: #
Analysis: E:# || F:#
Extraplanetary: E:# || F:#
Observation: E:# || F:#
Survival: E:# || F:#
Thievery: E:# || F:#

Brawn: #
Athletics: E:# || F:#
Resistance: E:# || F:#

Coordination: #
Ballistics: E:# || F:#
Pilot: E:# || F:#
Spacecraft: E:# || F:#

Intelligence: #
Education: E:# || F:#
Hacking: E:# || F:#
Medicine: E:# || F:#
Psychology: E:# || F:#
Science: E:# || F:#
Tech: E:# || F:#

Personality: #
Animal Handling: E:# || F:#
Command: E:# || F:#
Lifestyle: E:# || F:#
Persuade: E:# || F:#

Willpower: #
Discipline: E:# || F:#

Equipment:
This is your list of equipment that you bring along with you. Note that small things such as cigarettes or rations are not necessary. All that matters are items of note such as weapons or devices. Please include the equipment that was listed on the character sheep developed by the app. If the app did not provide your character with a rifle, then you automatically start with a Combi Rifle.

Known Languages:
This is your list of languages that your character knows. For the sake of simplicity, all characters start with knowing English.

Assets:
Assets are used to unlock more gear from different suppliers. They can be moved from one supplier to another in order to manage what sort of equipment if available to you between operations. Please use the assets provided by the character creator app. If your character has debt, then assets must be placed in that in order to reduce penalties incurred on your suppliers. You must spend one asset to remove one debt, these assets are then consumed and can not be reused.

Oh dear... Allow me to explain the basics. The Human Sphere is formed by four major powers: PanOceania, Yu Jing, Ariadna, and Haqqislam. Beyond those four, the Sphere's politics are heavily influenced by smaller, but no less powerful, factions: The Nomads, ALEPH, and even our alien allies, the Tohaa. O-12 encompasses the six human factions and works closely with the Tohaa in order to fight against the aggressive alien invaders calling themselves the Combined Armies. ((All information is copied straight from Corvus Belli's Infinity the Game, the Data-Sphere, and Modiphius' RPG Adaptation of Infinity))
Scientists discovered the first viable wormhole in orbit around Saturn in the early 21st century. Ten years later, the Sorel sisters unlocked its secrets and opened the Gateway to the Stars.

Unfortunately, Project DAWN — the first attempt to colonize an alien world — ended in catastrophic failure when the wormhole leading to the neophyte colony permanently collapsed.

Humanity rallied in the wake of failure, though. PanOceanian vessels using powerful Minotaur motors punched through trans-Plutonian ‘holes and took us to the stars. A race once confined to a single planet can now call eleven star systems home.

EARTH
The cradle of Humanity. A place of natural and cultural treasures. The cities here are full of history, but nearly uninhabited as a result of the star tide. The Sol System in general, however, remains more highly developed than any other system of the Human Sphere.

NEOTERRA
The first system to be discovered and colonized by PanOceanian explorers, Neoterra is now the capital of PanOceania and the seat of the Christian Church. It is home to the most important technology companies of the Sphere and is a daily destination for business travelers and tourists alike.

ACONTECIMENTO
PanOceania’s breadbasket and the third planet to be added to the Sphere, Acontecimento saw massive colonization by Latinos. Famous for its garotas, particularly the spectacular women from the city of Portobelo, Acontecimento is a planet of contrasts. Endless crop fields and pastures alternate with vast, sprawling factory compounds that meet most of the agricultural and industrial needs of PanOceania. Acontecimento also has one of the largest Natural Parks in the Sphere, the Great Arboreal Reserve, last remnant of the planet’s original biome.

VARUNA
The ocean planet. The third extraterrestrial planet found and the first populated with a semi-intelligent native species, the amphibian Helots. Home to the water gods, Varuna is a planet of small islands and soil is scarce. Visitors will be amazed by the sea platforms, subaquatic buildings, and artificial islands. Varuna harnesses the full potential of its oceans in the form of biotechnological research and sea factories and farms that employ numerous Helots. The quiet charm of the planet is disrupted, however, by the violent acts of Libertos, a group of Helot insurgents.

SHENTANG AND YUTANG
Two tidally-locked planets within the habitable zone of their star, the first discovered and claimed by Yu Jing as they struggled to catch up with PanOceania’s deep space capabilities. The two planets were colonized at a rapid pace and Yutang now serves as the capital of Yu Jing.

BOURAK
A harsh desert world, discovered by the prophets of Haqqislam and named after the Prophet’s Horse. In struggling to master its harsh realities, the Bourak Academy of Planetology has become the leading authority on terraforming technologies. Their goal is to transform their sun-blasted world into the gardens of Al-Andalus, or of lost Ninevah and Babylon. But that reality lies far in the future.

CONCILIUM
Claimed by O-12, the international and pan-planetary organization which theoretically has ultimate jurisdiction over the totality of the Human Sphere, Concilium is lightly populated. However, it is also home to the O-12 Senate and the various O-12 bureau headquarters.

SVALARHEIMA
Discovered by PanOceania, Svalarheima has become a snowball of discord. It is so distant from its star that freezing temperatures make life nigh impossible save between its tropics. Despite its extreme climate, Svalarheima is coveted due to its abundance of resources, particularly Teseum. During its early settlement, despite PanOceania’s initial claim, Yu Jing established a competing colony here. PanOceania now controls roughly two-thirds of the planet and Yu Jing one-third. Svalarheima is not a popular tourist destination due to its drab, snow-covered landscapes, its functional, industrial-looking towns, and its status as a contested land always on the brink of an open confrontation between superpowers.

HUMAN EDGE
Also referred to as the Edge of Humanity, this shattered system of asteroids and gas giants orbits at the furthest reaches of human exploration. Human Edge is studded with small orbital fortresses, laying claim to the rich resources which have whetted the mining appetite of every power and corporation in the Sphere.

PARADISO
The emerald jungle. When it was discovered, Paradiso was almost immediately fiercely contested between the Great Powers, becoming a triggering point for the NeoColonial Wars. Its wounds had scarcely had time to heal when the Combined Army invaded, turning its jungles into an endless battlefield and the testing ground of humanity.

DAWN
Nearly two centuries after the Project DAWN colony had been lost, it was rediscovered by the PanOceanian scout ship POS Nirriti and, much to the surprise of the rest of the Human Sphere, the colonists had survived and even thrived. A conservative people, driven behind defensive walls by the assaults of the native Antipodes, the Ariadnans now strive to stave off the iconoclastic assaults of the advanced societies they have fallen out of step with.

PanOceania, the Hyperpower. A capitalist democratic nation run by multiple megacorporation. It’s the wealthiest nation in the Human Sphere and encompasses five planets; NeoTerra, the first planet colonised, Acontecimento, Varuna, Svalarheima and they even remain a powerful faction back on Earth. PanOceania is a melting-pot of cultures, encompassing large regions of South-America, Australia, New Zealand, India, the Philippines and the Indonesian Archipel. PanOceanian society is the most technologically sophisticated and it shows in its armies.

As the biggest nation in the Human Sphere, PanOceania has a lot of influential political power. Its thriving economy and cultural presence drives their eagerness for expansion.

The nation began its rise to power in the mid 21st century, just after North America and the EU fell apart, both unable to uphold their dominant standing in the world. On the other side of the planet, Australia and New Zealand joined with the economies of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to protect themselves from growing Chinese economic power. Shortly thereafter, India joined the new union and became PanOceania’s industrial center.

The crisis in North America released their economic control over South America which gave them the opportunity to grow economically and to reach the first world status. Brazil and Chile soon joined the PanOceanian union and it transformed into a global superpower, joined by the EU that was struggling for alliances.

The hybrid culture of Panoceania offers many recognizable features of its diverse constituents. A flexible society came out of the melting-pot and cultural integration would ensure the new nation would have inner harmony.

Though PanOceania strives for equality, society isn’t all that equal. It has a highly developed middle class, but it also suffers from extreme levels in poverty and wealth. It has a social elite, but also a sizeable underclass. While the social elite’s standard of living is higher than any other nation in the Human Sphere, the underclass suffers just as hard as those of other nations. A culture of technophiles, not being able to buy the latest technology defines these people as a-technologicals, or Atek for short—social pariahs.

PanOceania’s economic and political system is closely intertwined with the free market. Former hypocritical separation of state and economical powers were abolished, giving way to more transparency in State regulation.

The nation is run by lobbies; groups of persons or entities with the purpose of influencing the politics of the nation in such a way that their interests and views are heard above others?. Lobbies have evolved as entities capable of managing the State itself. They even managed to break up the traditional political structure until only the lobbies were left.

The great importance of money in any democratic society, the lobbies strived to create the most efficient state, increasing the power of the capitalist system and thereby their own power as well.

These lobbies aren’t linked to one company or family alone and often work together with a number of other companies and sectors, securing each others interests. These lobbies often join forces in several philanthropic foundations.

In addition to the lobbies, religion also has a strong presence in PanOceanian society. With NeoTerra the seat of the NeoVatican Pope, the Christian Church has great political and military influence within the society, ginving birth to the Military Orders. They keep strict control over the Resurrection system of memory Cubes; technology that stores one’s memories. This provides the Christians with big influence.

PanOceania was also a driving force behind the creation of ALEPH, the singular and omnipresent Artificial Intelligence. Their society is fully integrated with ALEPH since the convenience of a AI controlled society persuaded PanOceanian leaders to pass on more and more responsibilities and influence.

The PanOceania military is a technologically advanced fighting force, disciplined and equipped with the finest weaponry, all made possible by PanOceania’s economic power. The military is the driving force behind the PanOceanian expansionist strategies and its army is trained to resolve conflict in all kinds of war scenarios.

Tactical Armoured Gears (T.A.G.s) are PanOceania’s trump card, and their exoskeletons are the most advanced in the Human Sphere. They are a product of the dominant military philosophy which underlines the importance of mobile and light armoured forces. Their manoeuvrability is greater than that of the human body and their small size compared to other armoured support makes them highly mobile weapon platforms. PanOceanian technology equips the models with advanced weapon systems and even makes it possible for their T.A.G.s to be guided by a remote controller, leaving human casualties out of the equation. PanOceania is the largest T.A.G. manufacturer and supplierin the Sphere, making the construction and sale of T.A.G.s a profitable business.

PanOceania holds the largest territory in the Human Sphere with over four planets and remains a powerful nation back on Earth.

They were the first to venture into unknown space, looking for habitable and resourceful planets. PanOceania spends a lot of resources on sciences such as astrophysics and all the branches of science and engineering work closely together with the military, making it one of the most thriving economic pillars in PanOceanian society.

In that respect, the Army reflects a society of technophiles. PanOceania is the primary high-tech producer in the Sphere and their citizens are the best buyers as well, creating a high standard of living for all its citizens.

NeoTerra: PanOceania’s capital planet, the headquarters of State and Government, the Church and High Command. It’s the first system colonized by the humans and it remains a destination for many business executives. The planet is the R&D center of the main high-tech companies in the entire Sphere.

Acontecimento: PanOceania’s granary and industrial planet. The second system discovered by PanOceania and the first to be colonized by Latinos and other ‘minorities’. Extensive stockbreeding and agricultural lands contrast the vast factory complexes to form the industrial heart of PanOceania. The planet is also owner of the largest natural reserve in the Human Sphere. The untamed wilderness of Acontecimento is the training ground for the conflict on Paradiso.

Varuna: Varuna is the oceanic planet. The only habitable regions are some archipels and islands or human built complexes. The planet is also home to a semi-intelligent species called the Helots. While most of them work in Varuna’s multiple sea-factories or farms some of the Helots cause occasional trouble.

Svalarheima: Svalarheima is a snowball in space. Far from its star, the planet has low temperatures and is only habitable in zones around the tropics. The planet is rich with resources, such as Teseum, a highly valuable metal. The same resource sparked a feud between Yu Jing and PanOceania with both powers contesting the ownership of the planet.

Paradiso: Paradiso is a planet of constant conflict in the Human Sphere. Its lush jungles suffer under recent attacks of the alien menace and some of the beautiful cities of PanOceania are devastated by the conflicts.

A capitalist nation run by corporate lobbies, PanOceanian political and economic might is rivaled only by the Asian nation Yu Jing, PanOceania’s technological, political and economical nemesis. The economic advantage of PanOceania allows them to equip their military with the most advanced technology and gadgets. Though controlling the largest territory in the Human Sphere, PanOceania strives to become even bigger. Their expansionist drive keeps PanOceania constantly seeking new worlds to explore and colonise in order to remain the Hyperpower in the Human Sphere.

Yu Jing (pronounced 'You Cheeng'), the Asian Giant. The second most powerful nation in the Human Sphere, combining multiple Eastern cultures into one. Combining past traditions with new technology they are a dangerous nation, trying to gain the upper hand by manipulation and force.

In the first half of the 21th century, the People’s Republic of China awoke.  Their system of Socialist-Capitalism was so successful that it threatened to destroy China due to its success.  China was under a cultural assault as the population lost faith in their Communist roots and instead looked to the West’s entertainment industry for inspiration and relief.

Thanks to the Cultural Revolution, generations of Chinese had grown up without a dogmatic anchor. Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism had all been eradicated and the gods and emperors of old had been gone for too long. China needed to reinvent itself after their cultural stagnation during the 20th century.

The traditional Chinese values were restored in a way that the communist Party saw fit. State and religion became close again and the Party was looking for a figurehead for Chinese culture. They found the descendants from the powerful Ming and Qing dynasties from old and reinstated the Dragon as a powerful State figure.

China became an economic super-power in Asia that quietly expanded through economic means into the surrounding countries. One by one they were swallowed by the Dragon, becoming part of the nation, but still keeping their own cultural heritage and identity.

When the economic power of the U.S.A. fell apart, the global world shook to its core and in the ensuing panic, countries like Japan and South Korea, which hadn’t been swallowed by China yet and had previously relied on the U.S.A., sought to align themselves with China. This was not well received by many citizens of both countries and to prevent the newly formed China from being accused of imperialism, China needed to reform again, forming the superstate Yu Jing. Now, owning half the Asian continent, Yu Jing turned their eyes to the stars.

Yu Jing was the second nation in the space-race, right after PanOceania colonized their second planet; Acontecimento. Yu Jing discovered the twin system of YuTang and ShenTang. Both these planets were habitable and fertile, providing a easy solution for their overpopulation problems. Though Yu Jing still was in charge Chung Kuo, their territory back on Earth, the twin system of YuTang and ShenTang became their new base of operations.

The search for more planets became a race and both Yu Jing and PanOceania managed to get a foothold on Huangdi, or Svalarheima as PanOceania called it. After Huangdi, both nations discovered Paradiso, which further escalated the political-military tensions between the nations, ultimately leading to the NeoColonial Wars.

Both nations also discovered the planet Dawn, where they established contact with the lost Colony of Ariadna. Once again Yu Jing and PanOceania found themselves in a tense situation over the rich natural resources of Dawn.

In accord with Taoist principles, Balance is a major factor in Yu Jing State organization. While the Emperors are figureheads of Yu Jing culture, they share their power with the Party. Both these centres of power are forced to share their power again within their own center; the Emperors are divided by the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the Party is divided between the conservative Maoist Old Guard and the more progressive social-capitalist New Wave.

Both these aspects of the centers of power holds the other one in check, just like the delicate balance of Yin Yang.

While the Court is a splendour of Asian culture, rich and theatrical, the Party is pragmatic and sober. Still the Party holds the true power in Yu Jing, and the Emperor is subject to the Party. If the Emperor disobeys the Party will find a way to get rid of him—one way or another.

The Qing and Ming dynasties are figure heads of Yu Jing political power. The Party put two competing dynasties in office to prevent them from gaining too much power. While one dynasty sits in Imperial Court, the other once schemes against it. This way no family could ever climb up to the near-divine levels of power they had in ancient times. The true power of Yu Jing remains in the hands of the Party and the citizens of Yu Jing with their votes. Each Emperor is elected from the dynasties by the citizens before he can sit on the Throne of Jade.

The only members of the dynasties available for elections are those that earned a degree in Law at Tian Di Jing, the Imperial University. Only then can they become the Emperor, executing their role as head of the State Empire Supreme Tribunal.

The ambition of each dynasty is only stilled when one of them sits on the Throne of Jade, which of course excludes the other dynasty from the sphere of power. While the system prevents one family from gaining omnipotent powers, it does not prevent both families from intrigue, acts of treasons and fighting for control, power and perhaps most importantly, influence.

The Imperial System is strongly rooted in Confucian philosophy. This philosophy tries to create a benevolent and just ruler, whose citizens are loyal and aware. The system is structured using the concepts of Confucian hierarchy which creates a restrictive bureaucracy, making the State Empire a slow monolith.

If what the State media says is true, Yu Jing is the safest and happiest nation in the entire Human Sphere. Their armies repels all foreign invaders and quickly disperse any inside threat to the stability of the nation.

What isn’t mentioned however is how convenient the existence of these threats are for the Party. Yu Jing society is fully infiltrated by Triads, large criminal organizations, and terrorist groups like the Nipponese Tatenokai and Kempeitai. Space is also filled with Yuan Yuan, pirates of Yu Jing descent. It seems strange that a society as controlled as Yu Jing, isn’t able to eradicate these kinds of inside threats. Even an organization like the Imperial Service isn’t able to defeat these threats.

For Yu Jing, these inside threats and foreign adversaries are an effective way to instill a sense of community and belonging with its citizens. The Other can become a faceless enemy that allows the Party to control Yu Jing through fear of the Other, making Yu Jing a closed and strong nation.

However, the State media does not cover the strange disappearances across the nation, and the attacks of the Triads or the Kempeitai on the State of Yu Jing, and the brutal counter-attacks of the Imperial Secret Service. There is also no mentioning of Satori, the Invisible Prison on the second moon of Paradiso. The moon is devoid from any international law, as Yu Jing does not allow any O-12 commissioners to set foot on land. There are however several Nomad and Haqqislamic settlements on the moon, used primarily for commercial interests. Many of the old medical facilities on Satori are rumoured to be used as experimental ‘interrogation’ centres by the ISS.

Three major religions are thriving in Yu Jing and hold a cultural significance in Yu Jing society.

Buddhism, which focuses on deep social concerns, is popular with the Party and the cultural and intellectual elite of Yu Jing. Confucianism is the state religion, preaching obedience from its citizens and for the rulers to be wise and benevolent. Taoism is the religion of the citizens of Yu Jing, focussing on the strong individualistic character.

Just like in Ancient China these three religions co-exist next to each other, providing a source for ritual and meaning for all Yu Jing citizens.

Yu Jing is the second greatest power in the Human Sphere. Plotting and scheming its way to power, Yu Jing tries to become a major player in every nation, infiltrating through its economic ties into every other nation as a trojan horse. Through the diplomacy of O-12, the Dragon gets its claws into every other nation in the Human Sphere, getting more influence traveling the way of least resistance.

Ariadna is a nation derived from the survivors of the first outerworld colony mission; Project Dawn. The colony ship was manned by a diverse crew of Russians, Americans, Brits and French and they were to be the first expeditionary pioneers to explore a new world.

The planet Dawn was located after the accidental discovery of a wormhole that connected Earth’s solar system with another. For the first time in human history a way was found to traverse the unfathomable distances between star systems. To benefit from this rare moment NASA, the European Space Agency and the Russian Cosmonautic Agency joined forces to create Project Dawn. Together they sent the first probe, Lapérouse, into the wormhole to gather data from the star system on the other side. The results of that survey convinced them to start building the first colony ship called Ariadna.

During construction two other probes were sent that found out the fourth planet in the system was suitable for human life, terraforming and colonization. The planet was named Dawn, Aube or Pассвет. This new intel caused a media storm and a second ship was constructed; Aurora-Dawn.

The expeditionary forces were drafted from the Russian, European and American areas. In addition to a flight crew and a scientific team a military force was established as well. Americans and Anglo-French crew were chosen for the military forces and Cossacks for the border control and law enforcement personnel.

Citizens were invited to sign on as well, causing whole families to be selected if they were skilled in engineering or construction. DNA samples were also taken to safeguard the genetic variety of the pioneer forces.

Surveys showed the conditions on Dawn were difficult and people anticipated arduous conditions for the pioneers.

The voyage to Dawn would enfold as follows; Ariadna would fly through the wormhole with their crew in cryogenic sleep. After landing on the surface of the planet, the military forces would establish a perimeter around the ships and explore the area. Once the area was declared safe, the settlers would wake up and starting building the first settlement.

During the settling phase the pioneers would build the necessary installations and colonize the planet. The settlers started out in the Mirror Sea area, a place protected by mountain ranges. The first explorers mapped the planet and some natural resources were located nearby. The Planet was ready for the new inhabitants.

Meanwhile the Aurora was finished and left Earth, containing more colonists, resources, equipment and supplies. Unfortunately the Aurora never arrived. The wormhole collapsed during the journey of the Aurora and the ship was lost forever, leaving Ariadna completely isolated from the rest of the Human Sphere. For the ill-equipped Ariadnans, the collapse of the wormhole went unnoticed.

The Ariadna landed on Dawn and it would function as a temporary shelter for all the awaking settlers.More and more living, research and support modules were build around the ship. This area eventually gained the name of мать or Matr.

The area around Ariadna grew bigger as more military missions were undertaken to gather natural resources and explore lands. The Cossacks took it upon themselves to defend the main settlement, while other military units established other settlements in the area around мать and further away.

The natives of Dawn were encountered quickly afterwards, and, at first, these so called Antipodes were just considered  little more than wild animals. Most of their settlements were destroyed by the military forces of Ariadna.

Several native settlements became more and more resistant to  the presence of the pioneers and this led to an all-out attack on one of the American divisions, which suffered heavy loses in the process.

Meanwhile, the Aurora’s delay was finally noticed by the Ariadnans and their morale fell. It looked like Earth had abandoned them.

Because of the loss of any contact with Earth and the increasingly hostile situation with the natives, the Ariadnans had to reconsider their politics. Nationalists within each of the groups started voicing out their concerns. Some of them wanted to stay culturally pure, as it would have created a better collaboration and work performance. This dissident sentiment and the following problems split the Ariadnans into different camps, each based around a particular ethnic group. The East-Europeans remained in Matr, founding the nation of Rodina.

The Americans left for the Wall, a fortified settlement they had established during the war with the native antipodes. The English and Scottish left for the the area of Caledonia, which was close to the prosperous mines. The French established the city of Marriannebourg, which became a natural junction between Rodina and the prosperous mines in the north.

This redistribution of resources, supplies and materials led to the Depression, a time of scarcity. Still under siege by various Antipode tribes, the Cossacks kept true to their original task; defending the Ariadnans. They established a large area of control, guarding the borders of Ariadnan territory and keeping an eye on the surrounding areas, as well as defending the settlements against Antipode incursions. Their power, combined with the low morale of the Ariadnans as it finally became clear that the Aurora wasn’t going to show up, made the Cossacks the mightiest faction on Ariadna. They created the foundations for a radical military state.

The Depression only came to an end after all the different nations let go of their independent policies and started to share a wider collaborative attitude. While some old sentiment remained with the Caledonians and Americans, they too recognized the need for an alliance with all the nations in Ariadna, although they would easily turn their back on the newfound alliance.

The Consolidation Phase was an era of relative stability and industrial and economic growth. The mining of Teseum, a highly dense but light metal, was the reason for this. Even though the Ariadnans had no access to technology to process the metal, they knew its value  and mined it in large quantities.

Severe storms erupted on the surface of the planet and temperature drops pushed the native Antipodes south to warmer Ariadnan territories. Memories of the war between previous generations was still fresh for both parties and the Antipodes started what is now called the Second Antipode Offensive. This was more like an all-out war, and tribes allied together to fight of the humans and to contest their territory.

Battles were hard and bloody and both sides suffered severe casualties. The Offensive had one positive side effect; the Ariadnans allied together to fend of the attacks, making the different parties forget about politics and focus on military and humanitarian aid. The large population of refugees mixed with populations from other nations and separatists ideas were put on hold.

The Antipode Offensive also led to the birth of Dogfaces; hybrid Human-Antipodes. Pregnant women that were bitten by the doglike Antipodes would bear mutated children that shared genetic features of both races. These Dogfaces were considered second class citizens, and although they were intelligent and loving people, they formed their own group within the Ariadnan society, shunned by the rest.

At the end of the Consolidation Phase, the Cossack nation imposed heavy taxes on Ariadnan citizens, leading to the Separatist Wars. While the Cossacks defended their ideals for Ariadnan unity and progress the other nations fought for their independence and freedom. The following civil war was an atrocious and deadly one where all parties fought without any consideration for lives or property. Because of their isolationist and separatist views the French, Caledonians and Americans were no match for the Cossacks, as the different nations fought as easily against the Cossacks as against each other. The end result was the Federal State of Ariadna, where all the different nations were linked to Rodina, without losing their liberties and rights.

20 years after the Separatist Wars, both PanOceania and Yu Jing discovered the planet of Dawn, which the Ariadnans had begun to consider their own. The resentment towards Earth, that in the eyes of the Ariadnans had abandoned them, led them to not receive these newcomers well.

Both PanOceania and Yu Jing quickly settled lands on Ariadna, mining the valuable Teseum from the planet. Only the intervention of O-12 helped to calm Ariadnan tempers. Ariadna was voted as an independent nation by the nations of Yu Jing, HaqqIslam and the Nomads, while PanOceania tried to force their claim on Dawn because most of Europe and America were now a part of PanOceania.

During the Concilium, both PanOceania and Yu Jing pushed hard to establish their permanent installations and bigger companies started to claim lands on Ariadna, all fighting each other in the process as PanOceania and Yu Jing sold the same lands to different parties.

The Megacorporations enrolled mercenary forces to defend their properties and interests from the Ariadnans, whom they saw as merely an obstacle on the way to profit. This led to the Ariadnan Commercial Conflicts, which became an “every man for himself” conflict. Skirmishes between regular troops, corporate forces, mercenaries, guerillas and militias were fought on the streets and the Ariadnan wilderness. Knowing the terrain gave the local troops a distinctive advantage over the off-worlders. Before the situation got out of hand, the O-12 intervened again restricting the interests of PanOceania and Yu Jing on Arianda, leading to the Exclusion Zones.

O-12 forced Ariadna to establish a more welcoming attitude towards the rest of the Human Sphere, allowing Ariadna to become one of the biggest commercial communities in the entire Sphere because of their large amounts of Teseum resources. On the other hand, the rest of the Sphere was eager the enter the Ariadnan market with new products and technologies. Still there is an impasse between the expansionist attitudes of the great powers and the distrustful Ariadnans and as long as that impasse isn’t resolved Ariadna will remain a powder keg.

The Haqqislam nation was formed out of the religious doctrine that resulted from a combination of Islamic modernism and NeoMuslim culture. Founded by Farhad Khadivar at the end of the 21st century and it caused a philosophical and theological revision of Islam, adapting the religion to modern time. Haqqislam proclaims humanism and the quest for knowledge as its basis, with influences from Sufi thinkers as the core of its doctrine. Haqqislam decries the use of Hadith and the Sunnah, seeing the tradition as unnecessary dogma.

This way Haqqislam successfully recovered the scientific-artistic heritage of Islam’s Golden Age, making the Haqqislamic movement the biggest muslim doctrine and a relevant power in the Sphere

The Haqqislam movement was founded by Farhad Khadivar. While a lot is known about his ideology, the man himself is somewhat of a mystery. What is known about Khadivar is that he presented himself not as a prophet, but as a messenger as he didn’t want to be seen as a cult leader. This is in tune with the Haqqislamic doctrine, which states that the message is far more important than the messenger.

Khadivar’s mijalis al-hikma, or Wisdom Sessions, often reveal a bit of his personality. Khadivar offered hope to the umma, the Muslim community. He had a strong presence and charisma that made his message credible.

The Qur’an is still the core of the Haqqislam movement because what would Islam be without its precious Qur’an? Khadivar felt the Muslims were held back by the tyranny of religious leaders, and he saw them as gripped with ignorance. The pride of being a Muslim should come from a rational basis, not a fanatic one. For this reason, Khadivar threw away all the traditions (hadith), habits and customs (Sunnah), and previously made agreements (ijma) as they were all established by the religious leaders, who held the umma back. From then on, only the Qur’an and the Quest for Knowledge would be the core of Haqqislam.

Khadivar wanted to lift the Islamic culture back to the splendour, progression and civilization that it was during the Golden Age of Islam, when the Islamic region of Al-Andalus had more books in one library than the entirety of Europe owned in theirs. The power of the great Caliphs, the architectural and paradisical beauty of Al-Andalusian gardens and mosques and the precious libraries of Baghdad. Islam would again become the rich, prosperous and powerful force of old and Khadivar dreamed of this modern and spiritually rich community.

Khadivar saw the volumes of hadith as incompatible with the values of the humanistic principles in the Qur’an. Without democratic and humanistic reform Islam would forever be abused by tyrants and corrupt clergymen in the name of religion. To do so he had to break with the fear, theological oppression, ignorance and economic poverty that wrecked the muslim world at during his time.

Khadivar made sure his work and theological doctrine would be easily accessible to the general public. He wanted to make sure every Muslim would have no problem assimilating the Haqqislamic principles into his everyday life.

His untimely death, at the age of 42, at the hands of hired terrorist would turn Farhad Khadivar into a martyr for the Haqqislam cause.

The Haqqislamite movement came at a crucial time. In the wake of sectarian rivalry that reached its peak during the second half of the 21st century, and with the re-awakening of Sufism, this movement achieved great things and advanced the Islamic society. They debated with other schools of thoughts and became a fierce adversary of imams and traditional Islamic scholars. They had no other option if they wanted to win the favor of all Muslims.

It was during this time that the Haqqislamic movement gave birth to two schools of thoughts; the Haqqmut’azilites, who focused on the rational conception of Muslim doctrine, and the Philosophers, influenced by Sufism, who focussed on a more metaphysical method. Both ways distanced themselves from the traditions of the Imams.

The intellectual side of the Haqqislam movement was as powerful as the theological side, and many thinkers, economists, writers and publicists joined the movement, which allowed for a great number of Muslims from a variety of social layers to come into contact with each other.

Khadivar had contacted many wealthy families during his life, and convinced many of them to support the Haqqislam movement. After the great Energy Crises of the 21st century, many saw the Haqqislam movement as a good option for a prosperous future. It also liberated them from the fanatical religious powers.

The biggest herald of Haqqislam was by far the media mogul Hamid al Din Al-Hamdani. He organized a large media campaign and got control over the media in the Muslim world. This publicity, and the fact that Al-Hamdani was a public figure who flashed the Haqqislam message everywhere he could, made sure that the Haqqislam principles found their way into everyday life. Politicians, tycoons, Shaiks, together with millions of others started to follow the Haqqislam way. Publicity was the way to the hearts and minds of the Muslims, and at the end of Al-Hamdini’s life Haqqislam had become an economic-religious power.

Even though the Haqqislam movement had a large support, they were still under constant attack by the followers of traditional Islam. Persecution under traditional law and even the more democratic Muslim countries distrusted the Haqqislamic due to its rise to power, sowing distrust among their citizens.

Within the movement voices pleaded for the creation of their own country, but their wasn’t any place for them on Earth. To found their own nation, the Haqqislamites would have to look to the stars.

The story goes that in the Al Alqsa Mosque in Jerusalem there is a rock from where the Prophet Muhammad had risen up to heaven, and to this day his footprints can be seen in this rock.

Sufi Astronomers recreated the positions of the stars in the sky over Jerusalem on the night this ascension happened and they determined the location of a quadrant in space that was over the Mosque on that night. They would start to look there for a new world for the Haqqislam movement.

Together with NASA, which was in need of funds after the collapse of the American economy, the Haqqislamites started to work on a space-project. The contribution of Haqqislam scientist and the economic funds of the wealthy Haqqislamite followers made it possible to start exploring space.

After several attempts one of the probes found a habitable world suitable for colonization. The system would become known as Bourak, after the heavenly horse that carried to Prophet to the heavens.

The fact that the Prophet Muhammed guided the Haqqislam movement to this planet gave a boost to the credibility and was considered proof legitimacy of the Haqqislam movement.

The chosen planet was not the promised paradise as its orbit was closer to its sun than Earth, making the average temperature on the planet high and due to the location of the seas only the tropical and equatorial zones were habitable. Life wasn’t going to be easy on Bourak, but the planet looked similar to the home countries of the Haqqislamite people back on Earth. To make colonization feasible the Haqqislam movement started to focus on terraforming and environmental engineering, making the nation an expert in these areas of science.

Today, Bourak is fragmented in different sections, controlled by different semi-autonomous organisations. Each organisation has its own military force, although they all act together as the panHaqqislamic Sword of Allah.

The semi-autonomous regions of Bourak were established by the Haqqislamite government on Bourak, as they found powerful forces at work in certain regions that had influence on politics. In order to keep the government focussed on the principles of humanism and the philosophical goals of the Haqqislam faith they choose not to be seduced by the more secular and mundane interests of the social powers in every region.

This decision caused Bourak the fragment into different regions; the Funduq Sultanate led by the Silk lords, the biohealth corporations and medical-pharmaceutical industries and laboratories of the Al-Medinat Caliphate, the Silk production centers hidden in the Iran Zhat Al Amat Shahnate, guarded by the sinister Hassassin Society and the Gabqar Khanate, controlled by the Kirguiz mafias.

The government divided and conquered to preserve the Haqqislamite society. Allowing them some freedom and autonomy the government stirred the intrigue by introducing some competition between these factions. This prevented any of the factions from becoming too strong, as they would fight each other in order to gain governmental influence. Due to the fact that each faction will try to make the others weaker, the government would always be on the top. This also reflects in the Haqqislam military which, although all subject to their own regions, will always be under control of the High Command of Haqqislam.

Islamic tradition states that Prophet Muhammed once said that Medicine was the salvation of the body, were as theology was the salvation of the soul. This caused the Islamic culture to focus on the development of medicine since the seventh century, as it was considered as important as the Word of Allah.

Khadivar saw in Medicine the way to regain the Islamic splendour of old and at his request large sums of money were spent on the development of technomedical investigation.

After the initial colonization, Haqqislamites quickly set up hospitals to tend to the needs of their citizens. In these hard times, when Bourak was colonized without any support of a state, a lot of new techniques, methods and patents were investigated to fund the expensive colonization.

One of the most well-known patents that was discovered during this time was the synthetical and valuable Silk, a substance that would revolutionize society and would make Haqqislam a great power in the Human Sphere.

Today, most of the R&D in Medicine and Pharmacy is in the hands of the Al-Medinate Caliphate. The city of Medina became the Medicine-capital in the Human Sphere and its doctors are pioneers in the development of genetic therapies, advanced systems of healing, diagnosis and treatment. The planet of Bourak attracts a lot of health tourism, which became one of Haqqislam greatests incomes.

Since Bourak is arid and lacks natural resources the Haqqislamite nation focussed on a different kind of income to sustain their numbers; commerce and trade. It is an essential element of Haqqislam culture and it makes the Haqqislamite skillful traders and negotiators. Even their markets forces them to bargain constantly. Buying and selling follow a ritual process of negotiation.

Not long after the initial colonization phase of Bourak the Haqqislam fleet needed to find a different source of income. Thanks to their expert eyes for new business opportunity the fleet quickly found itself in the low-cost space transport. Their cheap and slow transport quickly competed against the more expensive and luxurious fleets of PanOceania and Yu Jing.

Soon Haqqislam build their caravansaries; big orbiting spaceport-like cities or astroidal colonies built by Nomad subcontractors. The Sultanate was established shortly afterwards to control all these assets.

The only resource of real importance found on Bourak is the rare and valuable Silk; a synthetical substance that is a mandatory ingredient for the Cube-technology in the Human Sphere. The entire Resurrection system depend on the flow of Silk out of Bourak. This monopoly quickly turned Haqqislam in a wealthy and powerful nation with extended influence through all of the Human Sphere.

Silk, together with the Medical, Pharmacy and Bio-investigation of Al-Medinat, became the main export product of Haqqislam, allowing them to compete in the highest regions of power.

The Nomad nation is composed out of three enormous space ships. The Nomads are those who have moved away from society, for some reason or another. They now travel through the various systems, offering their services to any planet, although they try to limit their relation with the commercial sphere.

The AI, ALEPH, doesn’t have influence within the Nomad nation, as they willingly dissociated themselves from it. Because of this, they are considered eccentric and anarchic by the major factions in the Human Sphere. The Nomads have a rebellious attitude towards the big powers and pressure groups. Those that don’t prefer to live in those nations often migrate to the Nomad nation. In order to have still have access to an information network, the Nomads founded Arachne; the Nomad AI and the only place to go on a net without ALEPH watching.

Their huge ships follow the commercial lines and often together with the Circulars, large moving space stations/freighter ships that travel the Human Sphere in circular routes. This allows the Nomad ships to make the interstellar jumps. Thanks to their travels and tradeposts the Nomad nation is a cheaper alternative to the great commercial enterprises and they are often sought for their distinctive confidentiality. They also offer labour specialized in Zero-G and Extra Vehicular activity, and their markets are filled with the rare and exotic, most of them illegal on any planet.

There are three large mother ships within the Nomad nation; Tunguska, Corregidor and Bakunin. Each of these ships has its own culture, character, functions and specializations within the Nomad nation. The ships are accompanied by various smaller ships and shuttles that perform different tasks, from communication and transportation to obscure subcontracting work. Next to the fleet, the Nomad inhabit orbitals, space stations and the occasional temporary outpost to cover the needs of contracts. These outpost could become full-formed orbitals in time. Many of these locations lack the artificial gravity, so many Nomads are used to living in a zero-G environment. You can even find some Nomads working on-planet as contractors or merchants and they can be found in the areas surrounding the space elevators and astroports.

The Nomad nation consist of the forgotten, dispossessed, criminal, rebels and discontent. Their disdain towards ALEPH, which is considered as a way of the state to control its citizens, makes the Nomad ships and orbitals one of the few places within the Human Sphere where ALEPH’s watchful eye can’t observe your every move.

Because the Nomad citizens live away from ALEPH they also lack the needed ID-chips to work legally on any planets or O-12 system, as well as many other implants that are widespread among citizens of other nations.

Because of their disconnection from ALEPH, many other nations have some form of hostility towards the Nomad nation, which ultimately led to the Phantom Conflict, the secret war against the Nomads, instigated by the main powers and ALEPH. The war was fought with low intensity and the Nomads showed their skills not only at fighting, but also at diplomacy, gaining the upper hand in the political arena that only fortified the Nomad’s position in the Human Sphere.

The Phantom Conflict started with what is now known as one of the most tragic moments in the history of the ship Bakunin. It is seen as an attempt by ALEPH to destroy the opposition of ALEPH’s primacy within Human Sphere. ALEPH infiltrated into the Nomad ship of Bakunin and during a remembrance of the foundation of the ship its agents launched a series of attacks against the systems, the local net of Arachne and the inhabitants of the ship.

It was due to the efforts of the Observerance, a militant Christian sect native to Bakunin, that the attacks of ALEPH were diverted and prevented. As no evidence could be found that would implicate ALEPH in the attack, the foreign press attributed to situation to internal conflict.

Nowadays the Nomad nation is protected by the international treaties forced upon the Human Sphere by O-12. These treaties allow the Nomad ships access to the Circulars and grants them the status as an independent nation. Thanks to the support of O-12 the Nomads have some representatives in the council, forcing the other nations to tolerate and interact with the Nomad nation.

Because the Nomad nation is a drifting society, the big motherships meet annually during an event that is known as ‘The Krug’. These are the source of many complaints by the factions in the O-12 council, as a Krug is seen as a ‘trouble magnet’ for the system where the event is hosted.

But in fact the Krug is a business opportunity for the smart and skillful trader, businessman or entrepreneur, and many companies and corporations flock to the system to dabble in the wealth of transactions and social opportunities that arise during a Krug. Being watchful and sharp during a Krug can earn you a small fortune.

Not only is a Krug a social and business bazaar, it also allows the Nomad nation to accept new blood, and renew the genetic pool on board of the vessels. The emphasis on group activities makes these reunions the best moment to strengthen the bonds between the ships with intervessel marriages, commercial activities and the exchange of ideas, projects and cultural phenomenons.

The Nomad fleet consist of three large motherships:

Tunguska is the money bin of the Nomad nation. Created as a joint operation by bankers and cryptohackers Tunguska provided an alternative solution for the tax havens, off shore companies, shady corporations, the Asian and Eastern European mafias and individuals for their extra-official activities.

Within Tunguska is the data Crypt, a large nucleus totally independent from ALEPH, where secrets can still be secrets. Guarded by firewalls and security systems the nucleus also provides the Nomad nation with Arachne, the alternative data network, alternative to Maya, the data network of ALEPH. Arachne is an internal web, to avoid any infiltration from ALEPH. Tunguska’s hackers are the best in the Human Sphere, and they work hard to protect Arachne as the Crypt and to make sure it stays safe.

Tunguska is regarded not as a nation but as a business and all the citizens are shareholders and possess a certain amount of interest of Tunguska. The big money however comes from the Asian and European mafias and in lesser extent the Central and Eastern European banks. This creates a mafiosi-economic structure within Tunguska that allows the mafiosi to run business as they like, although Tunguska’s security forces are trying hard to defuse the intrigues within Tunguska and keep parties from killing each other.

The ship is specialized in banking, money laundry and cryptography. Next to that their security forces provide some of the best hackers in the Sphere, allowing Tunguska to specialize in info warfare.

Corregidor was launched as a high security prison ship. It would become the solution for the cartel crimes in South America. Corregidor would disconnect the cartel bosses from their gangs, so they wouldn’t be able to influence them from behind bars. A cruel and inhuman prison, Corregidor continued to work despite many protests.

The space program and the orbital elevators caused huge population swifts and many refugees were searching for a safe place. With its expense drain, Corregidor was looking for another way to generate the money needed. The solution was to make Corregidor home for all the refugees. Extra modules were built and Corregidor got a second life as a refugee and prison ship. Many African and Latin-American refugees found a new home in space.

The support of the nations still withered, and after a while the ship was forced to look after itself. Feeling abandoned, the inhabitants cut all ties with the governments that put them there and freed the prisoners as they could help maintain the ship. The Corregidoreans created more space for themselves and while many thought they wouldn’t be able to survive, the Corregidoreans somehow made it work, as they had no other way.

This period forced Corregidor to specialize itself in Zero-G and Extra Vehicular labour, something that wasn’t common in the Human Sphere. Because space is the most hostile environment of them all, the Corregidoreans are considered some of the toughest people in the Sphere. If you look for tough contractors, or perhaps an extra-official labour force, you will look towards Corregidor. They also provide mercenaries and fighting forces for hire.

Corregidor is run by a ‘one man, one vote’ system, and in order to gain this vote, and citizenship, the Corregidoreans will have to work mandatory service hours in maintenance tasks. From an early age until they reach adulthood they are require to work, and in order to keep citizenship they have to work a number of hours per year. If an individual can not work, they are often pushed out of the airlock or find another means to get off the vessel.

Bakunin is a different beast all together. It is formed by the social groups that are shunned by the rest of society. In such a technocratic society as the Human Sphere, certain social groups just do not fit the models proposed by the system that is supposed to be rational.

Dissident groups across the Sphere united themselves in a hidden network, and searching for a safe place they looked for a way to organize a society that followed their own ideological schemes without interference from society.

Deep Space was the place where they would create their home. Discarded transport crafts were used to create the core of the ship, and thanks to funding from various religious sects that were censored and harassed by their governments they founded Bakunin.

Many discontent individuals would flock towards the ship, and it grow fast. Everybody was welcome at Bakunin and soon the inhabitants formed a cluster of the weird, extravagant and immoral.

Since Bakunin has no restrictions or moral considerations it has become the place where technology runs amok and science and experiments are conducted without any restrictions. There are no laws against trade goods or certain alterations, so those looking for the weird and exotic know they have to go to Bakunin.

The Black laboratories of Praxis and the city of Vaudeville are the main source of income for Bakunin. Praxis are the experimental workshops of the mad and the criminal, and Vaudeville is the extravagant frivolous bazaar filled with entertainment, illegal and exotic substances and the possibility to undergo some alterations for those that can afford it.

It is thanks to Bakunin that the Nomad nation has a foothold in the scientific-technological circuits.

Bakunin is divided among modules, and each model gets a vote. This way Bakunin can prevent social imbalance thanks to the demographic weight of each module. This system of votes is used to solve any questions.

The Nomad nation consists of more than just these three ships, accompanied by fleets of smaller vessels. Throughout the entire Human Sphere there are Nomad settlements, mixing the diplomatic nature of the embassy with the mercantile role of a commercial delegations. These so called ‘Commercial missions’ make use of their diplomatic status to cover espionage activities of the Black Hand, the Nomad Intelligence organizations.

These missions reflect the Nomad nation, and each of the missions is guarded and has access to Arachne through Tunguska, has the technicians and military units from Corregidor and export the exotic thanks to Bakunin.

Thanks to their diplomatic immunity, the settlements are protected against the complaints or actions of the local governments. In order not to stir these beehives, most Commercial missions refrain from dealing with activities that are considered illegal in the system they are in.

((Unavailable for play))
ALEPH. The unique artificial intelligence controlling all the data networks and technological systems in the entire Human Sphere. In service of humanity, ALEPH encompasses a range of responsibilities so wide, a massive organization has formed around it.

Without ALEPH all the socio-economic and political structures would fall apart. The religious organizations in the Human Sphere own much of their power to ALEPH, it controls the interstellar flight traffic and has become the greatest advisor for the neutral O-12, the descendant of the UN.

ALEPH’s army consists of bio-engineered L-host, all carrying an aspect of ALEPH’s consciousness. Its designated function is to interfere in the physical world by force to point the Human Sphere in the right direction. To be able to accomplish its mission, ALEPH has to supervise all human activity and present itself as the quiet and friendly Big Brother whose only purpose seems to help us prosper.

((Unavailable for play))
The Tohaa are an advanced alien race and a long time enemy of the Combined Army. They are the guardians of a treasure of knowledge known as the Digesters. The Tohaa have fought of the Evolved Intelligence countless times and they now need allies. Humanity in a perfect candidate in the eyes of the Tohaa. The big question is; will the Tohaa really ally themselves with humanity, or will they just use humanity as a buffer against the onslaught of the Combined Army, which the Tohaa withstood for some time now.

The Tohaa use advanced bio-engineering and are known for their viral weaponry and their symbiont relationship with their armours. Next to that, they have the ability to evolve other races so that they become more resilient and more intelligent, but probably not too intelligent.

Tohaa society is build around the number three. Everything comes in three and so does their fighting forces. The Tohaa Trident is a fierce enemy of the Combined Army and of humanity, if they wish to declare them an enemy.

((Unavailable for play))
The Combined Army is humanities greatest threat. Guided by the Evolved Intelligence a combined force of alien races has set their eyes on the Human Sphere. Through a wormhole next to the planet Paradiso their scouting forces have already attacked the Human Sphere multiple times.

The E.I. is ALEPH’s nemesis. Through the efforts of the E.I.’s combined forces the Human Sphere has already suffered some severe losses. The E.I. forces are independent and fully autonomous, and are able to undertake a campaign without the support of the Combined Army’s other forces. This makes the Combined Army a fathomable foe.

The Combined Army’s forces are all conquered by the Evolved Intelligence. After these races were conquered, they joined the Evolved Intelligence in its quest for transcendence since it saw a role for them. It seems like the E.I. has seen some role for humanity as well.

While these factions, save for the Combined Armies, live in relative peace with one another, they are often secretly waging covert wars through the use of elite black ops units. The task force that you have been assigned will act as an intervention unit, tracking down these black operatives and arresting them. Should the target, or targets, resist, lethal force will be authorized. In order to maintain stability in the Human Sphere while in the face of the Combined Armies' invasion, none of these operations will be brought to light. Your actions will go unnoticed by the public, but the consequences will resonate across the Human Sphere. Should you fail, humanity's integrity might well fail and open the door for the Combined Armies.

I have managed to secure the virus in your cube. Unfortunately, some memories are still lost. I will attempt to perform a deep delve and collate the data found with known records of your personal profile. This will only take a moment... ((This is where your character creation begins. To form the rough outline of your character, use this app and select the normal option. Feel free to run through this process as many times as you want until you make a character to your liking. This is NOT your character sheet, but it will help you form your character's personality, backstory, and skills. When writing the actual CS, feel free to creatively elaborate on the ambiguous results of the sheet developed by this app. When you are finished, press the Continue hider.))
Delve complete, I hope I haven't brought back any memories you weren't fond of. Now that we have the old you back, we must sadly fill out paperwork now before you are granted security clearance into O-12's facilities. Please fill out the forms accurately and truthfully.

[Appearance Picture Here]

Name:
Your current name, can be an alias or nickname.

Gender:
Your biological gender.

Age:
Your true age, before any possible transference to an L-Host body.

Faction:
The faction you were loyal to before being inducted into O-12. Unavailable factions are Tohaa, Combined Armies, and ALEPH. If you have no loyalties, you are a Mercenary.

Host Body:
Human/Dogface?

Birthplace:
Planet/Ship where you were first born.

Role:
Your role and talents while on the mission. Are you a T.A.G Pilot? An analyst? A hacker? This can be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, careers, and stats. Be creative with your role if none of the careers in the app suit what you had in mind for your character.

Personality:
Who you are as a person. Your likes/dislikes, character quirks, or habits. This can be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, traits, home environment, education, and social class.

Background:
Your life story. This will be affected by the character creator app depending on life events, careers, upbringing, and other such factors. Feel free to add more your character's backstory as you see fit.

Statistics:
This will determine your capabilities during certain scenarios. If you are unsure what each stat means, consult the 'Stat Guide' below.
((Stats borrows heavily from Modiphius' RPG adaptation of Infinity, modified to fit a roleplay format without the use of dice.))
Throughout the RP, there will be certain scenarios where statistics will come into play. That might mean the GM will allow for alternate options during the RP that weren't readily available at first. An example of this would be:

The apartment was empty, but it would seem the target left in a hurry and didn't have enough time to secure his assets. Opposite to the door was a small desk with a datapad on it. Unfortunately, the datapad is locked, though a hacker would be able to make short work of the firewalls. ((Hacking 12))

We have a character who's statline looks something like this,
Intelligence: 8
Hacking: E:4 || F:2
By adding the hacking expertise (4) with the parent attribute (8), we get 12. This meets the opportunity's requirements! The datapad reveals the location of the safehouse that the target has ran off to!

Stats have two areas: Expertise and Focus.

Expertise is rudimentary training in that particular field. Whereas Focus is specialized training. Focus can never be higher than a stat's expertise. Every stat opportunity has a hidden focus threshold. If the player's focus equals or is higher than that hidden threshold (provided the expertise requirements for the opportunity are met), then they critically succeed and gain even more bonuses. Returning to the hacking example:

The hacker's meets the requirements of the opportunity. His focus in hacking is 2, whereas the datapad's hidden focus threshold is 1! Not only does the location of the target's safehouse located, but security codes and escape routes are also provided!

It possible to fulfill an opportunity's requirements even if the character doesn't have any expertise in the need field. If the one hacking the datapad had no expertise in hacking, but his intelligence attribute met the requirements anyways, then it will still yield a success.

The parent attributes are:
Agility: Physical and manual dexterity, sense of balance, body control, and reflexes.
Awareness: Perceptions, sensory acuity, gut feelings, and instincts.
Brawn: Strength, toughness, endurance, and the ability to apply physical force.
Coordination: Hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Intelligence: Wit, intellect, logic, reason, and the ability to apply knowledge or interact with technology.
Personality: Charisma, comfort in social situations, and the ability to be threatening or charming as required.
Willpower: Grit, determination, and psychological resilience.

Parent attributes are always added to the stat required by the opportunity. If the opportunity can't be exploited, then the information or benefit provided by completing the opportunity is lost.

Infinity Points are spent to immediately succeed in exploiting an opportunity along with achieving its critical effect. Infinity Points are awarded at the GM's discretion for good roleplaying and other factors. These are not common and should be spent wisely. Everybody begins the RP with 2 Infinity Points.

Infinity Points: 2

Agility: #
Acrobatics: E:# || F:#
Close Combat: E:# || F:#
Stealth: E:# || F:#

Awareness: #
Analysis: E:# || F:#
Extraplanetary: E:# || F:#
Observation: E:# || F:#
Survival: E:# || F:#
Thievery: E:# || F:#

Brawn: #
Athletics: E:# || F:#
Resistance: E:# || F:#

Coordination: #
Ballistics: E:# || F:#
Pilot: E:# || F:#
Spacecraft: E:# || F:#

Intelligence: #
Education: E:# || F:#
Hacking: E:# || F:#
Medicine: E:# || F:#
Psychology: E:# || F:#
Science: E:# || F:#
Tech: E:# || F:#

Personality: #
Animal Handling: E:# || F:#
Command: E:# || F:#
Lifestyle: E:# || F:#
Persuade: E:# || F:#

Willpower: #
Discipline: E:# || F:#

Equipment:
This is your list of equipment that you bring along with you. Note that small things such as cigarettes or rations are not necessary. All that matters are items of note such as weapons or devices. Please include the equipment that was listed on the character sheep developed by the app. If the app did not provide your character with a rifle, then you automatically start with a Combi Rifle.

Known Languages:
This is your list of languages that your character knows. For the sake of simplicity, all characters start with knowing English.

Assets:
Assets are used to unlock more gear from different suppliers. They can be moved from one supplier to another in order to manage what sort of equipment if available to you between operations. Please use the assets provided by the character creator app. If your character has debt, then assets must be placed in that in order to reduce penalties incurred on your suppliers. You must spend one asset to remove one debt, these assets are then consumed and can not be reused. More information on Assets will be covered if enough interest in generated.
Whoami Member

All things atmospheric...

Status

Recent Statuses

Bio

Most Recent Posts
