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Galactic Guide Ian ‘Lizard’ Harac

Contents Introduction – Defining Worlds

Worldbuilding

Galactic Gazetteer

Abbai Matriarchy Balosian Territory Brakiri Syndicracy Cascor Commonwealth Centauri Republic Ch’lon Hunting Grounds Corillani Deneth Descara Dilgar Imperium Drazi Freehold Earth Alliance

32 35 36 38 39 52 53 54 55 57 59 64

Gaim Intelligence Golians Grome Autocracy Hurr Republic Hyach Gerontocracy Ipsha Baronies Kor-Lyan Kingdoms Koulani Llort Lumati Dominion Markab Minbari Federation Minbari Protectorate Moradi Purity Narn Regime Pak’ma’ra

76 77 79 80 81 83 85 87 88 89 91 93 101 105 106 112

Sh’lassan Empire Tal-kona’sha Virtuality Tikar Tokati Realm Torta Regency Vree Conglomerate Yolu Theocracy Minor Systems

113 114 115 116 118 120 122 124

Travelling the Galaxy

150

Equipment Appendix

188

Rules Appendix

193

Index

198

License

200

Credits Ian Belcher

Graphic Design Consultant Brandon Bray

Internal Special Effects Martin Hanford, Kythera, Danilo Moretti

Producer Alexander Fennell

Studio Manager

Key Grips Ashley Tarmin & Ted Chang

Extras Mark Billanie, Daniel Haslam, Mark Howe, Alan Moore, Daniel Scothorne, Mark Sizer, Michael J Young

Contents

Line Developer

Special Thanks J. Michael Straczynski, Fiona Avery, Isabelle Richard, Skye Herzog, August Hahn, Agents of Gaming, Bruce Graw and the B5 History Research Team (Jamie Coleman, Symon Cook, Matthew Flegal, Mark Graves, Klebert Hall & Darryl Hushaw)

Ian Barstow Designation of Product Identity: The following items are hereby designated as Product Identity in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License. Version 1.0a: Any and all Babylon 5 logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Babylon 5 product and product line names; any elements of the Babylon 5 setting including but not limited to capitalised names, planet names, alien species names, ship names, organisation names, characters, equipment, setting and historic events, episode descriptions, any and all stories, storylines, locations, plots, thematic elements, documents within the Babylon 5 world, quotes from character or episodes, all artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, poses, logos, sumbols or graphic designs; any other unspeciﬁed incarnations of Babylon 5 creative property, including elements either derived or inferred from the Babylon 5 setting; and website support materials and all future incarnations, online community donations, and all free game support items, except such items that already appear in the d20 System Reference Document and are already OGC

by virtue of appearing there. The above Product Identity is not Open Game Content. Designation of Open Game Content: Subject to the Product Identity designation above, the following portions of Galactic Guide are designated as Open Game Content: all character statistics and creation rules, all new character classes and abilities, all new feats, powers and skills, all rules systems and mechanics, all statistic blocks and paragraphs speciﬁcally explaining rules mechanics or special qualities. The use of Product Identity in these circumstances is limited solely to mechanical effects and systems, not to the items previously stipulated as falling under the PI. Printed in China. Copyright © 2005 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. BABYLON 5, and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. WB SHIELD: TM and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s05)

Introduction It is a big galaxy. This is a guide to living in it, travelling through it and populating it.

Introduction

The Babylon 5 universe is a place where interstellar travel has been going on for literally millions of years. Uncounted sentient races have walked between the stars and many more simply stare up at the lights in the sky and wonder if they are alone. It is a universe old enough and vast enough that many worlds are simply forgotten, waiting for centuries or millennia for explorers to find them. It is a universe rich enough in habitable worlds that many systems are left unexplored entirely, awaiting those brave or foolish enough to discover them. This book is about worlds and the space between them. It will tell readers what life is like for a passenger on a Centauri cruiser, how to hitchhike across Alliance space and how to determine everything about a world from the colour of its sun to the number of its continents. It also provides details on the worlds we know, discussing previously unmentioned planets in major solar systems and highlighting exciting, beautiful or dangerous locations across the galaxy.

Defining Worlds

While it is not possible to reduce the infinite complexity and diversity of a single world to a few lines of statistics, it is sometimes necessary to be able to grasp the important facts quickly. This section presents a detailed set of rules for listing all the salient facts of a solar system or a world, providing the skeleton upon which a Games Master can hang as much detail as is needed. A world used as a brief stopping point on a longer journey might not need more than a statistic block, while some worlds may require pages of information. These rules are designed to work with the random generation rules presented in the Worldbuilding chapter, while also serving to provide a framework which the Games Master can simply fill in to create systems and worlds of his own devising.

The Nature of the Universe

There are a number of facts about the nature of the universe in Babylon 5 which can be inferred from the canonical material. These should be considered when engaging in worldbuilding. None of these should be considered absolutes but creating too many exceptions without some overriding cause undermines the ‘feel’ of the game.

Life Abounds: There are dozens of different species which have attained space travel and many more which have not. For each world which gave rise to sentient life, there are many others teeming with animals and plants. Even many of the ‘dead’ worlds have oxygen atmospheres, evidence of recent (relatively speaking) biological activity. Life is Ancient: The current crop of races are not the first to walk among the stars, not by a long shot. They were preceded by others, and others before them, going all the way back to the earliest days of the universe. The galaxy is full of ruins, strange and wondrous and lethal relics of what has gone before. Even the familiar worlds of the Sol system contain evidence of the past – Shadow vessels buried on Mars and Ganymede. Furthermore, these ancient races have no absolute prohibitions on meddling in the affairs of other species. They regularly manipulate the Younger Races, both genetically and socially. Thus signs of their influence, both subtle and overt, are everywhere. Sentience tends to the Humanoid: Most, though by no means all, intelligent races have a ‘humanoid’ form. They average the same height, can use the same tools, can eat most of the same food and breathe a standard atmospheric mix. Nonhumanoid races exist but because their needs and outlooks are so different, they interact less with the other races. With the unlimited imagination of a roleplaying game, many more non-humanoid species can be introduced but this leads to questions of: ‘Where have these guys been all along?’. For this reason, non-humanoids are best placed as newly-discovered or contacted races. Notable exceptions to this rule include the Trakallans, the Ipsha, the Shadows and the Vorlons. Furthermore, there are a great many similarities in biology. Humans and Minbari can enjoy flarn, while nearly every race, it seems, can digest spoo (though few seem to enjoy it, per se). Similar is not the same as identical, however – alcohol affects Minbari very differently than it does many other races. Habitable Worlds are Common: While the exact frequency of habitable worlds is never explicitly stated, they can be inferred to be relatively common. Earth found several unclaimed but life-sustaining planets early in its interstellar explorations – something which would not have occurred if such worlds were rare. Many habitable worlds are home to only tiny colonies or are ignored; only if the world contains something exceptionally precious will it be fully exploited. Further, the Centauri thought nothing of devastating the worlds of the Narn regime, implying they felt no need to ‘save’ habitable worlds for colonies; there were enough to go around.

System Name: The name of the system, which is usually the name of the primary star in the system. Number of Stars: Most inhabited systems have only a single star. Habitable binary systems are very rare and habitable multiple-star systems are practically unknown. However, it is often the case that uninhabitable worlds may be rich in resources, leading to the establishment of industrial or research colonies in binary or trinary systems.

Species cannot Interbreed: This may seem self-evident to anyone with the most basic grounding in biology but since some science-fiction universes abound with half-breeds, it bears noting. While many species show signs of genetic manipulation by the Vorlons (specifically, the introduction of telepathy), they otherwise evolved divergently. Genetically, a Human has more in common with a daffodil than with a Drazi. While convergent evolution may have shaped many intelligent races the same way, their external shape is determined by wildly different DNA, and there is no chance of an offspring resulting from an interspecies union – if such a union is even physically possible. Humans and Centauri, for example, may find each other physically attractive on a surface level but the differences in gross anatomy make acting on such attraction difficult. Granted, it is likely that some have tried it (given the predilections of both species) but no offspring could possibly result from such a union. The one documented exception – the child of Sheridan and Delenn – is a true anomaly, the result of First One technology and time loops.

Star Systems

Worlds do not exist in space by themselves (well, not often). Nearly all worlds exist in a star system, orbiting one or more stars, and are simply one of many other planets, moons, comets and planetoids in the system.

Star Colour Type O B A F G K M

Colour Blue Blue-White White Yellow-White Yellow Yellow-Orange Red

Introduction

This has important story implications. It means that lost colonies, forgotten worlds and undiscovered civilisations are highly plausible, because many ‘unexceptional’ worlds will be only perfunctorily examined, catalogued and forgotten. It also fits with what is known of the behaviour of the First Ones; many such worlds may be the result of their deliberate terraforming efforts.

Star Size and Type: There are many different sizes of stars, from the massive type O blue giants to the dim type M red dwarfs, as well as exotics such as neutron stars and pulsars. The star types, sizes and colours are shown on the Star Colour and Star Size tables:

Star type is further qualified by a number from 0 through 9, indicating the relative position of the star within a given spectral classification. Thus, a G1 star is very close to an F (and thus would be a bit bluer than a mid-range type G), while a G7 star is closer to a K, and would be somewhat more orange. This number does not come into play in the current generation system and is included for verisimilitude and flavour.

Star Size Code Ia Ib II III IV V VI VII

Description Bright Supergiant Supergiant Bright Giant Giant Subgiant Main Sequence Subdwarf Dwarf

The following statistics apply to the system itself:

Thus, a star may be classified G2 V, or M9 VI, and so on. Not all sizes are applicable to all stars; this is further defined in the system generation rules. Planets: How many planets orbit the star. Planets are natural objects which orbit the central star. There is considerable debate over the precise line between a ‘planet’ and a ‘minor planet’, such as comets and asteroids. For the purposes of these rules, planets have a diameter of over 500 miles and do not orbit any other body (other than a star). Objects which orbit other bodies are moons, while small objects which do not orbit the sun are planetoids or comets.

Introduction

Planets are further divided, for purposes of these rules, into Terrestrial (planets formed primarily of rock and ore, often with a molten core), Icy (planets which are basically collections of ice and rock, without a molten core) and Gas (gas giants). Features: Star systems often have a variety of features which interstellar travellers should know about. These can be considered to be ‘Special Qualities’ of a system. Many are standard and are listed below; some systems have wholly unique features which are noted in their descriptions. Asteroid Belt: The system has an asteroid belt, a collection of rocks and debris drawn into a stable orbit. The density of the asteroid belt should be noted. If a belt is important, it should be given a statistic block (see Asteroid Belts on page 14). Dark Companion: The system has a brown dwarf star located in a distant, millennia-long orbit around the central star. This has no noticeable effect on the system (other than to clean out some planetary debris) but its mass causes unusual ripples in hyperspace. All Technical (space travel) checks involving hyperspace, including forming jump points or resisting the effects of hyperspace phenomenon, suffer a –2 penalty in this system. Debris: The system is filled with stellar debris. This may be due to a recently exploded planet whose fragments have not formed into an asteroid belt, the contents of an Oort cloud scattered through the system by a passing object of great mass or some other cause. Either way, navigation is risky, as it is not possible to track every fragment of rock moving over such a wide area and interacting with numerous sources of gravity. All passage through the system in realspace is treated as travel through a light asteroid belt. Flares: The star is unstable and occasionally gouts forth powerful jets of plasma. While few ships would ever be

close enough to the star to be struck, the electromagnetic disturbances scramble communications and can harm delicate electronics. There is a 1% chance per day of a dangerous flare occurring; if this happens, all ships much make a Technical (electronics) check (DC 14) or suffer Light damage to sensors or control systems (roll 1d6; on a roll of 1–3 it is sensors, on a roll of 4–5 it is controls and on a roll of 6 it is both). Flare systems are often avoided unless necessary. Any long-term structures in the system, such as space stations, will be shielded against the flares. Oort Cloud: A collection of planetary debris in the outer solar system which is often the birthing place for comets. Many of the protocomets in an Oort cloud will be icy, providing a potential source of water or hydrogen. Raider Haven: The system is a known hide-out and base of operations for one or more raider fleets. This does not necessarily mean that the system is more dangerous – even raiders have ‘safe’ systems where they trade their ill-gotten gains rather than acquire them – but it does mean the system is not entirely under the control of its putative government. Trade Hub: The world is a centre of transportation and commerce, at a convenient juncture of several jump routes. Even if the main world of the system is primitive or uninhabitable, there are many orbital or deep space facilities to care for travellers. The system must have at least one jump gate to have this quality. Jump Gates: Whether or not a system has a local jump gate can mean the difference between it being a part of the interplanetary community or being an abandoned and forgotten backwater. The presence of a jump gate does not mean the inhabitants have space travel or even metalworking – gates built by older, long-vanished races are common. However, if a gate exists in a system, it is likely

someone is using it, so any sentients in the system will have been contacted, whether or not they were ‘ready’ to meet aliens. The only ‘Prime Directive’ most races in the Babylon 5 universe follow is ‘Seize every advantage’. However, jump gates last a long time – some systems which had no intelligent life when a local jump gate was built eventually evolved sentience, eons after the original builders of the gate had vanished.

damage a ship. Most systems are either at this level or at Medium.

Most systems have only one jump gate. Multiple jump gates make arrival at multiple inhabited worlds much easier but they also offer more points to guard. If there are multiple jump gates, only one is usually cleared for civilian traffic, with the others being used solely for government or military purposes. Non-authorised ships using such gates are stopped and boarded.

High: Only those who have a good reason to travel to the system should do so. Restrictions on travel are many and patrols will open fire without warning. There may by several forms of destructive natural phenomenon.

It is sometimes the case that the system can be claimed by one government while allowing a second government undisputed claim to a single planet within the system. This most often occurs when the planet is one which the government that owns the system does not want or cannot use but it sometimes occurs as the result of a treaty. Such situations are often very tense. Threat Level: How much danger is a traveller in merely by entering the system? In most cases, this is low – individual worlds may be unapproachable but merely passing through a system is likely to be safe. However, some systems are dangerous, either due to stellar phenomenon such as radioactive clouds or magnetic storms, or due to hostile or paranoid inhabitants who swoop down on any unexpected ship, no questions asked. The Threat Level is given as a general guide and does not include specific dangers due to the politics of the moment. Threat Levels are: Very Low: Unless the ship is obviously hostile or disobeys traffic guidelines, it will be left alone. No dangerous natural phenomenon exists.

Very High: Enter only if characters wish to die. Either the system is controlled by extremely hostile powers or there are natural phenomenon which will tear a ship apart within minutes. Security Level: This is a rating of how well guarded or defended a system is and is a measure of the likelihood of a ship entering the system being detected and tracked. Security and Threat Level can be very different from each other; Security determines if a ship will be noticed, while Threat Level indicates what will happen to ships that are. If the threat is from natural phenomenon, however, Security has no bearing. Security Levels are: Open: The system is almost entirely unmonitored. There are no automated probes, manned patrols or even anyone routinely monitoring the jump gate for activity. This is the case only in systems with no inhabitants or pre-industrial inhabitants. Stealth DC: 0.

Introduction

Ownership: Usually, an entire star system will be claimed by a single government, though there may be several different species living on different worlds. Disputes over ownership of the system itself can be mere paperwork quibbles or they can be the source of longstanding wars – and this can change in an instant as governmental power shifts or galactic politics alter the balance of power. If there are multiple claimants to a system, the description of the system should contain notes as to the current status of their claims.

Medium: It is best to travel lightly. The system may have tight limits on where ships can go without permission, or there may be regular raider activity or there are fairly common natural phenomenon which can damage or destroy a ship.

Low: There is routine monitoring of jump gate activity and checks for the formation of jump points, as well as patrols around the major worlds but it is unlikely most visitors will be noticed. Ships can freely cruise through the system with little fear of detection. Stealth DC: 5.

Sample System Statistic Block

Sol System

Low: In general, the system is safe, though there may be light raider activity, a few areas where trespass is seen as a sign of aggression or rare natural phenomenon which can

one on Earth (except, perhaps, science-fiction fans) thinks of their world as ‘Sol III’. Moons are given Greek letter designations based on average orbital distance; thus Regula IV-Beta is the second moon of the fourth planet in the Regula system. Zone: This is the planet’s position in the star system, determining whether it is within the Habitable, Hot or Cold zone of a star’s orbit. Size: This is the diameter of the planet, in miles.

Introduction

Medium: The jump gate is monitored closely and all ships passing through are logged. Jump point formation is tracked. All major worlds have sensor networks. Ships heading towards inhabited worlds will be tracked and scanned, but those just ‘passing through’ are likely to be ignored. Stealth DC: 15. High: All traffic is monitored. Ships which enter the system by any means are noted and logged and most are tracked for at least a few minutes. Patrols regularly travel between major worlds and there are sensor buoys and long-range scanners everywhere. Only extreme skill can allow a ship to slip through the net. Stealth DC 25. Very High: The entire system is enmeshed in a web of scanners and sensors. Anything entering the system is noted, tracked, categorised and analysed. Only the most skilful pilots flying the most advanced ships can hope to slip through the network of observers, living and automated, unobserved. Stealth DC 30.

Planets

A star system is very often surrounded by planets; indeed, one with no planets is not a system but just a star and will likely have nothing of interest associated with it. Planets are defined as follows: Name: This can be anything. Many times, the name for an uninhabited or unexplored world will be based on the star’s name and the planet’s position relative to star noted in numerals – Vega VII, for example, is the seventh planet in the Vega system. If a planet is colonised, it may gain its own name, such as the Narn world of Sarith, or retain its original designation, such as the Earth Alliance colony world Regula IV. Any world with a native population will of course have its own name, regardless of what outsiders may call it; no

Gravity (Grav): A planet’s gravity is directly related to its size and uses multiples of Earth gravity for ease of reference – hence Earth has a Gravity of 1.0g. The terms used are: Microgravity (less than 0.1g) Very Low (0.1g to 0.5g) Low (0.51g to 0.8g) Standard (0.81g to 1.2g) High (1.21g to 2.0g) Very High (2.01g to 4.0g) Extremely High (4.0g or more) Atmospheric Density & Composition (Atmos): This is the density of the atmosphere. It consists of a descriptive term and an exact measure in Atmospheres at sea level (Earth atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1.0 Atmospheres). Terms, and their associated densities, are: Vacuum (0.0) Very Thin (0.1 to 0.6) Thin (0.61 to 0.9) Standard (0.91 to 1.1) Dense (1.11 to 1.3) Very Dense (1.31 to 1.5) Extremely Dense (1.5 or more) This statistic also gives the makeup of the atmosphere. For game purposes, the exact chemical mix is not recorded, only its relative breathability by Human and similar races. Terms used for atmospheric composition are: Breathable Breathable, Tainted Corrosive Inert Poisonous

Geology: This is a description of the general level of geological activity, in terms of the ‘ruggedness’ of the planet’s surface. Terms used for geology are: Very Flat Flat Standard Rugged Very Rugged Volcanism: This is a description of how volcanically active the planet is. Terms used for volcanism are: Dead Stable Active Very Active Extreme

None (0%) Very Dry (1–20%) Dry (21–30%) Damp (31–50%) Moist (51–70%) Wet (71–90%) Very Wet (91–100%) Continents/Oceans: Worlds with less than 50% Hydrosphere have the land/liquid division defined in terms of Oceans; those with 50% or more Hydrosphere define it in terms of Continents. Terms used are: Supercontinent Number of Large Continents Number of Small Continents Islands Single Ocean Oceans Seas Lakes Climate: Climate for Habitable Zone worlds with atmospheres is determined by two factors, Average Equatorial Temperature in Fahrenheit (F) and Variability (V). For Habitable Zone worlds with no atmosphere, the climate is ‘Vacuum’. For worlds in the Hot or Cold Zone, the climate is generally ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’, respectively.

None Very Scarce Scarce Infrequent Standard Abundant Very Abundant Biosphere Complexity (Bio Complexity): The complexity of a biosphere is a measure of how advanced life is. Has it evolved into a wide range of niches with many specialised adaptation or is it still at the single-cell stage? The terms used are: Simple Basic Moderate Advanced Very Advanced Native Intelligence Population (Pop): The number of beings which live on a world. This is given as a number or as two numbers if there are more than one major species living on the world. Species which account for less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the total population do not figure into the general numbers. For example, Earth has small numbers of Centauri, Narn and other races living as immigrants but not enough to figure into population statistics.

Introduction

Hydrosphere (Hydro): This is a measure of the surface of the planet covered by liquid. It is given as a descriptive term and as a rough percentage. Terms used for hydrosphere and the percentage of liquid each represents, are:

Biosphere Density (Bio Density): The density of a biosphere is a measure of how much life exists on a planet – is the planet seething with living organisms or are advanced tests required to find even a hint of life? The terms used are:

Technology (Tech): This is a measure of the general technological progress of the world, representing what can be manufactured locally, not the highest level of technology which can be found. Terms used are: Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age Renaissance Steam Age Oil Age Fusion Age Advanced Very Advanced First One

Sample Planet Statistic Block

Sol III (Earth, Terra) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (2,100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 7 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Beijing (20 million), New York City (15 million); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 250,000, Colonies: 5 Major/15 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 10 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 2 Trade

failed to fully coalesce or worlds which were destroyed at some point during their early lives. Following the greater understanding of galactic history which came when the Vorlons and the Shadows finally departed, some have begun to theorise that the belts are the result of ancient First One battles; this has set off a ‘gold rush’ of prospectors, miners and xenoarcheologists combing the belts for relics. For purposes of defining systems, however, the origin of a belt is less important than its current state. Asteroid belts are defined by two things; their overall density and the number of major asteroids found in the belt.

Introduction

Density: An asteroid belt may be thin, average, dense or very dense. Cities: The largest cities on the planet should be listed, as follows: City A (Population), City 2 (Population). As many cities as desired may be described but usually two is sufficient. The notation ‘None’ for worlds with no significant cities (unpopulated worlds or worlds with nomadic or very primitive populations) can be used as well. Government (Gov): The name of the governing body that is at least putatively in control of the planet. Governments on a world are rated in four areas, from 0 to 10. The areas are: Participation Diversity Control Support Orbital Population (Orbital Pop): For worlds which have one, this is quantified here. This is done by listing the number of people living in orbit, the major and minor colonies in orbit and the number and types of bases in orbit. The terms used are: Major/Minor Colonies Military Bases Monitor Bases Scientific Bases Trade Bases

Asteroid Belts

Many systems have some form of asteroid belt, a region of space where debris gathers in a band around the central star. The formation of such belts is often a matter of some debate. Many speculate they are just leftovers from the formation of a star system, random junk pulled into a loose orbit by various gravitational forces. Others think they may be the fragments of planets, either worlds which

Major Asteroids: Out of the hundreds of thousands of chunks of chunks of debris which compose an asteroid belt, only a very few are of any significant size. These are the major asteroids. They have relatively stable orbits and are large enough to hold permanent bases. Belt-dwelling cultures will usually centre on these major rocks, each one holding small cities, spaceyards, repair facilities and so on. Major asteroids will never possess an atmosphere, a hydrosphere or native life. The only statistics they have are size (usually the longest axis) and population. Some will have special features, such as a shipyard. Asteroid belts with no significant habitation are simply listed in the System stat block as Asteroid Belt (Density).

The Galaxy of 2262

Many of the worlds described in Galactic Guide are currently (as of 2262) wastelands or ruins. However, not all campaigns are set in this era. A campaign set during the Dilgar War the Clark Administration would find many of these worlds alive and vibrant. Alternate statistic blocks are provided in each and every case, to allow these worlds to be used during such a period and to allow the Players in a game set in the current timeframe to understand how much was lost to war, greed, arrogance, stupidity or just plain ill-fortune. A second important note is that nearly all the starfaring races of the Known Galaxy tend to conflate a system’s name with its primary habitable world. Thus while the planet Earth is commonly referred to as Earth or Terra, it will also be called ‘Sol’ (it’s system name). By the same token, a planet’s full designation is rarely used when describing it – it will nearly always be referred to as a specific name, nickname or after the system in which it is located. Few people refer to Earth as Sol III, even though this is its official designation.

Worldbuilding At first glance, the creation of an entire world seems like an impossible task. Many of the worlds of fantasy fiction have hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of detailed history, maps and information, and a single Babylon 5 game – never mind the campaign itself – can involve two or more worlds. Fortunately, very little detail is actually needed. Much as the Babylon 5 television program did not need to actually build a five mile long space station in order to depict the iconic base, so too does a worldbuilder in need not detail an entire planet for his Players – only small portions of a world will ever be ‘onscreen’ during a game. That said, it is helpful to know at least the broad outlines of what is unseen. Knowing that a world has no major continents, or that it has exceptionally long and cold winters, or that no life forms more advanced than molluscs evolved natively… all these facts provide the context in which the detailed portions of the world can be set.

First and foremost, the universe of Babylon 5 is a place where stories happen. A world should exist as the setting for a story, even if its only role is to house a starport where a furtive conversation takes place. For example, if a war story is required, a world should have something to fight over, such as deposits of Quantium–40, a strategic location or a buried Shadow ship. Interesting terrain serves to add flavour and possible danger to a fight in – are the characters surrounded by a jungle filled with deadly predators? Rocky terrain which that hides an ambush? Or wide open plains offering no cover from an imminent airstrike? If the intent is to show the futility of war, then, the prize can be made meaningless – the Quantium–40 deposits are nearly depleted, a shift of political borders makes the strategic location pointless or the Shadow ship turns out to be nothing more than rumour. On the other hand, a story of social backstabbing and political duels requires a world with a large population and a complex social structure, ideally one which is tied in to galactic politics as a whole; the machinations of Centauri families or opposing political factions on Earth matter because they can sway the course of galactic history. Thus, the world should be a major race homeworld or colony world.

Cultural Drift A common trope in science fiction is that colony worlds rapidly separate from their homeworld, quickly developing unique, and sometimes very alien, cultures. Under normal circumstances, this is not the case in the universe of Babylon 5. Because communication remains instantaneous, or nearly so thanks to the tachyon network, a distant colony world is still closely tied to the news, attitudes and propaganda of home. The sky may be a different colour and the day an hour shorter but there is a constant exchange of information. This is not to say that individual worlds do not develop their own identity – they do. Pride in one’s home, the conditions of day-to-day life and local needs all shape a world’s culture. The mere fact of relatively primitive conditions and a lack of borders and boundaries cause living on a colony world to be very different from living on a racial homeworld. However, this diversion and exoticism will never fully sever itself from its roots. A Centauri touring every colony in the Republic would never feel he had stepped into a truly alien place – other worlds are clearly strange or backwater but they also unmistakably Centauri!

Introduction

The rules in this chapter include a rich and complex system for random generation, allowing a Games Master to begin with nothing and end up with a star system in which everything from the spectral class of the sun to the number of minor moonlets orbiting the system’s gas giant has been documented. However, such a system is an aid to the imagination, not a replacement for it. It can be used to fill in the gaps around an existing system or to serve as nudge for a temporarily stalled creative effort.

If the story is one of exploration and discovery, it will require a world far away from the core systems is needed. The world should be either uninhabited or with unknown inhabitants and ideally possess unexpected and unexplained phenomenon. A story of survival requires a world similarly distanced from any aid the characters may have, plus native elements that make the chances of survival slim… and so on. Every story requires a particular kind of planet and vice versa.

The exceptions to this principle are lost colonies. During exploration and expansion ships are sometimes lost. A colony ship may be forced out of hyperspace by engine failure and fortunately find itself close to a habitable but uncharted world. It lands and the colonists make the best of their situation. Deprived of hyperspace transportation and tachyon communications, the colonists find themselves entirely alone. Cut off from their homeworld, they develop in strange ways and when rediscovered two centuries later, they display very few points of cultural similarity with their mother race. Games Masters should decide which type of colony they wish to involve in a story. For the most part, stories will involve colony worlds (due to the rarity of lost colonies) and in this case Games Masters should resist the temptation to make them radically different from the homeworld. Pick one or two traits of the race likely to be amplified or diminished by the nature of the world and limit the cultural

drift to those areas. If a world of egalitarian Centauri or a planet where the Minbari have ten castes is desired, the ‘lost colony’ route is the way to go.

System Generation Stars

Worldbuilding

As with the other rules in this section, these rules are biased towards stars which will likely have habitable worlds. Type ’O’ stars are very rare and cannot be generated randomly. Type ‘M’ stars are actually far more common than this table would indicate, but since they are old and cool, they are poor choices for explorers and scouts. Giant and supergiant stars cannot be randomly generated. They are listed in the planet generation tables in case they are hand-placed by a worldbuilder. Firstly, roll once on the Number of Stars table to determine whether the system is a regular single-star system, a binary system or a trinary system. Then, for each star, roll on the Basic Star Type and Size table twice (once for stellar type and once for stellar size)

Number of Stars 2d10 Roll 2–17 18–19 20

Number 1 2 (Binary) 3 (Trinary)

Star Type 2d10 Roll 2 3 4–8 9–13 14–16 17–20

Type B (Blue-White) A (White) F (Yellow-White) G (Yellow) K (Orange) M (Red)

Size IV (Subgiant) V (Main Sequence) V (Main Sequence) V (Main Sequence) V (Main Sequence) VI (Subdwarf)

Star type is further qualified by a number from 0 through 9, indicating the relative position of the star within a given spectral classification. Thus, an A1 star is very close to a B (and thus would be a bit bluer than a mid-range type A), while an A8 star is closer to an F and would be somewhat more yellow. This number does not come into play in the current generation system and is included for verisimilitude and flavour – if needed, simply roll 1d10 to determine its value.

Planets These rules are heavily biased towards systems similar to Sol – with gas giants in the outer reaches and rocky worlds closer to the sun. While these systems are not especially common, they are the ones most likely to be targeted for exploration or to have generated life. Thus, explorer starships will be sent to them first. An abandoned or forgotten jump gate will be most likely to lead to such a system, either because it once held native life or was once used as a colony by another race. Shadow, Vorlon or other First One relics are most likely to be there, because they were and are primarily interested in Younger Races which would have evolved there, and so on. Caveat: As with any random system, this system may produce strange or seemingly nonsensical results. Games Master discretion is advised but, before tossing aside any ‘odd’ results, it is recommended that the Games Master think a moment and see if there is not some interesting explanation upon which one can hang a story. Furthermore, as little as a decade ago as of this writing, the thought of gas giants orbiting closer than Mercury would have been seen as ridiculous; today, we know that our own solar system may be more atypical than not. Who knows what wonders the universe may show us tomorrow? The Great Maker enjoys variety. A single bloated gas giant in close orbit around a red dwarf star may seem like a system of no apparent value. In fact, it may contain something the First Ones wished to hide and therefore placed in a such a system specifically because it will attract little attention from most starfaring races.

Number of Orbiting Planets Planets can form around any star, though only main sequence stars are likely to have them. Roll on the Number of Planets table for each star within a system to determine how many planets orbit it. Apply the modifiers present on the Number of Planets Modifiers table to this roll. Any result of 0 or less indicates that no planets are present around that particular star. A roll of 18 (all 6s) always results in one planet being generated, even if the modifiers would normally reduce this result to less than 0.

Number of Planets Star Type Blue (O) Blue-White (B) White (A) Yellow-White (F) Yellow (G) Orange (K) Red (M)

Planets 3d6–15 3d6–12 3d6–10 3d6–4 3d6–2 3d6–6 3d6–10

Number of Planets Modifiers Star Size Description Ia Bright Supergiant Ib Supergiant II Bright Giant III Giant IV Subgiant V Main Sequence VI Subdwarf VII White Dwarf Number of Stars 2 (Binary) 3 (Trinary)

Planet Type Modifier –8 –6 –4 –2 –1 0 –1 –4 Modifier –2 –6

Planet Position, Type & Size

Roll 1d20 on the Planet Position table for every planet to determine its position in the solar system.

Roll 1d20 on the Planet Type table to determine whether the planet is Terrestrial, Icy, a Gas Giant or actually an asteroid belt.

Roll 1d20 on the Planet Size table and apply the modifiers from the Planet Size Modifiers table. Ignore this step for asteroid belts – instead, see page 14 for special rules.

Planet Type Gas Giant Terrestrial Asteroid Belt Planet Type Gas Giant Terrestrial Asteroid Belt Icy Planet Type Gas Giant Terrestrial Asteroid Belt Icy

Planet Size 1d20 –4 or less –3 to 0 1–5 6–10 11–15 16–18 19–20 21–25 26–35 36–38 39 or more

Planet Size1 Diminutive (50+5d10 miles diameter) Fine (1d4 hundred miles diameter) Tiny (2d6 hundred miles diameter) Small (1d2+1 thousand miles diameter) Medium (2d4+4 thousand miles diameter) Large (1d4+12 thousand miles diameter) Huge (1d6+16 thousand miles diameter) Small Gas Giant (2d6+20 thousand miles diameter) Medium Gas Giant (3d8+30 thousand miles diameter) Huge Gas Giant (5d10+50 thousand miles diameter) Gargantuan Gas Giant2 (6d6+60 thousand miles diameter)

Worldbuilding

Each planet’s position within the solar system must be determined. For simplicity’s sake, each star contains a ‘Hot Zone’, a ‘Habitable Zone’, and a ‘Cold Zone’. The zone determines the type of atmosphere, the likelihood and type of life and other factors. For purposes of these rules, position within the zone does not matter; a planet is either ‘Hot’, ‘Cold’ or ‘Habitable’. Please note that being in the ‘Habitable Zone’ does not mean the planet contains life; both Venus and Mars are within the Habitable Zone of Sol and neither supports an ecosystem. The position of a planet also impacts its type. In these rules, gas giants are likely to be far from the sun, while rocky planets will be closer in.

Hot Zone 1–2 3–19 20 Habitable Zone 1–4 5–18 19 20 Cold Zone 1–8 9–11 11–12 13–20

To add some variety, roll 1d10 and multiply the result by 100. Add this to the planet’s diameter in miles. To be truly precise, roll an additional d% to get the ‘tens’ and the ‘ones’ column. Example: A Medium world has a diameter of 2d4+4 thousand miles. The initial roll gives a result of 4, for a total of 8,000 miles. A further roll of 1d10 yields a ‘2’ (multiplied by 100 = 200) and a roll of d% yields 71, so the total diameter is 8,271 miles. Such exactness has little bearing on the game but it can add some verisimilitude 2 Roll 1d20 a second time; on a roll of 1, the gas giant is a ‘brown dwarf ’, a failed sun. 1

Planet Position Star Blue (O) Blue-White (B) White (A) Yellow-White (F) Yellow (G) Orange (K) Red (M)

Hot Zone 1–12 1–10 1–8 1–6 1–5 1–4 1–2

Habitable Zone 13–14 11–12 9–10 7–9 6–9 5–6 3

Cold Zone 15+ 13+ 11+ 10+ 10+ 7+ 4+

Planet Size Modifiers Zone Cold Hot Planet Type Gas Giant Icy Moon

Modifier +1 –1 Modifier +20 –3 –51

A moon will always be at least one size category smaller than the world which it orbits and will not be larger than Medium size. See page 16 for more details on creating moons. 1

Features

Worldbuilding

Features are special yet not unheard of attributes of a system, beyond its possession of planets, jump gates or moons. There is no set system for determining whether a system has a specific feature or not – they are normally ascribed to a system by a Games Master for a specific purpose. There are, however, certain things to bear in mind. Asteroid Belt: If an asteroid belt is relatively unimportant and uncolonised, it should be listed in a system’s features along with its density. Dark Companion: If one of the Cold Zone gas giants in a system is a brown dwarf, it should be listed in a system’s features. Debris: Debris fields can occur in any system and are therefore one of the most common features of star systems. A Games Master may assume that there is a 8% chance that a given system has a Debris field. Flares: Unstable stars which flare are not common but tend to be no more common in one region than another. A

Games Master may assume that there is a 2% chance that a given star occasionally Flares. Oort Cloud: Another common feature; Oort clouds are usually a by-product of a star system’s creation and many systems possess them. A Games Master may assume that there is a 10% chance that a given system has an Oort Cloud field. Raider Haven: These can occur anywhere but are unlikely to be too far off the jump routes – raiders must have something to prey on, after all. A Games Master may assume that there is a 5% chance that a given system is a Raider Haven. Note that the Ownership of a system should have a great affect on whether a Raider Haven is present. Generally, there are far fewer raiders in Minbari space than there are in League space. Trade Hub: Most of the Trade Hubs of the Known Galaxy are already established. It is highly unlikely that a new Trade Hub will be discovered (though an existing system may become one).

Jump Gates Nearly all star systems in the Known Galaxy have either one or no jump gates. Only major race homeworlds tend to have more than one jump gate. Roll 1d20 on the Jump Gates table.

Ownership The ownership of a system is almost entirely down to the Games Master. Note that if a native race has not achieved Fusion technology they are highly unlikely to ‘own’ a system, except technically, as they can neither suitably explore nor police it. If the system contains a racial colony, it will almost certainly be under the colonising race’s control, even if the native populace is both intelligent and advanced.

Jump Gates d20 1–5 6–19

Number of Jump Gates 0: The system has no jump gate at present, though there is nothing stopping on being built. This will likely make the system a backwater as only jump capable ships will be able to access it. 1: This is the normal for most colonised systems. The jump gate may have been constructed by an intelligent race (of at least Advanced technology) native to the system, a visiting or conquering race (such as the Centauri) or even the First ones, millennia ago. 2 or Special (GM’s choice): Unless the system is home to an Advanced or Very Advanced race’s homeworld or other extremely important site, it is unlikely to have two jump gates, even if it rolled on this table. Nevertheless, it is possible that the jump gates were constructed by two different races or even that one is still as yet undetected by the system’s inhabitants. ‘Special’ refers to an odd jump gate that does not fit the normal design parameters and possibly has additional or weird uses. Examples include a one-way jump gate that only allows ships in or out of a system (but not both), a five-pronged jump gate or a jump gate that is in a terrifyingly close orbit to the system’s sun…

Threat Level

Gravity

The Threat Level of a system is normally directly contingent upon its features, its ownership and its relative importance to its owners. Generally, assume a Very Low Threat Level for a system with no features or particular ownership. Systems with any kind of feature other than Trade Hub will usually have a Threat Level of at least Low, due to the danger these features can represent.

A planet’s gravity is directly related to its size and is important in determining many other factors about it. Roll 1d20 on the Gravity table to determine the strength of a planetary body’s gravity. Deduct 4 from this roll if the planet or moon is Icy, though this cannot reduce the result to less than 1. Do not roll for gas giants – they lack surfaces which can be reached by any technology other than that of the First Ones, so gravity is a moot point. Any ships of other races which penetrate deeply into a gas giant will be crushed by the pressure. While the intense gravity of the gas giant can be a hazard to navigation, only badly damaged ships or those attempting daring manoeuvres would ever approach close enough to be affected by it. See page 196 for a rules perspective of the classic ‘lose them in the planet’s gravitational field’ trick.

Security Level Much like Threat Level, a system’s Security Level is based upon a number of factors, mostly ownership, the system’s relative importance to its owners and their available technology. Generally, assume an Open Security Level for a system with no particular ownership or importance.

Planet Generation

Atmosphere Whether a planet can support life or not is based on the type of atmosphere it has, which in itself is a function of size and gravity. Roll 1d20 on the Atmospheric Density table for each Terrestrial or Icy planet (or moon) to determine its atmospheric density. Deduct 4 from this roll if the planet is in the Cold or Hot Zone. Too close to the sun and the atmosphere is boiled away; too far and most of the gasses which form an atmosphere enter a liquid or solid state. Deduct 2 from this roll if rolling for a moon. Note that these penalties are cumulative – a moon in the Cold Zone suffers a –6 penalty to its Atmospheric Density roll.

Gravity Planet/ Moon Size Diminutive Fine Tiny Small Medium Large Huge

Microgravity (0.1g or less) 1–19 1–15 1–10 — — — —

Very Low (0.1g to 0.5g) 20 16–20 11–20 1–10 1–2 — —

Low (0.51g to 0.8g) — — — 11–19 3–7 1–2 1

Standard (081g to 1.2g) — — — 20 8–15 3–5 2–3

Thin — 19–20 11–15 7–10 4–7 3–4 3

Standard — — 16–20 11–15 8–11 5–6 4

High (1.21g to 2.0g) — — — — 16–20 6–12 4–10

Very High (2.01g to 4.0g) — — — — — 13–18 11–16

Worldbuilding

The Planet Generation system encompasses all non-star bodies in a system, including planets, moons and major asteroids. It is intended to be used only for those planets that a story will definitively affect or encounter – most planetary bodies are in fact useless and rather boring to all but the most avid astrogeologist, being either lifeless balls of rock or ice, gas giants of no vapour or mineral wealth or just plain dull terrestrial planets. Generally, only colonised planets or moons ever require this kind of detailed creation.

Extreme (4.0g or more) — — — — — 19–20 17–20

Atmospheric Density Gravity Microgravity Very Low Low Standard High Very High Extreme

Vacuum 1–19 1–9 1–5 1–2 1 1 1

Very Thin 20 10–18 6–10 3–6 2–3 2 2

Dense — — — 16–19 12–16 7–13 5–8

Very Dense — — — 20 17–20 14–20 9–18

Extremely Dense — — — — — — 19–20

Do not roll for atmosphere for gas giants or asteroid belts. Gas giants are automatically assumed to possess Extremely Dense (4.01 or more) Corrosive atmospheres and asteroid belts are always Vacuums and therefore lack any atmosphere. Vacuum means no atmosphere or so little that it is effectively nil. Exposure to vacuum is very painful and quickly fatal, though characters do not simply explode into mist as decades of bad science fiction would have Players believe. The Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book details the effects of vacuum.

Very Thin atmospheres range from 0.1 to 0.69 Atmospheres (Earth has an air pressure of 1 Atmosphere at sea level). While not quite as bad as vacuum, they still are not pleasant. They cannot be breathed directly by any of the major races but air compressors can make them breathable without the need for carrying bulky tanks. However, this still provides sub-optimal airflow; they are good for brief exposure but not for the long term. After an hour of using a compressor in a very thin atmosphere, characters must begin to make a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 for each hour of exposure) or suffer from hypoxia. See page 194 for more details on hypoxia.

Asteroid Belts

Worldbuilding

Asteroid belts are defined by their density and by the number of major asteroids located in the belt. This can be determined by rolling 1d20 on the Belt Density table. If there are more than three gas giants in the system, apply a –4 modifier to this roll; if there are one or no gas giants, apply a +2 modifier. Light belts are almost nothing more than a slight increase in the density of space debris in a region. They are not generally detected as belts prior to space travel, though the major asteroids (if any) would have been mapped by optical telescopes relatively early in a species’ technological history.

Belt Density 1d20 roll 5 or less 6–15 17–19 20 or more

Density Light Standard Dense Very Dense

Average belts are readily detectable by a pre-starfaring civilisation. They pose very little hazard to navigation, except due to microdebris. The images of ships flying through densely-packed rock, ducking and weaving to survive, are false; most ships will be unaware they are passing through a belt, except by the increase in micrometeorites. Dense belts are rare and are considerably more difficult to navigate. Debris too large to be casually bounced off hull plating is more common and collisions between larger fragments lead to random spreads of new debris. In technologically advanced systems, sensor and tracking buoys regularly scan such fields and pass this data along to ships, alerting them to particularly hazardous clusters of fast-moving material. In addition, the high metal content of many of the rocks can interfere with sensor systems (–1 to –2 modifier to sensor rolls). Very Dense belts are extremely rare and are usually relatively recent. In such belts, navigation can be a serious problem, not so much due to the massive rocks crashing back and forth but due to the high levels of dust and larger fragments. A direct collision with a rock of any significant size is a rarity but the accumulated damage of countless small collisions can wreak havoc with a ship of Large size or smaller. Huge or larger ships are more resistant. The sensor effects of a dense belt are magnified (–3 to –5 modifier to sensor rolls). This is generally as much information as is needed for asteroid belts. However, some asteroid belts are more important than they appear and can contain valuable minerals or even be of strategic importance. Any population based in these belts will be centred on the largest and most stable asteroids present. To determine how many major asteroids a belt has, roll 1d20 on the Major Asteroids table. Subtract 2 from this roll for Light belts; add 1 to this roll for Dense belts and add 2 to this roll for Very Dense belts.

Major Asteroids Belt Type Light Standard Dense Very Dense

Major Asteroids 1d6–3 1d6–1 1d6+2 1d6+6

Major Asteroid Size 1d20 Roll 10 or less 11–18

Size 20+2d10 miles 100+(1d10 X 10) miles 19 or more 2d4 X 100 miles

The exact size of a major asteroid is determined by rolling 1d20 on the Major Asteroid Size table.

Thin atmospheres range from 0.7 to 0.9 Atmospheres. These atmospheres are dense enough to breathe without artificial aid, though it often takes some time to acclimate and strenuous activity can be very stressful. Atmospheres of 0.8 or less will induce hypoxia in those not acclimated to it, though natives can deal with atmospheres down to 0.7.

Breathable: The atmosphere can be breathed, without assistance, by any of the major races (other than the Vorlons, of course) and most of the species of the League worlds. In short, a standard oxygen/nitrogen mix, though there may be odd contaminants which will have an impact only on prolonged (multiple-month) exposure.

Standard atmospheres range from 0.91 to 1.1 Atmospheres. Most major species can breathe these atmospheres without difficulty.

Breathable (Tainted): The atmosphere is not instantly lethal and will sustain life but it contains taints which require a filter mask in order to breath safely for more than a few minutes. Roll 1d6 on the Taints table to determine the type of atmospheric taint:

Dense atmospheres range from 1.11 to 1.3 Atmospheres. These are breathable without artificial aid but the high density can cause problems. Very Dense atmospheres ranges from 1.31 to 1.5 Atmospheres. These are dangerous, as the extreme pressure can produce bends-like symptoms. Pressure suits are required for all but brief exposures.

Atmospheric Composition Hot Zone 1–5 6–10 11–20 Habitable Zone 1–3 4–5 6–12 13–20 Cold Zone 1–10 11–15 16–18 19–20

Atmosphere Corrosive Poisonous Inert Atmosphere Poisonous Inert Breathable1 Breathable1 (Tainted) Atmosphere Inert Poisonous Corrosive Variable

Breathable atmospheres of any kind are a product of an active or past ecosystem; an oxygen atmosphere does not form except as a by-product of life. 1

If the Atmospheric Density is not a Vacuum, roll 1d20 on the Atmospheric Composition table to determine the type of atmosphere. Note that moons do not suffer a –2 penalty to this roll. Atmospheric types are as follows:

Worldbuilding

Extremely Dense atmospheres are in excess of 4.01 Atmospheres. Special construction techniques and materials are needed to resist the pressure; normal vehicles will begin to show signs of strain rapidly unless the internal and external pressures are allowed to equalise. Unprotected Humans and similar species will begin to suffer grievous harm in just a few moments and may simply be crushed outright if the pressure is high enough.

Taint 1d6 Taint 1 Polluted. Take 1 point of Con damage for each day of exposure. 2 Low Oxygen. Treat the atmosphere as having a pressure of 0.7 for purposes of hypoxia; if it is already at this level of lower, reduce the effective pressure by 0.1 3 Radioactive. The world’s atmosphere is tainted with radioactive fallout. 4 Druglike. Odd chemicals in the atmosphere mimic hallucinogenic drugs; breathing it for more than 1 hour results in delusions. Continued exposure causes a 1d4 Wis damage per day. 5 Allergic. Each hour of unfiltered exposure requires a DC 15 Fort save or the character becomes nauseated. 6 Diseased. The atmosphere is rich in diseasecausing organisms. Each day of unfiltered exposure requires the character to make a DC 15 Fort save or contract a random illness. The listed taints are guidelines only; the Games Master can add a variety of other nonlethal but vexing effects. A tainted atmosphere should not kill instantly but should be unsafe to breathe for any lengthy period of time. Effects may be subtle or blatant. Note that taints sometimes only apply to visitors to a world – natives may well have built up a natural tolerance to the Druglike, Low Oxygen, Diseased or Allergic taints. Natives are not as likely to have built up a resistance to Polluted or Radioactive taints, however. Corrosive: The atmosphere eats away at flesh and technology. Each round of exposure, living and non-living things take 1d6 points of damage. Damage Reduction does not apply unless the material is immune to the nature of the corrosion, which should be determined by the Games Master. Worlds with corrosive atmospheres rarely have settlements; if they do, they are usually deep underground

or in domes made of a substance immune to the corrosion. Even in such cases, getting people or supplies down to the settlement is very costly and dangerous; for a settlement to exist there must be something truly vital on the world.

Worldbuilding

Inert: As regards most races biology or technology, the atmosphere is just there, and has no effect. It cannot be breathed but direct exposure to it is not immediately harmful to either life or equipment. An atmosphere similar to Earth’s, but with only 5% oxygen and more nitrogen, would be a good example of an Inert atmosphere, as would a mostly CO2 atmosphere. Note that to races with different biologies, an ‘inert’ atmosphere could be extremely noninert, perhaps Breathable or Corrosive. Poisonous: The atmosphere is toxic to life forms. The atmosphere may be high in chlorine gas or contain more complex poisons. Unlike a merely tainted atmosphere, even a few breaths are deadly; each minute, a Fort save (DC 15) must be made, with 1d4 points of attribute damage (the exact attribute is up to the Games Master and depends on the nature of the poison – in most cases, it will be Constitution) being the consequence of failure.

The DC of the save increases by 1 for every ten minutes of exposure. As with Breathable (Tainted) atmospheres, it is possible that native organisms have built up a natural tolerance to the Poisonous atmosphere – this is extremely unlikely but not unheard of, as the Pak’ma’ra homeworld of Melat proves. Variable: On some worlds in the outer reaches of star systems, the atmospheric composition changes over the course of the worlds long orbit. During planetary summer, gasses are released into the atmosphere; during winter, they freeze and fall as snow. This can lead to a world where the atmosphere is inert for twenty years and corrosive for five, as the orbital cycle frees and then recaptures various elements.

Geology This defines the general landscape of a planet and is related directly to its gravity. Roll 1d20 on the Geology table, applying any relevant modifiers from the Geology Modifiers table.

Moons Many worlds have moons. These can simply be local colour or, especially in the case of gas giants, they can be the centres of actual habitation. The Number of Moons table determines how many moons a planet has orbiting it. A result of 0 or less equals no moons. Tiny or smaller worlds and asteroid belts do not have moons. A moonlet is a Diminutive moon. Moonlets have no atmosphere or hydrosphere and will have microgravity (0.1g or less). They are rarely the focus of any adventure or storyline and are noted primarily for local colour and as possible navigational hazards during dogfights.

Number of Moons Size & Type of Planet Small or Medium Gas Giant Huge or Gargantuan Gas Giant Large Terrestrial/Icy world

Small or Medium Terrestrial/ When determining a moon’s other salient Icy world features follow the modified list below to determine a moon’s position, type and size.

Moons are obviously located in the same zone as their parent planet.

Instead of rolling on the Planet Type table, however, roll instead on the Moon Type table. Note that all moons in the Hot Zone are Terrestrial.

Roll 1d20 on the Planet Size table and apply the modifiers from the Planet Size Modifiers table as usual.

Number of Moons/Moonlets 2d6 moons + 3d6 moonlets 3d6 moons + 4d6 moonlets 1d6–2 moons plus 1d6–3 moonlets 1d6–4 moons plus 1d6–3 moonlets

Moon Type Habitable Zone 1–15 16–20 Cold Zone 1–10 11–20

Moon Type Terrestrial Icy Moon Type Terrestrial Icy

Geology 1d20 3 or less 4–7 8–13 14–17 18 or more

Geology Very Flat Flat Standard Rugged Very Rugged

Geology Modifiers Modifier –4 –2 –1 +1 +2 +4 Modifier +3 +1 –2 –4

Very Flat planets have few significant surface features. This does not mean they are polished smooth but rather that there are no meaningful mountain ranges, deep trenches or the like. There may be a few rolling hills or the occasional meandering river but the world overall is lacking in serious geography. This implies an old or very stable world. Oceans are very shallow, closer to vast swamps, in fact. Because of the lack of barriers to migration, lifeforms tend to be more uniform, as the isolation required for speciation is much rarer.

Standard planets show a wide range of geological activity. There are tall mountains (up to five miles), deep trenches, river canyons and so on. The world has many sprawling plains as well, areas of minimal geological activity. Almost any terrain can be found here. A world with standard geography but no extant water either had high levels of volcanism in the past (and possibly ongoing) or was once considerably wetter than it currently is. Rugged planets have few large, flat areas. Oceans are riddled with deep subsea canyons or punctured by archipelagos. The land is twisted, with many large mountain chains criss-crossing each other. Truly immense mountains dot the landscape. The world is likely to be biologically rich, as constant isolation forces speciation to occur often. Very Rugged planets are geological nightmares. There are flatlands, but they are rare, and are often found atop plateaus. Hills and mountains are everywhere and both mountain chains and oceanic trenches tend to extremes. Such worlds are often young or very geologically active and they may be suffering from tidal stress caused by a large moon.

Worldbuilding

Gravity Microgravity Very Low Low High Very High Extremely High Atmospheric Density Vacuum Very Thin Very Dense Extremely Dense

Flat planets have only rare spots where there is significant geological activity. There may be a small mountain range or two, or one ocean which shows real depth. Hilly or rolling areas are fairly common. Rivers have carved out valleys in many areas, though not great canyons. The highest mountains will be only a mile or two high. There may be well-worn dormant volcanoes, but no active ones.

Volcanism Roll Description 4 or less Dead. The planet is geologically dead and has had no significant volcanic activity for millions of years. 5–6 Stable. The planet is geologically very stable; the few active volcanoes are well charted and there are few, if any, surprises. 7–9 Active. The planet is geologically active with active volcano belts. There are occasional unexpected eruptions. 10–11 Very Active. The planet is geologically active; areas near to known volcano belts are generally not inhabited due to the frequency and randomness of eruptions. 12 or Extreme. The planet is a nightmare; at any given moment, any point can erupt suddenly. Such planets are more very rarely colonised or give rise to native complex lifeforms – they are simply too unstable for any complex organism to survive for long.

Volcanism

Hydrosphere

Terrestrial planets and moons (and only these) may also have an active volcanic system. Roll 1d10 on the Volcanism table, applying any relevant modifiers from the Volcanism Modifiers table:

1d20 6 or less 7–10 11–13 14–15 16–17 18–19 20 or more

Worldbuilding

Volcanism Modifiers Planet/Moon Moon Gravity Microgravity Very Low Low High Very High Extreme Geology Very Flat Flat Rugged Very Rugged

Modifier –2 Modifiers –4 –2 –1 +1 +2 +4 Modifiers –5 –3 +1 +3

Hydrosphere This relates to how much water is present on the planet, whether in huge, roiling seas or locked in subterranean ice caps. Atmosphere and zone are the guiding factors here – roll 1d20 on the Hydrosphere table, applying the relevant modifiers from the Hydrosphere Modifiers table. Please note that the hydrosphere is not necessarily water! Water exists in mass quantities only in the Habitable Zone. In the Hot Zone, the hydrosphere is likely to consist of molten metals, including lead; in the Cold Zone, the seas may be of methane or even nitrogen.

Hydrosphere None Very Dry (1d20%) Dry (21+1d10%) Damp (30+1d20% Moist (50+1d20%) Wet (70+1d20%) Very Wet (90+1d10%)

Hydrosphere Modifiers Planet/Moon Moon Atmosphere Vacuum Very Thin Thin Standard Dense Very Dense Extremely Dense Zone Hot Habitable Cold

Modifier –2 Modifier –8 –4 –2 +0 +2 +4 +6 Modifier –4 +2 –2

Oceans and Continents If liquid covers more than 50% or more of a planet’s surface, landmasses are defined in terms of continents; if liquid covers 49% or less of a planet’s surface, landmasses are defined in terms of oceans. This is done primarily as an aid in mapping. Consult the relevant section below to determine the specific landmass arrangement of a planet.

Continents The planet may have a single supercontinent, a mix of large and small continents or countless islands and archipelagos. This is a factor of the planet’s hydrosphere and geological activity. Roll 1d20 on the Continents table, applying the relevant modifiers from the Continent Modifiers table.

Continents 1d10 roll 5 or less 6–10 11–15 16 or more

General pattern of land Supercontinent 1d4+1 large continents 1d2 large continents and 1d4+1 small continents Large islands and archipelagos only

Continent Modifiers Modifier –4 –2 0 +2 +6 Modifier –2 –1 0 +2 +4 Modifier +0 +4 +8

The exact details of the planet’s map, if they become important, are up to the Games Master but the layout of a world will have some impact on how it evolves, how it is settled and so on. Because this section only determines what shape the world is in now, it may have had a different shape long in the past. If the world is a major one, thinking about what it used to look like compared to how it currently is may be helpful. This section is intended primarily to give ideas for a helpful ‘hook’ to make one world stand out from the next; it is not intended as an exhaustive look at the effects of geology on biological and cultural evolution. Supercontinent: A world with a single supercontinent has over 90% of its land mass in a single, continuous body. This can take several forms – it may be a roughly square or ovoid mass, or it may be a long, sinuous, stretch of land. In the case of the former, areas in the centre are likely to mountainous, as they are likely points where continental

If the planet has had a single continent for a long time, there will somewhat less evolutionary diversity on the planet, as there are fewer opportunities for populations to separate and form new species. This may not be the case if the continent is also geologically active, continually throwing up new mountain ranges or forming impassable chasms. A sentient race which evolved on the continent would quickly spread across it, unless there were extensive natural barriers. This might lead to slower technological progress, as there would not be a need to solve problems of population growth and because more room to expand could mean less cause for conflict. On the other hand, if the continent is not easily crossed or if large portions are uninhabitable, then this would not be the case. A single continent can indicate a young world, where the breakup of the continental plates has not occurred or it could indicate an ancient world, in which tectonic energy is spent and there is no force driving the motion of the continents. Large and Small Continents: In general, a ‘large’ continent accounts for 25% or more of the planets mass; a ‘small’ continent 5% to 25%. Multiple continents generally imply a middle-aged world with an active tectonic system, though it is possible that the current layout has remained stagnant for a long time. Separation tends to increase biological diversity – consider Australia, on Earth. Because it was disconnected from other land masses, it preserved a rich diversity of marsupial life (which continued to evolve on its own) while placental mammals dominated most of the rest of the world. It can also lead to cultural diversity – sentient beings who make the long journey to a new continent, either via water or a temporary landbridge, will diverge socially and culturally from those left behind, because there is no easy way of exchanging cultural information. Very large continents (such as Asia on Earth) have many of the traits of supercontinents, including largely uninhabitable interior regions.

Worldbuilding

Volcanism Dead Stable Active Very Active Extreme Geology Very Flat Flat Standard Rugged Very Rugged Hydrosphere 50–60% 61–75% 76–100%

plates have smashed together. Further, depending on wind patterns and rivers, areas inland will be progressively dryer, so that large portions of the continent will be arid or desert. In the case of ‘sinuous’ continents, where no area is too far from the water, this is less likely to happen.

Island Chains: This arrangement of land is usually found only on Wet or Very Wet worlds. If the world is relatively dry but still lacks any large continents, it will be covered with islands which are fairly close to each other, creating something akin to having a lot of small continents. Lifeforms will move from island to island relatively easily, creating some continuity of species over distance. In most cases, though, the island chains will be scattered, separated

Worldbuilding

from each other by vast ocean gulfs. Life will be very diverse, with many species having no analogues from one chain to the next. If the intelligent life is land-dwelling, each cluster of islands may host very different cultures, with hundreds of languages. There will be very few deserts or uninhabitable zones, though newly-formed islands will be lifeless until species can migrate there from other areas. The first species to ‘claim’ a newly formed island or island chain will likely hold it against latecomers and thus determine the baseline from which life in that chain will evolve. Oceans On a world which is mostly land, it is best to define the terrain by how the hydrosphere is laid out. As with continental layout, this is a factor of the planet’s hydrosphere and geological activity. Roll 1d20 on the Oceans table, applying the relevant modifiers from the Oceans Modifiers table.

Oceans 1d10 roll 5 or less 6–10 11–15 16 or more

General pattern of liquid Single ocean 1d4+1 oceans 1d2 oceans and 1d4+1 seas Scattered lakes

Oceans Modifiers Volcanism Dead Stable Active Very Active Extreme Geology Very Flat Flat Standard Rugged Very Rugged Hydrosphere 01–30% 31–40% 41–49%

Modifier –4 –2 0 +2 +4 Modifier –4 –1 0 +1 +2 Modifier +4 0 –4

Single Ocean: All of the planets liquid are gathered in one spot, with perhaps a few tiny lakes elsewhere. If the planet has a relatively high hydrosphere (40%+) it is likely this single ocean will be fed with several robust river systems; otherwise, rivers will be few. Assuming life on the planet depends on liquid (a common assumption), there will be a ‘fertile zone’ around the ocean and desert beyond; all life will cluster around this central point. Sentient beings will spread around the shoreline rather than outwards and developing the technology to settle ‘the drylands’ will be a major step in the race’s technological evolution. Oceans and Seas: An ‘ocean’ will have 25% or more of the planets free liquid; a sea, 5% to 25%. Seas which are linked (or were relatively recently linked) by rivers will see some species commonality, as well as providing sentients an easy way to travel between them. Widely separated bodies of water which have never linked, or which were joined in the distant past, may have very different sets of lifeforms. Furthermore, if the land between them is harsh or infertile, it may take a long time for sentients to move from one ‘life zone’ to another, leading to great cultural drift. Scattered Lakes: All liquid on the planet is divided among a large number of lakes, ranging from those which are close to being small seas to tiny near-puddles which may intermittently dry up. Many times, this is due to meteor infall causing a cratered area in one part of the planet where liquid can collect; at other times, it may simply be that there is too little water to form larger bodies. Either way, such a situation can lead to considerable cultural or biological diversity. Sentient beings will stake out a lake or lake, which can lead to constant war over water sources, or it might be that watering holes are ‘treaty zones’ where all may come and share freely.

Climate For game purposes, a great deal of climactic information can be simplified. Worlds outside of the Habitable Zone (unless Games Master fiat is involved, such as on Zagros VII) are either ‘too cold to survive’ or ‘too hot to survive’. The precise temperatures do not matter for most purposes; exposure is death. If the Games Master requires, more specifics can be added easily, such as ‘so hot normal encounter suits fail; only specially made models can endure’. For game purposes, worlds in the Hot Zone have a climate of ‘Hot’; worlds in the Cold Zone have a climate of ‘Cold’, and Habitable worlds with no atmosphere have a climate of ‘Vacuum’. Such worlds are, basically, broiling in sunlight and freezing in shadow, such as Earth’s moon. To determine the climate of a world, a worldbuilder will need to determine the Average Equatorial Temperature and the Variability. These can then be used to determine more specific regional and seasonal temperatures.

Such details as orbital irregularity or axial tilt are combined together to form a basic ‘Variability’; the greater this value, the more temperature changes from season to season and from pole to equator. To determine Variability roll 2d10 and add to the result any relevant modifiers from the Variability Modifiers table. Then multiply this result by three to find your Variability. Extreme climactic shifts can indicate life which is either very adaptable or very primitive (having never had the chance to develop complexity). Some planets will be habitable only at the poles, or only at the equator, with the remainder of the world being too hot or too cold. A great deal of the ‘sense’ of a world can be had by considering its temperature; a hot world with a high biosphere rating is a teeming jungle planet, while a hot world Variability Modifiers with a low biosphere rating is a barren, baked, Planetary Size Modifier wasteland. A cold world Tiny or smaller –10 with a large hydrosphere Small –4 consists of endless glaciers Large +4 and equatorial seas choked Huge +8 with icebergs during the Hydrosphere Modifier brief summers, while a 20% or less –2 cold, dry world is like Mars. 60%–80% +2 Environment is a major 81% or more +4

Average Equatorial Temperature Roll 2d10 0 or less 1–2 3–4 5–6 7–8 9–12 13–14 15–16 17–18 19–20 21 22 or more

Average Equatorial Temperature (Fahrenheit) –10 0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

Average Equatorial Temperature Modifiers Atmospheric Density Very Thin Thin Standard Dense Very Dense Extremely Dense Star Type O B A F K M Star Size Ia Ib II III IV VI VII Volcanism Active Very Active Extreme

Modifier –6 –2 0 +2 +4 +8 Modifier +7 +5 +3 +1 –2 –5 Modifier +7 +6 +5 +3 +2 –4 –8 Modifier +1 +2 +4

Worldbuilding

To determine Average Equatorial Temperature roll 2d10 on the Average Equatorial Temperature table, applying any relevant modifiers from the Average Equatorial Temperature Modifiers table.

determinant of cultural patterns, affecting everything from diet to clothing.

Biosphere 1d20 5 or less 6–10 11–15 16–18 19–21 22–25 26+

Biosphere Density None (do not roll for Complexity) Very Scarce (–10 to Complexity) Scarce (–5 to Complexity) Infrequent Standard Abundant (+3 to Complexity) Very Abundant (+5 to Complexity)

Biosphere

Worldbuilding

The biosphere of a planet determines the frequency and complexity of life that can be found on its surface. This is mostly dependent on atmosphere and hydrosphere. Roll on the Biosphere table twice: First for Biosphere Density (how much life there is) and second for Biosphere Complexity (how advanced or evolved life is). Apply any relevant modifiers from the Biosphere Modifiers table to both rolls.

If a world has a Breathable atmosphere but Very Scarce or no life, it once held a much more vibrant ecosystem. The current sad state of affairs may be due to natural processes of evolution, natural disaster of epic proportions, pollution or war.

Biosphere Modifiers Atmosphere Density Vacuum Very Thin Thin Dense Very Dense Extremely Dense Hydrosphere None Very Dry Dry Wet Very Wet Zone Habitable Zone Cold Zone Hot Zone Atmosphere Type Corrosive Atmosphere Poisonous Atmosphere Breathable Atmosphere Inert Atmosphere Volcanism Extreme

Modifier –8 –4 –2 –2 –4 –8 Modifier –8 –4 +0 +4 +6 Modifier +2 –6 –8 Modifier –6 –4 +2 –6 Modifier –6

Biosphere Complexity Very Simple Simple Basic Moderate Advanced Very Advanced Native Intelligence Description of Terms (Density) None: The planet has no extant native life. None. All life is the result of recent colonisation or settlement and does not form a self-sustaining ecosystem. If the current colony vanishes, the life forms brought there will most likely die out. Pluto is a good example of this. Very Scarce: Life exists in a few small, sheltered areas. This may be the first life on the planet or it might be the dying remains of a once-vibrant system. Complexity is likely to be very low but if it is not, this represents a world where only a few portions of the world are conducive to advanced life – perhaps it is life clustered around volcanic vents on a frozen planet or in the ‘shadow zone’ of a world which does not rotate. Mars is typical of this level of life. Scarce: Life exists in scattered spots around the planet. Many regions are even free of microbes. The comments on complexity apply here as well, although scarce life could indicate an ecosystem which is recovering strength following a catastrophe (perhaps a result of the last Shadow War or an ecosystem which is on its last legs as a plague or other cataclysm wipes it out. Quadrant 24 in the Narn Regime is typical of this. Infrequent: Life can be found across the planet but not much of it. Large swathes of land are barren or inhabited only by microbes. There are only a few places where there are dense forests, fertile plains or coral reefs. In most area, there are relatively few species and conditions are harsh. The sub-surface oceans of Titan are typical of this level of development. Standard: Life is everywhere, and there are few barren or empty places. Even those will have complex ecosystems, with the barrenness only a surface illusion. The Narn homeworld has standard biospheric density. Abundant: Life is everywhere and everywhere it is diverse. Even the most barren regions have at least microscopic life, and there are creatures adapted to every conceivable niche. Earth, with microbes living in volcanic vents and where many cave complexes contain species found only in those caves, is the prime example of a world with abundant life.

Very Abundant: The world teems with life. Even the most hostile areas contain complex ecosystems with advanced life forms. There are few, if any, ‘barren’ areas; the deserts and ice caps support a host of species easily visible to even the most unaware observer. Nakaleen, in the Centauri Republic, is the classic example of this sort of world. Description of Terms (Complexity) Simple: Life is either purely microscopic or extremely rudimentary multicellular. Sponges or hydrae would represent the pinnacle of life. Photosynthesis exists (assuming a suitable atmosphere) but plants are limited to mats of algae or simple mosses. Basic: Multicellular life is common but not advanced. Softbodied invertebrates with very basic internal structures exist; starfish are a good example. Plants are multicellular but there are no trees or flowering plants. There are no symbiotic relations (though there are basic parasitic ones) and no complex adaptations such as mimicry or poison.

Advanced: There is a great diversity of life. Creatures develop adaptations to exist in a wide range of specialised niches, and complex developments ranging from nest building to shape mimicry are common place. Instinctive

Very Advanced: Creatures capable of complex learning and altering their behaviours based on past experiences exist. Extremely complex chains of symbiosis are common. There are very specialised adaptations. Species may be able to use instinctual psychic abilities. Native Intelligence: The world sports a sentient life form or, possibly, more than one. This lifeform may be at any stage of development from the early Stone Age to pre-hyperspace spaceflight. See “Technology” later in this chapter. (The Games Master may have a previously unknown hyperspace-capable race in a star system but the general rules assume such races will not be encountered randomly. There should be a very good reason why a race sending ships into hyperspace would be unknown, such as the system being located far from the ‘main action’ of the Babylon 5 universe.)

Population This defines the population level of the world and is dependant on many factors, including biosphere, atmosphere and zone. These rules are used for Terrestrial or Icy worlds. Gas giants have no native population, though their moons might. Populated asteroid belts use a special table (see page 193). Roll 2d10 on the Population table, applying any relevant modifiers from the Population Modifiers table.

Worldbuilding

Moderate: Life is diverse and somewhat complex. Creatures with well-developed internal structures exist. Sexual reproduction is commonplace. Behaviour is becoming more developed; schools, flocks, and herds may exist. Simple symbiosis exists, as do such adaptations as poisons and colour mimicry. More advanced behaviours, such as childrearing, web-spinning or hive insects, have not appeared. Trees appear, though fruit or flowers are not yet present.

behaviours now cover a large range of actions, with complex social systems and community roles appearing in the most advanced social animals. Complex interactions between plants and animals exist, with symbiotic reproduction via fruits or flowers becoming dominant and effective.

It should be noted that a civilised culture need not be native to a planet and so it is possible for a population to exist even if No Life had been previously generated. Alternatively, a Games Master may rule that No Life means just that – no life forms of any type are present on the planet. The Games Master should determine if the world is a racial homeworld, or if it is colony or settlement world. The population spreads are very different. Generally, racial homeworlds should not be randomly generated, except in campaigns where unknown

Population 2d10 5 or less 6–9 10–15 16–19 20–24 25 or more

Population Very Low Low Moderate High Very High Extremely High

Colony 1d4 hundred 1d10 thousand 1d10 X 10 thousand 1d10 hundred thousand 1d10 million 1d10 hundred million

Worldbuilding

Population Modifiers Biosphere Density No Life Very Scarce Scarce Standard Abundant Biosphere Complexity Simple Basic Moderate Advanced Very Advanced Native Intelligence1 Atmosphere Type Corrosive Atmosphere Poisonous Atmosphere Inert Atmosphere Breathable (Tainted) Atmosphere Breathable Atmosphere Zone Hot Zone Cold Zone Habitable Zone Hydrosphere Wet or Very Wet Inert Atmosphere Volcanism Extreme Racial Colony2 Human Narn Centauri Minbari League3

Modifier –8 –6 –2 +0 +4 Modifier –6 –3 0 +2 +4 +6 Modifier –4 –3 –2 –1 +2 Modifier –4 –2 +2 Modifier +2 –2 Modifier –4 Modifier –3 –2 +2 +4 –2 to +3

Minimum population of 10,000. If the world is a colony of one of these races, apply this modifier, which reflects the time the race has spent as a starfaring power. 3 Depending on the individual race, the modifier may be as low as –2 (for races relatively new to spacefaring) or as high as +3 (for races with 1 2

thousands of years of spacefaring experience).

Racial Homeworld (Tech Modifier) 1d100 thousand 1d10 million 1d100 million 1d10 hundred million 1d10 billion 1d10+4 billion

reaches of space are being explored and stumbling a hithertounknown alien race is a real possibility. Alternatively, if the campaign unexpectedly shifts to focus on a race which is well established in canon but whose homeworld has never been detailed, then this system can be used to provide the necessary background information. Mixed-Species Worlds If a world is located within the controlled space of a major starfaring power but has native life, it is very likely the world contains colonies of the dominant power in addition to the natives. Since the nature of sentient life is to expand, explore and exploit, it is logical to assume the native life was technologically inferior to the dominant power at the point of first contact, since, if they were not, they would have reached the other species’ homeworld first. To determine population for mixed-species worlds, roll on the Population table twice, once for the natives (the Racial Homeworld column) and once for the colonists (the Colony column). Both rolls suffer an additional –4 modifier. If there are considerably more natives than colonists, this can imply a conquered people with a small governing presence; the colonists are likely to be located in one or two key areas, with the majority of the world given over to the natives. If the colonial power is benign or unlikely to assert force, this could indicate that the colonists are studying the natives, working with them to uplift them, or are even unknown to them – ten million bronze-age primitives on one continent would never notice a few thousand high-tech colonists on another, especially if care was taken with spacecraft landing paths to avoid any possibility of overflight. Eventually, the two cultures will meet, but that can always be dealt with when the time comes. It can also be great fodder for game plots! If the populations of natives and colonists are roughly equal, this implies longstanding colonisation. Most major areas of habitation will be shared, though there are likely to be ‘quarters’ or ‘sectors’ in cities where the two species can be among their own kind. There may well be gross inequality between the species, however, usually with the

Asteroid Belts & Population Asteroid belts follow special rules concerning population. No species is native to a belt, except via Games Master fiat – and such vacuum-dwelling intelligences would be very odd in the Babylon 5 universe. All belts are assumed to be colonised by a starfaring race which evolved on a normal planetary surface. Roll 1d20 on the Belt Population table, applying any relevant modifiers from the Belt Population Modifiers table.

Belt Population 1d20 Roll 0 or less 1–5 6–10 11–15 16–19 20 or more

Belt Population Unpopulated 1d4 hundred 1d4 thousand 10+1d10 thousand 50+1d20 thousand 1d10 X 10 thousand

colonists forming the upper crust and the natives being at least mildly oppressed. It is also possible that, as above, the two groups are wholly separate, though this is only likely if the total number of colonists is fairly low; the larger the colony, the harder it is to keep it a secret.

Technology In the case of colony worlds from starfaring races, the technology level indicates what technology the world can produce and sustain locally. A newly-founded Earth Alliance colony has access to computers, cars, prefab housing, refrigeration units, medical centres and so on, but they lack the industrial infrastructure to make these things or even to make new parts from raw materials. In many cases, they cannot even begin mining operations without relying on technology from outside the colony. In the case of newly-discovered races, the technological level refers to the races’ own industrial capabilities.

Worldbuilding

The vast majority of the population (90+1d10%) will live in or on the major asteroids of the belt, divided among them roughly proportionate to the size of the asteroids. Populated asteroid Belt Population Modifiers belts will always have at least Oil –3 Age technology. Even this level Light Belt Dense Belt +1 is very low, and indicates either a +2 species desperate to get into space Very Dense Belt or a belt civilisation which is losing Oil Age civilisation –5 technology and is likely to be Fusion Age civilisation –1 collapsing very soon. Asteroid belts Advanced civilisation +1 with no life present in their system Very Advanced civilisation +3 of at least industrial age will not Each other inhabited world in+1 have a population, except by Games system Master fiat (a hidden raider base, Belt is in species’ home system +2, plus a 30% chance of multiplying for instance). the final population by 10.

If the colonists greatly outnumber the natives, this could indicate that the natives were very primitive when first encountered, with only a small number existing in a single area of the world. It could also indicate a native race which is dying off, either due to the colonists’ efforts or despite them. The colonists could be actively trying to save or aid the natives, or they could be Technology patiently waiting for them Technology to die off – or even actively 1d20 Roll 1 Stone Age – muscle and animal power exterminating them. 2–3 Bronze Age – early metalworking and agriculture 4–5 Iron Age – advanced metalworking, large cities 6–7 Renaissance – advanced social and economic systems, printing 8–9 Steam Age – beginnings of the industrial revolution 10–12 Oil Age – advanced industry, air travel, primitive space flight 13–15 Fusion Age – orbital industry, in-system travel 16–19 Advanced (Earth Alliance or Narn) 20 or more Very Advanced (Centauri or Minbari)

Technology Modifiers Population Very Low Low Moderate High Very High Extremely High Colony/Environment Colony1 Inhospitable environment2

Modifier –2 –1 +0 +2 +4 +5 Modifier +3 +4

A colony world will never have more advanced technology than its homeworld. 2 Inhospitable environment covers any one of a number of possibilities. Planets with Extreme gravity, an Extremely Dense, Corrosive or no (Vacuum) atmosphere, Extreme volcanism, a Hot or Cold climate or no biosphere all count as inhospitable environments as may others at the Games Master’s discretion. 1

Worldbuilding

Also, roll percentile dice. There is a 1% chance on any world of finding First One artifacts in remote or forgotten locations. A previously unknown world with Advanced or Very Advanced tech levels is a mystery. Why are they not a player in galactic politics? They may have never stumbled on the secrets of hyperspace or they may be isolationist. If the prospect of a race with very advanced technology sitting alone and undiscovered in the heart of well-explored territory does not seem plausible, either re-roll or just drop them to Fusion Age. Many races manage to explore their local system without discovering hyperspace, especially if no jump gate exists in-system. If a campaign centres on exploration, however, worlds inhabited by starfaring races which are unknown to the rest of the galaxy make perfect sense; such a ‘First Contact’ is what many explorers fear and dread. Such a world might be an outlying colony of an interstellar government or it might be the homeworld of a race beginning to expand.

Cities

Once the total population has been established, it must be determined how it is divided up. To some extent, this is primarily for colour – it makes a world feel more real if it is known there are several major cities on the planet, not just ’the city’. If the world has several cultures on it – as most worlds do, even if they share a common government – different cities can sometimes seem to be different planets. Consider how different Tokyo, New York and Mexico City are on Earth. In general, concentration of population in urban zones occurs with increasing technology. Worlds with preindustrial technology have very few cities and they tend to house only a small percentage of the total population. Worlds with industrial or early space age technology are likely to have most of their population in cities, with the rural areas turned over to agriculture or left to revert to wilderness. Culture is, of course, a factor here; some species cannot abide the close confines of cities and so, never form large cities no matter how advanced their science. Other races feel a need for proximity and form dense cities long before the pressures of the shift from pre-industrial to industrial technology makes them likely. For most worlds, it is not necessary to drill down to the smallest level of detail, specifying the population of every city on a planet. As a rule of thumb, assume that 5 to 10 percent of the planet’s overall population is located in its two largest cities; divide this population percentage on a 60 (largest city) to 40 (second largest city) ratio. This is usually more than enough for gameplay purposes.

Government

If a world already belongs to an existing interstellar state, its government is fairly predetermined; no major power in the Babylon 5 universe allows colony worlds unlimited free reign in choosing their government, though some worlds have more local control than others. If the form of government is unknown, it can be determined randomly as follows. Rather than list forms of government, which are nearly infinite, this system seeks to define a government by its traits, rather than its name. There are four factors, each rated 1–10, which define a government. The name a government calls itself may or may not reflect these factors. If a purely random method is needed to generate a government, roll 2d10 for each factor and divide the result by 2 (rounding up). The four factors are:

Some groups typically excluded from participation are those of a certain gender, ethnic background, social class, educational attainment, age or occupation. The higher the participation score, the smaller these groups will be. G Diversity: This does not refer to the makeup of the government – that is participation – but how uniform the government is. A low diversity indicates that ‘one size fits all’ is the rule, with the same laws applying regardless of region or social status. A high diversity indicates that the law is highly varied; it may be that there is one set of laws for males and another for females or that different regions of the planet have different activities which are legal or illegal. At medium levels of diversity (4 to 6), these variations are for relatively minor things – females may not be permitted to serve in front-line combat or a mild narcotic may be criminal in one city but permitted in another. At high levels, the

Low diversity of law does not always mean the laws are just; a society which treats a starving man who steals a loaf of bread the same way as an armed robber who steals jewels has a low diversity of law, too. Likewise, high diversity can mean every case is treated differently and fairly, according to the circumstances, or it can mean arbitrary, capricious or racist laws, or it can mean that a rich man can shoot a poor man with impunity. G Control: This factor measures how much power the government wields and how much of life is regulated by the law. Low-control indicates very little is regulated, at least officially – social pressures may be more powerful than laws. In a low control society, there is likely to be little official censorship or a state religion, though some cultures are so united that laws are not needed to enforce these things. In mid-control societies, a wide range of activities are lightly regulated or a smaller range are heavily regulated – there may be some limits on speech or the press but not to the point where all media is government controlled or the government may assign workers to jobs but allow the workers to petition for a change. At high control, virtually all life is regulated, with the individual having almost all decisions constrained by law.

Worldbuilding

G Participation: This measures what percentage of the population has a meaningful say in the policies of the government, or in choosing or becoming the leaders. A rating of 1 indicates a tyranny controlled by a single leader or very small oligarchy. A rating of 5 indicates a large portion of the population has some say, though true power likely rests with 10% or less of the people. A rating of 10 indicates total participation in the government – only infants and the like have no say. This does not reflect how many people exercise their power, merely how many have it to exercise. A world in which every law can be voted on by every citizen might see only a handful of ‘voting addicts’ paying attention to the majority of laws, while the masses only vote on major issues of the day.

deviations are both major and numerous – females may have no rights at all or one city mandates consumption of a drug as a religious sacrament, while another has the death penalty for possessing it. Diversity of law can make for a challenging ‘hook’ to a gaming scenario, as a planetary guidebook may report only on the laws near a starport.

High levels of control can make life difficult for smugglers and other habitual lawbreakers, as there will be more random searches, fewer rights of the accused and more things which are illegal to begin with. Low levels of control can indicate a ‘pirate’s haven’, a world where anyone can get away with anything – but it can also indicate a world where there is no recourse if one is wronged, cheated or attacked. G Support: This measures how much the government is supported by the populace. A low support value indicates a government on the verge of revolution and there are probably active resistance cells and a simmering discontent which has not yet broken into full-scale civil war (though it likely will soon, unless government policy changes). Middling values show a stable government but not one which can push big changes through easily or survive a prolonged period of stress. High values show a government which will be supported no matter what. Its worth noting that in some cases, tyrannies may

be very well supported (especially if life for the average sapient is not strongly affected), while free societies can be fragile; in other cases, precisely the reverse is true.

Worldbuilding

By combining these values, almost any governmental type can be modelled. Playing with expectations is often a good source of adventure. Players are often used to identifying with the radicals and revolutionaries, so a setting where a free and democratic but weak government is being undermined by revolutionaries seeking to impose a dictatorship is a possibility. Another possibility is to have a government under the control of an elite, self-appointed oligarchy – who permit freedom of thought and religion and who are being undermined by a religious group which has the enthusiastic support of the majority and who will crush all ‘deviant’ faiths. The governments of the Babylon 5 universe do not easily fall into typical clichés. There are few simplistic ‘Evil Overlords’ or ‘Heroic Rebels’. Clarke is a tyrant in every sense but good men and women supported his rule and he saw himself as defending humanity against aliens. The Mars Resistance includes both principled revolutionaries and brutal thugs and has both legitimate and illegitimate grievance with Earth. The Kha’ri are an elitist ruling class but they do not exploit or oppress their people. The Minbari religious caste has many aspects of classic Human theocracies but there is little evidence of inquisitions or witch-hunts. The Brakiri are happy in their corporate-controlled state, the Drazi see nothing wrong with beating each other to a pulp as a means of choosing a leader and the Abbai are sexist yet the builders of a great and fairly noble alliance. Simple ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ make for poor stories and do not fit the tone of the universe. The conflict between the Shadows and the Vorlons was initially set up to seem that way but it was soon revealed that the understanding of the truth is a three-edged sword.

Orbital Population Many worlds begin their space exploration with permanent or semi-permanent orbital bases, usually for research or observation purposes. Depending on the difficulty of reaching nearby worlds, it may also be the case that orbital colonies are developed, often serving the needs of industry, the military, or providing an isolated home for dissident or utopian groups. If the world continues to develop space technology, many of these colonies are abandoned, as the advantages of settling on a world rather than in orbit are obvious.

Colonies Nonetheless, many worlds still have them. For game purposes, an ‘orbital colony’ is a permanent habitation which is intended to be mostly or fully self-sustaining, relying primarily on recycling technology and native food production to support the population. It is also intended as a permanent residence, with considerable space set aside for recreation, schools, facilities for families and children and so on. A significant percentage of the population is native-born. They are rarer than bases (see below), as bases are regularly resupplied from the surface (Earth as of 2005 has no colonies and one Scientific base in orbit). Orbital colonies will only be found above worlds with Fusion Age or better technology. Roll 2d10 on the Orbital Colonies table to determine whether a planet has any orbital colonies. Deduct 2 from this roll if the parent planet’s technology is of Fusion Level and add 2 to this roll if it is Very Advanced.

Orbital Colonies 2d10 Roll 4 or less 5–10 11–17 18 or more

Population Breakdown No colonies 1 Major colony 1d3 Major colonies and 2d3 Minor colonies 1d4 Major colonies and 3d4 Minor colonies.

To determine how many people reside in orbit – whether on bases or colonies – roll percentile dice and divide by 10. This is the fraction of one percent of the planet’s total population that lives in orbit. For example, a world has a population of 75 million and has Fusion Age technology, and it has been determined the world has a meaningful orbital population. Percentile dice are rolled, and the result is 22. This means that 0.022 percent (0.022% of 1%) of the world’s population is permanently in orbit. This works out to 16,500 people. Colony Features: Orbital colonies tend to be focused on a specific goal or purpose. This may be industrial (with the colonists offering goods and services to buyers, relying on trade to keep their colony active and alive) or cultural (very often, religious or political minorities will flee to orbit to practice their beliefs; during the mid 21st century on Earth, everyone from Christian reconstructionists to agrarian anarchists made a go at establishing an orbital society where they could live according to their tenets; most ’failed to thrive’). There are several Minbari cultist-colonies which have remained active for over a millennia, their inhabitants being left alone so long as they pose no threat.

Industrial colonies often welcome visitors and will have repair and resupply facilities, as well as accommodations for travellers. Cultural colonies may or may not be open. Some are very welcoming to strangers, provided their laws are respected; others are extremely hostile to any outsiders. The Earth Alliance maintains control over all such colonies in Earth orbit and imposes a minimum standard of law.

Bases Bases are much more common than orbital colonies, at least for worlds which have advanced spaceflight capacity. Bases are permanent constructions which are not intended to be fully self-sustaining; they are built with the assumption that there will be regular resupply of food and other necessities, though they often have very advanced life support and recycling systems. Bases should be assigned by the Games Master based on the nature of the world. Bases usually serve one of the following functions: Military: Military bases hold troops, ships and fighters in orbit, ready for immediate launch. They are often placed around major worlds or near to a jump gate, so that they can rapidly respond to any threat. They are often heavily armed themselves, serving as powerful, if immobile, weapons platforms. In addition, they serve to hold off invading forces until all planetary forces can be mobilised and sent to orbit. Monitor: A monitor base is defensive powerhouse. It is not used primarily to hold other ships but instead is dedicated to weapons systems. Because it is immobile it must strike from a distance and has advanced sensors to enable it to detect incoming ships. By the time such vessels have come into firing range, they are being shredded by long-range

missiles and powerful particle beams. Most worlds will have enough monitor stations that there are no ‘blind spots’ – attackers will come into the firing arcs of at least one and probably more, before they can close to attack range. (Of course, this depends on technological differences – a primitive world’s ‘long range defence platforms’ are often laughable to more advanced races. Scientific: A scientific base is dedicated to research, often that which either requires the conditions of orbit (such as microgravity manufacturing techniques or physics experiments which cannot be performed on a planetary surface) or which are too dangerous to allow on-planet (including biological weapons or nuclear explosives). Scientific bases are often closed to any visitors, due to the nature of their research.

Worldbuilding

Most orbital colonies are constructed to provide gravity; if the culture has artificial gravity, it will be used. Otherwise, the colony will spin to provide it. In a few cases, mostly on lower-tech worlds, the colony lacks gravity altogether; this can make the colonists truly isolated within a generation, as those ‘born and bred’ in microgravity have a very difficult time adjusting to gravity later on.

Trade/Open Port: Many races benefit from interstellar trade but also do not wish to open the surface of their worlds to all manner of beings, many of whom may disguise hostile intent behind a friendly smile. Furthermore, few cargo vessels can function in atmosphere. As a consequence, most trade is conducted at orbital bases, with cargo ships continuously docking, offloading and taking on cargo. Within the stations, there is usually an open market and many facilities where buyers and sellers can meet to do business. Security is a top concern; no one will bring goods to a place where they are likely to be robbed and trade bases mount solid defences and often maintain regular fighter patrols. Trade bases also are used when the world has a resource gathering function – the trade base is the point where resources are funnelled to, and sometimes processed, before loading onto ships.

Abbai Matriarchy Abba System

Star: G1 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot, 2 Cold), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Abbai Matriarchy; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: Very High

Abba II (Ssumssha)

Abbai

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,549 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (4,500 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (90%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3.3 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Burisa (125 million), Tiumaa (110 million); Gov: Abbai Matriarchy (P6, D2, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 200,000, Colonies: 3 Major/6 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 10 Monitor, 2 Scientific, 1 Trade

Abba, homeworld of the Abbai Matriarchy, the founders of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, is a watery and stormy world, an unlikely home for a starfaring race. However, fortuitous combinations of environment and racial psychology allowed the Abbai to not only develop technology, but to reach the stars. Abba is dominated by seas, broken only by swirling island chains and minor continents. An image of the world with clouds removed gives an impression of serpents coiled on the surface of a pond. Despite this, the Abbai are air-breathers and their cities are built on the land, not below the water. However, they are all located with direct access to the seas (not that there is much choice in the matter), as the Abbai need an aquatic environment in which to reproduce. Abba is storm-tossed. The cities exist in locations where the winds are weakest, in the ‘eyes’ of the planet’s nearcontinuous storm seasons. This is one reason the Abbai never allowed their industrialisation to wreak the kind of environmental damage seen on other worlds; global warming or other phenomena would disrupt the delicate balance which allowed the cities to exist in the places they did, effectively ending industrial civilisation on the world. Thus, the seas of Abba are among the cleanest on any spacefaring world, as is the sky and the land. Land life on Abba is remarkably diverse, with each island chain having highly specialised life forms. There was never a Pangaea on Abba; each island chain was settled independently, so each cluster of land or minor continent has life forms descended from different base stocks. Biologists have calculated there are no fewer than seven major branches of land life on Abba. The Abbai are more welcoming of non-Abbai on their homeworld than most races – they are certainly the most open to visitors of any of the League worlds. While there are many who visit for purposes of trade and politics, the world also offers attractions to those interested in water sports, recreational diving and exotic foods – many of the local food sources, both plant and animal, do not ship well and must be enjoyed fresh.

Abba II (Ssumssha) Source: IPX/Marford/sx.31 Grade: Alpha/Epsilon

Most Abbai live in the five primary cities on the planet. The population figures given above refer to those in the city proper; roughly three times as many Abbai dwell in the outer areas of the city. The rest of the population lives in isolated and scattered colonies. Those colonies are often isolationist and visitors are cautioned to give them a wide berth. Nonetheless, there have been a handful of embarrassing and sometimes fatal incidents over the years.

There is a research outpost on Abba VII (Icy; Cold Zone) and a hostile environment training camp on Abba VIII (Terrestrial; Cold Zone).

Tirolus System

Star: G3 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot, 2 Cold), 4 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Abbai Matriarchy; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Very High

Tirolus IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,300 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 50F/39V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: None; Cities: None; Gov: Abbai Matriarchy (P6, D2, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military

This would have caused few problems, were it not for the fact that the Centauri wished to have access to the rich world. When the Abbai held off their initial assaults, the Centauri returned with mass drivers and blasted the colonies below. This broke the fragile ecology of Tirolus, plunging the world into a deep freeze and causing a catastrophic collapse of the food web. Most races would blame the Centauri; the Abbai blamed themselves. They abandoned Tirolus and never explained why. Any ships entering the Tirolus system are attacked immediately; this is a well-known prohibition and few races choose to test it.

Utriel System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Abbai Matriarchy; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: High

Utriel III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,125 miles); Grav: 1.05g; Moons: 1 (2,500 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.95) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro:

Utriel is a world of exquisite beauty, very similar to Abba. Most races, if gifted with such a world in their territory, would make it a major colony. The Abbai, however, have settled it only sparsely. With half again as much land as Abba and a much calmer weather system, Utriel would seem to be an ideal world for settling. The reason for the very sparse settlement is the presence of a fish, called the utreel, a creature similar to the flying fish of Earth. This fish caused more than a bit of astonishment among Abbai biologists when it was found, for the same species existed on Abba and was accidentally wiped out early in Abbai history. At first, scientists felt this was a case of parallel evolution, but genetic studies quickly confirmed it was the same species, with very slight genetic drift due to its new environment. This meant that Abbai had been visited in the past by other races, who had taken samples of native life with them, for reasons unknown. This caused some considerable shock among the Abbai, driving home how large and ancient the universe was and how little they truly knew about it. Ultimately, though, the Abbai viewed it as a hopeful omen, symbolising how tragic mistakes can sometimes still be recovered from; the utreel fish was a second chance incarnate.

Abbai

Tirolus was the Abbai’s first colony world and it remains one of their greatest shames. They settled it with uncharacteristic carelessness – by Abbai standards. They did not use the extraordinary discretion towards development which they showed on Utriel but engaged in operations which resulted in a noticeable, albeit slight, disruption of the planet’s ecosystem.

Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 75F/15V; Bio Density: Average; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 200,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Velunaa (149,000), Natali (49,000); Gov: Abbai Matriarchy (P6, D2, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 5 Monitor, 1 Trade

Utriel’s population is centred around a few primary cities, with a very small number of Abbai living in isolated communities or alone, as solitary fishers or gatherers. The focus of the world is on resource extraction but it is done with extraordinary care and finesse. The normal luxuries of technology are mostly foresworn by the locals, so that the only impact on the environment is that due to the necessities of survival and of making the colony of value to the homeworld. Many areas of Utriel are given over to Harvest Zones – protected areas where the utreel live. All entry into those zones is forbidden. Because Utriel is both rich and underinhabited, it is often a target for poachers, who risk the wrath of the protective Abbai to garner rich prizes. Many of the species on Utriel have either real or imagined medical value and the utreel themselves are prized as a delicacy offworld. The Abbai tend to be merciless to those caught and rarely return them to their home governments. Poachers who survive the initial capture will most likely be working in a very wet prison camp for a very long time.

Antares Sector Anasi System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Antares Families; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium

Anasi II (Anaseus)

Antares

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 (1,500 & 1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Damp (41%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 4 Seas; Climate: 100F/18V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 5 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Morsadia (1.2 million), Valeus (1 million), Clamine (900 thousand); Gov: Antares Families (P1, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade While the Holuva system was the first one explored by the Antareans, Anasi was their first permanent colony world. Anasi II was much closer to Antareus in environment, making it a better world for colonisation. Anasi II is a baked world where the oceans are of boiling mud and the forests are nothing but tangles of vines and creepers, concealing a virtual carpet of insect life beneath them. Much of the world lacks even this, being a windscoured vista of plateaux. Anasi II was once a much more vibrant world but something happened a few million years ago to shift it into a closer orbit to its sun. The Antareans faced colonisation with the same determination that they once faced crossing the equatorial desert of their world. The first colonies suffered massive loss of life due to miscalculations about weather, agricultural conditions and the ability to process the native plants into edible food but they learned from each mistake, adjusted and tried again. Today, Anasi II is home to five million Antareans involved in a wide range of industries and serves as a base for coreward exploration.

Antares System

Star: F9 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort

Cloud, Raider Haven, Transit Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Antares Families; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium

Antares II (Antareus) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,900 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 150F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Anterean (10 million), Mericos (6 million), Clamine (900,000); Gov: Antares Families (P1, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 1 Major/4 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade Antares II, known to the natives as Antareus, is a large, hot planet orbiting a large, hot sun. The equatorial regions of the world are barren desert; life exists at the north and south polar regions, where standing water is common. Both areas developed life independently of each other, about 300 million years apart; thus, life in the north is significantly less advanced than life in the south. As a point of comparison, 300 million years separates Humans from the first Earth insects and amphibians. Life in the south is complex and well-evolved, having given rise to sentience some 25,000 years in the past. The Antareans are humanoid, with slightly elongated and tapered skulls and fingers and a somewhat gaunt appearance. They often dress in heavy clothes while in a standard-temperature environment, as ‘normal’ for them is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the greatest achievements of the early Antarean civilisation was the crossing of the ‘Boundaries of Hell’. Antarean religion held the world was a small circle of life surrounded by infinite death and that those who failed to be devout (or obey the priests without question) would be consigned to walk it forever. One nation, the Confederacy of Vakalan, was undergoing a religious schism as the time and had given rise to a secondary faith which, based on recent revolutions in astronomy, declared that the Great Maker had split the Antarean people in two, separating them with the desert and that when both peoples united, they would have proven their worth. The attempt to cross the desert took forty years and has been compared to many races’ efforts to reach their moon. Long strings of resupply bases were established, until it was possible to outfit an expedition which was, just barely, capable of crossing the gap during

the planet’s winter. When they reached the northern life zone and returned back with tales of what they saw and samples of the local life, both major religions were undermined. The desert was not without end but neither were there any other Antareans waiting to be found. The resulting social upheaval led to a period of considerable technological growth. The desert could be crossed only in winter and then only if copiously supplied with water but, year by year, a rail system was built to link the two hemispheres, adding a few dozen miles during each period of cold. The experience of colonising what was in effect an alien environment gave the Antareans the skills they needed to move into space. As with many races, the Antareans found their system already gifted with a jump gate. It took another decadeslong engineering project to figure out what it was and how to activate it and they then began to explore nearby space. Unfortunately, jump routes were sparse; the first beacon they tracked and followed brought them to the rim of the expanding Centauri Republic, which had begun to probe the Holuva system.

By the time the Centauri retreated, the Antareans has exceeded them in some areas of technology. Seeing space mostly settled and divided, they turned their efforts to other areas, especially weapons and tools. Borrowing some of the worst cultural traits from their semi-mentors, the Centauri, they established semi-secret research and manufacturing centres on their moons and colony worlds, where they built devices of use primarily to the various ‘black ops’ divisions of planetary governments. Antareus today is known as the source for all sorts of illegitimate equipment, from changeling nets to contraband weapons.

Antareans appear as a harshly practical, even callous people to outsiders. They often take a ‘brute force’ approach to problem solving, throwing whatever resources are required at a task until it is accomplished. Were it not for their remoteness and the limits on their expansion imposed by the surrounding powers, they would likely be a major player in galactic affairs. The Antareans are governed by a long-established oligarchy which grew out of a slow corruption in the government of the Vakalan Confederacy. Once a thriving democracy, it grew more and more calcified, until a series of changes to election laws ultimately meant only direct descendants of the existing body of representatives could hold office. While there are still some serious faction schisms among this rarefied group, the concentration of power among a few hundred bloodlines has basically ended all pretence of democratic rule. It is an amusing coincidence of cultures that Antareans have created, quite independently, a dish identical to Minbari flarn. Many Humans find the Antarean version superior, as do a handful of Minbari, but few of the latter would ever admit to it.

Antares

This meeting went unusually well. The world of Antareus was not of much interest to the Republic, being both uncomfortable to settle and too well-defended to be an easy conquest. Promises of advanced Centauri technology led to a treaty permitting free passage through Antarean space, which the Centauri used to establish a jump gate to Golia, whose people fared considerably worse. Though the ‘advanced’ technology the Centauri promised was a century old, it still gave the Antareans a major leg-up and they very quickly set about reverse-engineering it and then building on it. If the Centauri had any clue as to the Antarean willingness to invest all the time and energy required to achieve a goal, they might have been more cautious.

Antareus today still has 90% of its population in the southern life zone, although the northern zone is now easily accessible by advanced vehicles. The ancient railroad which linked the two realms has mostly fallen into decay, though parts are preserved for historical purposes.

Antares VI-Gamma (Agora) Zone: Cold; Size: Small (3,100 miles); Grav: 0.2g; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Agora (10,000); Gov: Antares Families (P1, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade The third moon of the second gas giant in the Antares system is home to both the Antarean jump gate (located nearby) and the largest centre of intergalactic commerce in Antarean space. While much of the world is given over to labour camps and factories, a large base on the moon’s surface holds a small city dedicated to contact with the rest of the galaxy. A merchant’s peace exists here and well-armed guards, combined with a fleet of picket ships above, work to make sure nothing breaks it. The main items for sale are Antarean technology, much of which is illegal elsewhere in the galaxy, but it also serves

as a trading hub for many of the nearby worlds, including the Lumati, the Golians and certain Centauri factions, as well as several of the coreward races.

Holuva System

Star: K4 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Antares Families; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium

Holuva IV

Antares

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 moonlets (45 & 60 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Wet (90%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 50F/24V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 1 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Voantares (500,000), Imholuva (400,000); Gov: Antares Families (P1, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 3 Monitor, 1 Scientific The Antareans first met the Centauri in the Holuva system. The Republic was reaching the limits of its expansion at the time and was stretched thin; the Antareans, albeit with inferior technology, had no such distractions. There were some ‘regrettable’ incidents in which the Centauri tested the Antarean technology (inferior) and their skill and spirit (exceptional), and it was decided that alliance, rather than conquest, was called for – especially since the Golian system was a better choice for colonisation and settling there would place the Antareans in a vice, making them more tractable. Holuva was placed under Antarean control to allow them a buffer zone; the Centauri could always seize it when the time was right. While the Antareans placed sensors and listening posts throughout the Holuva system, they chose Holuva IV to colonise. It was a cold world, much colder than they were used to, as well as being far wetter. The equatorial seas were dotted with ice floes and only one continent was positioned in a zone with enough warmth to sustain life year-round. This continent, however, was very mineral rich and the Antareans established a mining colony there, with simple mass drivers to hoist raw materials to their orbital factories, which in turn produced a fleet of ships which could protect their small dominion. They also used the jump gate into Centauri space to open up trading routes and to learn more about the galaxy at large. While the Centauri dragon lounged

on its treasure trove of worlds, the Antareans burrowed through the horde like mice, learning much. Holuva became a bulwark, a point of defence, with several major naval bases and infantry training camps. Because of the regular Centauri presence on Antareus, much research and experimentation was actually being done on Holuva – closer to Centauri space but dismissed as a minor colony world. Holuva today remains primarily a military and research outpost, with a small but dedicated permanent population. A considerable amount of work is being done on Antara, forming the world via an induced greenhouse effect. Non-Antareans are not permitted to land on Holuva but few ever see any reason to try. A small trading port provides resupply and repair facilities.

Balosian Territory Balos System

Star: K4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Balosian Forum; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Balos III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,000 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (10%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 60F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Losah (4 million), Boralso (3 million); Gov: Balosian Forum (P7, D3, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 4 Monitor

Voyages to the harsh surface world, slowly recovering from the cataclysm, were few but not unknown. It was on one such expedition that a scout saw something never before seen or imagined – other beings, shaped very roughly like the Balosians (but scaleless and pale, like caveworms) had occupied the surface and had brought with them great machines to tear at the crust of the planet and scrape the bottom of the dead seas. The Balosians watched and observed these beings, whom they learned called themselves ‘Centauri’, as they built industrial complexes and factories and began to take the surface wealth of Balos up to the sky. The Centauri were aware of the Balosians but considered them sub-sentient primitives, to be ignored unless they began to interfere in operations. The Balosians never did, so they tended to suffer less at the hands of the Centauri than most lower-tech species the Republic encountered. When the Centauri left Balos in 2170, the Balosians moved in. They disassembled the shuttles and freighters and patrol craft left behind; they converted the abandoned factories to their own purposes and they moved into space in craft of

The Narn, close by, considered them a potential threat and a client state, and offered to ‘protect’ them from Centauri reoccupation. The Balosians did not buy it and a brief, brutal ground war threw the Narn off their planet and made the Balosians somewhat sympathetic to the Centauri, who, after all, took nothing the Balosians had any use for and who left behind tremendous technological and industrial wealth. Indeed, following the rebuffing of the Narn, the Balosians turned to the Centauri to buy hulls and armaments, forming a space navy to equal their already impressive infantry. This early success caused the Balosians to gain a reputation as mercenaries and they served many races during the Dilgar War. However, their navy, built from antiquated Centauri components, could not resist the Dilgar forces, who swept aside the orbital defences to land and attempt to pacify the planet. This proved as impossible for the Dilgar as it had for the Narn; on their home ground, the Balosians were impossible to defeat. A stalemate of sorts ensued, with the Dilgar hiding in their fortresses and the Balosians harassing them when they could. Meanwhile, the remnants of their fleet harassed the Dilgar in space, stopping at League worlds for repair and resupply. Eventually, the Earth Alliance and the League liberated Balos.

Balosian

Roughly 200,000 years ago, Balos was a lush world with a thick, dense atmosphere. This ended when an asteroid impact blasted most of the water and atmosphere into space. The indigenous intelligent species, a race of reptilian humanoids slightly similar to the Narn in appearance, managed to survive by moving to the vast cave complexes which riddled the planet’s crust. There they stayed for 200 millennia, surviving if not prospering, and developing a rich, complex culture in a realm where sunlight never came.

their own design (heavily based on Centauri tech, of course), and found the jump gate the Republic had left behind. For longer than most races had been sentient, the Balosians had lived in caves, limited to developing their culture in primarily an intellectual, rather than practical, manner; suddenly, thanks to the Centauri, they were able to build the machines they needed to explore.

Balos today is a fiercely independent world. Its inhabitants still have a reputation as ground fighters without compare and they often find gainful, if violent, employment as mercenaries, bodyguards or thugs. What many forget is that the Balosians are intelligent, smart enough to form a spaceforce out of scraps left behind. They have also learned harsh lessons about the realities of galactic politics. They do not seek either warfare or alliances and are content in their single system. The world of Balos is still recovering from the long-ago disaster. The empty seabeds, spotted with Centauri mining equipment, bear mute witness to the world that once was. The few standing bodies of water which remain are often devoid of life and tainted with chemicals. Only below ground is there a flourishing ecology, one far richer than any other subterranean ecosystem. The Balosians have spent almost a quarter of a million years breeding lifeforms down there in the dark, creating an environment capable of sustaining a huge population. Many Balosian scientists have been asked to work on Mars, Luna and other environments where underground dwelling is required.

Brakiri Syndicracy Brakos System

Star: F7 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 2; Ownership: Brakiri Syndicracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Brakos II

Brakiri

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,900 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 2 (800 & 1,200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (20%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 83F/21V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 2.1 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Brakir-vah (25 million), Hulvat (15 million); Gov: Brakiri Syndicracy (P3, D6, C8, S8); Orbital Pop: 50,000, Colonies: 2 Major/5 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 6 Monitor, 2 Scientific, 2 Trade The word ‘cliché’ comes from ‘chain’ and it dates back to lead-type printing on Terra, where printers would leave commonly used words and phrases fused together. If any lead-type printers remained active and chose to print a history of the galaxy, the words ‘were a primitive people, conquered and exploited by the Centauri’, would surely be one such chain of letters. For example, the Brakiri. As with so many other races in what is now the Known Galaxy, they were found by the Centauri while still technologically primitive. The Centauri posed as gods, ravaged Brakos and finally left – though this was due to Republic political manoeuvrings and not the efforts of the Brakiri underground, though this fact is fervently denied by the Brakiri. As happened in other places, the Brakiri eventually learned to use the machines the Centauri left behind and set out to make their own place in the universe. Early Brakiri were controlled by religious leaders; following the retreat of the Centauri, an attempt to put the old government back into power was made but it quickly began to fall apart. It took the writings of a martyred business student named Brakir to give their society its current shape and the race its current name. The Brakiri today are ruled by the Syndicrats, the leaders of the largest and most powerful corporations. There is

no ‘government’ distinct from this; business interests rule directly. Even the Brakiri military is, basically, controlled by a consortium of private interests, all of whom share in the common desire to protect their world and their territory from invaders. The Syndicrats have technical control over this military but it is rarely exercised except in an administrative sense. Brakos is a dry, desolate world, one which has been made worse by Centauri exploitation, violent civil war and assault by the Dilgar. The planet has almost no visible surface water; the water table, such as it is, is deep underground, with the massive ‘megacities’ of the Brakiri built atop the richest portions. Even so, the world is perennially thirsty and everything from deep-core arctic drills to asteroid ice mining is required to maintain their civilisation. The steady flow of water to Brakos from space keeps the world alive; if it were ever to stop for long, Brakos would die of thirst. Maintaining control of a steady supply of water is as vital to the Brakiri as control of oil was to the nations of 20th century Earth. Brakos has few visitors. While the Brakiri welcome trade and tourism, there is little to attract outsiders to land on Brakos itself. The blasted and ruined surface of the planet offers few opportunities for sightseers, and the megacities, while impressive, are also crowded, hot and often polluted and dangerous. Most dealing with the Brakiri occurs in orbit.

Comac System

Star: G9 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Brakiri Syndicracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Comac IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 3 (600, 800 & 900 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Polluted); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (11%); Oceans: 4 Seas; Climate: 50F/9V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 1.2 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Genlinvah (600,000), Nesari (400,000); Gov: Brakiri Syndicracy (P3, D6, C8, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 2 Trade Comac IV is a cold, dry, red world owned and operated by the Pri-Wakat corporation, who gained exclusive rights to the planet from the Syndicrats in a deal which has become legendary and is now taught as an object lesson in business schools from Lumat to Earth.

The world is dotted with mines and processing plants, all either owned by Pri-Wakat or leased from them at exorbitant rates. The only exception to this is Toren’s Rift. While technically under Pri-Wakat’s control, this abandoned strip mine has become a criminal haven and is known throughout the region as a place where those pursued by the law can hide. Of course, those who control it extract payment in exchange for this ‘safety’, and there is no law beyond ‘watch your own back’, but it still attracts the greedy, the desperate and the mad.

Ekalta System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Brakiri Syndicracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Ekalta II

Ekalta is a beautifully wet world, close to Earth in atmospheric and geological composition, with a perfect climate, stable tectonics and a thriving ecosystem. ImRelsha managed to win rights to the planet and there is still speculation on how they did it. Ekalta is home to over a million Brakiri, almost all of whom work for Im-Relsha on various research projects. The world houses three huge ‘research zones’ where temporary facilities are constructed on an as-needed basis. It is also home to a disturbingly large number of ‘missing’ individuals, who seem to have disappeared off the records shortly after arriving at Ekalta. It is suspected they are working on the blackest of black projects for Im-Relsha but those who look too closely into this matter have a tendency to disappear. Ekalta is an extremely well-defended world. Even the militaries of other corporations contribute to its defence, as to allow Ekalta to fall would be a tragedy to the entire Syndicracy.

Star: G3 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Brakiri Syndicracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Lorka II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,900 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (79%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/24V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 1.6 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Tinat (400,000), Gorlat (300,000); Gov: Brakiri Syndicracy (P3, D6, C8, S8); Orbital Pop: 12,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade It is almost impossible to imagine what the first Brakiri scouts to reach Lorka must have thought or felt. For Humans, it would have been like finding a planet made of diamonds, with rivers of molten gold. Lorka is the sort of world the Brakiri had imagined as an ideal planet – wet, lush, green… everything Brakos was not. Perhaps more importantly, it was theirs for the taking. It was quickly controlled by the Ly-Nakir corporations, who have profited greatly by it. The world is rich in every kind of resource, but most importantly potable water and fertile land. While some mining operations go on in the mountains, they are primarily to avoid the expense of shipping in raw metals; the wealth of Lorka is in sea and soil and the Ly-Nakir will not despoil it: ‘Why sell a pound of iron when you can sell a ton of fruit?’

Brakiri

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (700 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (82%); Continents: 2 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 1.5 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Thallon (500,000), Banar (350,000); Gov: Brakiri Syndicracy (P3, D6, C8, S8); Orbital Pop: 8,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor, 2 Scientific, 1 Trade

Lorka System

Lorka is a world of graceful, arcing continents surrounded by vast oceans. Deep oceanic rifts in the northern hemisphere have been earmarked as sites for highpressure metallurgy, if the Brakiri every buy or steal the techniques from the Minbari. Colonies are spread across the world and a good number of Brakiri have small farms or homesteads outside the main cities, working them in a form of sharecropping. Lorka is also a world of secrets and deceptions. The manufacture of espionage equipment, the processing of information and the training of agents are as important here as the growing of crops or the transport of water.

Cascor Commonwealth Cascan System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Cascor Commonwealth; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Cascan IV (Cascor)

Cascor

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,000 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (65%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 70F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 8 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Oksiin (22 million), Vokoslian (18 million); Gov: Cascor Commonwealth (P7, D8, C3, S7); Orbital Pop: 75,000, Colonies: 4 Major/8 Minor, Bases: 6 Military, 5 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Cascan IV is a world which is blessed in many ways. The soil is rich and fertile, the distribution of land and water ideal for life, the native creatures vicious enough to impel evolution but not so vicious as to turn all of life into a struggle for brute survival. The natives of Cascan, the Cascor, are descended from arboreal creatures very slightly resembling terrestrial racoons (though they do not have the distinctive facial markings). They are smallish, agile and adventurous. Their history is not scarred by endless battle but only by small-scale skirmishes over food and living space, mostly settled without creating the eternal cycles of violence and retribution which dominate the history of other species. The move of the Cascor into space happened due to a combination of building population pressure and an incessant racial curiosity and love for adventure. They are intelligent, fast-breeding, brave and skilled. If a Cascor leader arises who lusts for Empire, it may be difficult for the rest of the League to stem the tide. However, this seems unlikely; there are no Caesars, Hitlers or Stalins bloodying the pages of Cascor history texts and no one expects such a one to arise soon. Cascor suffered greatly during the Dilgar War, losing tens of millions of lives on both their single colony world and on their homeworld.

The Cascor prefer to do battle in fighter ships and specialise in carrier vessels over battleships. Cascor fighters are considered the best in the galaxy given their technological level and, following the Dilgar War, a number of Cascor engineers were hired by Earth Alliance aerospace industries to work on Starfury designs. Purges of ‘alien influence on the military’ by the Clark administration destroyed the small Cascor expatriate community which had grown up in the western regions of the United States, a move which infuriated the military contractors who had come to appreciate them. In many cases, homes and property were seized out of hand and several engineers were sent to the New Siberia penal colony on Beta VII as ‘alien spies’. This seriously hindered Earth-Cascor relations and the newly reconstituted EarthGov is actively seeking to make amends.

Zachai System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Cascor Commonwealth; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Zachai III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (500 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 5 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Mokanso (1 million), New Borikan (750,000); Gov: Cascor Commonwealth (P7, D8, C3, S7); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 3 Monitor, 1 Trade Zachai was the first, and thus far only, world settled by the Cascor. A few scouts sent antispinward discovered only strings of useless worlds, and the rest of the local galaxy is claimed, so it is perhaps very fortunate the Cascor found a rich agricultural world so close to home. Or, perhaps, it is unfortunate – the colony had a population of 30 million when the Dilgar came. They completely depopulated it, destroying it via hit-and-run attacks in and out of hyperspace which the Cascor fighter fleets were unable to prevent. Unwilling to see the same fate befall the colony a second time, the Cascor have secured the system as best they can and have begun rebuilding, founding new cities on the ashes of the old.

Centauri Republic

hold on their world. While the office of the Emperor continually denies these reports as baseless and spurious, it has been proven that Ardun’s operational costs have skyrocketed after the occupation – mostly due to broken parts and system failures.

Ardun System

Batain System

Star: G9 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Medium; Security: High

Ardun IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 30,000 Centauri/5,000 Narn; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Ardun City (15,000), Havanda Mine (5,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S7); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

There is no direct jump route to Ardun from Narn space; to get there without going off the main hyperspace routes, a ship must curve through Centauri territory and Narn transports often do, under heavy escort (though the ships do not actually exist in Centauri space; they travel along the jump routes in hyperspace). Until the War of Retribution, the Centauri put up with it, not willing to risk a war they felt they could not win over a world they’d abandoned. That changed in 2259 when the Centauri fleet, feeling invincible after the mass driver bombing of the Narn homeworld, chose to eradicate the beleaguered system defenses of several worlds along their borders. Because so many of Ardun IV’s ships had been diverted to aid in the war effort, little remained to resist the Centauri ships that assailed them. In less than an hour, the world was stripped of Narn inhabitation and a Republic flag was erected over Ardun City. Persistent rumours indicate that an underground force of Narn patriots managed to escape the Centauri purge and have been working tirelessly to destabilise the Republic’s

Batain II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (12,200 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Wet (79%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/9V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 540,000 Centauri/2.4 million Batair; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Fenn (300,000), Uth (150,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S7); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor The Batain system is surrounded by dangerous fluxes and storms in hyperspace, making travel to it difficult. This might have spared the Batair (the indigenous race) their fate, had not the hubris of the Centauri been so great. Despite the difficulties of travel, the Centauri found and conquered Batain early in their expansion and it remains a subjugated world, even as most other such worlds have been liberated or abandoned.

Centauri

Ardun, ‘The World of Four Oceans’, is a reasonably pleasant world located on the borders of Narn and Centauri space. It has a somewhat smaller hydrosphere than Earth but an unusually even distribution of water means there are few deserts, just large areas of savannah. The world was settled by the Centauri during their expansion and then conquered by the Narn during theirs.

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Batain is a large, stable world with a thriving ecosystem. It produces resources but not many; nonetheless, it has a large Centauri population which has become comfortable and settled there, enjoying being in a position of unquestioned superiority. The Batair, very primitive when the Centauri arrived, were beaten down and broken and have been slaves so long they cannot conceive of any other way of life.

Centauri Beta II System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Beta II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 moonlet (40 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Poisonous); Geology: Standard;

Centauri

Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (68%); Continents: 1 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 65F/12V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 130,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: SyncStation 1 (40,000), SyncStation 2 (35,000), SyncStation Alpha (25,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S7); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 4 Trade

Beta III is a stormy, windy world, home to a fairly unusual breed of Centauri – independent, free-spirited and unconcerned with formality. The consensus at the Royal Court is that ‘It is something in the water’. The world teems with hostile life – not so bad as Nakaleen but enough that a trip outside the security of the towns requires a good rifle and a cautious mien.

Beta II is a world which could be a habitable colony world, if the Centauri cared to try; as it is, they prefer to strip it of worth, killing it by inches over the course of centuries. It is a ragged world with many bays, inlets and waterways, and from orbit it looks beautiful. The atmosphere is tainted with a mild toxin and the tectonic activity which gave the world its current turbulent landforms has not yet fully subsided but these would not be serious impediments to true colonisation. However, none of the series of Great Houses which has controlled the extensive mining operations on Beta II has ever expended the effort to make the world a true home.

There are many small cities on Beta III and a surprisingly large percentage of the population live in isolated communities or townships scattered around the world. The world lures Centauri who wish to have a more rustic or independent lifestyle and even the nobility is ‘laid back’. The Court endures this taint of rebellion because the world’s wealth of Quantium–40 is key to the strength of the Republic and because the last attempt to ‘do something about it’ ended in embarrassing failure.

The world is given entirely over to production and resource extraction; every city and base has no other function. The few non-mining businesses and services which operate are controlled entirely by House Callo and serve to funnel whatever ducats a miner might be paid back into the House’s coffers. An economist studying the books of the operation proclaimed that for every ducat a worker on Beta II is paid, he spends one and a tenth in the company stores, until he – and his descendants – are mired in permanent debt. The ‘trade’ stations in orbit around Beta II are primarily ports to transfer minerals from the planet to bulk haulers.

Centauri Beta III System

Star: G1 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Beta III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,300 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 3 moonlets (90 miles, 60 miles & 40 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 70F/15V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 1.8 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Ilashi (200,000), Tenso Dar (175,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C6, S6); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

Bentat System

Star: F2 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Transit Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: Medium

Bentat III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (30%); Oceans: 5 Seas; Climate: 90F/15V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 15,000 resident Centauri/200,000 visitors (95% Centauri, 2% Human, 3% mix of other races); Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Miazi (2,500), Lake Alesta (2,100); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S7); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade Bentat III is a premiere holiday world in the Republic, a world blessed with several unique conditions. Firstly, despite the small amount of surface water, the planet has an incredible supply of sub-surface aquifers, making all but the poles lush with vegetation. Second, it is remarkably poor in minerals, making it useless for mining. Third, nonnative plants grow poorly and native plants do not take well to cultivation, due to complex forms of symbiosis which means that every ‘useful’ plant requires a half-dozen ‘weeds’ in order to grow properly. The result is a world with no value but its natural beauty and the Centauri have exploited that with gusto. The entire economy of the world is given over to resorts and hotels, with the entire population being employed to that end.

Centauri System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 2; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Centauri III (Centauri Prime, Durana) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 (2,600 & 200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 70F/21V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3.4 billion; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Imperial Palace (2 million), Selini (1 million), Lake Sucaro (1 million; Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 45,000, Colonies: 4 Major/8 Minor, Bases: 6 Military, 10 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 3 Trade The capital of the Centauri Republic and the homeworld of the Centauri people, Centauri Prime is still one of the most important worlds in the galaxy, even if its star has dimmed considerably over the past several centuries.

Centauri Prime shows many of the environmental scars of any industrial world but they are old wounds and mostly healed. The Centauri have moved most of their most destructive enterprises off-world, preferring to destroy other planets rather than their own. The planet also has a relatively low population for a major race’s homeworld – the Centauri are surprisingly responsible in controlling their numbers. Some would speculate that this is due primarily to the desire of the nobility to not have too large a population of commoners to keep in line.

Centauri III-Alpha (Vodalo) Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (2,600 miles); Grav: 0.25g; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Vodalo Alpha (8,000), Vodalo South (1,000),

Vodalo is the largest moon of Centauri Prime, and it is immense, as large relative to its primary as Earth’s moon is to Earth. The second moon of Centauri Prime, Akari, is smaller and has a more distant orbit. The first Centauri space flights were to Vodalo and Akari but, whereas most races would view these as important triumphs, the nature of how the Centauri gained space flight (see the Centauri Republic Fact Book) meant that, to them, it was more of a proof of concept. With a working stardrive at their disposal less than a decade after their first moon landing, they spread throughout their system, which was blessed with a second, mostly habitable world. Every world of value in the system was colonised but Vodalo had little worth. Its closeness to Centauri Prime meant that it eventually became a major military base, with much of the fleet stationed in orbit around it.

Centauri IV (Beta I) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 1.4 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Soduro (200,000), Sokol (175,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 2 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

Centauri

Centauri Prime is a slightly cool world with two major continents. At one point, it was home to two sentient races – the Centauri and the Xon. The Xon once dominated and enslaved the Centauri but, long ago, the Centauri managed to turn the tables and exterminate the Xon. Unfortunately for many races, and for the Centauri themselves, they learned exactly the wrong lesson from this.

Vodalo Watchpoint (1,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: None

The Centauri were fortunate to find a second world in their own system which was habitable with minimal effort. Beta I was both the first colony settled by the Centauri and the last active colony remaining in their home system; the rest of the worlds have been tapped out. Beta I is very similar in size and geography to Centauri Prime, though life on it clearly evolved separately, and the atmosphere is somewhat difficult to breathe without a filter (it is high in chlorine; a few hours exposure brings painful irritation and, given time, the destruction of the respiratory tissues). The colony on Beta I was thus relatively easy to establish and it provided a model for future Centauri efforts off-system. The people of Beta I are generally content, prosperous and well-settled. Few new colonists arrive anymore; the vast majority of the population, other than the million or so troops garrisoned at the Brutarin Military Base, are nativeborn.

Coutor System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Coutor II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 200,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Fira Toloth (90,000), Fira Skandeth (80,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Centauri

Coutor was a world ravaged before the Centauri managed to find it. Once, it was a fairly lush and green world, but today it is mostly arid desert, seemingly the result of terraforming gone awry. The former inhabitants left behind considerable technology, which the Centauri eagerly recovered; most of the old ‘tech recovery’ sites are closed but a few remain. The world has a harsh glory to it; the broad, flat, plains which were once submerged continental shelves and the expanses of desiccated forest, preserved from rot by the dry heat, can be soul-stirring… to the right soul. The southern hemisphere is home to one of the few truly deviant cultural offshoots of the Centauri, a group of desert nomads descended from escaped slaves.

Entat System

Star: K9 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Entat IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 3 (1,000 miles, 800 miles & 600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (83%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/9V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: (Barely) Native Intelligence; Pop: 1 million Centauri/3 million Entouro; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Kensaer (300,000), Kanus Rega (250,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Scientific The Entat system is one of the few examples of worlds where the native species did not feel the boot of Centauri

oppression. The Entouro are primitives, barely Neolithic, of little use as slaves and few in number. When the Centauri discovered them, seven years after colonisation, they felt something akin to pity, and the Entouro are protected and cared for. This confuses many other races; some speculate that the Centauri are just waiting for the Entouro to evolve to usefulness. Entat has a single large continent but much of it is frozen under polar ice. Only the southern ‘tail’ of the continent is inhabited. Entat is especially rich in hardwoods and that is the world’s major export. The three moons of Entat all contain mining colonies, making this system one of the most profitable in the Republic.

Gorash System

Star: F5 IV; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 4 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Gorash IV-Alpha Zone: Hot; Size: Medium (2,500 miles); Grav: 0.6g; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Locked (see text); Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 80,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Theris (20,000), Cendar (15,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C5, S6); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade Gorash is a large, uninhabitable and unexploitable world. Gorash-IV-Alpha, its largest moon, is also uninhabitable – but much more exploitable. Ripped free from Gorash during the planet’s molten stage, it is a dense treasure trove of metals and rare compounds. The moon is usually referred to as Gorash; if the planet is being discussed, it is called ‘Gorash Prime’. Gorash is a locked world; it does not rotate on its own axis. The ‘hot’ side is uninhabitable, even for advanced Centauri technology; the ‘cold’ side is the site of all mining operations. Gorashi colonists have adapted the ‘we’re too tough to die’ credo common on such harsh worlds and have an independent streak which is sometimes troubling to the Court. Gorash is also unusual in that no Great House owns the world; commoner business interests run the colonies under Imperial Charter, with only a token noble presence for administration. In 2241, a force of raiders staged a daring assault on Cendar Dome; the attackers were routed in large part by the

leadership of visiting nobleman Urza Jaddo, who became known as the ‘Hero of Gorash’ for his efforts in this.

visitors did come by every year, if only to say they’d done it.

Heptharg System

Unfortunately, this campaign was wasted when the world was seized by the border forces of the Centauri in late 2259. Backed by the Shadows and once again feeling the rhetoric and expansionist drives of their past, the Centauri took control of Heptharg and crushed its token military in a mere 30 minutes. According to its official report, the Centauri Republic took Heptharg as part of a ‘buffer zone’ operation. In truth, the world was most likely recaptured simply because the Centauri felt the need to spite the Drazi for their audacity in the past.

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Heptharg III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,700 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 40,000 Centauri; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Gotharga (6,000), Mozharb (5,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 3 Trade

The Drazi were quite happy to take over but they found little use for the colony. It offered no challenges for survival but also no valuable resources. It has some use as a strategic base but not enough to justify colonisation. However, the fact is, they had it, and they were going to keep it. Response to a Centauri diplomatic request to regain control of the world in return for some minor gifts of technology were met with ‘World belongs to Drazi. Not to Centauri’. After much head-scratching over what to do with a world which had beautiful crystal seas, exquisite glacial lakes glistening in the sun, verdant forests filled with colourful but mostly non-aggressive lifeforms and other useless geographic and biological features, the Drazi hit on the concept of tourism. An extensive campaign offering other races (‘Rare chance see Freehold! Learn Drazi culture! Fine Drazi food! Look pretty birds!’) was kicked off with, it must be noted, minimal success. Nonetheless, a small trickle of

Star: F4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (1 Cold, 2 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Immolan V Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,700 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (86%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 84 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Fugoro Prima (1 million), Shiel (900,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 2 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 5 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

Centauri

Heptharg III was seized from the Centauri in ‘The Battle of a Single Hour’, when a small Drazi fleet overwhelmed the single large cruiser stationed to guard the world, as well as the dozen or so unarmed transports which were refuelling in orbit. Heptharg was planned as a Centauri vacation world – low gravity, stable climate with no mineral or agricultural resources to exploit. The Centaurum felt the best use for the world was as a place for nobles to maintain vast auxiliary estates and development plans called for each Great House to be give a region of the planet to do with as they pleased. At the time of the Drazi attack, though, no one was actually on the world but a workforce of commoners preparing the infrastructure for eventual colonisation.

Immolan System

The largest remaining Centauri colony world, Immolan is one of the jewels of the Republic. It is a perfect match for Centauri Prime and, some would say, more than perfect – it is a fresh and unspoiled world, whereas Prime is somewhat worn and ragged. The world’s geography is slightly unusual; it has a single large continent girdling the planet, forming a sort of sine wave pattern. A few spots in the ‘band’ are very thin and until recently (geologically speaking) were open, allowing the northern and southern oceans to intermix. Occasionally, there is talk of adding a canal but very few goods are transported by water anymore and most of the major cities are well inland, so this rarely amounts to much more than an attempt by House Mollari to funnel a little money into their own coffers for ‘feasibility studies’. Immolan is surrounded by a vast warfleet, the second largest permanently stationed in the Republic. Only Centauri Prime is better protected.

Jux System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Jux IV (Jux Prime)

Centauri

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (88%); Continents: 10 Small; Climate: 80F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 750,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Dullust (100,000), Gebrin (80,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor Jux Prime is often considered ‘next to go’ when discussing the dwindling Centauri Republic. It is a wet world of countless small continents and archipelagos, a world constantly battered by infall from the nearby Jux Belt. This has left the world battered in many places and what land there is often cratered. Unlike some similar worlds, such as Thenavi, there are no documented ‘safe zones’ where no meteors fall. Long ago, Jux Prime was designated an auxiliary capital of the Empire, in anticipation of planned expansion which never came. A perfect replica of the Imperial Palace was constructed here long ago and every change to the Palace on Centauri Prime is mirrored. However, the Emperor has never bothered to stay in it, or even visit it, a fact of supreme annoyance to the Jux colonists. The inhabitants of Jux Prime have an arrogance out of proportion to their actual position or importance to the Republic; this may well be an attempt to keep themselves always in the Royal Court’s eye, a reminder that they are still here. If so, this strategy is backfiring badly.

Marigol System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Marigol II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Wet (99%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced;

Pop: 17,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Miamal Naval Ground (9,000), Fendo Transfer Point (7,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Marigol in one word: Wet. Marigol is the wettest world in the Republic, with no meaningful land masses at all and this makes the world extremely valuable, as the planet-girdling ocean consists entirely of fresh water – enough to supply the Republic for millennia, if it lasts that long. There are no true colonies on Marigol, although the Fendo Transfer Point (which serves to ‘mine’ fresh water and package it up for shipment offworld) has been controlled by the same guilds for generations. There is also a permanent naval base where the Centauri ‘wet navy’ maintains a shipyard and training facility. In addition to its military function, the Miamal base plays host to a steady stream of off-duty military personnel who have chosen to spend their allotted vacation hours here, enjoying the pleasant weather, the company of fellow military men and the spectacular deep-sea fishing.

Mipas System

Star: K5 I; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Open

Mipas I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,100 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 60F/41V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Sozan (5,000); Gov: Drazi Protectorate (P3, D5, C1, S2); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Mipas is a world no one appears to want. A cold, barren world, habitable only thanks to the omnipresent photosynthetic mould which covers most of the ground surface and the land-starfish that feed on it, it has become a dumping ground for Drazi and some Corillani and Centauri, who have nowhere else to go but do not want to flee too far from home. Drifters of all sorts end up here, living in the shantytown of Sozan. Technically, a Drazi governor runs the place, but he rarely leaves his estate. The position is usually given as a ‘reward’ for exceptional incompetence in other areas or for angering those who should not be angered.

In truth, the position is little more than a placeholder, as the system is firmly in the dominion of Centauri space. At any time, the Centauri could overwhelm the local forces and enforce their rule.

The Future of Mipas III

Morbis System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Morbis III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: 1 moonlet (30 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: 1 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 7 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Shenduran (1.5 million), Kennoth (900,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Trade Morbis is comfortable world with two notable features – it is rich in veins of heavy metals, which make it desirable for mining, and it has an unusually active magnetosphere which plays havoc with communications. Because the world is nicely habitable, the Centauri are somewhat careful in their mining; the world is not being decimated, merely harvested.

Nakaleen I Source: IPX/Kyven/ax.221 Grade: Beta/Theta The permanent colonists on Morbis enjoy the fact that the world’s magnetic interference often places them out of touch with their homeworld; it frees them from some of the tedium of the eternal political struggle. There is an auxiliary Imperial Palace on the southern continent; the Emperor uses it when he wishes to be disturbed as little as possible. ‘The Emperor has gone to Morbis’ is a phrase meaning ‘Expect big trouble’ – it implies the Emperor is alone to think and plan, without interference from any but his most trusted advisors.

Centauri

In 2269, valuable mineral deposits are unearthed by a sudden surge of volcanic activity. Mipas gains a massive surge in population (increasing by 50,000 over the next two years) and is officially claimed by the Drazi, a claim few governments recognise. The Centauri, in fact, fully seize the world in 2274, turning it into a source of slave labour for the Drakh, though the Drakh involvement remains a secret for some time.

Nakaleen System

Star: K9 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Low

Nakaleen I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 4 (500, 400, 350 & 300 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (35%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 2 Seas; Climate: 90F/30V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: (barely) Native Intelligence; Pop: 7 million; Tech: (ruins of ) Very Advanced; Cities: Gendarus (abandoned); Gov:

Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S9); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Scientific ‘Janos VII? Nasty, yes! But it’s no Nakaleen!’ To the Centauri, Nakaleen is synonymous with ‘Hell’. It is the most deadly planet in the Republic, and one of the few worlds even the Centauri at their height could not conquer. 20,000 colonists died in the first and only attempt to settle the world. Nakaleen is a much moister world than it would appear to be. Though only 35% of the surface is covered with water, a complex natural system of chasms and aquifers keep water well distributed across the planet, with few areas where there is no water more than 20 or 30 feet below the surface. The Nakaleen trees have deep roots to exploit this omnipresent bounty. Nakaleen is home to uncounted hostile species but the dominant predator is the semi-sentient Nakaleen Feeder.

Centauri

Nefua System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Nefua VI Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (7,400 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: High Density (1.5) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Very Dry (2%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 80F/39V;

Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 90,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Algolan (15,000), Forigan (12,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade Nefua should be a frozen wasteland but high levels of geothermal activity and an atmosphere which traps heat make it surprisingly hot. Unfortunately, trapping heat is all the atmosphere does; it cannot sustain life. Nefua is a waterless, barren world, inhabited only because it is rich in valuable metals which are easily extracted. The entire population of Nefua consists of workers at the mines, the transfer point or the orbital administration satellite. There are no permanent colonists, and indeed, the only females on the planet are those serving administrative or ‘recreational’ functions. Being assigned to Nefua is usually considered a punishment, if not a death sentence; while conditions in the mines are better than those on worlds with a native slave population, it is a very high-risk job and not one which any commoner would volunteer for if he had a choice. The only thing keeping the mines from breaking down into rebellion are the high bonuses paid for successful mineral strikes.

Quadrant 1

Star: G6 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Quadrant 1/II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,100 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.15) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (83%); Continents: 6 Small; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 1.2 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities:

Tindorth (400,000), Sinda Moliebo (300,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 6,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade Quadrant 1 is a vital world on the new borders of the Republic. Rich in agricultural and mineral wealth and situated in an advantageous position for trade and observation, it is also a primary target for hostile forces; no fewer than three major assaults have been levelled against the planet since the Centauri first colonised it. The garrison fleet surrounding it was decimated by the Narn during the early days of the War of Retribution and is only now being rebuilt. The debris field around the planet from the many space battles which have been fought there is such that craft passing through it are treated as if passing through a Medium density asteroid belt; it will take five turns to pass through this debris.

Quadrant 8

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: High

Quadrant 8/II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (5,700 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Wet (90%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/24V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 4 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Burago’s Retreat (25,000), Wuerdon (20,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific, 2 Trade Given how the Centauri enjoy living to excess, it is surprising that there are so few ‘pleasure planets’ in the Republic. Quadrant 8 is one of those few. A world of scattered archipelagos and warm climate, it is home to a few million very lucky colonists and countless resorts. It is one of the places Centauri commoners will save their ducats for years to afford and a very common spot for romantic trysts by the nobility.

Quadrant 8 is a favourite vacation spot for non-Centauri looking for someplace ‘exotic’; there are three resorts which cater specifically to Human tourists and one which offers a mix of environments and options for other species. Humans or others are a rare site at the remaining resort areas but not utterly unknown.

Quadrant 17

Star: F5 V; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Hab), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Quadrant 17/I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (81%); Continents: 1 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 1 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Geldon Kor (150,000), Duramar (140,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor

Centauri

Settlements and outposts are scattered across the world, with five of the six smallish continents holding major cities. The long history of war against this world has left the colonists with a stoic courage; they can take anything and come back fighting.

The pragmatic (some would say, greedy) side of the Centauri personality cannot leave paradise unpaved, however, and extensive underwater mining and extraction operations do exist on the world. These have grown in scale as the Republic has shrunk, leaving it fewer worlds to exploit and making the setting aside of one world solely for entertainment a luxury it can ill afford. Nonetheless, the operations have yet to seriously damage the environment and there are enough Great Houses with stakes in the resort industry that it is likely mining will not get too out of hand.

Quadrant 17 is a testament to the Centauri tenacity which made them great in the first place and which is rarely seen today. It is a world with a harsh, almost toxic, atmosphere (natives are used to it; newcomers should wear respirators for their first week or suffer a –1 penalty to all checks) and only sparse life. The world was conquered by the Centauri from the Orieni and they have clung to it since then, despite a series of attacks on it from several League worlds. Most of them wanted it because the Centauri had it and the Centauri hold onto it because, well, other people want it. Some would claim this is the history of the universe in microcosm. A significant amount of the population still works on tech reclamation at Oro Base; the rest hold a variety of jobs. The colony is self-sustaining and settlements are widespread;

anywhere the world could support a town, whether via agriculture or mining, a town was planted. The folk of Quadrant 17 are stubborn and proud but also slightly bitter; the Republic is occasionally seen as willing to let the world go, despite their long and valiant struggle to hold it. If the Republic ever withdrew support, it is likely that the local fleet, staffed almost entirely by natives, would remain behind.

Quadrant 32

Star: G3 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold); Features: Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Centauri

Quadrant 32/III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,700 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: 1 (500 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 2 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 75F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 27,000 Centauri/40,000 Antareans/11,000 Golians; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Antar Beta (25,000), Uldain (15,000); Gov: Shared between Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8), Golian Assembly (P8, D6, C4, S8) and Antares Families (P1, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Trade Quadrant 32 is a very typical colony world physically while being a very atypical one politically. It is shared, with reasonable grace, between three governments – the Centauri, the Antareans and the Golians. Its strategic position as a gateway to Lumati, Antarean and Golian space made it valuable but the Centauri were unwilling to fight too hard to keep it – they had ignored it when colonising Golia, for example, and only their shrinking borders made it newly valuable. While the planet’s three populations remain physically separate, except for a few towns set aside to serve as trading posts, there has been some degree of cultural interchange. The Centauri of Uldain have a taste for Antarean Flarn and some of the Golians at Golostara have begun to incorporate elements of Centauri design into their clothing, to the disgust of many back on their homeworld. The treaty of Quadrant 32 strictly controls the dispersion of population; all citizens live in central, urban areas, giving this world none of the small outposts and isolated homesteads common on colony worlds.

Quadrant 37

Star: G9 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Quadrant 37/II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,600 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 82F/37V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 14,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Quadrant 37 Outpost (14,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade Quadrant 37’s only habitable world has much to offer and has been a valuable planet for the Narn in the past. Unfortunately, its defences fell near the end of 2258 when an unknown force now identified as the Shadows sliced through its barrier of one military battle station and three heavy cruisers in a few short moments. This allowed the Centauri to simply take the world as their own while the Narn government reeled from the sudden and incomprehensible loss. While the outpost in Quadrant 37 was vital to the continued supply of much needed food and medicinal elements, the Narn could not immediately strike back and reclaim it because of the large garrison placed there by the Centauri. This occupation, along with the provocation embodied by such a swift and ruthless extermination of the outpost’s personnel, propelled the two galactic powers into a violent war that cloaked a much more destructive campaign (the Great War of 2259). While both sides might have been more cautious about starting such a huge conflict, centuries of turmoil and hatred ensured that arms were taken up with little thought behind the reasons why. After the Great War, Quadrant 37 remained in the hands of the Centauri Republic mostly as a matter of convenience. The Narn did not have the military force to reclaim it, the Interstellar Alliance would not move on one of its allies even if bid to do so by another and the Centauri Republic made it very clear that they would not give it up without a fight. For such a small world in such an unwelcoming system, the outpost planet of Quadrant 37 has become more famous for the blood shed over it than any material benefit it could possibly provide.

Raghesh System

Star: G3 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Raghesh III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,100 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (300 miles) & 1 moonlet (100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (82%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/24V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 40,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Raghesh SyncStation (8,000), Keffa (7,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

Raghesh was attacked by the Narn in 2258, who destroyed the orbiting agricultural research station and landed troops at Keffa as a prelude towards securing the whole planet. Claims that the locals has ‘asked’ for the Narn ‘protection’ were dismissed without consideration. Shrewd diplomatic manoeuvring on the part of Jeffrey Sinclair helped liberate

Tolonius System

Star: F5 IV; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 5 Gas (3 Cold, 2 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Tolonius VII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (12,600 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/26V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 13 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Givan Tor (800,000), Fenarda (700,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 6,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade ‘There is only one flaw to Tolonius… the Tolonians!’ Tolonius is a world with a mild climate, a continental structure seemingly designed by the Great Maker to ensure the best possible distribution of water and limit inclement weather, stable tectonic structure, fertile soil and rich mineral veins. It was settled early in Centauri history, via a scheme which certainly looked like a good idea at the time – the worst nobles of Centauri Prime were packed up and shipped to Tolonius, in the hopes they could make something of themselves and it.

Centauri

Raghesh 3 is a peaceful agricultural colony, one which is almost rustic in nature. One large continent sprawls awkwardly over the world, with various climactic zones along it providing a wide range of environments in which to grow crops. The world is so blessed in fertile soil that it is a centre for Centauri agricultural experimentation; the native farmers tend to shake their heads in bemusement over the antics of the scientists who understand everything about agriculture except how to grow crops.

the world without bloodshed but the brief occupation greatly troubled the peaceful farmers, making them painfully aware of how war can strike anywhere, at any time. As of 2262, the orbital research facility has not been rebuilt but a much stronger military garrison has been put in place.

It did not work. The inbred, arrogant and lazy colonists, resentful at being shipped off against their will, did as little as possible to develop the planet, and turned whatever wealth the world did produce (via the onerous labour of the commoners drafted along with them)

Centauri

to their own luxury, not the good of the Republic. The ensuing centuries have reinforced the very traits which got the original colonist selected in the first place and today, Tolonius is a world renowned for having the most obnoxious nobility in the Republic and, as G’kar once noted: ‘They’re up against some pretty good competition!’ An exception to this general rule is Hevaria Orbital Shipyard, run independently of the planetary government. It maintains its own military-controlled mines and processing plants planetside and is a major source of vessels for the Republic Fleet.

Tumbar System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Tumbar IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,400 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (45%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 4 Seas; Climate: 80F/21V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 2 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Tumbar City (1.7 million), Klathu

(100,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 900, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade Tumbar is a somewhat dry, well-populated world in the core area of the Republic. It is home to an unusual segment of the Centauri population – older, retired nobles and their retinues dwell here. The world has one smallish ocean but it is also gifted with countless small lakes in the centre of the main continent. Tumbar City is built around two dozen of those lakes, which are spanned by graceful bridges and walkways. Exactly how Tumbar became a destination for retirement is unknown. ‘Dreaming of Tumbar’ is how a noble feeling weary of the daily grind often describes himself. The ageing population retains its grip on power, however, which is how Tumbar has been preserved from attempts to turn it into another mining or resource colony.

Ventari System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (2 Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: Medium

Ventari III [pre–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (40%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 60F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 4 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Callio (400,000), Bornia (300,000); Gov: Centauri Republic (P2, D7, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade

Ventari III is one of the older Centauri colonies, an agricultural world well-known for its extensive fruit orchards (grown on the flat plateaux which rise above the river canyons that form a maze around the Galina Ocean) and not at all known for the numerous military research bases hidden in the cave systems around the Baklina Ocean. Every so often, someone outside the inner circles of the Ministry of Defence does the math and notes that, fine fruit or no fine fruit, Ventari is not self-supporting and should be cut loose; such individuals are much praised for their diligence and cleverness and then are never seen again. Ventari is unique for another reason – it has the largest non-Centauri, non-native population of any world in the Republic. The ruling House, House Balido, has always been somewhat ‘eccentric’, and adopted an immigrantfriendly policy shocking to the rest of the Republic. But they had the connections, at the time, to get an Imperial Decree allowing it, one no Emperor since has bothered to rescind. House Balido no longer exists on Centauri Prime but they retain their strength and control on Ventari III. The military scientists don’t mind – this is another form of misdirection. Who would suspect a network of military labs on a world filled with ‘alien spies’? Of course, extreme measures were taken to keep said aliens far from the Baklina region; it was well known that the lands between Galina and Baklina are often swept by vicious windstorms, resulting in many sad and tragic disappearances of craft which attempt the crossing.

Centauri

The Kefio Centre for Geriatric Medicine is located in Tumbar City; this is one of the leading centres of medical research in the Republic and they are kept well funded by donations from the wealthy and grateful patrons which surround them. Young doctors vie to be assigned to Kefio, not out of a desire to help the aged but because pleasing a single ageing noble can mean a favourable contact high up in a Great House and the chance to write their own ticket when their time on Tumbar ends.

Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Very Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: Centauri Republic; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

During the Shadow War, many weapons systems and experimental technologies given to the Centauri by their ‘associates’ made their way to Ventari, unknown to most of the millions who lived and worked there. Because of this, the Vorlons destroyed Ventari in 2261. The Ventari jump gate was also destroyed.

Ventari III [post–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Inert; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (40%); Continents: 2 oceans; Climate: 40F/26V; Bio

Ch’lon Hunting Grounds

Ch'lon

Ch’lon System

The Ch’lon took their grand hunt to space when they found a Centauri-built jump gate in their outer system, and the battles to seize it were spectacular, resulting in the destruction of three hives and the deaths of half a billion in a single week. The Centauri had built the gate in anticipation of conquest and rimward expansion but funding was pulled before Ch’lon could be pacified. Nonetheless, the Republic archives claim the Ch’lon were a Centauri client race. Only after the first ships to pass through returned and reported a universe teeming with prey did the ceaseless Ch’lon wars… cease.

Star: F5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Debris, Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Ch’lon Supreme Order; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Very High

The Humans, after the initial shock of attack without any provocation or cause, won handily, due to both superior technology and skill at working with each other. The Ch’lon had a habit of turning on each other during combat, old instincts declaring that: ‘Two may bring down the prey but only one shall devour it!’

Ch’lon IV

Despite desperate efforts to overcome their racial weakness, the Ch’lon have still not learned how to truly work together as a race. If they ever do, the galaxy will rightly tremble. As it is, their every effort to expand is crushed by their neighbours.

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,500 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 1 (500 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.3) Breathable (Tainted – Poisonous); Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 3 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 90F/39V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 6 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Chk’kal (50 million), Cach’kil (45 million); Gov: Ch’lon Supreme Order (P2, D1, C10, S5); Orbital Pop: 100,000, Colonies: 4 Major/8 Minor, Bases: 7 Military, 8 Monitor ‘If they were not meant to be devoured, the Great Maker would not have made them prey!’ The Ch’lon have been described as ‘bug men’ and this is close to the truth, though they possess endoskeletons and are an individualistic, not hive-mind, species. Unlike the Thrakallans, they are active in the galaxy at large and wish to be more so, but they are hemmed in by their neighbours, who rightly fear allowing the voracious Ch’lon to expand too far. The fast-breeding and radiation-resistant Ch’lon easily replace their numbers lost to constant war. Ch’lon is a world where jungles of vine and fog wrap around jungles of steel and glass. The Ch’lon evolved as hive-dwellers, protected against the many things which wanted to eat them and they retained their hives as they moved from mud to clay to steel to high-impact plastic as building materials. Every major city on Ch’lon has, at its heart, one of the original mud hives the race originally evolved in. The Ch’lon believe there is nothing in the universe but predators and prey. Characters are either victor or victim, winner or loser. Compromise is nothing more than a means of distracting an enemy the Ch’lon cannot defeat immediately. It is said that Drakh scouts who found Ch’lon hid this fact from their Shadow masters, out of fear the instinctive Ch’lon embodiment of the Shadows’ philosophy would cause the Drakh to be replaced.

Ch’lon IV Source: IPX/Marford/ex.33b Grade: Delta/Pi

Corillani Corillan System

Star: F9 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Corillan Hierarchs; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Corillan III

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (700 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 4 Seas; Climate: 90F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Morollion (3 million), Vallian’s Fane (2 million); Gov: Corillan Hierarchs (P3, D3, C8, S7); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 4 Monitor

The Corillani are a deeply religious people, practicing a varied polytheistic religion which produced gods and goddesses to serve every need, from early gods of fire and blood to later gods of computers and radiation. Constant disagreements over which deities were true and which were false, which were stronger and which were weaker, kept the world in a near constant state of a simmering, and sometimes boiling, war. When the Corillani achieved the technology for simple in-system travel, an idealistic group decided they had had enough of religious war and constructed a generation ship, which was launched with the intent of founding a united, peaceful, colony when it arrived at its destination. On Corillan, though, religious war took a different turn, resulting in a shift from polytheism to monotheism, with one god, Corillan, ruling over all others, who were downgraded to servitors rather than deities. Then, the Centauri came, saw and conquered. Corillan became a colony world, well-treated due to their advanced technology and skill at warfare but a conquered world just the same. The Centauri played on Corillan religion to cast themselves as messengers from Corillan and this played well for a time. The discovery by the Centauri of the progress of the generation ship caused them to send ships to the Orillan colony as well. The wavering fortunes of the Centauri eventually led to a retreat from Corillan space – however, into the power vacuum stepped the Narn. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Unlike the Centauri, though, the Narn avoided interference in the local faith and treated the Corillani with considerable respect. Under

Corillan today is a prosperous, industrial world, which still retains considerable mineral wealth, despite Centauri extraction efforts – Corillan was used more as an advanced processing and fabrication world than a source of raw materials. Their space fleet, while not capable of conquering a vast empire, is strong enough to dissuade casual assaults on their space. Furthermore, their location makes them a buffer between the Narn and the Centauri, and neither side wishes to see the other reconquer this territory, meaning that there is an implied, but not explicit, protection pact with both governments against the other. The Corillani are a humanoid species with a somewhat avian facial cast – hairless, with skin tight to the skull, somewhat ‘bulging’ eyes and a beaklike facial structure. They are egg-layers and mate for life. The current Corillani government is a theocracy which permits ‘competing’ religions to exist, provided they do not proselytise or seek to overthrow the ruling priests.

Orillan System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Corillan Hierarchs; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Orillan I

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,200 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (55%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 50F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 250,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Orillan’s Kiss (150,000), Great Blessings (40,000); Gov: Corillan Hierarchs (P3, D3, C8, S7); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military

Corillani

Corillan is a cool, wet world, whose inhabitants have had the bad luck to be sandwiched between the Narn and the Centauri and the good luck to survive it. The native species, the Corillan, is an intelligent humanoid race which evolved when climactic shifts dried the marshes in which their ancestors lived. The increasing difficulty of finding water on the predator-strewn plains led to co-operation and sentience. The pattern then was typical – fire, metal working, war, empire and eventually an awareness of the universe and a desire to find their place in it.

Narn ‘protection’, Corillan began to flourish and when the Narn themselves pulled back following the Dilgar War, the Corillani were able to assert themselves as a united people.

The colonists who first caught site of Orillan, after generations of travel and promises, must surely have had their faith tested, if not shattered. Slight errors in the long-distance scans which located the world meant the promised land of bounty was, instead, frozen tundra most of the year and muddy slush the rest. The air was thin, the gravity light, the humidity unpleasant – but this was a one-way trip. Their ship was to become the temple at the heart of their new city. The Corillani folk trusted to their gods and set in with a will. Soon after their settlement had taken hold, new gods came, with strange fibres on their head and machines and technology no one could imagine. They also brought word of Corillan, the homeworld the colonists’ ancestors had departed. On Corillan, things had changed; the many gods were gone, replaced with one, and the servants of the god, the Centauri, were everywhere. The Orillan, aghast and horrified, wanted nothing to do with these ‘heretics’. The Centauri, however, wanted one people to rule over, not two, and forced the two cultures together, creating in the process a religious resistance to their rule. The Orillani rebels proved the key to securing the independence of the Corillani people. Following the final departure of the Narn, the two worlds attained a peaceful unity under a government close to that of the original theocracy.

Deneth Denova System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Hot); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Deneth Communion; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Deneth

Denova IV (Deneth)

This would normally lead to a ‘war of all against all’, as few worlds with even two sentient races can find peace, but the Denovans, either naturally or with the aid of the Vorlons, have something of an edge – they are all at least slightly telepathic and this has led to war among them being almost unknown. Each Denovan is always slightly in-tune with the feelings of others and the planet managed to reach orbit with a minimum of war and violence.

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,000 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Very Wet (95%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 500 million; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Verenon (20,000), Colian (15,000); Gov: Deneth Communion (P9, D1, C9, S10); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military

However, this ill-prepared them for contact with the war-torn galaxy at large. After emerging into space at the time of the Dilgar War and then seeing the ravages of the Earth-Minbari War going on as well, the Deneth decided to wall themselves off. Using their abilities as surreptitiously as possible, they began negotiating with other races for technology and found the Narn willing to sell them weapons and hulls. Thus secured, they retreated back to their homeworld.

Deneth is a glistening water world, with only two large archipelago chains marring the green, glassy surface of its sea. A constantly churning tectonic system belches forth new islands in these chains on a regular basis, turning the surrounding sea grey with ash for a time. The world has long since adapted to this and many local species thrive on the outpourings of soot. The ever-changing land surface of Denova has kicked evolution into high gear and has made Denova unique among all known inhabited worlds in that there are seven distinct subspecies of Denovans.

Psi Corps is constantly sending agents to Deneth, attempting to sneak past their defences, in the hopes of capturing DNA samples and more. These actions are conducted under an extremely tight veil of secrecy.

Descara Bestine System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Descaran Elders; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Bestine II (Descara) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,000 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 100F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Grawook (3 million), Akan (2 million); Gov: Descaran Elders (P3, D3, C6, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor

Descara has little of its surface not covered in rich plant life; even the poles hold soaring pine-like forests, while the seas are covered in mats of kelp and algae so dense a Human can walk across them with little danger of falling in. Around, under and through the jungles, forests and swamps prowl countless predators. If there exists anything which can be eaten, something on Bestine II has evolved to eat it – and something has evolved to eat that, and so on. The Descarans evolved in this environment and it shows. Where most sentient races lost their natural weapons, the Descarans retained theirs. They have mouths filled with sharp fangs and their hands terminate in vicious, raking claws. Descaran items are designed to account for this; non-Descarans using Descaran technology suffer a –1 racial modifier to all appropriate checks, and vice-versa. Physically, the Descarans are ‘ape like’, with a hunched posture and a sloping brow. The size of the brain cavity seems inadequate to the task of holding a sentient mind but the Descaran brain has a dense cellular structure, with far more neural connections per cubic inch than most other sentient species. They have dense muscles, too – a Descaran can easily defeat a Narn in hand to hand combat, something the Narn learned firsthand.

They did not wait overlong. The Narn, smarting from defeat at N’chak’fah, placed the world they named Bestine next on their agenda of conquest. Without planetary defences, they foresaw swift victory – only to find the paranoid Descarans had hid fleets of defensive ships beneath the jungle canopies of their world. The Narn fleet, caught by surprise, was beaten and sent fleeing; those few Narn ships who managed to land troops were lucky to take off. The Descarans studied the remnants of the Narn vessels and improved their ships still further. They also deactivated (though they did not destroy) their jump gate, cutting off many of the rimward worlds from the League. The Dilgar attacked Bestine and would have destroyed it, had the Earth Alliance not intervened in time. This led the Descarans to a slightly less xenophobic view of the universe. While they do not yet have full relations with any other species, they are at least making tentative stabs towards diplomacy and the Bestine jump gate is open for transit by other races, though the Descarans have advanced scanning systems located just inside and around the gate and will shut down access if it appears anything hostile is coming through.

Descara

Descara is a teeming jungle world, a ‘deathworld’ on par with Janos VII and Nakaleen, with one major distinction – this world gave rise to sentient life, life tough enough to survive and reach skyward on a world where survival is not a daily battle but an eternal war.

Descarans are a paradox – mighty but fearful. They are intensely xenophobic. They raised themselves from savagery to space, took a cautious look around and decided the universe was filled with dangers. True, so was their homeworld, but they had long since learned to deal with those – no nasty surprises. They retreated to their own planet, prepared themselves, waited and watched.

A brief war with the Gaim, begun when the Descari shot down a Gaim probe ship, cost them temporary access to T’lad’tha and the neutral worlds of Sin’talith and Gamma VII. These were later restored but the Descarans learned another painful lesson about shooting first and asking questions later. Indeed, the Descarans still do not understand how close the Gaim came to simply exterminating their species. The Descarans are governed by a sort of ‘Senate of Elders’. The oldest and most cunning Descarans are respected for their ability to survive and the oldest of them all form the planet’s leading body. There is no form of senility known to affect the Descarans, so for them age truly does bring wisdom.

T’lad’tha System

Star: K9 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Descaran Elders; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

T’lad’tha II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (5,400 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (5%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 110F/10V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Grankor Mine (15,000); Gov: Descaran Elders (P3, D3, C6, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Descara

Dry where Bestine is wet; barren where Bestine is lush; cold where Bestine is hot. The Great Maker surely has a sense of humour, making the only viable colony world for the Descarans a world so different from their home.

T’lad’tha is a dry, thin-atmosphere world orbiting a dim orange star. It is, however, extremely dense, very rich in metals, many of which are easily accessed from the surface. The Descarans felt that the Narn attack, though repulsed, exposed potential weakness. As much to avoid keeping all their eggs in one basket as to secure minerals, they founded a colony on

T’lad’tha, the only world within easy reach which was not already claimed and which had any sort of redeeming value. It also had an existing jump gate, a legacy of some long-gone race’s expansion into this region, making it especially useful. They established habitation domes (using holography to recreate the lush foliage and lethal predators of home, without which they felt desperately homesick) and began to mine. This worked well for a few years. Then the Dilgar came and scoured the colony. Only a handful of Descarans, deep within the mines, managed to survive. They were found years later when a Descaran fleet arrived to survey the damage and attempt to rebuild. T’lad’tha today remains the Descarans only colony world. As with the Bestine system, the Descarans permit travel through the jump gate, but do not offer any sort of services or trade. There is only one major mining dome on T’lad’tha but there are a dozen or so smaller domes scattered around the world, exploring locations for a second major colony.

Dilgar Imperium

Continents: 2 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 5 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Ogkarin (8 million), Vhadar (6 million); Gov: Dilgar Imperium (P3, D3, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 50,000, Colonies: 3 Major/7 Minor, Bases: 5 Military, 6 Monitor, 1 Trade

Innata System

Omelos III [post–2235]

Innata IV-Beta [pre–2232]

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Thin (0.1) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (10%); Continents: 3 seas; Climate: 100F/43V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Star: F2 IV; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (Hot), 1 Gas (Hab); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dilgar Imperium [None post–2232]; Threat Level: Very High [Medium post–2232]; Security Level: Very High [Very Low post–2232]

Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (1,400 miles); Grav: 0.2g; Atmo: Very Thin (0.1) Corrosive; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Climate: 150F/20V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 2,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Innata Refinery (2,000); Gov: Dilgar Imperium (P3, D3, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 300, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Innata IV-Beta [post–2232]

The first unclaimed system the Dilgar found was virtually useless. A blazing sun cast the inner planets in unimaginable heat and the only world placed in the distant habitable zone was a gas giant with a paltry selection of moons. The Dilgar War Council had promised that they would plant the flag of the Dilgar on another world, though… and so they did, choosing the only moon with a hint of worth, a volcanic wasteland which nonetheless produced a variety of useful gasses. A refinery colony, staffed mostly by prisoners and slaves, was established there. Life expectancy for a worker at the refinery was measured in months. Nonetheless, the Dilgar could honestly say they were now a starfaring race.

Omelos System

Star: G5 V [pre–2235]; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dilgar Imperium [None post–2235]; Threat Level: Very High [Medium post–2235]; Security Level: Very High [Low post–2235]

Omelos III [pre–2235] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (75%);

Dilgar

Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (1,400 miles); Grav: 0.2g; Atmo: Very Thin (0.1) Corrosive; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Climate: 150F/20V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Innata Refinery (abandoned); Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

The history of Omelos is written in blood. War has defined the Dilgar from their earliest days. At the onset of their history, three breeds of Dilgar – the Tall, the Dark and the Prime – existed on the three main continents of Omelos. The Dark and Prime breeds interacted often and violently – though they were really the same species, there was instant and immediate hatred between them, with each struggling to defeat and enslave the other. The only moment of truce in this ceaseless war came when the Tall Dilgar arrived from the more distant third continent. More advanced than the other two breeds both ethically and technologically, they attempted to bring peace and enlightenment – and succeeded only in uniting Prime and Dark against them in a war of extermination. The Tall Dilgar were driven back to their home continent and mostly wiped out. After this, war resumed as usual, with the Dark Dilgar losing their own homelands to the Prime, retreating to the lands they had taken from the Tall. At this point, there was stagnation. The Dark Dilgar had the edge in technology but were not capable of launching an effective attack. The Prime, then, turned their focus to research. The advantages of advanced technology became apparent quickly; indeed, scientists and thinkers began to be elevated over common soldiers, so long as their work was of direct, tangible benefit. Whereas in many races, the intellectual classes tended to be slightly pacifistic or idealistic, among the Prime Dilgar, to be a thinker was to think about killing. The Prime Dilgar scientific community, as the race moved from gunpowder to fission, was founded on the premise of: ‘When I publish, someone else shall perish.’ It was fission which ended the stalemate. The Prime reached atomic power first and used it ruthlessly. Within a few years, the surviving Dark Dilgar were enslaved. There was now only one power on Omelos – the Dilgar Imperium, which continued to advance itself, desperate to keep growing as its economy, founded on war and death, began to founder for the lack of an enemy. Their world was scarred by atomic weapons and damaged by unrelenting

environmental exploitation in the name of warfare. They had nowhere to go but out… What they found displeased them – countless worlds, all held by races they were not yet ready to fight. Only to antispinward were there any worlds to seize easily, and seize them they did, though none were especially useful. The Dilgar did not want any race to spy on them or learn anything about them which might be construed as a weakness, so they put up a front of peaceful isolationism, demanding no race cross their borders and promising the same in return. A few experimental forays by other races demonstrated the Dilgar’s ability to make good their threats and they were left alone.

Dilgar

Eventually, the Dilgar would have launched a war, but it happened much sooner than anyone had planned. The sun was showing signs of instability; a sudden core implosion was imminent. Rather than beg for help or a world they could settle, the Dilgar launched an all-out assault on the League worlds, casting a quarter of the known galaxy into bloody war. The war finally ended with the Dilgar driven back to their home system in 2232 and confined there. A few years later, in 2235, the sun flared, scouring the system clean. No life remains on Omelos and the Dilgar are considered to be extinct.

Rohric System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dilgar Imperium [None post–2232]; Threat Level: Very High [Very Low post–2232]; Security Level: Very High [Very Low post–2232]

Rohric III [pre–2232] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 moon (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 110F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Rohric Base (5,000); Gov: Dilgar Imperium (P3, D3, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade

Rohric III [post–2232] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 moon (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Continents: 1 ocean, 2 seas; Climate: 110F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (abandoned) Advanced; Cities: Rohric Base (abandoned); Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade (abandoned) Rohric offered the Dilgar’s best hope for a permanent colony, but it was still a substandard world. Hot and dry,

the few seas were choked with salt, requiring expensive desalinisation to draw water from them, and the sporadic outcroppings of primitive plant life filled the air with tiny spores which causes painful, bleeding, rashes at the slightest exposure. Filtration systems could not remove 100% of the spores, so the colonists were perpetually miserable -perhaps less so than those on Innata and Wahant, but the world could not be opened to large-scale settlement until the technical problems were solved. This would have been accomplished eventually, but the Dilgar War intervened. The settlers of Rohric were, in general, grateful to be herded back to Omelos, despite knowing the fate of their sun; at least their final years would be spent without coughing up blood.

Wahant System

Star: K3 V; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dilgar Imperium [None post–2232]; Threat Level: Very High [Low post–2232]; Security Level: Very High [Low post–2232]

Wahant I [pre–2232] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,500 miles); Grav: 0.6g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 3,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Wahant Experimental Agriculture Station (2,000); Gov: Dilgar Imperium (P3, D3, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 400, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific

Wahant I [post–2232] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,500 miles); Grav: 0.6g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (5%); Continents: Lakes; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 100; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Wahant Experimental Agriculture Station (100); Gov: Dilgar Imperium (P3, D3, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The Dilgar fared little better with Wahant I than with Innata, having no choice of worlds to settle. One warscientist proposed setting up an experimental agricultural colony, to develop techniques of growing plants under very adverse conditions. The colonists were given a year’s supply of food and a wide range of technologies and told, in effect ‘Grow plants there or die’. The experiment was repeated annually, with predictable results. On the other hand, Dilgar scientists studying both the effects of starvation and the psychology of desperation managed to learn a great deal via their monitoring of each successive colony’s failure. While Wahant I was attacked by the allied forces pushing back the Dilgar front, it is possibly the only planet that still hides a small population of the virtually extinct race, as it was never properly scoured…

Drazi Freehold Drathun System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Drathun IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (65%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 70F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 15,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Covmer (8,000), Draghaz (6,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,500, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Trade

In addition, Drathun was perfectly positioned to watch the Dilgar, who swept through the system in force during the Dilgar Wars. Once the orbiting defence grid was wiped out, the farmers on Drathun waited to be exterminated, feeling more frustration at not being able to strike back than fear at impending doom. However, the Dilgar passed them by, moving their forces to take the Quantium–40 mines at Latig, planning on dealing with Drathun at a later stage. Thanks to the Earth Alliance, that day never came, but Drathun has since become a powerful military outpost as well as a farming colony. Agriculturists interested in techniques for dragging life out of an unwilling world sometimes travel to Drathun to study it. There is a major military weapons testing facility located on the otherwise barren world of Drathun II.

Star: G5 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Fendamir IV (Fendamir Research Colony) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 10,000 Drazi/80,000 Diranos; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Fendos Complex (5,000), Toras (4,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific Fendamir is called by some ‘the haunted colony’ and this appellation is fitting. The world is clearly anomalous, the product of advanced terraforming. It has oceans where it should have none, a breathable atmosphere where it should have a carbon dioxide haze. It is Earth, where it should be Mars. The Drazi trace this to the alien building they call ‘The Fortress’, an impenetrable structure that seems to be still engineering the planet. At first, it was assumed the terraforming was done by the locals, a humanoid race called the Diranos. However, they lacked any kind of modern technology and archaeological digs indicated they were not a ‘fallen’ race – that is, they had no prior period of high technology which could explain the state of the world.

Drazi

Drathun is a rugged but fertile world, perfect for Drazi farmers who believe even pulling life from the soil should be a test of strength and endurance. Two large continents showed the right chemical makeup to provide rich farming opportunities, something the expanding Drazi Freehold needed, but the first colonies found that the native plants were inedible and that Drazi plants fared poorly against native weeds and herbivores. This did not cause the Drazi to give up, of course. They took great pleasure in exterminating the local herbivores and in attacking any encroachments of native life with the same ferocity with which they attacked each other.

Fendamir System

The initial Drazi reaction to this lucky find was ‘Do not bother to count the claws on a freely-given lurn!’ and settlement began at once, with the local population rapidly subj– placed into protective custody for uplift and enlightenment, at the behest of the local rulers, in full accordance with League guidelines. However, colonists began to report odd phenomenon – almost inaudible whispers, the endless feeling of being watched and other things. Telepaths of all races sensed nothing but seemed even more susceptible to the ‘hauntings’ than non-telepaths. Fendamir has few permanent Drazi residents and no more than a handful of children have been born there (such births are usually unintentional). There are active military and research bases, as well as mining and processing plants, but all are crewed on a rotating basis. Anyone willing to live on Fendamir permanently is viewed as slightly mad and many who initially make the commitment to do it recant after a few years.

Fendamir was one of the worlds opened to refugees fleeing the Vorlon worldkiller; none remained for long, even those with nowhere else to do.

Latig System

Star: O6 II; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (Hot); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Latig I

Drazi

Zone: Hot; Size: Small (3,400 miles); Grav: 0.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold/Hot; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Frig’bhak (4,000), Glar’bhak (2,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Trade Latig is a charred ball of rock in orbit around a blazing blue star; projections indicate its orbit will decay into a death spiral inside of ten thousand years. Before that happens, the Drazi will have drained every ounce of worth from the world, even if it kills them – which it might. But as the Drazi noted: ‘All die there once already.’ In the 2240s, the Latig colony was destroyed by the Dilgar, who unleashed a plague on the world as a means of leaving the complex mining systems intact while depopulating it for easy conquest. When the Dilgar were defeated, the Drazi reclaimed the world with force, despite the fact the Hurr were sending a battle fleet towards it to claim it for their own. Need for the wealth of Latig combined with rage at the fate of the colonists gave the Drazi a fury exceptional even for them, and the Hurr, after having a very brief exchange with the Drazi commander in charge of the reclamation mission, engaged in an uncharacteristic ‘strategic withdrawal’. Latig is a locked world, one face always turned towards the blue sun, iron-meltingly hot; the other face forever staring into darkness, nitrogen-freezing cold. The Drazi colonies are on the cold side, seven of them, all small domes surrounded by extensive deep-core mining equipment, all linked by a network of transit tubes. Life on Latig is hard, though not as hard as Mofaka – exposure to the airless cold is fatal but, as Work Leader Gruza Dral once noted, ‘Less fatal than Mofaka!’. The cold, after all, does not slowly

Latig I Source: IPX/Marford/ex.94 Grade: Alpha/Tau corrode an encounter suit and a limb exposed to it may be frost-bitten but not filled with a horde of alien flesh-eating germs. Latig is rich in Quantium–40, as well as a plethora of other rare earths and the blaze of the system’s star provides unlimited power. Arrays of solar panels line the edge of the ‘twilight zone’ (any closer and the delicate electronics would liquefy) and superconductor cables carry the power back to the mining colonies. Hydroponics beneath the surface provide most of the colony’s food. The only desperate need is water, which must be shipped in at great expense from other worlds. The Drazi have no ‘freshwater reservoir’ worlds as many other races do, so maintaining Latig is expensive – but giving it up would be a thousand times more costly.

Mofaka System

Shambah System

Mofaka VI

Shambah III

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (200 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.3) Corrosive; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 6 Seas; Climate: 120F/39V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Mofaka Dome Alpha (5,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,500, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 450,000 Drazi/200,000 Shambahsh; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Shen’ort (75,000), Violan (60,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Scientific

Star: F1 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Mofaka’s unique atmosphere and biosphere do have the effect of leaving the surface of the planet rich in a wide variety of exotic chemical compounds, none of which can be easily synthesised elsewhere and many of which have uses in electronics and weapons manufacturing. Thus, the Mofaka Syndicate thrives, appealing to volunteers by promising high pay and the most challenging environment in the Freehold. Most prefer the challenges of Shambah, however – fighting a twelve foot long killer reptile appeals more to the Drazi than checking the seals on an encounter suit with the ritual dedication of a Minbari priest. Because of Mofaka’s value as a source of exotic materials and its status as a gateway world between other colonies, a full battle fleet remains on patrol above the world at all times. This also serves to dissuade raiders who might attack the cargo ships as they pass from the starport to the system’s jump gate. The orbiting transfer point above Mofaka, Mofaka Station, accepted refugees fleeing the Vorlon worldkiller.

Shambah was the first world to be colonised by the Drazi. It is a perfect world for them – savage, raw and hostile, wracked by continuous quakes and populated by vicious reptiles. It is also home to a small, weak marsupial race, which the Drazi enslaved almost in passing. All habitation, other than a few hunting camps and tracking stations, is on the large primary continent, which is also the home of the indigenous peoples. The Shambahsh, as they are known, stand five feet tall and are thin with a light covering of fur. They give birth to live young which are then carried in pouches until weaned. They had just mastered the forging of bronze weapons when the Drazi descended.

Drazi

Mofaka VI is one of the least habitable worlds in the Drazi Freehold, a world where no unprotected exposure to the outside is survivable. The planet’s atmosphere is both acidic and disease-ridden; the odd, sporulating viruses which dwell on the planet are capable of infecting even the wholly alien Drazi biology. Even a few seconds exposure to the air will burn skin from flesh and then, if the victim is pulled inside a dome in time, leave him to be slowly eaten up from inside by a dozen alien plagues. Fortunately, the plagues cannot pass from Drazi to Drazi in a standard atmosphere. Some Drazi claim the original Centauri outpost on this world, which was what led the Drazi to conquer it in the first place, was a trick – in fact, it was a penal colony.

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

The Shambahsh of today have known no life beyond subservience to the Drazi and can no more think of rebellion than they could think of taking to the skies like birds. The Drazi are a fact of life. To their slight credit, the Drazi do not work the Shambahsh to death and do provide them with food, shelter and enough education to be useful; the cost of this is the complete destruction of their native culture. No Drazi anthropologist bothered to preserve the natives original language, rituals or social patterns and they are now long gone. A small handful of clay tablets with Shambahsh writing have been preserved as curios and are on display at the Museum of Drazi Greatness on Zhabar but no one can translate them. Despite being a long-settled world, the harsh climate of Shamba makes it still a ‘frontier’, and the Drazi there are ‘rough and tumble’ types, even by Drazi standards. ‘It’s a trap! He’s from Shambah!’ is the punchline to an ancient Drazi joke, which does not bear repeating here.

Zagros System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Zagros VII

Drazi

Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.3) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Moist (55%); Continents: 2 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 60F/20V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Zuros (15,000), Usakr (10,000); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor A planet of vast plains broken by a few regions of plateau, Zagros VII was settled by the Drazi and then mostly forgotten. Cold but habitable, due to heat-trapping atmospheric gasses and a great deal of volcanic activity, it was once a semi-valuable mining colony seized from the Centauri, but that was long ago. The Quantium–40 ran out generations back, but ‘A Drazi with a world is like a Brakiri with a ducat – once it is in their hands, it never leaves’. The small colony remained because leaving would look like quitting. Zagros VII attained brief notoriety during the Shadow War because it hosted (unknown to the Drazi government) an Anla’shok (Ranger) training base. This led a Shadow assault which, fortunately for the 50,000 colonists elsewhere on the world, targeted only the base – at this point, the Shadows were not moving openly and were merely striking at highpriority targets. Today, the Anla’shok base has been rebuilt, with the full approval of the Drazi government.

Zhabar System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light), Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drazi Freehold; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Zhabar III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Moist (50%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 4.8 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Torvag City (4 million), Velunt (3 million); Gov: Drazi Shadak (P8, D8, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: 60,000, Colonies: 4 Major/7 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 6 Monitor, 1 Trade

The homeworld of the Drazi is exactly the sort of world one would expect would produce such a race – it is a harsh world filled with predators and storms, a world where survival requires brute strength but where strength alone is insufficient – to prosper, the Drazi needed to out-think as well as out-fight their foes. They did so – and then managed expand their roiling anger beyond Zhabar, to carry the struggle to the stars. Zhabar is evenly divided between land and water, with one large ocean and a major inland sea. The world’s tectonic phase ended early, so there has been very little continental drift since the dawn of life. This has led to some interesting biological phenomenon. Life evolved in the planetary ocean and spread overland but the inland sea had no direct aquatic connections to the rest of the planet’s water. It remained almost lifeless for a 200 million years after the first land-dwelling creatures appeared. Then it slowly became inhabited but all animal life in the sea is descended from various land-dwelling creatures who returned to an aquatic lifestyle. The Abbai call it ‘Shumal’sha’halash’ or ‘Sea Without Fish’, in wonderment. Zhabar makes up in biological activity what it lacks in tectonic. While not quite at the extremes of ‘deathworlds’ such as Nakaleen or Janos VII, it is filled with a wide variety of very carnivorous lifeforms. It also contains a wide range of advanced and intriguing adaptations, from the self modifying pheromone lures used by kantilla plants to the bizarre and somewhat disturbing symbiosis of ghrak and vezzel. Drazi biological science tends to focus more on the practical uses of local lifeforms, existing to answer such questions as ‘Can we eat it?’ and ‘How do we keep it from eating us?’. There are several large cities on the planet but only Torvag is generally equipped to handle offworlders. There are a few hotels catering to non-Drazi and a small section of the city is known as ‘Nar’shal ku Zhab’, or ‘Nar’shal on Zhabar’, though a more idiomatic translation would be ‘Narn Town’. Many Narn expatriates ended up settling on Zhabar over the decades and the population exploded during the War of Retribution. Currently, about 1,500 Narn dwell there, one of the largest Narn populations outside of the Regime. Zhabar is one of the least urbanised worlds to house a starfaring race. Nearly a third of the Drazi still dwell in rural or wilderness environments, a far cry from the usual 95% or greater urbanisation rates of most other homeworlds. Even within the cities, the legacy of the primitive Drazi lives on – their buildings are constructed with small internal areas and large balconies, allowing the Drazi to spend most of their time outdoors. The eternally harsh and ever-changing weather does not phase them.

Drazi

Earth Alliance Beta Durani System

Star: O2 VI & M6 V (Binary); Planets: 1 Terrestrial (1 Hab); Features: Raider Haven; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Beta Durani I

Earth

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,200 miles); Grav: 0.6g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (22%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 60F/21V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 500,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Osaka (50,000), Landing (30,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade The colony on Beta Durani exemplifies some of the best and worst traits of the Earth Alliance. On the positive side, what was once a barely-habitable Mars-like world has been rendered, it not warm and lush, at least warmer and lusher. The once-waterless world sports a planetary ocean covering one fifth its surface, and the colonists can freely walk around outside. An entire food web has been constructed from the ground up – literally, as the creation of soil was a fundamental step. The world is not only habitable, it is self-sustaining, requiring no technology to maintain its ecosystem. That is the good news. The bad news is that, even with this effort, Beta Durani is a hostile place. Two suns blaze in the sky, making true night rare and playing havoc with long-established instincts. Odd day/night cycles occur on all colony worlds and always require adjustment but no other colony has the complex shifts of day and night that Beta Durani does. Many earth lifeforms simply could not adapt, and the scope of the planned ecosystem had to be curtailed. Because of this, and because so many more promising worlds were available for colonisation, Beta Durani required ‘incentives’ to settle. These incentives appealed mostly to the desperate, so Beta Durani was settled by the poor, the outcast and in many cases the criminal. While some such situations create a commonality of purpose and a brotherhood of the oppressed, this was not the case with Beta Durani; the world quickly factionalised along ethnic

or cultural lines. The various corporations and government agencies charged with maintaining the colony ended up shifting their best people off-world, leaving the world in the hands of those who could not be fired but who were not suitable for work on important tasks. Corruption set in quickly. Eventually, the Alliance took firmer control, establishing a strong central government to try to bring order to the chaos but the best it can do is quash full-scale riots. Beta Durani is known as a criminal and black market haven, where almost anything is for sale and where nothing, except life, is cheap. In spite of these facts, the rich mineral wealth which prompted the settlement of Beta Durani in the first place has created some wealth; the factories of the world are very productive and shipbuilding and pharmaceuticals are dominant industries. Whether legitimate wealth will eventually heal the social problems of Beta Durani or just provide more money for the criminal element to war over is unknown.

Beta 7 System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Beta 7/IV Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (7,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Inert; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Moist (55%); Continents: 1 Supercontinent; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 12,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Anchorage Mine (6,500), New Siberia Penal Institute (4,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military Beta 7 was settled at least in part to provide a buffer for Earth, to force travellers from Ch’lon or Koulani space to pass through a monitored system. Economic constraints required some other use be made of the system and so the almost-habitable world of Beta 7/IV was selected for development. A harshly glaciated planet with a terrain consisting of rocks, ice or sometimes rocks sticking out of ice, there was little there to appeal to colonists. An icemining colony was established but Earth never had the desperate need for fresh water that many other races did and there were ample ice mines in the Sol system, so the colony mostly became a dumping ground for the desperate and the borderline criminal. As this became apparent to the EarthGov, some genius decided to ‘play to the planet’’s strengths’ and ordered the construction of a maximum

security penal colony on the world. During the 2240s and 2250s, the New Siberia Penal Institute was home to Earth’s most violent criminals, those who merited the harshest punishment short of death of personality. Criminals had to work to get to New Siberia. At least, until Clark took over. He used the New Siberia colony as his personal dumping ground for ‘dissidents’ and ‘traitors’, tossing political activists, journalists, artists and others into a cesspit filled with violent psychopaths. The threat of this served as a terrifyingly effective deterrent to dissent but not so much that the prison transports ever left Earth half-full. The prison staff, headed by Major John Clemens and consisting almost entirely of Clark appointees, took special care in making sure ‘traitors’ were suitably dealt with and encouraged their abuse by the other prisoners. Hundreds died of exposure or violence and many more suffered permanent injuries.

Beta 9 System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Beta 9/III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,300 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 moonlet (40 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 90F/57V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Phoenix (10,000), Canyon (6,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 750, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade ‘If you don’t like the weather on Beta 9… you’re still sane.’ Beta 9/III is a world tilted wildly askew and swinging around its central star ‘like it was walking home after an all-night bender’. As such, the climate varies wildly over the course of the year, with most of the planet experiencing cycles of extreme heat and cold. While not much life managed to evolve in this, that which did is tough and adaptable, and is the source of much genetic analysis.

Beta 9 was settled both for access to its mineral wealth (which is considerable) and as a scientific outpost. The two major cities both serve equal duty in these areas and the miners and scientists maintain a comfortable co-existence, despite their very different interests and habits. One thing both groups had in common was a dislike of the Clark administration. The miners found their numerous small syndicates and consortiums were being seized on specious grounds and sold at cut-rate prices to Clark-friendly corporations; the scientists were instructed to make their work focus on bioweapons and organic technology, not farming and pharmaceuticals. A dozen scientists died during these ‘reassignments’ and twice as many went insane, when Clark had fragments of a Shadow vessel sent to Canyon for analysis. As a consequence, when Sheridan’s rebellion began to spread, Beta 9 was one of the first worlds to sign on, with the local military, sympathetic to the populace, switching sides instantly. Several vessels loyal to Clark were escorted to Beta 9, where their crews were held until the war was over.

Earth

Under the new Earth government, the New Siberia colony is scheduled for conversion to a standard ice mine, as the ISA has opened up new possibilities in the rimward regions of the galaxy for trade. The prisoners held there who actually merited such treatment will be dispersed to other facilities. Those imprisoned for ‘crimes against the State’ have been freed and are being compensated, as best they can be, for their treatment.

The world is mostly rock with scattered outgrowth of tuberoot and brackleaf. One ocean coils like a snake along the equator; a second forms a somewhat triangular patch in the north. Between the two winds a thin river, which long ago gouged a ravine to rival any on Earth; the city of Canyon is located where it empties into the equatorial sea.

Ceti Gamma System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Ceti Gamma II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Ceti Landing (30,000), Ceti Co-operative (28,000), Pro Zeta Complex (25,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 4 Monitor, 2 Scientific, 1 Trade ‘The Living World’ This is what Ceti Gamma has sometimes been dubbed by those familiar with it. It may have the single most robust ecosystem in the Earth Alliance, if not the known

production. It rapidly became the Earth Alliance military’s leading supplier of synthetic foods.

Ceti Gamma II

Earth

Source: IPX/Kyven/px.4 Grade: Beta/— galaxy. The planet teems. Niches which normally hold only microbes on Earth hold advanced multicellular creatures. Specialisation is amazing; there are webs of symbiosis 20 species deep. Hive dolphins dwell in vast coral castles and the lethal snark kills a dozen sports hunters every year. Life on land is no less spectacular; trees shape themselves into nests for specific species of birds, while packs of hunters composed of different species co-operate to bring down prey, apparently communicating by pheromone signal. Unlike many worlds with a similar degree of biological vibrancy, Ceti Gamma is not especially overflowing with predators. When the planet was first charted in 2230, the nations of the Earth Alliance were desperate to colonise it but the Dilgar War intervened. After the Dilgar War, the Earth Alliance saw a special use for Ceti Gamma. Seeing first hand the effectiveness of biological weapons, the Earth Alliance decided, somewhat secretly, to greatly increase its own research into that field, and the richness and remoteness of Ceti Gamma made it a prime location for such investigations. In order to cover up the founding of a colony solely for warfare, a secondary purpose – advanced agricultural research – was agreed upon and made the apparent primary focus of the colony. The Ceti Landing colony was so successful in this that a second colony, composed of various factions seeking to return to a more agrarian lifestyle, was founded soon after; this was the Ceti Collective. Lastly, by special charter, the Pro Zeta corporation was granted access to the world’s third-largest continent to use for research and

A publicly acknowledge bioweapons research facility exists about 200 miles north of Ceti Landing but dozens of clandestine labs, disguised as everything from wilderness safety patrol bases to food synthesis plants, are scattered throughout the planet. The bulk of the inhabitants do not know this, though many suspect. Occasionally, ‘tragic accidents’ happen to those who come too close to figuring out the extent of biological weapons engineering on Ceti Gamma; these increased to alarming proportions under Clark.

Cyrus System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Cyrus III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,400 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 1 (700 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.3) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 6 Seas; Climate: 60F/22V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 40,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Alpha Base (3,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Cyrus III was colonised in the early 2200s when rich deposits of Quantium–40 were detected at various spots around the planet. Whereas most colonies tended to focus on a single central colony with only slow planting of additional sites, the Cyrus colony was opened up for homesteading by anyone who could file a claim and prove they could work the world, under an experimental system which was not repeated, though this was due more to political shifts than to any grand failure on Cyrus. For decades, the dozens of small mining colonies on Cyrus thrived, supported by agricultural domes planted

along the small seas. Tube systems and shuttlecraft linked the disparate settlements and Cyrus boasted the greatest cultural diversity of any Earth Alliance colony. Then the Minbari came. Seeing the military value of the colonies, they felt obliged to destroy them, but the dugin nature of the miners made orbital attacks unlikely to succeed. Thus, Cyrus III saw some of the most brutal ground fighting of the Earth-Minbari War. ‘Tunnel warfare’ was something the Minbari had little experience in but, in turn, the miners of Cyrus were not trained soldiers. The result was a brutal death toll on both sides. The fighting was still going on in the mines when the Minbari surrendered. Legends of Minbari soldiers deep in the planet’s crust, who do not know the war is over and who ambush miners who wander off the main tunnels, have persisted since the war.

Deneb System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard), Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Deneb IV

Deneb is rich in agricultural and biological wealth but its main function is to serve as the hub for the exploitation of the Deneb system, which includes several uninhabitable, but resource-rich, world. The Deneb system is also the gateway to Tokati space, which unfortunately involves first crossing the region claimed by the hostile Koulani. While a state of truce currently exists allowing free passage, occasional incursions and ‘accidental’ attacks on travelling craft are not unknown.

Jericho System

Star: K7 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), Gas (1 Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Jericho III Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (8,800 miles); Grav: 2.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Thin (0.4) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Wet (96%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 85F/9V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Standard; Pop: 1 million; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Joshua (4,000); Gov: Jericho Autonomous Government (P6, D2, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 4,000 (Earth Alliance, Advanced T e c h ) , Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor

Earth

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet 80%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 90F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 1 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Europa (100,000), Xinyang (90,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 2 Major/5 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

Deneb IV is a somewhat hot but otherwise comfortable, Earthlike world, home to a very widespread colony. The Deneb settlement was one of the first truly planned settlements in Earth Alliance history, with the various nations of the Alliance being given a chance to claim territory according to population and needs. As such, Deneb has a great deal of cultural variety, with each major settlement retaining a great deal of the ‘flavour’ and culture of its founders.

The Jericho system was first charted in 2190 but preliminar y

Earth

scans showed nothing of any value on the only marginally habitable world, so exploration was curtailed. In 2205, a group of colonists from Israel, fearing their country might join the Earth Alliance during a period of unusually high unification sentiment, purchased a colony vessel and set out for the world, after assurances from the Earth Alliance that they had ‘no interest’ in the distant and almost useless planet. The settlers named the system Jericho, after the first great conquest of the Promised Land, and began to build.

Jericho has precious little land. Its unprocessed atmosphere made lungs burn like fire and ultimately led to an agonisingly slow death. Yet the thin atmosphere was coupled with a heavy gravity. rendering even a few hours labour exhausting, which strained the heart to its limits. Life existed only in stagnant, sheltered bays. The perseverance of the early colonists was astounding; even those who vehemently disagreed with their fanatical separatism (ironically misplaced, since Israel never did join the Earth Alliance) had to admire the sheer grit shown on the sporadic reports back to Earth. Domes were set up on the largest island and biologists learned how to process the local life into edible food. Filters to strain the lung-rending irritants from the air were perfected, and compressor and filtration systems kept the dome’s air fresh and plentiful. Water, at least, was no problem. Life was far from easy but it was not an impossible settlement. Later scans and explorations, though, showed the Jericho system had amazing value – it was a junction of seven jump routes! The Earth Alliance, eager to build trade and alliances, were loathe to let such a system slip away. A vote to rescind the colony’s charter and place the world under Earth Alliance control failed by just two votes in the Senate. A compromise, the building of an Earth Alliance military base in orbit, passed by a wide margin. The Jerichites protested mightily but there was little they could do about it and grumblingly came to accept the compromise.

air, breathing masks and portable emergency filter systems forced into full-time duty. Ultimately, the colony barely survived, and the survivors (with some justification) blame the Earth Alliance more than the Minbari. However, they also began to realise that ignoring the universe does not make it go away. Today, Jericho has reached a painful compromise. An Orion Starbase has been built around the planet and serves as a trading post, with profits from the station being funnelled to help rebuild the colony, which still receives a trickle of new colonists every year. The system as a whole is claimed by the Earth Alliance, allowing it to respond to any attacks but the planet of Jericho III is technically independent.

Orion System

Star: M5 III; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 3 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (2 Cold, 2 Hab), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light), Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Orion III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (86%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 1.5 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Honolulu (20,000), Innsmouth (15,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major/4 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

This proved to be nearly fatal. The Jericho base outfitted and equipped the Prometheus, the ship which inadvertently launched the Earth-Minbari War. After its encounter with the Minbari fleet, it limped home – leading the Minbari after it. They destroyed the orbital base and for good measure, blasted the colony below.

Orion III is a water world, which has undergone severe climactic shifts in the past, wiping out a prior indigenous race (sadly for the Human settlers, the race had not progressed past the iron age and left no advanced technology behind). With not large or even small continents, settlement on Orion III took place among the islands, with each group of settlers or licensed corporation being given a region to colonise. Thus, there are few large cities; communities form around clusters of islands, each with only a smattering of buildings. Aircraft, hovercars and motorboats link most of the colonies, with bridges and tubes used only for islands which are very close together.

The devastation was appalling. Of the nearly 20,000 colonists, only 3,000 survived, mostly those who managed to seal themselves in the tunnel systems beneath the domes. The destruction of the atmospheric processing plants killed hundreds more. The next few weeks were a desperate struggle to fully seal the underground and set up new atmosphere processors, a race against the lifespan of stored

The sealife of Orion III, as befits such an old world, is very highly evolved, with the most spectacular being the aquatic leviathans. The land-dwelling life forms, however, are much more primitive – unable to adapt to the sudden climactic shifts which shaped the world to its present form, the higher forms of life perished and the survivors have yet to begin to fill all the niches left behind. With a Human

ecosystem taking root on the land, it is likely they never will.

Orion VII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 moonlets (90 & 70 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 80F/45V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 150,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Orion Dome (30,000), New Life (25,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific, Trade Orion VII is a poor cousin to Orion III. While Orion III is an old world, long rich in life, Orion VII only became habitable relatively recently, leaving it almost barren. Only single-celled creatures dwell in its massive planetary ocean and its three large continents are nothing but empty rock.

Extensive terraforming is underway in an effort to create a more habitable environment but it is far from complete. At this point, the world is somewhat more habitable than Mars but the colonies must still be built in domes or underground and the thin air can sustain life for only a few minutes before hypoxia sets in.

Star: G2 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High The Proxima system contains Proxima Station, a major military base not located in orbit around any world but freely established in deep space. It was a ‘proof of concept’ of unsupported deep space stations. Because it was still within a few days sublight flight of the Proxima colonies, it was classified as a ‘Mid-Range’ station, to distinguish it from planned ‘Deep Range’ stations which would truly be on their own.

Proxima III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,780 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (70%); Continents: 2 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 90F/15V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 900,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Delphi (35,000), Teriton (30,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Proxima III was Earth’s first colony world founded after the purchase of jump gate technology from the Centauri. Astounding fortune made it a virtual twin of Earth, unspoiled and lovely, and fortune which transcended astounding made it a world with no previous claimants – a perfect first colony for mankind. A handful of worlds, such as Sh’lassa, were settled by sublight craft but poor communication kept Earth from knowing about their successes. The news of such a jewel sparked a mad rush on Earth, with every faction desperate to stake its claim on the planet.

Earth

The colonists on Orion VII are there because of the world’s extensive mineral wealth. With no native ecosystem to speak of, mining operations can proceed at a pace which would not otherwise be permitted on a habitable world. The prospect of great wealth for hard work attracted the poor and the colonies became a place for those who had no other opportunities.

Proxima System

Proxima was, thus, settled by many different groups, each of which claimed different parts of the world and set up shop. To the great credit of humanity’s recently discovered sense of racial unity, conflict between these factions was very limited; the world was big enough for everybody.

None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Scientific

Earth

Proxima IV is a habitable but dangerous world, filled with predatory lifeforms and lethal plagues. While it could be settled with enough effort, the presence of the much more hospitable Proxima III makes such effort mostly pointless. A small number of research outposts and a military training camp (known to the GROPOS as ‘Camp Jurassic’) are the only Except, perhaps, for itself. Proximan life, less evolved than Earth’s, took a lethal hit. The native ecosystem was shattered by the introduction of Earth plants and animals and never recovered; today, large swathes of the world are virtually indistinguishable from Earth, due to the accidental, but near-total, annihilation of the local animals. Only areas far from Human settlement retain their original character. Extensive bioengineering efforts to restore the native life have begun but are far from complete. During the Clarke years, Proxima was the largest Human colony world to openly rebel against Clarke’s tyranny and the atrocities Clarke committed to quash this rebellion helped to galvanise other worlds into openly defying his rule, including, most importantly, the Babylon 5 station. Today, Proxima remains a thriving world, despite the scars of the Earth-Minbari War and the Clark administration. Proximans are culturally varied but tend to share a strong love of personal freedom; many of the earliest colonists were those seeking to escape from an over-regulated Earth and this attitude has become part of Proximan culture.

Proxima IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,000 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.4) Corrosive; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: 1 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 90F/39V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: P–4 Training Camp (15,000), Proxima Research Facility (2,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies:

Human settlements on the world.

Sinzar System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Sinzar IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 50F/30V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 90,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: New Zurich (15,000), Greenerland (10,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor The Sinzar Colony was founded in 2230, one of the last colonies founded prior to the Earth-Minbari War. Sinzar is a cold and rugged world and the colonists were mostly from Sweden and Norway. The original intent for the colony was to serve as a forward base for spinward expansion, as early scans showed it was a good source of water, minerals and food. An ice mining base was established at New Zurich and a military training compound, Fort Sinzar Alpha, was constructed 500 miles to the south. Agricultural colonies in the warmer equatorial zone were established five years later and an orbital communications and sensor base was constructed in 2239.

Sinzar Colony was not the best destination in the Earth Alliance but it offered both beauty and freedom. Low population and a solid economic foundation, plus a chance at being the lynchpin world of future expansion, attracted a steady stream of colonists, most from Northern Europe but all areas of Earth contributed at least a few.

Of these, only Earth and Europa support multicellular life and only Earth has any kind of truly advanced organisms. There are several moons in the Sol system which have Human colonies, including Io, Ganymede and Europa.

In 2247, the Minbari came. The orbital forces fought with valour and fell with alacrity. The ground forces likewise did their best but were quickly overwhelmed. By this time, the Minbari had learned to distinguish combatant from noncombatant, but decimated the ice mining colony as it was seen as vital for supplying the military with water. The agricultural colonies at the equator would have been left alone, except that several units from Fort Sinzar Alpha had moved there in an effort to protect the colony, not knowing this would only draw Minbari fire. By the time the Minbari were finished, half the planet’s population was dead.

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (2,100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 7 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Beijing (20 million), New York City (15 million); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 250,000, Colonies: 5 Major/10 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 2 Trade

Sol System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (3 Hab, 1 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Oort Cloud, Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 2; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low [High 2259 to 2261]; Security Level: High [Very High 2259 to 2261] The Sol system is the home of the Earth Alliance. It has long been covertly visited by extraterrestrials – 1,000 years ago, the Shadows had ships hidden on Mars and Ganymede and it is possible they had other bases as well. Certainly, EarthGov has secretly dedicated considerable ‘black’ funds to searching for just such relics, as well as looking for other evidence of extraterrestrial contact prior to the coming of the Centauri. It is now an open secret that telepaths were engineered into humanity by the Vorlons during the 21st century, who did much of their work under the cover of ‘contactee’ cults. Further, the ‘angelic’ appearance of the Vorlons to Human eyes is evidence of much older contact and conditioning. In addition, it is known that the Vree regularly visited Earth, capturing and examining Humans before releasing them back to the populace. Their motives for this remain unclear, as do many of their other actions. Two worlds (Earth and Mars) and two moons (Europa and Titan) in the Sol system have naturally evolved life.

Sol III (Earth, Terra) [2259 to 2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (2,100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 7 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Beijing (20 million), New York City (15 million); Gov: Earth Alliance – Clark Administration (P4, D8, C9, S4); Orbital Pop: 250,000, Colonies: 5 Major/5 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 16 Monitor, 1 Trade

Earth

Today, Sinzar Colony is recovering. The dreams of being the forward base for expansion are gone but not those of simply having a world to shape. The hatred for the Minbari is strong, though, especially among the equatorial farmers and when Nightwatch was looking for recruits with a willingness to strike directly against the Minbari, they found many on Sinzar.

Sol III (Earth, Terra) [pre–2259 or post– 2261]

Earth is the third planet in the Sol system and homeworld to humanity, one of the fastest-rising races in the galaxy. Only the Narn can seriously compete with them in terms of the speed in which they have moved from backwater obscurity to major player on the galactic stage. Earth has a population of 7 billion, widely distributed across the planet. Most of the populace is concentrated in large cities, leaving the majority of the surface sparsely inhabited, with large regions containing no visible signs of sentient life. It has a unified planetary government (the Earth Alliance) and it is moving, slowly, towards a monoculture. At present, though, the old nations of Earth remain powerful entities in their own right and there is constant tension between national and planetary needs. This tension sometime provides a dynamic balance forcing the government away from the quick and easy solution and sometimes it proves a block preventing vital action from occurring. Despite the planetwide communication network and rapid travel, individual regions of Earth retain a strong cultural identity. Indeed, there are deliberate efforts to maintain this diversity in the face of a tendency to let differences

vanish. There is a Human belief that diversity is good, that many viewpoints are superior to one. While this can, and has, led to violent wars, it is also the case that the strongest Human societies have been those which accepted many cultures, while the isolationist societies have withered and perished. Humans took this lesson with them to the stars; it was this belief that led them, and not any other race, to create a place such as Babylon 5. Humans continually struggle to master the delicate balance of working together without losing individuality, on a personal, national and interplanetary scale.

Earth

The world of Earth is one of many extremes. There are frozen wastelands, blazing deserts and lush forests. While most worlds have diverse terrain, Earth sometimes seems especially varied. Humans extensively explored their own solar system and sent deep-range ‘sleeper’ ships into space during the late 20th to 22nd centuries, establishing several vibrant colonies within the system. Their contact with the Centauri in 2156 opened the galaxy to them and a jump gate was constructed near Io, a moon of Jupiter, the system’s largest gas giant. Most interstellar travel comes through this gate; it is not recommended for ships to open jump points elsewhere in the system without securing permission. The Sol system is very well defended against attack and while the EarthMinbari War taught Humans that it is dangerous to shoot first, there is always the chance someone manning the defences has not fully grasped that lesson. Earth is surrounded by a network of defensive satellites and orbital bases. Prior to the Earth-Minbari War, there were numerous colonies in Earth orbit, many being legacies of the earliest days of spaceflight; most were destroyed in the Battle of the Line, as the Minbari swept aside all targets before it. This battle is part of the reason for the strength of Earth’s planetary defences. Non-Humans are generally welcomed on Earth, as tourists, workers or immigrants – in small numbers. In recent years, a mild xenophobia has come into practice. The willingness to tolerate diversity among Human cultures does not always extend to alien influences and those who hated Human diversity (and there remain many) found it easier to preach against aliens than to turn one sect of humanity against another. Despite this, tourists are generally welcome and the difficulty of obtaining permission to travel Earthside is low.

Sol III-Alpha (Luna) Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (2,100 miles); Grav: 0.15g; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead;

Hydro: None; Climate: Vacuum; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Grissom (40,000), Kuang-Han-Kung (10,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Earth’s satellite was the first extraterrestrial body ever reached by mankind and it marked a temporary high point in Human space exploration. To a large extent, Humans raced to the moon as a man might race up a high mountain, then after arriving exhausted, they looked around and said ‘Why did I bother?’. It was decades from the first group of landings to the formation of permanent colonies. The first attempt at a colony was in 2018, when the United States of America laid the groundwork for Luna Colony in the Sea of Tranquillity. The first stage of the construction was completed without a hitch but shifts in priorities at home caused the base to be abandoned after only a few years. The next to colonise Luna were the Chinese, who established a long-term scientific research facility in the Sea of Tranquillity, using the infrastructure still in place from the failed Luna Colony. Named Kuang-Han-Kung, it was brought online in 2078 – just four years before China’s entry into World War III. The resulting forced separation from Earth forced the scientists to learn to improvise – and fast – and in the process, developed many of the techniques which make lunar sustainability possible. The collapse of China following World War III further isolated the colony, making a rescue mission impossible. None of the nations of Earth were capable of building or launching the craft necessary to return the scientists to Earth and they spent the next 22 years surviving and, as a side note, producing the first Human children born on the moon. The next major advance came in 2101, when the newly formed Earth Alliance began construction of Grissom at the north lunar pole, close to sources of meteoric ice. An offer to migrate the by-now overcrowded colonists in Kuang-Han-Kung to Grissom was met with refusal; the inhabitants considered their colony, small as it was, to be their home. With China newly part of the Earth Alliance, however, they were able to request that resources be directed to expanding and strengthening the colony. China’s lack of a surviving space infrastructure meant that they were unable to aid it directly, however. The main function of Grissom was as an industrial colony, with a strong focus on mining – very often, ice mining. Initially, it had a large central dome but after a tragic accident in 2105, the colony began to sprawl, spreading settlement domes around, so that no single disaster could

kill a large number of people. The colony existed to build and then support the nearby Von Braun shipyards, which used a mass driver to send large components into orbit. Smaller craft were assembled whole and then launched there, as well. Today, Luna has a population of fifty thousand, concentrated in several key cities. The largest, Grissom, holds over half the population. As with Mars, the majority of inhabitation is underground. Oxygen is extracted from the rock itself, and water is mined from underground deposits of cometary ice. The surface of Luna is far more hostile than that of Mars, so the inhabitants tend to be closely tied to their cities. Going outside involves full pressure suits, not the relatively lightweight models used on Mars.

Kuang-Han-Kung is the second largest city, now with 10,000 inhabitants. While there have been periods of political unrest, the city remains technically under the control of the Chinese government, though its ability to exert actual power is weakened by distance. Mars, weeks of realspace travel from Earth when it was first settled, quickly developed a sense of independence. Luna, mere days away even in the earliest periods of Human space travel (and by the 2260s, only a few hours), never did so. It was easy to visit Earth and regular visitors from Earth kept the two worlds close. Moving to Mars was considered a permanent change; moving to Luna was considered no different than an American taking a long-term assignment in Japan or England; exotic, distant but unlikely to be a

Generally, the inhabitants of Luna are characterised by a rough stoicism and pride. Luna is actually much more comfortable than many colony worlds but the fact that there is nothing but hard vacuum beyond the domes is drilled into the heads of both natives and visitors. The natives thus accept any inconvenience – even those wholly unrelated to the needs of survival – with casual acceptance, disdaining as ‘whiners’ all those who complain. As a consequence, the numerous indignities and restrictions of the Clark years were likewise tolerated with little dissent. One persistent point of social stress is the tension between native-born ‘Loonies’ and the transients. The native-born, having spent their entire life in one-sixth of Earth’s gravity, rarely travel to Earth and can do so only with considerable preparation and medical care. They do very well in EarthForce and are often assigned to ships with no rotating sections, where they adapt much better to microgravity than their Earth or Mars born comrades.

Earth

The largest lunar city, Grissom, is located near the north pole. It has a permanent population of roughly 25,000 people and is considered one of the most well-established environmental-support colonies in the Earth Alliance. From the earliest days, full self-sufficiency was the guiding protocol and the city can survive indefinitely without any support from Earth. Oddly, this has enhanced rather than hindered relations, as there is no resentment or feelings of forced dependency to taint political relations. Grissom is primarily a research and manufacturing centre, taking advantage of low gravity and easy access to Earth to become an industrial powerhouse. Many of the components used in spaceship assembly are manufactured here, at the Von Braun shipyards, prior to being shipped out to the various spaceyards where the actual construction takes place. Hidden deep in many sections of Babylon 5 are the words ‘Manufactured in Grissom’. Grissom base sprawls, a network of maglev tubes and small domes. Each dome is self-sealing; in the event of a serious breach, each section of the city can sustain itself for three days on stored and recycled oxygen, more than long enough for emergency teams to fix the problem.

place to settle down forever. Some people, of course, did settle on Luna and there are many inhabitants who are third or fourth generation. Even so, it has a much larger transient population than any other permanent Human colony. As such, Luna has always been a staunch supporter of EarthGov, seeing itself as one more Earth nation. During the Clark years, Luna was generally supportive of Clark; they suffered little of the violent repression seen on Mars and Proxima and ignored the non-violent suspension of civil liberties and Human rights to the same extent most Earth natives did.

Sol IV (Mars) [pre–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,200 miles); Grav: 0.3g; Moons: 2 moonlets (27 & 15 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.6) Inert; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 40F/39V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Very Simple; Pop: 3 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Mars Dome 1 (300,000), New Vegas (100,000); Gov: Earth Alliance (P4, D5, C5, S3); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 2 Trade

Sol IV (Mars) [post–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,200 miles); Grav: 0.3g; Moons: 2 moonlets (27 & 15 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.6) Inert; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 40F/39V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Very Simple; Pop: 3 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Mars Dome 1 (300,000), New Vegas (100,000); Gov: Free Mars Government (P8, D2, C5, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 2 Trade

Mars is the largest colony world in the Solar system. It was settled in fits and starts in the mid–22nd century, with the first permanent colony being an IPX front established in 2155. The real history of Mars truly begins with the aptlynamed John Carter leading a group of colonists in 2169. This was done without the authorisation of any Earth government and this act of defiance set the pattern for Martian history for the next century. John Carter was killed in 2177 by isolationist terrorists. Since then, the history of Mars has been one of ever-increasing tension with Earth, even as countless domes spread across the crimson surface of the planet. Tension turned to out-and-out rebellion during the Clark years, finally culminating in a truly free Mars in 2262. It remains to be seen if the old wounds can heal now that Earth and Mars can interact as political equals.

Theta System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Earth

Theta II (Kumlakshi) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,110 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (70%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 50F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 10,000 Human/10 million Vakeshin; Tech: Iron Age/ Advanced; Cities: Keshkili (30,000), Ovilikish (25,000); Gov: Earth Alliance through Puppet King (P1, D4, C4, S6); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 2 Scientific The Theta system was discovered in 2190, during the great expansionist period of the Earth Alliance. Long-distance scans showed a world with a rich atmosphere, a healthy biosphere and perfect size and gravity. It was considered prime colonising material, until the first orbital scans showed hundreds of small cities and settlements and a handful of major ones. Surreptitious landings and surveys put the technology of the world at roughly the late Bronze Age at the most advanced, with many cultures still in the Neolithic. The dominant civilisations were impressive though, easily on a par with Babylon, Egypt or China during their earliest days of expansion and growth. The EarthForce Senate, and Earth popular opinion, were sharply and bitterly divided. Humans had never had a chance to study an alien, but primitive, society up close. Many invoked ancient science-fiction concepts of noninterference but these were shot down by noting that, firstly, such a doctrine would likely have meant Earth

would never have reached space and secondly, no other race in the galaxy seems to obey this concept – Earth did not contact and guide the Thetans, someone else would enslave and exploit them. Comparisons to the cultural destruction and genocide brought about in Earth’s history by similar such contacts – between the Europeans and the many indigenous peoples of the Americas, for example – were dismissed or ignored. After two years of progressively more detailed surveys, including the capture and telepathic interrogation of random Thetans in order to get the best picture of their language and culture, first contact was made. A small flotilla of landing craft settled in the courtyard of the palace of the Emperor of Keshkili, believed to be the leader and culture most capable of dealing with the Humans. There was, of course, panic and confusion, but the Earth Alliance troops and guards handled themselves well. The years spent mastering the language and culture were also helpful, enabling the Humans to obey the necessary protocols. The temptation to ‘play god’ and pretend to be divine was resisted; this strategy had been seriously debated among xenoanthropologists but was dismissed, more for fear of public outcry than impracticality. When all was done, the Humans had managed to secure an alliance with Keshkili and have nearby territory ceded to Earth for use as a landing port and cultural exchange centre. Within a few years, the Earth Alliance port was surrounded by a shantytown, as many of the locals wanted to live near to the powerful visitors. The use of local labour for simple tasks, though officially forbidden, became commonplace and some of the locals were almost accidentally trained in technical skills, enough to drive a forklift or survey a palette of cargo. Bit by bit, information about the larger universe leaked out into the local population against the careful plans of the xenoanthropologists and this fragmentary information was taken and distorted by rumourmongers. So much of what the Thetans believed about the nature of the universe was being undermined that cultural fragmentation was inevitable. Civil war consumed Keshkili and the Humans felt obliged to intervene, having been a major cause of the problem. In the end, it became necessary to restore order by seizing direct control of the Empire and making it clear to bordering nations that attacking Keshkili would mean invoking the wrath of the sky-gods (not the exact words used of course but that was the message received). A puppet Emperor was put into position but he takes his orders from the Earth Alliance. A prolonged program of uplift is underway. Xenoanthropologists have been frantically cataloguing every trace of the ‘true’ Thetan culture as fast as they can but the spread of corruption is rapid. Even distant kingdoms

now send emissaries and scholars to ‘learn the ways of the star-men’ and, among those who have lived for generations in the shadow of the Earth Alliance base (which is now at the centre of the largest city on the planet, the shantytown surrounding it having long-since engulfed the nearby Imperial Capital), there are rumblings of demands for full citizenship in the Earth Alliance. The Thetans (Vakeshin, in their language), are a humanoid race averaging 5 feet in height. They have large, oval eyes which tend to be purple or violet, six-fingered hands and a somewhat ‘spindly’ build, as compared to Humans. They are very similar to mammals in many ways, being warm blooded and giving birth to live young. They are as intelligent as Humans, very curious and somewhat prone to leaping to conclusions, acting as soon as they think they know enough.

Vega System

Star: F4 IV; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 2 Gas (Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.5) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (11%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 5F/22V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Putingrad (5,000), New Moscow (4,000); Gov: Earth

‘Twenty degrees below? Bah! In New Moscow, this is sunny!’ Vega is one of the more hostile worlds in the Earth Alliance to sport a permanent colony. A glaciated world gifted with an extensive cave system, it was originally settled as a base for IPX, who had found what seemed to be promising ruins under the ice. When this came to naught, the based was sold to a consortium of Russian settlers, who moved in, expanded the research station into the cave networks below and began to mine. According to rumour, the consortium was hastily assembled by an IPX employee who had seen the mineral scans on the world and had then altered them to make the world look valueless to them. Life on Vega is hard but rewarding. The upper atmosphere is toxic but the caves are sealed and filtered. Water is plentiful. The underground ecosystem is not well developed and there are no predators which pose a threat to man but there are a variety of edible fungi. Most food is shipped in or grown in vats. The mines of Vega produce rare earths, gems, unusual minerals and some weapons-grade crystal. The icy rings of the world are also rich in ores and while Vega claims them and collects a high tax on mining them, many prospectors try their luck at dodging the patrol craft and making off with a prize. Those who fail in this find that the mines are much less tolerable as criminals working off a ten year sentence.

Earth

Vega VII

Alliance through Puppet King (P7, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor

Gaim Intelligence N’chak’fah System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Gaim Intelligence; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

N’chak’fah II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,500 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Dense (2.0) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (68%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 84F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 13 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Hexad Hive (1 billion); Gov: Hive Queens (P1, D1, C10, S10); Orbital Pop: 50,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 4 Military, 12 Monitor, 1 Trade

Gaim

‘Bugs, Commander R’koh! Millions of them! Bugs!’ — Last transmission from primary Narn Expeditionary Force Trapped beneath layers of clouds so thick and cloying that the sun itself was just a passing area of slightly greater brightness, the Gaim became self-aware over a million years ago, which would have placed them among the First Ones, save for the fact that, until very recently, they were barely more than animals, building no tools and developing no technology. The six great hive queens warred endlessly with each other, eternal and pointless battle. Then the Narn came. The Narn did not recognise the Gaim as sentient, at first. The Gaim, for their part, had difficulty comprehending the concept of an intelligence other than theirs or even of a universe beyond the clouds. Both sides soon learned better. Despite the technology of the Narn, the sheer numbers of the Gaim and their willingness to die en masse without fear or hesitation, drove the Narn from their world. When the battle was over, the Thinker Gaim were sent by the queens to study the bits of metal which the invaders had used to fight in, and with.

Thus they became aware of the universe. They bred a new caste, a humanoid-shaped caste, to be used as their agents in space and the million-year-long war stopped; the hives had found, for the first time, common purpose. Almost no non-Gaim have seen the surface of N’chak’fah. The queens do not permit it and any unauthorised being caught on the surface is summarily shredded. The sole exceptions to this ruling are those who officially represent other League governments or the Major Races and even these must submit to rigorous security checks before being allowed landfall. N’chak’fah today is a technological world and represents the single fastest transition of a world’s infrastructure from barbarism to space age ever recorded, by several orders of magnitude. When the Narn came less than a century ago, there was not so much as a chipped flint knife on N’chak’fah; today, the hives are glistening towers of reinforced metal and plastic and great foundries churn out the mighty starships which serve the Intelligence. This fact terrifies those who think upon it too long; if the Gaim ever got it into their head to become conquerors, their adaptability, intelligence and single-mindedness would allow them to carve out half the galaxy. Fortunately, such ambitions are seemingly not part of the Gaim’s plans. A series of conquests early in their spacefaring years, mostly against the belligerent Descari and their outer colonies, were performed primarily to secure passage, not to truly settle or control other worlds. The queens will not leave N’chak’fah and the Gaim cannot abide being too far from their queens for long.

N’chak’fah II Source: IPX/Kyven/px.70 Grade: Lambda/Lambda Notes: Agt rqst neg rtn

Golians Golia System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Golian Assembly; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Golia IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,300 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 5 Seas; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Lios (4 million), Blokan (3 million); Gov: Golian Assembly (P8, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

One unusual aspect of Golia is that the poles have only thin icecaps. Geothermal energy, the same forces which twisted the planet into its current shape, warm the poles to the point where ice rarely accumulates. Today, Golia is a world showing the scars of Centauri occupation. Mining camps dot the jagged peaks that form the bulk of the world’s terrain and the equatorial ocean belt is polluted and befouled. Much of the ecosystem has been damaged due to the introduction of Centauri plants and animals which had no natural controls. Golia was a Centauri stronghold for centuries, used as a military base, refuelling stop and a platform from which to launch expeditions deep towards the galactic core. The Golian people were trained as labourers and cannon fodder, nothing more. Their culture was undermined and subverted by Centauri rule. Much like the Vinzini, when the Centauri left, the Golians had nothing left but hate and ruins. The ruins were enough. The Centauri had built a jump gate in the Golia system and enough Golians had technical training that they were able to crack the codes to activate it. Non-hyperspace ships left behind by the Centauri were refitted to survive the jump gate and launched. Documents and data showed nearby worlds, habitable, but abandoned.

The Golians are a humanoid, mammalian race. Their faces are considered ‘craggy’ by Human standards, with several prominent bulges; their hair forms a sharp, inverted peak at the top of the skull and then grows back from there. Style is highly variable but many Golians prefer to wear it long and straight, in direct contrast to the ‘crests’ of the Centauri. Golian government is a semi-meritocratic system. The Golians are a practical people and they respect those who accomplish things. Anyone seeking government office may present their achievements in other fields to the population; each year, votes are taken and power is allocated to individuals according to that vote. The hundred highest-ranked individuals form the Golian Assembly. Of the assembly, the nine highest-ranked individuals form the Golian Council, which serves to deal with interplanetary affairs, ruling by simple majority. There is no supreme executive. Golians are often seen as bitter and petty, and this stereotype is not without basis in fact. They hate the Centauri for ruining their world and they chafe at how blocked in they are – unlike the Narn, they cannot freely expand and conquer. They enjoy any chance for revenge on the Centauri. A common practice among wealthy Golians is the purchase of Centauri slaves. Even though the slaves have as little power as the various subject races of the Centauri did, this does not matter to the Golians. The chance to wield power over a Centauri – even one who is powerless themselves – is sufficient to provide some slight salve for wounded pride.

Golians

Golia is a rugged world, with only a few regions fully hospitable to life – the vast river networks that cover onefourth of the northern hemisphere and the equatorial ocean belt are the only places where life truly flourishes on Golia. It was in the river valleys where the ancestors of the Golians learned to walk erect, to wield tools, to speak and to form communities. It was also in those fertile valleys where the Centauri landed, at a time when the Golians were just mastering the uses of gunpowder.

The Golians seized them, and became masters of a small empire of their own. Trade routes with another victim of the Centauri, the Antareans, helped them prosper.

The Golian military consists of ships built from a mix of local industry and scavenged Centauri components. The Golians prefer to buy high-tech equipment than to reverse engineer it, though local industries are certainly trying to reduce dependence on exports.

Horuna System

Star: M2 VI; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (4 Cold, 1 Hab); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Golian Assembly; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Horuna I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (15%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 25,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Glos (10,000), Melglos (8,000); Gov: Golian Assembly (P8, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Horuna is a dim, red star at the end of its life. It once supported two lush, fertile worlds but they are now cold and frozen. As Horuna lives out its final millennia of life, it provides warmth for a small, rocky body once too hot to sustain life but now cool enough that some beings can survive there.

Golians

Horuna I is a world of canyons, a world which had been baked in the past and split apart like dried clay. At the base of the maze which covers the entire planet (it looks, from orbit, like a globe shattered and inexpertly glued together) are thin trickles of rivers and in those rivers are a myriad of primitive life forms – algae and worms mostly, but life. Given another one or two billion years, Horuna I might develop a complete ecosystem but it is estimated the dim star has but a few million years to live. So it goes. The Golians took Horuna I as they found it and settled along the riverbeds, building a scattering of settlements and outposts. There are long-term plans to terraform it but the effort is proving greater than originally anticipated. It was also thought that Horuna I would be the first step towards coreward expansion but early probes showed few worlds within range and the expense of defending their small empire of three worlds proved to be sufficient to drain resources for exploration. Unwilling to admit defeat, the colony on Horuna remained and while it has managed to sustain itself, it has never been profitable for the Golians. Horuna has established an odd reputation among Humans and some Minbari, as a place which can inspire artistry. The blood-red tint of the cracked surface at twilight, the faint stirrings of life in the shadow of certain doom, the vast sprawl of the canyon maze jagged and harsh-edged rather than worn and smooth, all stir the muse among those of a certain temperament and since 2262, there has been an annual gathering of writers, poets and painters at Valiani Colony.

Thenavi System

Star: F2 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Golian Assembly; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Thenavi V-Gamma Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,100 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 50F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 35,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Volog (12,000), Gloson (8,000); Gov: Golian Assembly (P8, D6, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade

Thenavi V-Epsilon, the fifth and largest moon of the Thenavi V gas giant, is a world of craters and tundra. It has native life, mostly in the form of lichens and primitive insects that feed on them and each other. It has a breathable atmosphere, albeit just barely. However, to the Golians, it is their first line of defence and one of only two colony worlds they can call their own. The moon was claimed by the Centauri but never fully developed. A small training base, known to the military as ‘Lancarnum Votelano Moritan’ (‘Home Of Those Who Have Stepped On The Emperor’s Feet’), was the only semi-permanent facility on the moon, built where a happy coincidence of gravity and orbital mechanics kept the meteor infalls to a minimum. This region, known as the ‘Shadow Zone’, is also the home of the current Golian colony. Thenavi V-Epsilon is located very close to the ring systems of Thenavi 5 and it often pulls in bits of stellar debris. The ground is pockmarked with craters, with new ones forming daily. Even in the Shadow Zone, the thud of an incoming rock is a common enough occurrence that the colonists simply go back to sleep, unless it strikes very close by. Buildings have reinforced roofs, and most transit is via underground tube. It is the meteors which give the world some worth, however. They are rich in metals and minerals, including rare earths and sometimes Quantium–40. The countless millennia of bombardment have left the planet rich in metals, though scattered randomly through the surface. There are few mines, as such; rather, crawling vehicles equipped with the most advanced sensors which can be bought scour the surface, looking for traces of skyfallen wealth; these are then hauled up and carried back to the factories in the Shadow Zone for processing and shipment. Nearly the entire population dwells in Kalinai Colony, a combination of dwelling places, processing plants and starport. Orbiting the planet are two large defence bases, each with a Golian task force attached to it, ready to strike at any hostile force which passes through the jump gate. A single trading station provides access to the planet’s wealth to prospective buyers. The colonists of Thenavi V-Gamma are tough even by Golian standards and take pride in the occasional injuries inflicted merely by walking outside during a particularly dense swarm of infall. They are also fairly wealthy and there is a strong tendency to retire to Golia or even a neutral ‘luxury world’ when age begins to take a toll on their tolerance for falling rocks.

Grome Autocracy Gromahk System

Star: F8 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Margus Autocracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Gromahk III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (15%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 90F/27V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 3 billion; Tech: Fusion (with jump gate access); Cities: Margushshahk (4 million), Vargrom (3 million); Gov: Margus Autocracy (P1, D2, C8, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

From space, Gromahk is a world whose land surface is a mosaic of tans and browns, speckled with dull bluegreen, save for one patch of brilliant emerald. This accident of geography shaped the psychology and culture of the Grome. Humanoids with thick scales along their backs and shoulders, the Grome began their cultural evolution in the small fertile zone of their dry world. As they grew beyond it, they needed to colonise other areas, but the nature of their world was such that there was never a broad diaspora. All Grome can easily trace their ancestry to their original tribe and all Grome follow a single leader, the mostly-hereditary Margus, who still dwells in the original fertile region. The Grome never had the painful evolution to a planetary government; they have always had one. Where other species have had wars, the Grome have only had mass uprisings against an occasionally tyrannical or cruel Margus.

The Grome were contacted long ago by a group of rogue Lumati who were willing to deal with inferior races but the Grome wanted nothing to do with them. Seeing the Lumati’s advanced technology inspired the Grome to develop their own, however, and they slowly but surely mastered the necessary science to launch themselves into space and to use their system’s jump gate. They refuse to buy any technology from any race other than their own; to the extent they trade with other races, it is only for raw materials. The Grome have small outposts scattered through their own system but no colonies. Their ships are referred to, derisively, as ‘watermelons armed with peashooters’ – physically huge and imposing but with frighteningly primitive weapons and technologies.

Grome

‘It is better to have a single coin earned by your own efforts than a fortune taken from another.’ — Grome proverb.

degree of personal involvement varies from individual to individual.

The Margus cannot rule a planet of billions directly, of course; the day-to-day operation of the world is overseen by a large, entrenched bureaucracy. The Margus sets general policy and can override any law or decree the bureaucrats make and many of them often do. The Margus is no figurehead ruler, though his or her

Hurr Republic Androma System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Hurr Republic; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Androma III (Hurr’nog)

Hurr

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,000 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 3 Seas; Climate: 60F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3 billion; Tech: Fusion (with jump gate access); Cities: V’gharr (2 million), Morghan (1 million); Gov: Hurr Republic (P5, D6, C8, S6); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade The capital (and only habitable world) of the Hurr Republic is an old world which gave birth to sapient life at a time when most worlds were, evolutionarily speaking, closing up shop. The Hurr evolved on a world of deep canyons, soaring mountains and scattered fertile river valleys. The difficulty of travel across the world caused a high degree of cultural drift and isolation, with each group of Hurr developing without much intercourse with the others. Population pressure eventually forced the various groups together and scarcity of resources prompted conflict. The Hurr are, by nature, an aggressive species, preferring to fight rather than negotiate if there is even the slimmest chance of victory. The endless wars drove the Hurr into isolated city-states, each controlling a small territory, with the rest a no-mans-land of constant war. The discovery of flight altered the face of war. The harsh terrain which defined territories and hindered large armies suddenly dropped away. Those city-states which could take to the air could expand their reach; those who could not fell to those who could. In time, hundreds of nations became two – the Monarchy and the Republic. The Republic promised an alliance of citystates, with each one appointing representatives to speak for the citizens; the Monarchy offered only dictatorship. Freedom proved a powerful incentive and when the last war ended, Hurr’nog was united as a single Republic.

Of course, promises and actualities are different things. The Hurr Republic has become stagnant and corrupt; each city is controlled primarily by criminal factions. Females have no rights. Still, a Hurr with ability and skill who does not offend those in power can usually build his own place in the world, which is more than can be said for the masses of the galaxy. The Hurr reached for space and first found the Talkona’sha, whose vast fleets of cyborganic craft sent the Hurr racing back to their homeworld. They subsequently explored in other directions and found the Drazi. The Drazi were powerful, too, but their power was in line with that of the Hurr and border skirmishes have been constant. The Drazi would love to conquer the Hurr but cannot spare the forces to do it; the Hurr would love to have colony worlds of their own but lack the technology to seize the Drazi worlds. The Hurr have, somewhat cynically, joined the League of Non-Aligned Worlds; they have done this solely to gain access to technology and trade they cannot seize by force. To the Hurr, this is all a temporary game, a holding pattern. Someday, perhaps soon, the Hurr conquest will begin.

Hyach Gerontocracy Shra-bal System

Star: M4 VI; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Hyach Gerontocracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Shra-bal I Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (6,700 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: None; Climate: 60F/27V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 4,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Shra-bal Mines (4,000); Gov: Hyach Gerontocracy (P3, D2, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 1,500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Shri-shraba System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Hyach Gerontocracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Shri-shraba III Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 moon (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (40%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 3 Seas; Climate: 70F/36V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio

As is perhaps fitting for their culture, the world of Shri-shraba is old and worn. The Hyach were late to evolve; their world had been without intelligence for a very long time and it seemed likely that it would never develop there, until unexpected climactic shifts gave the world’s stagnant evolution a jump start. So much so, in fact, that two sentient races coevolved in the rocky grasslands of Shri-shraba, the Hyach and the Hyach-doh. The two species were very similar and shared much of the land, with both separate and mixed communities flourishing. The two races could even mate, though no offspring ever resulted from these pairings. This fact infuriated the early Hyach Elders, who saw the pursuit of pleasure without purpose as a sin. Over time, there was increased hatred and hostility directed towards the Hyach-doh, leading first to separation, then to violence, then to genocide. Unlike most races, who indulged in such acts only in their primitive state, the Hyach were already starfaring when the final extermination of the Hyach-doh took place. So intense was their religious hatred that they did not realise that, in killing the Hyach-doh, they were killing themselves.

Hyach

Shra-bal is a resource outpost, not a colony. A bitterly cold, lifeless world, its red sun a dim crimson blur in the hazy sky, it is a temporary home to a few thousand Hyach painfully and slowly pulling mineral wealth out of the frozen soil. The world might be terraformed but the Hyach see no need to do so, as they do not intend to build colonies here. Shra-bal managed to avoid the fate of Yonog in the Dilgar War, as the Hyach, alerted to the threat posed by the Dilgar when they attacked Yonog, demonstrated considerably more firepower and technology than the Dilgar had expected, keeping them from extending their push into Hyach space.

Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1.5 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Bachya (2 million), Aklach (1.5 million); Gov: Hyach Gerontocracy (P3, D2, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 4 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade

The non-fertile matings were not without purpose. There was an exchange of genetic material and, without that additional DNA from the Hyach-doh, the Hyach’s own reproduction was weakened. It took generations for the Hyach-doh genetic components to break down but, as they did, the Hyach saw a drop in birth-rate, one which is now becoming acute. Cities on Shri-shraba built to hold ten million hold one million and no Hyach colony has thrived. Unless some solution is found, the Hyach will be extinct within a handful of generations. The Hyach did not develop in the fits and starts common to sentient races but, rather had a very steady, slow climb from the stone age to the space age, with limited wars and few major social upheavals. The Hyach emerged into space shortly after the end of Valen’s Shadow War. This has given them a very

long time to develop technologies in relative peace and they are one of the most advanced of the League worlds.

Hyach

Hyach culture is based on gerontocracy and this tends to make it ultra-conservative; the old dislike change. The Hyach are not stupid or stagnant, just… set. Younger Hyach often chafe at the system, vowing to change it when they come into age and power but, once the bones have begun to weaken and the skin sag, the fires of youthful ambition also burn low and the wisdom of the current system seems ever more apparent. The Hyach are, except for their internal genocides, a generally peaceful race. They have joined the ISA and are law-abiding members of it, though they contribute only the bare minimum of ships to joint military action. The Dilgar War, and the failure of the League worlds to help them, has made them wary of putting too much trust in outsiders and they believe that if push ever comes to shove, they will have to defend themselves.

Yonog System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold. 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Hyach Gerontocracy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Yonog IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 moon (700 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (56%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Yonog Outpost (5,000); Gov: Hyach Gerontocracy (P3, D2, C7, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military The Hyach have never had much desire to leave their native world. The Yonog system might have been a fine colony site but the Hyach never really developed it, preferring to use it simply as a listening post and scientific research station. Over time, more and more Hyach ended up living there and the world

was on the verge of colonial status when the Dilgar came. The outpost was wiped out and has only recently been rebuilt. The chances of it becoming a true colony are very slim.

Ipsha Baronies Eklor System

Star: M5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 2 Gas (1 Cold. 1 Hot); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Ipsha Baronies; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Eklor I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 moon (500 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (81%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 60F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 100,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Oskshin Reef (50,000), Voshkin Reef (45,000); Gov: Ipsha Baronies (P3, D8, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 300, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Scientific

The Ipsha do not have ‘domes’; they have reefs. Bioengineering produced coral which could grow in the cold waters of Eklor and expand into the thin, dry, air. From these reefs, the Ipsha could then build mining platforms to harvest the mineral wealth of Eklor and fuel the construction of their starfleet.

Elitria System

Star: F3 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Ipsha Baronies; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Zone: Cold; Size: Small (1,500 miles); Grav: 0.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Thin (0.25) Inert; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Very Simple; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Iviksha Reef (2,000), Zoksani Reef (1,500); Gov: Ipsha Baronies (P3, D8, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 400, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Scientific If Eklor was difficult to colonise, Elitria seemed impossible. The system was written off at first as being useless. The inner worlds were baking chunks of rock, the only world in the habitable zone was a bloated gas giant shepherding a flock of worthless moonlets and the outer worlds were cold and barren. Almost. The outermost world of the system, a tiny iceball, showed itself to be rich in frozen gasses with tremendous industrial worth. Further analysis showed that, against all odds, a layer of water ice within the planet which periodically thawed due to pressure heat had given rise to simple life.

Ipsha

For the Ipsha, colonisation proved to be very, very difficult. They were heavily adapted to their world and learning to survive on another one was problematic. Tides, temperatures and other things played havoc with their biology. It did not help that Eklor, the first system they found to colonise, was very different from their homeworld. Three colonies failed before the right mix of technologies was perfected. After that, it became easier (though never easy) and the colony began to grow. Eklor is settled by two of the five baronies.

Elitria VI

The Ipsha, in need of a resource world, decided to try it. Without any real native ecosystem to latch onto, they needed to develop wholly artificial ‘reefs’. Tunnels from the upper layers of frozen gasses to the buried water layer were drilled and fusion generators were put in place to melt out ‘lakes’ far below the surface; these lakes were seeded with bioengineered reef-coral. It took a decade but it worked. Each barony seized a region of the world for its own and periodically wars break out along the icy surface but, for the most part, the five colonies survive. A single transport station in orbit is owned by the Oer barony; the others make do with tanker shuttles.

Ipsha System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Ipsha

Baronies; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Ipsha III

Ipsha

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 4 moonlets (55 miles, 45 miles, 30 miles & 25 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.4) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Wet (91%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 90F/36V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3.5 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Coshka (3 million), Askshan (2.5 million); Gov: Ipsha Baronies (P3, D8, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/1 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 3 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Ipsha is a humid, choking, world where a normal Human will not die instantly but will likely die in a few hours from the crushing pressure and nearly unbreathable air, with average humidity approaching 99% throughout the planet. The barriers between air and water, land and sea, are not very sharp here and this is what has allowed the Ipsha to evolve. They are air-breathers but require a very wet environment in which to live. The land masses of Ipsha are alive; they are covered to a depth of 20 or more feet by a sort of air-breathing coral. The proto-Ipsha evolved in the shallows of the reef but eventually became air-breathers. They resemble columns of tissue ringed with eyes and arms, radially symmetric like a starfish. The arms can number from 6 to 16, depending on sub-species and each terminates in a cluster of small tentacles capable of fine manipulation. They are one of the few wholly non-humanoid intelligences active in the galaxy. Few of the major or League races have ever seen one in the flesh and, if not previously warned, are likely to not recognise the Ipsha as a sentient being, so different are they from most of the galaxy’s intelligences. The mentality of the Ipsha, though, is easily understandable – in many ways, they are less alien than the Lumati or the Gaim. Their history is one of stretches of peace broken by periods of war, with ever increasing technology. The final wars left their planet in the hands of five nations, the five great ‘Baronies’ of Ipsha, and this is the state today. No barony speaks

for the whole planet and one barony may make a treaty with a race while another declares war on it! Species who assume the existence of a planetary government often found themselves surprised. The Abbai certainly did, when they discovered only one of five governments on Ipsha had joined the League, though all of the Ipsha eventually joined up. The Ipsha live in a feudal system where the castes are determined by sub-species, with more arms equalling more prestige. This makes at least as much sense as Drazi politics and, just as with the Drazi, their system works for them.

Kor-Lyan Kingdoms Kor-Lya System

Star: G3 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Kor-Lyan Kingdoms; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Kor-Lya II

thinking and reproducing, with all other needs taken care of via the hose. The parasite is the Kor; the ape-creature, the Lyan. Together, they form a single sentient culture: the KorLyan. Once symbiotic sentience was achieved, the conjoined species began to dominate their world. Technological progress followed the usual course, as did social progress. Social unity continually eluded the Kor-Lyan, however, with no single nation every achieving control of more than a fraction of the world.

Kor-Lyan

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (61%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 95F/40V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 4 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Lakran (6 million), Kovilan (4 million); Gov: Kor-Lyan Kingdoms (special – see below); Orbital Pop: 200,000, Colonies: 6 Major/14 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 6 Monitor, 1 Trade Kor-Lya II is a world, paradoxically, of mountains and swamps. The planet has shaped itself so that wide mires fill in the bases of mountain ranges, which rise upwards from the muck, covered with a slowly-thinning forest. Geothermal activity keeps the mires warms and burbling throughout the world, so the planet has no true ice caps or permafrost. Within the swamps, a wormlike parasite developed which was almost entirely neural tissue and feeding tubes. It attached itself to whatever it could, trading off physical strength for mental development, until it attained a level of self-awareness. One species became strongly linked with a hulking, ape-like species which was just about smart enough to pick up a stick and whack another of its kind with it. In harmony with this species, the parasite could devote almost all of its biology to

Kor-Lya II Source: IPX/Marford/ex.66 Grade: Beta/Gamma

Kor-Lyan

The discovery and use of nuclear weapons triggered a small societal shift. Horrified at the possibility of racial destruction, the countless kings and emperors and high lords and so on of the Kor-Lyan agreed to never use such weapons in anger. Unlike many similar treaties on many other worlds, they meant it. War might continue between kingdoms but no side would strike first with weapons of mass destruction. The reason for this is simple – most wars until this point were fought with unbonded Lyan as the primary troops, hurled against each other like dumb animals, with the Kor well away from battle. Nuclear weapons mean the Kor would die along with their lumbering allies. This was unacceptable. This resolution is probably what allowed the Kor-Lyan to reach the stars. The Kor-Lyan homeworld is still divided among roughly 300 kingdoms. Unlike the Ipsha, the Assembled Kings can speak with one voice when conversing with other species; a pact made with the Kor-Lyan kingdoms is made with the whole world. However, the Kingdoms are still very idiosyncratic and vary widely in their internal affairs – hence the lack of a Government rating. A wide range of governments exist on Kor-Lyan. Individual kingdoms also take their wars, cold and hot, to the stars and often hire other races as agents, mercenaries and gobetweens.

Lotna System

Star: M5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Kor-Lyan Kingdoms; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Lotna II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,900 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 moonlet (50 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 60F/36V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Lolian (3,000), Koklim (2,500); Gov: Kor-Lyan Kingdoms (special – see Kor-Lya II); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade The Lotna system is the primary offworld ‘habitation’ colony for the Kor-Lyan, rich in farmland and some mineral wealth. It is also strategically located as a buffer against the Tortans and the Tikar, the former of whom periodically launch probing attacks to test defences.

Lotna was a surprisingly easy world for the Kor-Lyan to colonise. While very different from their homeworld, the Lyan are a very hardy breed and soon adapted to the low temperature and thin air. The Kor maintain some pressurised areas within the colonies for the times when they need to leave their hosts briefly and to allow other, less hardy, species from their homeworld a chance to adapt. Lotna is claimed by 15 different kingdoms and while the wars for territory are not as vicious as those on Oleng, they still go on. Mercenaries from many races look for a ‘ticket to Lotna’, as the fighting is generally infrequent and the pay is good.

Oleng System

Star: K6 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Kor-Lyan Kingdoms; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Oleng IV-Beta Zone: Cold; Size: Small (1,400 miles); Grav: 0.2g; Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 15,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Olen Royal Mines (4000); Gov: KorLyan Kingdoms (special – see Kor-Lya II); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 2 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Trade Oleng IV is a tiny moon of an insignificant gas giant which is home to two very important things – Quantium–40 and alien technology, both of which many kingdoms of Kor-Lyan are interested in extracting. There are over 40 mining and tech recovery colonies on the planet and there are near-constant skirmishes between them, with troops of near-mindless Lyan sent out to slay each other while the Kor remain safely back home in their bases. The former occupiers of Oleng were evidently masters of nanoengineering; the items recovered from the abandoned mines and factories are filled with microrobotic devices. Nothing else is known about them and no kingdom of the Kor-Lyan has managed to replicate, or even understand, the technology. Oleng III is being scouted as a possible agricultural colony base.

Koulani Koulan System

Star: G3 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Koulani Conglomerate; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Koulani II (Koula) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,300 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 2 moonlets (45 miles & 55 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/6V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Rathis (2 million), Flassin (1 million); Gov: Koulani Conglomerate (P3, D4, C7, S6); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 2 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor

The Koulani have no concept of family; eggs are laid communally and raised communally. Children, other than the youngest, are expected to contribute to the productivity of the community and are considered as little more than small, poorly-educated adults. There is no romanticisation of childhood and little emotional attachment to it; this alone causes the Koulani to have difficulty negotiating with other races.

The Koulani have no planetary government as such, just a variety of business interests offering services ranging from contract disputes to planetary defence. The military is closer to a mercenary force than a true army and they will hire out entire fleets to anyone willing to pay the price. During the Dilgar War, Koulani were hired by both sides and had no trouble firing on their own ships. This is countered by a belief that one should always make sure one is positioned to reap the maximum reward and this is what led them to war with Earth during the early days of Human rimward space exploration. The Koulani had heard of the Humans and considered them a good subject for trade agreements but wanted to make sure they would get the better deal in all negotiations. In order to impress upon the Humans that they were better trading with the Koulani than battling them, several Koulani interests launched a combined assault on Human colonies in the area. As with the Ch’lon, though, the Koulani grievously underestimated Human strength and skill and found themselves sitting on the wrong end of the negotiating table.

Koulani

The Koulani have been described as ‘a cross between alligators and snakes’. They are cold-blooded egglayers, one of the few cold-blooded species to achieve sentience; their world’s unusually stable climate may have played a part of this.

if the gain outweighs the effort and no better deal is in the offing.

Koulani are not emotionless but they are often difficult for other races to read or understand, as they lack strong drives for love, jealousy or protection of family. They are willing to betray a friend in an instant if the gain is worthwhile but they rarely, if ever, offer false promises or lie about the quality of goods.

Koulani society has always been based on raw selfinterest, even more so than the Brakiri or the Lumati. Everything a Koulani does, it seems, is based on a careful calculation of his own gain. The best one can say about them is that they have no sense of envy or spite; they do not care if someone else benefits more than them, as long as they benefit as well. They despise being cheated or lied to, of course, but an honest, if unbalanced, deal will often be accepted,

Llort Vartas System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Llort; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Vartas II (Llort)

Llort

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (900 miles), 2 moonlets (60 & 40 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 3 Seas; Climate: 90F/48V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Lunag (1 million), Alkal (650,000); Gov: Llort (P4, D4, C4, S8); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 3 Trade The sun blazes down on Vartas II throughout its long summer, parching the surface and baking all but the poles. In the winter, the planet freezes, the small oceans becoming thick with icebergs and the seas and rivers becoming locked in perpetual winter. Underground, though… The Llort are a burrowing people, looking something like armadillos. They took to the caves and tunnels of their world when a nearmiss by a passing asteroid swung the planet’s axis, turning the world into one of climactic extremes. In the cool stability of the darkness, they grew and prospered, slowly developing the tools and technology they needed to survive. They also developed the cultural trait which, to this day, defines them to other races. If a Llort needs something – a tool, food, a weapon – he simply takes it. Aside from a few items carefully marked, all property on Llort is available for anyone who lays claim to it, with the understanding that the same is true in reverse. Often, an item not being used by the taking individual will be placed down in exchange. This concept – the Exchange – is central to Llort existence. The Llort have no concept of ‘ownership’.

When the Llort finally emerged into space, they found a galaxy full of things they could use – and so they began to take them. Sometimes, if they felt it was required, they would leave things in exchange – other times, they would not. This earned them the sobriquet of ‘pirates’ and ‘thieves’ but, to the Llort, it is all about balance. Most other species have more; the Llort have less. Therefore, to balance the universe, things must go to the Llort. If this universal balance has to be achieved by means of weapons fire, well, so be it…

Lumati Dominion Lumat System

Star: K6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (1 Cold, 1Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Lumati Dominion; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Lumat IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,400 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 moonlet (60 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Moist (55%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 70F/27V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 4 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Ni’draw (10 million), Mark’lc (8 million); Gov: Lumati Elite (P2, D6, C8, S7); Orbital Pop: 20,000, Colonies: 1 Major/4 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific

The planet is deeply pitted and scarred, a product of continuous exploitation. Most of the ecosystem has been damaged beyond repair; it is, perhaps, the only racial homeworld where the inhabitants have retreated into domes and underground complexes due to the damage done to their own environment. The Lumati see nothing wrong with this; the uncounted millions of species exterminated were simply unfit. They view their ability to construct artificial environments in which to live as proof of their own superiority. ‘Technology is the ultimate adaptation’ is a common Lumati aphorism. The Lumati are not cruel, just arrogant and callous. They believe that ‘that which survives, is fit’ and see little point in either helping or actively hindering the survival of other species. The idea of expending resources to help another species – whether an animal native to their planet or a sapient being of alien descent

Lumati society is highly stratified but it is at least meritocratic. All Lumati are continually tested and placed into appropriate schools and training programs as their innate skills and talents manifest. Genetic screening is part of this; the lower someone ranks in these tests, the worse their chances on being approved for breeding. Physical isolation of the lowest-ranking was not part of Lumati society until 2259 when, ‘inspired’ by Babylon 5’s Downbelow region, the Lumati began to segregate physically as well as socially. The Lumati viewed other races as inferior and likely to introduce bad memes; this kept their travel limited to nearby, uninhabited worlds, though a few individuals ignored this policy. The Lumati had no desire to conquer other races, merely to have a buffer zone for their homeworld. Only when they painstakingly realised that races with allies were stronger than those without did they begin seeking alliances with the larger universe; this will no doubt cause many upheavals in Lumati culture. Each Lumati city-complex is self sufficient, though most have specialisations. The planet is linked by an extensive maglev network. Aliens are not permitted to land on Lumat but trade is conducted via orbiting platforms, primarily in the Mollitra system. Only the most worthy individuals are permitted to enter Lumat’s orbital space.

Lumati

Lumat IV, homeworld of the Lumati, is a large but low-density planet with a light gravity and a thin atmosphere. It is an old world, its tectonic activity long stopped. Worn mountains stretch wanly toward the sky and slow, wide rivers carve their path through the landscape. The sun shines crimson through an atmosphere hazy with the legacy of millennia of industrial pollution.

– is as foreign to them as humility is to a Centauri or ‘giving a refund’ is to a Brakiri.

Mollitra System

Star: K4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hab), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Lumati Dominion; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Mollitra III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,400 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (500 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.6) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (15%); Oceans: Scattered lakes; Climate: 40F/15V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Amati (12,000), Belvane (10,000); Gov: Lumati Elite (P2, D6, C8, S7); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

The Mollitra system is the Lumati’s ‘gateway’ system and it thus serves two somewhat contradictory purposes. Following the decision to begin regular intercourse with the surrounding universe, Mollitra must accept, if not welcome, visitors of all sorts. At the same time, it must present to such visitors an image of overwhelming force, impressing on them the superiority of the Lumati in all ways but most especially in terms of armament.

Lumati

The world of Mollitra III is a rocky, barely-habitable mining colony, a place where the mentally inferior but physically fit are assigned, often from a young age. The Lumati cannot understand the concept of limiting child labour; once a child has been determined to be unable to benefit from further education, not putting him to work would be a drain on society. The orbital region is a collection of shipyards, naval bases and a recently assembled open port. The Mollitra Anomaly is something the Lumati have studied for years without success, though they would never admit to this failure. It is a triangular region roughly 200 miles on a side. Within this region are the remnants of a wholly different environment than that which is found elsewhere on Mollitra. It does not seem to have been terraformed; rather, it looks as if a region of the planet was simply shifted in from somewhere else, where it quickly succumbed to the ambient environment, leaving only dead plants and animals behind. High levels of tachyons in the Anomaly indicate a chronal shift, as if this area had been moved forward or backwards in time.

Xochat System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Lumati Dominion; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Xochat II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Very Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 1 Large, 5 Small; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 4 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Vamati Dome (800,000), Bovamat Dome (500,000); Gov: Lumati Elite (P2, D6, C8, S7); Orbital Pop: 13,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor

The Xochat system is home to the Lumati’s largest offworld colony, holding four million Lumati scattered among a half-dozen domes. It is a young world, one which is tectonically active but which has yet to develop extensive land masses; most of the land area of the world is flat, except for those areas directly experiencing tectonic uplift. Due to the ever-shifting nature of the land, the Lumati have built most of their settlements on the sea, upon huge floating platforms in regions found to be as stable as possible. Surrounding these platforms are hundreds of miles of algae mats, introduced by Lumati bioengineers, and a number of species which depend on them. (That this is basically destroying the native life is of no concern to the Lumati). The cities exist primarily to process the harvested food into a variety of synthetics, which are in turn shipped back to Lumat and to other colonies. The advanced food synthesis techniques have attracted interest from other races, and both Human and Drazi militaries have begun to study the Lumati as a source of high-yield, low-bulk rations for troops. Because the health of the food growing areas is important, the Lumati on Xochat are careful about waste; fleets of ships leave the city-platforms each day to carry the waste to the nearest continent, where it is then hauled far inland. Again, the impact of this on present or future life is not considered.

Markab Markar System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 0 [1 pre–2260]; Ownership: None [Markab Theocracy pre–2260]; Threat Level: Very Low [Very High pre–2260] ; Security Level: Open [High pre–2260]

Markar III [pre–2260] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,000 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (450 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 90F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Havrak (4 million), Mokluk (3 million); Gov: Markab Theocracy (P4, D2, C9, S9); Orbital Pop: 40,000, Colonies: 2 Major/6 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade

Markar III [post–2260]

‘To survive the Dilgar, yet fall to their own prejudice… this is a warning all races should heed.’ — Ambassador Delenn, personal journal, 2259 The Markab were one of the galaxy’s oldest races, having emerged to the stars during the Shadow War of Valen’s time. Thus, their downfall – not at the hands of an enemy, but at the hands of their own narrow-mindedness – is especially tragic. The world of Markar–3 is drier than it should be, given its hydrosphere. Unfortunate arrangements of land and wind patterns make most of the surface uncomfortably arid, so civilisation tends to cluster in relatively small areas. This forced the early Markab to find ways to unite or risk perpetual war. They found the answer in religion – the Markab quickly evolved a single faith, though there remained many differences of doctrine. While small religious wars did flare up over these, the general unity provided by a shared set of beliefs enabled the species to

When they saw the chaos that engulfed the galaxy in the wake of that war, they were justifiable frightened, so much so that they quickly retreated to a small cluster of worlds and refused to have anything to do with the larger galaxy. For a millennia, they simply fortified their own colonies and kept half an eye on the changing universe around them. They rebuffed the Centauri handily and cast a wary eye on the Humans, who were moving their frontier dangerously close to that of the Markab. This turned out to be the Markab’s salvation. The Dilgar struck at Markab worlds and this placed them too close to the Earth Alliance. The Earth Alliance took action, liberating Markab space (and, unlike many other races who engaged in such ‘liberation’, not merely driving off one conqueror to become another). The Markab grudgingly accepted that the universe would not ignore them if they ignored it, and joined the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, becoming a part of the active galactic community. Grateful to Earth, they offered refugees places to flee during the Earth-Minbari War and pledged considerable support to the Babylon Project. However, something of what would condemn them was already becoming evident. The survivors of Troth and Tiree felt the attacks of the Dilgar were a divine punishment, that they were being condemned for some unknown sins. This was shared by others – that is, many felt the colonists had somehow angered the gods, leading to the gods using the Dilgar as tools of punishment. The same strong morality which kept the early Markar from killing each other had become an obsession. Things did not simply happen; all occurrences were rewards for moral behaviour or punishments for immoral behaviour.

Markab

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,000 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (450 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 90F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: None; Tech: (abandoned) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None [1 Minor ISA post 2263], Colonies: None, Bases: None

co-operate, thrive and grow, developing technology and ascending into space.

Thus, to them, a plague was proof of sin and when an ancient disease began to ravage their world, their shame at the ‘sin’ they were being punished for was so great that they ignored the spread of the disease until it was too late. Each Markab felt they could be spared if they were pure enough, moral enough, and by the time a few realised the truth, that sin had nothing to do with it, all three Markab worlds were dead. A tiny handful of Markab who were far from their space and not in regular contact with their fellows survived but, for all practical purposes, the race is dead. In 2260, Captain Sheridan destroyed the Markab jump gate, in order to keep raiders and pirates from looting the riches of the dead planet. Some raiders – those with ships capable of forming their own jump points – still make attacks on the world. During the Clark years, clandestine

expeditions by IPX also plundered the world and there are rumours that these did not end entirely when Clark fell from power. In 2263, the ISA declared the world a memorial and have stationed a small fleet of ships to protect it. An orbital museum documenting the history and culture of the Markab is planned.

Tiree System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None [Markab Theocracy pre–2260]; Threat Level: Very Low [Low pre–2260] ; Security Level: Open [High pre–2260]

Markab

Tiree III [pre–2260]

The Markab then turned to rebuilding but barely a generation after the Dilgar War, the drafa plague returned and the entire planet died in weeks.

Troth System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (2 Hot), 2 Gas (Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None [Markab Theocracy pre–2260]; Threat Level: Very Low [Low pre–2260] ; Security Level: Open [High pre– 2260]

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,400 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 2 (250 & 200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (55%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 60F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 45 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Amarka (1 million), Clarman (500,000); Gov: Markab Theocracy (P4, D2, C9, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

Troth IV-Epsilon [pre–2260]

Tiree III [post–2260]

Troth IV-Epsilon [post–2260]

Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (2,500 miles); Grav: 0.5g; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (15%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 90F/15V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: None; Tech: (abandoned) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Tiree was the first colony world settled by the Markab. It was slightly drier than Markar but better weather patterns made the world lush overall and the Markab could survive on the world without technological aids. With few worlds of their own to claim, the Markab developed those they did have with skill and care. Cities covered the surface of Tiree, with outposts scattered everywhere. Should Markar fall, Tiree could be a second home. The native plants and animals were easily adapted to Markab uses, and there was little ecological disruption from the few mining and resource extraction operations. The colony thrived for a millennia; then the Dilgar came. In a few months of occupation, they managed to ravage the world. Though they did not exterminate the populace, they did enslave most of them, turning long-established cities into work camps and carefully-designed extraction

operations into massive strip mines. The Markab on Tiree prayed for relief and it came in the form of EarthForce, who drove the Dilgar from Markab space.

Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (2,500 miles); Grav: 0.5g; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (15%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 90F/15V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 15 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Korlan (750,000), Malaz (500,000); Gov: Markab Theocracy (P4, D2, C9, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor

Troth was settled more out of desperation than design. The blazing sun of the Troth system rendered the inner world uninhabitable but by a series of lucky coincidences, a moon of the gas giant located in the star’s habitable zone had given rise to a simple ecosystem and possessed a thin oxygen atmosphere. The mineral wealth of Troth was sufficient to justify colonisation and the location of the world as a vital buffer zone against the antispinward races was also helpful. Much as with Tiree, the Markab harvested the world carefully, all the more so because life was difficult here. As with Tiree, the Dilgar appeared to enslave and ravage and, just as recovery began, the drafa plague struck.

Minbari Federation Davala System

Star: K4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (3 Hot, 1 Hab), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Medium

Davala IV (Davala Than) Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (14,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (9%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 10F/45V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 17,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Mannal (8,800), Soj’not (8,200); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,100 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (13%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 50F/24V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 150,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Kel’noth (58 thousand), Velkeer (40,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade Drala Toth is a blood-red world with a cracked, lifeless surface, a lung-burning atmosphere of lethal and acidic gasses and a surprisingly rich subterranean ecosystem. It is one of the few Minbari colony worlds which is not somewhat close to Minbar in makeup; it was settled because of its mineral wealth and strategic position. It is the gateway to the foundry world of Trigati and as such is very well defended. The seven colonies of Drala Toth are all underground, sealed off from the poisonous air above. Fortunately, the fungal ecosystem of the cavern adapted easily to Minbari air, so the colonies have a ready supply of food and there is even a small trade in exports, as the fungi of Drala Toth are very varied and offer unique textures and flavours. At one point, shipments to the Drazi Freehold almost outnumbered mining shipments, until the Minbari learned the mushrooms had an addictive and mind-altering effect on the Drazi and had been banned by the Drazi government; the smugglers, once the truth was known, were sent to Davala Than to contemplate the error of their ways.

The general hostility of the planet limits settlement to two areas; the warm valley of Soj’nor and the extensive ice mines of Mannal, located near the north pole, where the ice is free from any taint whatsoever, apparently frozen long before even the simplest life evolved on the world.

Eshar System

The ice mines of Mannal are one of the most common places to which Minbari send non-Minbari who have committed crimes in Minbari space. They are unlikely to escape and the concept of 30 or 40 years surrounded by dagger-sharp shards of ice deters undesirable behaviour very effectively.

Eshar II

Drala System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (3 Hot, 1 Hab), 2 Gas (Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Minbari Fed.

Davala Than is a frozen world, one which would have been ignored as a colony planet, despite the breathable atmosphere (produced by extremophile algae-like growths over most of the glacial regions), except for the fact that the ice layers were exceptionally pure, making this a world which could provide water for the entire Federation at relatively low cost. It also happened that a small area of the world was geothermally warmed to the point where extensive agriculture could take place, making Davala Than a source of both food and water.

Drala VI (Drala Toth)

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hot, 1 Hab, 1 Cold), 1 Gas (Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,000 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Corrosive; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (68%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 90F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 430,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Kallain (270,000), Nend’tal (120,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 3,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Trade Eshar is a smallish world with a mildly corrosive atmosphere – not enough to turn those who wander unprotected

into skeletons in minutes but enough that it is effectively impossible to live outside of the domes, though brief unprotected excursions can be made in an emergency. The world has native life well-adapted to the local conditions but the amount of effort required to process this life into food is more than the cost of simply shipping in supplies – especially when the wealth of Eshar in terms of Quantium– 40 is taken into account.

Minbari Fed.

The three domes of Eshar quite literally fuel the Minbari Federation’s jump technology – while there are other sources of Quantium–40, Eshar is their richest and most vital. An orbital fleet and extensive ground troops protect the planet from any foolish enough to attempt to seize it.

Minbar has been home to a technological civilisation for well over a thousand years but the planet shows few of the common signs of it; the Minbari managed to pas through their early industrial era while doing relatively little harm to their world, and they have carried this forward with them into space. The Minbari harvest worlds, rather than ravage them, setting them apart from much of the galaxy.

The three colonies of Eshar are joined by transport tubes measuring thousands of miles in length, one of the largest such structures in the galaxy. While world-spanning tube systems are common, none reach so far between connection points. Martian engineers have petitioned the Minbari for a chance to study their construction techniques on Eshar but these requests have been denied.

Nocalo System

Minbar System

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (82%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 325,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Nestai (200,000), Meshan’ro (90,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Star: G1 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hot, 1 Hab, 1 Cold), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Very Dense), Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 2; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Minbar IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,700 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 2 (1,000 & 900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (23%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 70F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2.3 billion; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Yedor (5 million), Tuzanor (4 million); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 25,000, Colonies: 5 Major/12 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 6 Monitor, 2 Trade Minbar is a cold, dry, yet beautiful world which is home to the galaxies most advanced extant race, the Minbari. It is a world of gorgeous crystalline outcroppings, vast glacial expanses, frigid and storm-tossed seas and cities built so as to seem merely larger stands of crystal, so well do they blend into the environment. Despite the relatively low amount of surface water on Minbar, there are few expanses of desert, though some areas of tundra and permafrost are lifeless enough to qualify.

Wind patterns disperse enough water over most of the planet to keep even the regions far from the seas relatively verdant, though this is less true the further one gets from the warmer equatorial zones. The northern and southern limits on the expansion of civilisation are greater than they are on most other major race homeworlds.

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hot, 1 Hab, 2 Cold), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Nocalo II

Nocalo is a primitive, vibrant world. It is teeming with life but that life lacks many of the advanced adaptations found on older worlds. However, what the life lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in diversity, energy and voracity, making Nocalo one of the more dangerous world of the Federation, though not on par with some of the ‘hellworlds’ documented elsewhere. Nocalo is also a dangerous world due to the slight instability of its central star, which can play havoc with local hyperspace. The rich environment makes the world valuable for agriculture, however, too valuable to let lie fallow. It has other uses, as well. The combination of deep seas and rich minerals make Nocalo a prime location for a naval shipyard and the rich diversity of life on Nocalo inspired the religious caste to construct the city of Onada and its famous gardens, which symbolise the coming together of many diverse forms of life in a single, harmonious whole.

Pagatic System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hot, 1 Hab, 3 Cold), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Pagatic III Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (11,900 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: 2 (1,000 & 900 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (72%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 425,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Beshanor (250,000), Haalnor (60,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 9,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 2 Scientific

Pagatic is also a world of vicious storms, so strong that all settlements are located under secure domes or deep underground. Despite these traits, the rich minerals of the islands and the diversity of life forms, makes Pagatic a worthwhile colony site for mining and research purposes.

Massive, rugged and prone to extremes, Ralafa provides much of the raw material for the Minbari fleet. It is a huge world, pushing the upper limits of rocky bodies and very dense. That it is both of these things and still has a breathable atmosphere and an ecosystem reasonably compatible with Minbari physiology is highly unusual, though the world shows no signs of artificial modification. The largest colony on Ralafa, Diniatri’el, is located on a mountain whose peak is ten miles above the planet’s seas, while the industrial settlement Shair’nal is a sprawl of floating platforms above the depths of the Kaldoon Crater, whose bottom is 15 miles below the surface of the sea. That a single world contains the highest and lowest inhabited points in the Federation is a subject of occasional wonderment. The intense pressure at the base of Kaldoon produces unique metallic alloys which form the basis of the Minbari fleet. Most of the population of Shair’nal dwells on the platforms or in intermediate mining stations along the crater walls but a few hundred live in extended shifts in domes at the very bottom, examples of the finest Minbari engineering.

Minbari Fed.

Pagatic has been cited by some Minbari as proof the universe has a sense of humour and enjoys reminding us not to become too sure of ourselves. More cynical Minbari, mostly warrior caste, sneer it merely proves that the universe loves a cruel joke. Pagatic is an island world of deep seas and tropical archipelagos… but it must import water. The local oceans are universally tainted with a lethal microbe that defies all but the most expensive and time-intensive filtering processes.

Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (26%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 4 Seas; Climate: 80F/48V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 285,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Dinatri’el (200,000), Elgath (50,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 20,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

Ralafa System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hot, 1 Hab, 3 Cold), 3 Gas (1 Cold, 2 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Ralafa IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (16,600 miles); Grav: 2.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Very Dense (1.8) Breathable;

Ralafa IV Source: IPX/Kyven/px.155 Grade: Alpha/Seti Notes: Lst rpt Agt msng prsmd dd

Shengol System

Solta System

Shengol VIII

Solta III (Solta Gan)

Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (4,500 miles); Grav: 0.4g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.5) Corrosive; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 2,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Shien’ro (1,200), Hellio (800); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Scientific

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,300 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 435,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Corroust (180,000), Keishaan (160,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Scientific

Star: A1 VII; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (Cold), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High

Minbari Fed.

Shengol is poisonous, lifeless, crater-strewn wasteland of a world, made all the more so by the ceaseless barrage of weapons systems being test-fired at it and on it. While the Centauri would happily turn a rich world into a ruin, the Minbari found an already ruined world to settle, ironically adding life to a dead world rather than killing a live one. Shengol is also rich in minerals and ores, with extensive mining colonies built well below the surface. The warrior caste, which controls the world, is supposed to keep weapons fire well away from the mines but since the systems used are often experimental, there have been occasional misfires. None have proven to be lethal but the workers in the colonies often worry that a mistake in a targeting program or a misaligned firing system could send death pouring down upon them. There are also ongoing weapons and materials research programs.

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Solta Gan is a warm, water-rich world with a wide range of environments, making it one of the most ‘Earthlike’ worlds in the Federation. Three large continents and a series of archipelagos form the planet’s land but it is the water which is the focus of most of the world’s activity, with a large naval shipyard and training centre being present. Several other facilities are present, including a large religious archive and several well-populated cities.

Sorpigal System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Sorpigal II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Dry (29%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 6 Seas; Climate: 80F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 22,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Minano (12,000), Fendral (8,000), Le’than University (1,500); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 3 Scientific

Sorpigal is a world which might have been one of the jewels of the Federation but for one flaw – it is tectonically very unstable, so much so that spending too much effort on colonising it is seen as likely to be wasted effort. Unfortunately, this fact was not discovered until several colonies had been founded, including the Le’than University, which is one of the premiere religious schools in Minbari space. So the world remains settled and those who live there simply adjust to the ground shaking and trust in Minbari engineering to see them through. Le’than university is the only school run by the religious caste to offer courses in advanced geology and tectonics.

One odd feature of Tala is that the capital, Gethran, is actually split into three cities, a holdover from a caste war which predated the coming of Valen. It has remained split in part due to tradition and in part to serve as a reminder of how the Minbari were before Valen’s arrival.

There is also a geological research and mining facility at the Kaloval Well, a geothermal anomaly that consists of a shaft of hardened stone which reaches through the mantle and which occasionally disgorges a stream of molten rock and minerals.

Tarellen III

Tala System

Tala II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,800 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 3 (400, 350 & 300 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 85,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Gethran Cluster (42,000), Saelvan (28,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military Tala would be a much more inhabited world in the hands of many other races but the Minbari find what Humans would call a tropical paradise to be uncomfortably sweltering and humid. Tala was nonetheless settled long ago, when the Minbari had little choice of worlds, the colony has remained there, not growing spectacularly but never being abandoned. The harsh conditions on Tala make it ideal for ground troop training, as the Minbari, in common with perhaps every other sentient race, believe that military training should be as close to torture as possible. The world is so alien to Minbar, yet so similar to many of the worlds the Minbari might have to fight on, that there are countless temporary training camps set up across the world, with troops being taught to fight in harsh deserts, swampy mires and sweltering jungles.

Star: G3 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Moist (52%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 825,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Valana (420,000), Shendar (230,000), Saelvan (28,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 8,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 3 Monitor, 1 Trade Terellan is the oldest Minbari colony world, founded well before the time of Valen, and it may be the oldest colony world extant in the known galaxy. It is both wetter and warmer than Minbar but fortunate weather patterns keep it from being uncomfortable. A single continent and a few small island chains contain all the land mass of the word, with the planet’s large single ocean surrounding it. An inland sea contains fresh water, which is pumped to the colonies. Most settlements are in the mountainous regions or near the poles, where the environment approximates that of Minbar.

Minbari Fed.

Star: G2 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 2 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Tarellen System

The world is not spectacularly endowed with any one resource but it has ample supplies of many different ones, ranging from marble and granite for construction to hardwoods and textiles. Tarellen is considered a ‘last chance’ world for the Minbari, a place to flee to should the unthinkable happen and Minbar be destroyed or rendered inhospitable.

Tavalan System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Tavalan IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,800 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable;

Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (82%); Continents: 2 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 70F/39V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 55,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Ninashi (44,000), Alnesht Foundry (7,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 8,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific

Minbari Fed.

Tavalan is an anomalous world, a planet which should have been filled with life – but is not. Something went wrong early in the planet’s history and, when the Minbari found it, it was a world with all the potential for life but none of the actuality. It also became the Minbari’s first major experience in terraforming. Some have described the world as a ‘wet Mars’, a world with a Martian geology and composition somehow flooded with water. The crimson continents certainly give that impression from orbit. The atmosphere was dense but unbreathable and the hydrosphere tainted with complex and poisonous chemicals. The colony at Jonalla has succeeded in changing the air, so that it can now be breathed without a filter mask and while the oceans have not been purified, a few small rivers and lakes have been. Other features of the world include a high-pressure foundry complex located in the depths of the Sea of Yannal and extensive research facilities devoted to unravelling the planet’s complex chemistry.

Thessin System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Thessin II-Alpha Zone: Habitable; Size: Small (2,500 miles); Grav: 0.3g; Atmo: Thin (0.5) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Dry (10%); Oceans: 2 Seas; Climate: 50F/21V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 35,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Dronatha (19,000), Mal’shin (16,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade One thousand years ago, on a world called Thessin, a quarter of a million Minbari lived peaceful, productive lives. Then the Shadows came. Today, as a form of living, perpetual memorial to that struggle, new life has been planted on Thessin’s moon. Above the scoured and razed planet, the Minbari began to turn a lifeless moon into something habitable. Vents drilled into the molten core of the moon raised the temperature of the barren rock, freeing water and oxygen long frozen into the soil. The process was lengthily expensive and would not have been undertaken had it not been for the priests of Io’shan and the recommendation of Valen himself. Today, Thessin’s moon is habitable, barely. It does not yet have an ecosystem but bacteria are being introduced into regions around the small seas (really, large lakes) which will begin the process of forming soil; algae is being genetically engineered to thrive in the lakes and begin to make the planet’s atmosphere self-sustaining. The colonists on Thessin are there to oversee the transformation of the moon and to serve as the life which Thessin’s moon is being created to sustain. Every night, they can look up at a once living world, now dead – and then, in the day, look at a once dead moon, now coming to life.

the White Star fleet was constructed almost under their noses; they paid little attention to the work going on at ‘lesser’ shipyards.

Trigati System

Trigati III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 45,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Jhenzet (28,000), Kilgatha (13,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 9,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 3 Monitor, 1 Trade Trigati is a harsh, violent world, filled to overflowing with large, primitive creatures which have very sharp teeth. The warrior caste saw the first scouting reports of the world and virtually screamed ‘Ours!’, albeit in a very dignified, ritualistic manner. No Minbari not of, or working for, the warrior caste is permitted on the world, which holds several major command and control bases, a few dozen boot camps and several large hunting zones, where warriors may go to test their mettle against creatures out of nightmare. In addition to the command and control centres on the ground, the orbital space of the world is filled with shipyards, for Trigati is the foundry world of the Federation. While construction occurs at several worlds, this is the heart of shipbuilding and a Trigati-built ship is considered to be especially blessed. The attention which the warrior caste focused on the shipyards at Trigati is one of the reasons

The high Threat Level of the Trigati system is due to the extreme exuberance the warrior caste shows in defending this vital world. Non-Minbari ships without an exceptionally good reason to be here are likely to be attacked pre-emptively.

Tro’kact System

Minbari Fed.

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: High; Security: Very High

In addition to hunting, Trigati often plays host to wargames, where advanced combinedarms tactics are tested and perfected. Most of those living on Trigati are stationed there temporarily but about 5% are permanent residents, mostly retired military personnel working the hunting zones as guides or medics or living just on base as at Jhenzet, where they are often consulted by the younger officers in need of experienced advice.

Star: K5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Tro’kact II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (11,000 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (42%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 4 Seas; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 28,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Tedine’nor (13,000), Seinatg (8,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 4 Military, 1 Trade Tro’kackt II is an unusual world, in that its geography is entirely the result of meteor infall, rather than tectonic activity. This is evident even from orbit; its scattered oceans are clearly craters within craters, patterns of overlaid circles, and its mountain ranges are the consequence of long-ago cooling of the once molten surface, no longer uplifted by

Valusha is a strange world, unlike any other settled in the Known Galaxy. It is a world of crystal – crystal mountains, crystal plains, crystal rifts and canyons – a world which resonates with the universe, singing to anyone who will listen. The Minbari listen very, very well.

Minbari Fed.

plate collision or raised by volcanoes. Nonetheless, the world is rich with life and habitable. The unusually thick mantle, the reason for the planet’s locked lithosphere, cannot be breached by Minbari core drills, making power generation difficult. Fortunately, the worlds mineral wealth is mostly on the surface, relatively easy to access. However, most of the wealth of the system comes from the Tro’lasha asteroid belt and from the many orbital shipyards. Fighter craft are a speciality of the Tro’kact foundries and it is a ritual that the designer of any new ship pilot the first functional prototype of his craft through the Val’kashi Cluster, an unusually dense region of the aforementioned belt. A very deep crater in the southern hemisphere holds the Falgana Foundry, devoted to deep-pressure metallurgy.

Valusha System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 1 Gas (Hab), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Extremely High (Stealth DC 40)

Valusha V Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,300 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (38%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 5 Seas; Climate: 50F/42V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 700; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Almiath Monitor Station (480), Alimath Echo Point (220); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 100, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military

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Valusha is a natural harmonic amplifier, a listening post the size of a planet. Atop the highest peak, a spire of purple diamond three miles high, the Minbari have built – with utmost care – a monitoring station which tracks every change in the vibrations of the world and builds from them a picture of every object in space up to a parsec away. A second station has been constructed precisely opposite the first; the two together provide the most sensitive set of monitors in the known galaxy. During the Great War of Valen’s time, the Shadows damaged but did not destroy Valusha; the Vorlons subsequently repaired it. Some speculate that the extreme alienness of the world implies it was built, or at least shaped, by the Vorlons. If this is true, the enigmatic elder race has never revealed it.

Minbari Protectorate Eudu System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High (Stealth DC 40)

zone suitable for high-pressure metallurgy, if the Minbari ever choose to develop the world and a tiny research outpost has been placed in the area to take advantage of the only such location not churning out hull plating for the warrior caste. The population of Eudu consists of a large military base which serves to supply and maintain the fleet which patrols both Eudu and Norsa and a small university with a focus on xenoanthropology. Assignment to Eudu is considered both honourable and exciting; honourable because it is a vital ‘gateway’ world, serving to protect the Federation from invasion from outside and from hostility arising within the Protectorate; exciting because it is on the edge of civilised space. Raiders, unknown forces from the rim or potential hostility from the races of the protectorate keep the guardians alert and ready for action.

Star: K7 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High

Eudu III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 3 (1,200, 800 & 400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (72%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 6,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Euda’na (5,000), Avaia University (1,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military Unlike the other two ‘guardian worlds’ (Zendamor and Tir), Eudu is a world which would make a fine colony for the Minbari, something which the Grey Council has debated endlessly. The issue has deadlocked many times, leaving Eudu as it is. The world has a single major continent, called Maimann’s Cross after the first scout to scan the planet and the roughly X-shaped outline of the continent, a secondary minor continent and many archipelagos. It also has a deep trench

Minbari Prot.

Iklath System

Iklath III (Klath) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (11,900 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (700 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable (Tainted – Radioactive); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (58%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/45V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2,000 Minbari/1 billion Klathu; Tech: Very Advanced/Fusion; Cities: Falkarth (2 million), Grang’nar (1.5 million); Gov: Minbari Federation Protectorate (P1, D1, C8, S4); Orbital Pop: 6,000 Minbari/1,000 Klathu, Colonies: 1 Major (Minbari)/2 Minor (Klathu), Bases: 1 Military (Minbari), 1 Monitor (Minbari) Iklath III is home to the most advanced sentient race in the Protectorate, the Klathu. It is also a testimony to Minbari wisdom in keeping the races of the Protectorate contained and somewhat ignorant. Once a rich, if slightly dry, world,

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monitors the world and a small Minbari embassy is located in Falkarth, the largest city-state. Beyond that, the Klathu have free run of their world and their system and there are small mining and research colonies scattered throughout the other worlds of Iklath.

Moga System

Minbari Prot.

large portions have been rendered lifeless by the ceaseless wars of the Great Prides of the Klathu. Iklath had a fairly typical history for a world – emergence from pre-sentience, discovery of fire, metalworking and war. What was atypical is that the world never formed true nation-states, just vastly extended family groups, or prides, usually centred around a single city and the land immediately around it. Each pride sought to dominate the others, leading to endless war but also to rapid advancement (had the Shadows known of the Klathu, they would have been proud). The discovery of atomic weapons did not lead to a state of precarious balance and the realisation of the need for planetary government; it led to the world being half-incinerated in a dozen inter-pride wars. The surviving prides, seeing most of their world in ruins, took to space to find new worlds. That was when they met the Minbari. After a few brief scuffles, the Minbari conquered them and established rule over Iklath. The prides accept this, because they respect strength above all. However, the Minbari may be creating a powerful enemy; prevented, for the first time in their history from warring on each other, the prides have, very subtly, begun to work together against a single common foe. centuries of Minbari domination have infected the Klathu with the beginnings of the concepts of ‘co-operation’ and ‘strength through unity’. Most of the population of Iklath lives crowded into the regions of the world spared long-ago atomic fire. The Minbari do not act to hasten the slow healing of the planet, as they feel the blighted wastes should stand as a reminder of folly. There are only two large standing bodies of fresh water on the planet which were not lethally tainted by radiation; most of the major city-states now cluster on their shorelines. A Minbari orbital outpost and ring of sensors

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Star: F8 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 2 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Moga II (Morgal) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,900 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (72%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 70F/48V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: (barely) Native Intelligence; Pop: 3,000 Minbari/50,000 Morglath; Tech: Very Advanced/Stone Age; Cities: Neshil’ya (3,000 Minbari), no Morglath cities; Gov: Minbari Federation Protectorate (P1, D1, C10, S10); Orbital Pop: 2,000 Minbari, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Scientific Moga II, or Morgal as the natives call it, is home to the Morglath, an arboreal species which can be said to be on just the right side of sapience. Mentally akin to Homo Erectus, they have mastered simple tool making, can maintain and carry (but not start) fire and have a language of roughly 1,000 words. One of these words, ‘vogal’, means ‘spirit’, ‘god’ and ‘Minbari’. The Morglath had no other way to describe the strange beings who came into their jungles centuries ago and the Minbari have done nothing to dissuade them. Being treated as gods allows them to guide and teach the Morglath and they do so, intent on assuring that Moga II produces, in the fullness of time, an allied race and not a hostile rival. Moga is a world where dense jungle is slowly giving way to savannah, part of a millennia-long drying and cooling cycle. The Morglath still dwell primarily in trees, in large

constructs resembling giant-sized birds nests, but they are somewhat adapted for long treks on the ground and more and more have begun to live on the plains surrounding Neshil’ya, the Minbari research station. The Centauri have, on occasion, attempted to deflect Minbari criticism of their own imperialism by pointing to the Moga situation: ‘Say what you wish, we never claimed to be gods! Not more than once. Well, twice. Alright, perhaps a few times but you people seem to really believe it!’. No unbiased observer could confuse the careful observation and guidance provided by the Minbari with the brutal enslavement and exploitation which is the hallmark of Centauri occupation.

Norsa System

Star: K6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 5 Gas (4 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,000 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,700 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (86%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 70F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 6,000 Minbari/1.5 billion o’Norsa; Tech: Very Advanced/Oil Age; Cities: m’Lan (500,000), g’Val (300,000); Gov: Minbari Federation Protectorate (P1, D1, C10, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000 Minbari, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Norsa is a wet world, though not a water world per se, and it has more than enough landmass to support a landdwelling civilisation, so it is an oddity that the inhabitants dwell entirely in the sea, emerging on land only when absolutely necessary. A race of air-breathing mammals, they can survive underwater for hours and their cities have been described as ‘icebergs – ten percent above the surface, the rest hidden below’. In appearance, they are something like humanoid otters but with long fingers that extend beyond the webbed hands they use for swimming. The o’Norsa were the first race the Minbari encountered offworld. The Minbari had scouted Norsa and were preparing to explore it when they were met with primitive aircraft firing lasers. The resulting war was brief and predictable; the o’Norsa, centuries behind the Minbari in technology, surrendered as soon as they took stock of the situation. They agreed to become a protectorate of the Federation and the Norsa hyperspace route was opened up.

Most o’Norsa cities are on the continental shelves, within a mile or two of shore. The landmasses of Norsa are generally lush and home to a number of predatory reptiles, which may be what drove the ancestral o’Norsa into the sea in the first place. A Minbari consulate and observation post is located on the large central continent, near the equator.

Tir System

Star: M7 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Tir IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (5,200 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (26%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 2 Seas; Climate: 60F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Valnaa (10,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military Tir is a cold, fog-shrouded world with a rich variety of plant life and the beginning of land-based animal life; the seas teem with a variety of primitive creatures. Of the three guardian worlds in the Protectorate, Tir is the one with the most permanent, albeit small, colony primarily consisting of worker caste who maintain the resupply and recreation base which supports the military around all three worlds. Granted, off-duty warrior caste are infinitely better behaved than off-duty GROPOS or Centauri Infantry on shore leave, but it is still a somewhat difficult duty to be assigned.

Minbari Prot.

Norsa III (o’Nors)

Ancient taboos forbid the o’Norsa from leaving their world’s atmosphere. Should a cultural shift occur, the intelligent and adaptable race will quickly spread through their star system and may begin to chafe at Minbari control. The likelihood of this happening is indeterminate.

A small number of colonists have begun to farm the rich soil around the northern sea, even though food for the colony is provided via freighter. There is a constant fear that growing too attached to the world could be heart-rending if the order comes to evacuate but some of the families on Tir have lived there for half a century and it is very much their home, regardless of its possibly transient nature.

Tychola System

Star: G8 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1;

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Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Low; Security: Very High

Tychola II

Minbari Prot.

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,780 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (71%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 70F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 4,000 Minbari/500,000 Tycholans; Tech: Very Advanced/Bronze Age; Cities: Koniklon (12,000), Lagran (10,000), Voli’sha Nu (4,000 Minbari); Gov: Minbari Federation Protectorate (P1, D1, C10, S9); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific The swamps and jungles of Tychola are home to an empathic, reptilian race whose most advanced cultures have begun primitive bronze working. The race is a deeply, almost instinctively, spiritual one, with a sophisticated religion linking ancestor worship and drug-induced hallucination. They quickly incorporated the Minbari into their faith, making them the second race which the Minbari ‘played god’ with. Tychola is a world with many active volcanoes but the major areas of habitation are well away from them. Periodic unexpected upsurges of tectonic activity can incite mass migrations, however, leading to the Tycholans being very widespread across their world. The fact the spread was rapid is shown by the small amount of cultural drift despite wide geographic separation; some Minbari anthropologists speculate that the species’ empathy may include a sort of primitive group mind, causing a common culture to exist no matter how long ago groups split off from each other. Even given a common set of premises, though, individuals in a race may reach different conclusions. A small cult of Tycholans, known as the Seekers of Ascension, have concluded that spiritual awakening comes from eating Minbari and a small number of scientists and workers have fallen prey to these cultists. For this reason, the Voli’sha Nu Research Station and Consulate has a small detachment of ground troops stationed there full time, who serve as escorts to the scientists when they need to leave the security of the compound.

Zendamor System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Minbari Federation Protectorate; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High

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Zendamor III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (41%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 90F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Zhanta Base (8,000), Voshaan Base (2,000); Gov: Minbari Federation (P3, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 2,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific From space, Zendamor looks uninhabitable – a world of blood-red, darker and more foreboding than Mars and similar ferric planets. In fact, the coloration is due to a combination of organic compounds and harmless algae and the world is surprisingly habitable, albeit colourful. The world is very popular with the warrior caste due to its sanguine appearance and being assigned to Zendamor is considered slightly superior to service on the other two guardian worlds. The soldiers stationed on Zendamor have learned to brew a drink called Morwine from the slightly acidic waters. The drink has an effect on Minbari similar to that which alcohol has on most other races, but it has no effect on any other known race, who find the drink both bitter and caustic.

Moradi Purity Morad System

Star: G8 IV; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 5 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Morad Purity; Threat Level: Very High; Security: Very High

Morad VII (Moradi) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 (1,200 & 700 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 2 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1 billion; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Grada (2 million), Bograd (1.8 million); Gov: Morad Purity (P2, D2, C10, S5); Orbital Pop: 6,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 3 Monitor

Moradi cities, those which survive, are something like their world. They are, today, grey and barren, with a raw functionality seen in no other species. A close inspection, though, shows signs there was once more. Walls show hints of vanished murals; open squares seem designed to hold statues; numerous arenas and stages can be found, blocked off or abandoned. There are buildings which were once libraries but are now hollow shells or piles of ash; there are faint signs of gardens ploughed under and sown with salt.

Whereas geography or nationality helped define territories on Earth, to the Moradi, belief was key. The Moradi warred over ideas instead of land and the tight linkage between ideology and location seen on Earth never developed on Morad; a city or region would almost never be dominated by one idea and individuals moved freely around the world. In time, the Moradi advanced into space, still squabbling. Contact with other races brought new ideas to fight over and new technology to fight with. The result was a planetary civil war, one which came near to destroying the world and the race. The most powerful surviving faction, the Disciples of Ul, decided that must not be permitted to occur again. The only way to prevent a war over ideas was to eliminate all ideas – and all those things which gave form to ideas or, in other words, art. In the most overarching and complete act of censorship seen in the galaxy, the Disciples ordered the purging of a culture which reached back millennia. All art, music, poetry, literature – every song and dance, every play, every book or story, every work of creativity which had ever existed on the planet was to be destroyed. Only one thing would remain – service to the state. Even the use of alien languages was banned, lest they introduce new, contradictory ideas; the Moradi communicate with outsiders only through translators. Moradi space is mostly sealed to travel – their warships are very capable of enforcing this edict.

Moradi

Morad VII is world which shows far too many of the signs of war. While green patches are visible here and there, most of the world is blighted and barren. A cold, dry wind blows almost continuously and choking dust fills most of the planet. The world was not always like this; once, it was far more hospitable.

The Moradi are not an especially violent people (though they are far from pacifistic) but they have always been passionate about their ideals and principles and equally passionate about expressing them. The Moradi developed a thousand different forms of art to give life and shape to their ideas, exploring every form of expression.

The Moradi are a humanoid race, whose most distinguishing physical feature is the numerous openings along the sides of their head and skull. These serve to provide a form of auxiliary nostril. Each is lined with a plethora of sensitive cells, and a Moradi can learn a tremendous amount of information about an area from just a few seconds exposure to the atmosphere.

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Narn Regime Narn Government The Government statistics given for the Narn Regime are for after the War of Retribution (post–2259). The pre-War ruling council (the Kha’ri) is best modelled as (P3, D4, C7, S9).

Dross System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security: High

Narn

Dross III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,700 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (88%); Continents: 2 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 70,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Dro’tana (15,000), Dro’sela (12,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3,

'URVV

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D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade Dross is a valuable resource world for the Regime, a wet world with enough biology to provide a breathable atmosphere and not enough to provide an impediment to resource extraction. The seas have little life more advanced than algae and simple invertebrates and a natural process keeps the water mostly fresh, making it easily filtered and stored for shipment. The rich soil and temperate weather of the island chains make them valuable for agriculture. The Narn have developed a system of moving farms over the course of several years, allowing the soil to recover between harvests. Thus, outside of the major cities, all settlements are temporary, designed to go up in a few days, last two years, and then be dismantled and moved, other than a few structures, such as generators, which must be permanent. The farmers on the world have adopted to the mobile lifestyle and rather like it. Dross is also well placed as a buffer world and it is heavily garrisoned, since enemy fleets will pass through it on their way to Narn.

Hilak System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High

Hilak III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,600 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 2 moonlets (60 & 80 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Damp (40%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 1 Sea; Climate: 60F/39V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 20,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Cho’ven (14,000), Hilak-val (2,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6,

C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor Hilak is a cold, harsh world with little to recommend it as a colony, save for two things. Firstly, it has a large supply of weapons-grade crystal, the only such source fully controlled by the Regime. Secondly, the lack of an active planetary magnetosphere makes it an ideal listening post. Conditions on the world are harsh and even the dutiful Narn find themselves seizing any opportunity to be transferred back. There are few permanent colonists here, just those who find they are never given a chance to leave and so settle by default. One bright spot to the planet is the four kilometre long ‘entertainment complex’ located underground, between the two major cities. The wide range of distractions offered here – many of which are not available, at least not openly, on the Narn homeworld – makes life on Hilak tolerable. It also draws, very surreptitiously, a number of Humans to the world, who are often very free with their money provided their privacy is maintained.

Kotak System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security: High

Kotak IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,700 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 330,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: K’lash (40,000), K’vort (35,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 4,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 2 Trade Kotak is a garden world, one of the very few in the Regime. It suffered only mild damage at the hands of the Centauri and today the Narn take great care to preserve it, despite their need for resources. The world

Kotak is the ‘tourist world’ of the Regime, one of the only places where extensive facilities have been set up to deal with, and welcome, offworlders. Rumour has it that the Narn workers at these places must go through a monthlong training program in order to avoid offending, or even harming, typical tourists.

Narn System

Star: M1 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 2; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security: Very High

Narn II (Nar’shal) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,230 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 70F/27V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Veroth (5 million), Tel’eth (4 million); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 25,000, Colonies: 3 Major/6 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 6 Monitor, 1 Trade

Narn

Hilak VII, an Icy world in the far reaches of the system, was a disputed world settled by both Drazi and Narn during the early 2200’s; a Dilgar raiding fleet levelled the world in preparation for an assault on Hilak III, an assault which never came due to the shifting fortunes of the war. No attempt has been made since by either race to repopulate Hilak VII.

is rustic by major race standards, with nearly a third of the population dwelling in tiny farming villages and outposts, instead of in the cities.

Nar’shal is a once lush world turned dry and barren by environmental exploitation and devastating war. A single large continent, along with a few small island chains, sits in a planetary ocean. While the inner regions of the continent range from arid to desert, the outer portions should be verdant, but they are not. The Centauri ripped the world to shreds in order to tear out its mineral wealth; then the Narn, when they were freed, did the same, in order to build an empire of their own; then the Centauri returned, with mass drivers, to send what little remained of the planet’s ecosystem into chaos. Narn today is a world in need of healing – but it is uncertain if it shall receive it. There are many large cities on Narn, including the capital, Veroth. As of 2259, they lie mostly in ruins. The Narn have rebuilt what they could since the second Centauri occupation ended but the work is still ongoing. The Interstellar Alliance is doing what it can but resources are thin.

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from space, cuts deep into the northern hemisphere. No amount of xenoarcheological work has revealed who built it or why they abandoned it. Not so much as a rusty wrench or the outline of a processing facility remain, yet it is obvious that ‘The Anomaly’ was worked for a long, long time.

Quadrant 14 Quadrant 7/V Source: IPX/Kyven/px.15 Grade: Beta/Beta Notes: ‘Anomaly’ ptlly shwn

Narn

Quadrant 7

Star: F4 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Quadrant 7/V Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (10,700 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Thin (0.4) Inert; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Dry (1%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 4,000 Narn/3,000 mixed League races; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Sho’toth Dome (2,000), Sho’grath Dome (2,000); Gov: Quadrant 7 Provisional Assembly (P4, D8, C4, S6); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade A frozen, thin-atmosphere world, Quadrant 7/V would be ignored by all races, save for the fact it is a ‘treasure planet’; a planet blessed with rich sources of everything from titanium to Quantium–40. It is ostensibly controlled by the Narn but it is ruled in co-operation with the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, one of the few cases where a valuable planet is shared by treaty rather than being fought over endlessly. The Narn and the League are not the first to value this world; a massive, abandoned strip mine, easily visible

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Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Quadrant 14/III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,800 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (1,100 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (84%); Continents: 3 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 80F/21V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 2.3 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Tol’nar’eth (400,000), Vel’nar’eth (350,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Quadrant 14 is a biological oddity, a world with very rich, well-developed plant life… but no animals. This seems to be due to subtle poisons in the atmosphere limiting the ways in which DNA can mutate; animal life simply never appeared here. Even the first single-celled organisms were plants. A further oddity is that, early in the planet’s history, plants appeared which processed oxygen into carbon dioxide; without this, the planet’s ecosystem would have collapsed when the burgeoning plant life consumed all the free CO2. These two facts are so improbable that it seems certain there was deliberate intervention in the planet’s development; however, the world is two billion years old and it is unlikely even the Vorlons were active then, leading to mysteries within mysteries.

The world has become very special to the Narn, viewed as a gift from the gods, discovered at a point when the Regime was in desperate need of food. It is the site of many temple cities, erected by members of the various Narn faiths, scattered around the globe. The rest of the populace dwells in two formerly-Centauri cities which were seized when the Narn conquered the world.

Quadrant 24

Star: K5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Quadrant 24/IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 2 (500 & 400 miles); Atmo: Very Thin (0.4) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (12%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 60F/39V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Vin’tak-var (20,000), Vin’tak-el (13,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Trade

Shu System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 4 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Shu V Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,300 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (53%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 890,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Shu’sho-nar (200,000), Shu’cho-neth (150,000); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade

With an atmosphere just thick enough to keep the planet’s pathetic supply of water from boiling immediately into space and bitter cold everywhere but the equator and not a hint of life beyond an organic sludge found befouling what few bodies of water exist, Quadrant 24 would be nothing but a notation on an astronomer’s charts – except for the mineral wealth, the strategic location and the fact the Centauri were kind enough to leave behind extensive mining operations which the Narn took over, 6LJPD on the grounds that it would be sad to let anything go to waste.

Narn

Shu is a fertile, temperate world on the far end of Narn space, as far from the Centauri as it is possible to be and remain in the Regime. For this reason, Shu has always been a ‘fallback’ world, a place that the Narn could retreat to in the dread event of the fall of Nar’shal. When Nar’shal fell, millions flooded to Shu and it is a tribute to the Narn devotion to their own people that the existing colonists welcomed the flood of desperate refugees into their homes, no matter the hardship. When Nar’shal and the rest of the Regime was liberated, many of the new settlers left but enough remained behind to increase the planet’s population by about half. Post–2262, the bulk of the day-to-day work of the provisional government was being done on Shu, though for purely symbolic reasons, the official capital remained on Nar’shal.

Some call Quadrant–24 ‘Ka’tol Shar’, or ‘Foundry of Dominion’ and there is a movement to make this the official name. The world is responsible for much of the Narn Regime’s starfleet, with everything from electronic components to ship hulls being assembled in high orbit.

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Shu is a rocky world, with several large mountain ranges, the product of still on-going tectonic stress. The major population centres are on the plains, which are more than expansive enough to support a large population. The possibility of retreating to the mountains to fight a last-ditch guerrilla war surely occurred to the Kha’ri when they designated Shu as the Narn’s last chance world.

Sigma 957 System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Open

Sigma 957/VI

Narn

Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (12,300 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Dry (11%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 50F/48V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: None (remnants of Advanced); Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: None Sigma 957 appeared to be a gift world, a rich planet which no race had claimed, allowing the Narn to take it without a fight. Lifeless, but overflowing with mineral wealth, it was a perfect mining world, and the Regime wasted little time before setting up a colony in 2235. In 2240, it was abandoned. Sigma 957 was found to be home to a mysterious and unearthly ship, or possibly being, which appeared randomly and which seemed to casually and without reason destroy any ship which sighted it. Contacting it was impossible; so was battling it. Rather than risk a war with the gods, the Narn simply pulled back; even Narn can tell when a fight is unwinnable. With the departure of the First Ones (see Coriana VI and Point of No Return), Sigma 957 is once again safe for exploration. Whether it will remain a Narn holding or become a contested battleground remains to be seen.

Sorith System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

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Sorith III (Soria) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,700 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (2,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (65%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 20 million Sorians; Tech: Iron Age (remnants of Advanced); Cities: Sorvan-li-neth (12,000 Sorian); Gov: Sorian (P4, D5, C2, S7); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The history of Sorith III is a sad one, and one which can be seen as galactic history in a microcosm. The Sorians, a reptilian race, were conquered by the Centauri centuries ago. During the Narn rebellion, Sorian slaves on Narn were instrumental in helping the Narn overthrow the Centauri; as a reward for this aid, Soria was liberated from the Centauri… and then conquered by the Narn, who ruled it until the War of Retribution, when it was freed from Narn control to be reconquered by the Centauri, who left it again in 2261, as part of the general retreat from Narn space. Now it is free but how long this will last is indeterminate; the Narn are looking to Soria anew and may move on it again. Soria is a temperate world with a well-developed ecosystem and an atmosphere readily breathable by most of galaxy’s races. This makes it a very tempting prize for any species, so it seems likely that no matter what happens, ‘Soria for Sorians’ will remain an idle dream. Few species are idealistic enough to allow such a valuable planet to remain utterly undeveloped, though most will justify their actions by claiming they are ‘protecting’ or ‘uplifting’ the natives.

T’ill System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

T’ill IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 90F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 400,000 Narn/1.2 billion T’lori; Tech: Advanced/Oil Age; Cities: Bulva Ka (4 million T’lori), V’sten-or (200,000 Narn); Gov: Narn

Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5) & T’lori (P6, D7, C6, S8); Orbital Pop: 45,000 Narn, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 2 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

Age; Cities: G’vel Administration Centre (1,500 Narn); Gov: Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 500 Narn, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

As with Sorith, T’ill is a former Centauri occupation world which has become a Narn occupation world. Unlike Sorith, this exchange of power was relatively benign and the T’lori, a race of reptilian gliders, have little use for the parts of the world the Narn want, and vice-versa. Each race exists in its own territory in relative peace.

Tachunq follows the same pattern as Sorith and T’ill; occupation, liberation, re-occupation. In the case of Tachunq, the Narn actions are especially unforgivable, as the Latach were driven nearly to extinction by the Centauri and, when the Narn ‘liberated’ Tachunq, they merely continued the Centauri’s work stripping the planet of all worth. Because the Latach are very sensitive to vibration and very tied to their environment, largescale industry is devastating to them – this mattered as little to the Narn as it did to the Centauri.

T’ill is a wet world with a single immense continent and very little tectonic activity; the huge mountain range of the south is a remnant from long ago, when several continents slammed together to form the current supercontinent. It is in this area that the T’lori live. Following the War of Retribution, T’ill was freed from Narn control. They have not reoccupied the world and it is dubious the T’lori will allow them to, as they have learned the Narn cannot protect them from the Centauri.

Star: G1 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Narn Regime; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

During the War of Retribution, Tachunq was again conquered by the Centauri and then abandoned; the Narn have not yet fully moved back to their mines but it seems likely that they will, the eloquent protests of G’kar to the contrary.

Narn

Tachunq System

Tachunq is a watery world with two large continents, a plethora of medium-sized islands and countless archipelagos. It might have become a well-maintained vacation or luxury world, were it not for the desperate need for mineral wealth and the fact the Centauri had, obligingly, left behind extensive mining operations.

Tachunq III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 moonlet (60 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; G e o l o g y : Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (86%); Continents: 10 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3,000 Narn/24,000 Latach; Tech: Advanced/Bronze

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Pak’ma’ra Melat System

Star: M2 VI; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Pak’ma’ra; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Melat II

Pak'ma'ra

Zone: Habitable; Size: Large (15,500 miles); Grav: 1.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.9) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (28%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 3 Seas; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 3 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Mokra (25,000), Vik’am (20,000); Gov: Pak’ma’ra (P9, D6, C3, S9); Orbital Pop: 20,000, Colonies: 2 Major/4 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Melat is the homeworld of the Pak’ma’ra and the only world where they are the sole inhabitants. Melat is a large, dense planet with a thick, noxious atmosphere. Non Pak’ma’ra cannot breathe it at all. Visibility in the normal spectrum is limited to a few inches without some sort of artificial enhancement, which is why the Pak’ma’ra see thermally. It has seas of water so laced with chemicals and toxins as to be acidic, and the southern hemisphere is home to a ring of still-active volcanoes. The majority of the population lives on the more stable northern continent but the entire surface of the planet is inhabited.

to focus on a single task. There is a very well developed planetary communications net, a necessity given the Pak’ma’ra tendency toward rule by rough consensus and the lack of a central government. There are few central starports; rather, each larger city has a landing field for shuttles and the like. Outside of the towns and cities, Melat is mostly wilderness. The Pak’ma’ra need carrion to live and maintain vast fields where animals are raised, only to be slaughtered and left to rot before being transported around the planet. However, most of the race prefers to scavenge for food and so much of the planet remains in a wild state, so the natural cycles of life and death can continue. Melat gained space technology from alien contact a long time in the past. The exact details are oddly blurred; some claim the Centauri were the first to contact the Pak’ma’ra but the Centauri deny it and there are no records of it on Centauri Prime. The jump gate in the Melat system was built by the Pak’ma’ra themselves. Melat is extremely well defended, with a guardian fleet of fast, well-armed ships in orbit and dense ground based defences. There are no facilities for aliens to land on Melat; all transactions with offworlders take place in orbit. Traders refer to the single Pak’ma’ra trading station as ‘The Abattoir’. The Pak’ma’ra know this and do not particularly care.

Life on Melat is biologically exotic and very, very tough. The Pak’ma’ra , who are capable of surviving in a wide range of atmospheres (when most races die if there is only a slight change in the chemical mix which they breathe), are a prime example of this. Melat is a very old world, although the Pak are not an especially ancient race. The hostile environment sent evolution spinning in countless directions, with many false starts before a line appeared that eventually led to sentience. Non-Pak’ma’ra visitors to Melat often have a hard time identifying things. The trees are thick, blobby things, looking like layers of fat pancakes splayed over stumps. The seas are burbling mires, many with no definite shore, just a fading into low-lying swampland. An exception is the area around the southern volcanic ring but, even there, the thick ash and lava tends to smooth the edges somewhat. Everything is grey. The Pak’ma’ra will insist their world is a riot of brilliant colours, hues and contrasts, as vibrant as any Human coral reef or tropical jungle – but the colours are all beyond Human perceptions, shades of infra-red and beyond. With appropriate filters, a Human or similar can perceive a small part of what a Pak’ma’ra sees – but only a small part. Melat has no large cities; the population sprawls across the planet in clusters of small communities, each of which tends

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Melat II Source: IPX/Marford/ex.83 Grade: Theta/Theta Notes: Image prcsd thru UV-IR-YTL enhcr

Sh’lassan Empire Akdor System

Star: G2 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Sh’lassan Empire; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Akdor IV

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (5,700 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 2 (700 & 600 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Allergic); Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (18%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 90F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: 75,000; Tech: Fusion (some Advanced); Cities: Matok (40,000), New Sh’lan (15,000); Gov: Sh’lassan Empire (P2, D3, C9, S6); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade

Akdor is a small but dense world, with just enough water and air to sustain life outside of a dome. By the time Akdor was settled, the Sh’lassans knew the universe had other, more powerful, races living in it and took a defensive stance. The Akdor colony was centred around a combination starport/fortress on the plateau of Matok, a fortress continually upgraded with the most advanced technology the Sh’lassans could manage. The first Earth Alliance ship to find the Sh’lassans reached Akdor first. Fear and misunderstanding on the part of the Akdorian colonists caused them to capture and kill the Earth ambassador, then manage to hold off a ground assault on Matok. Over the next decade, the schism in Sh’lassan society deepened, with the Akdor rebellion growing stronger. Earth at first refused to intervene but shifting political winds caused General Richard Franklin to lead a massive assault in 2259, in what would become known as the Matok Massacre. The victory was pyrrhic but it was a victory and with the rebels defeated and the fortress in ruins, the Sh’lassans rejoined the Earth Alliance.

Sh’lassa System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Sh’lassan Empire; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (48%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 5 Seas; Climate: 70F/39V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 4 million; Tech: Fusion (some Advanced weaponry); Cities: Sh’lassan (900,000), Colishan (500,000); Gov: Sh’lassan Empire (P2, D3, C9, S6); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/3 Minor, Bases: 4 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Trade The Sh’lassa system was one of the very few settled by renegade Earth colonists immediately following Terra’s contact by the Centauri. In actual fact, they launched sublight sleeper ships directly into a jump point created for them by a bribed Centauri vessel. They were more lucky than they could possibly comprehend, as the Centauri vessel created a jump point for them at a random moment in its travel route and had no intention of deliberately locating a habitable system for them. Fortunately, they found themselves within a few months of sublight travel from what would become known as the Sh’lassa system. The settlers had found a suitable world via spectrographic analysis and were fortunate that the planet was unclaimed. The Sh’lassans were a political sect, drawing from many nationalities, that rejected many modern traditions and hearkened back to a structured, feudal society where every citizen had a defined role and a place in a strict hierarchy. Unable to live this lifestyle on Earth, they took to space. Sh’lassa is a cool world of temperate forests and countless small lakes, the result of a long-ago meteor bombardment that left the world oddly cratered. There is only one large ocean. Life on Sh’lassa had reached the equivalent of reptiles when Humans landed. The various species the colonists brought with them, mostly in the form of frozen eggs which could be grown in artificial wombs, quickly dominated much of the ecosystem. Only a few forms of native life could truly compete. The areas near to the landing sight are now about 90% terrestrial; only far from the Human colonies does the original ecosystem exist unchanged.

Sh'lassan

Not content with only one world, the Sh’lassan colonists used bartered jump point technology hastily transplanted onto the same ships which brought them to Sh’lassa to settle Akdor as well. Akdor is a much harsher world than Sh’lassa but it was rich in certain minerals that Sh’lassa both lacked and needed. Conducting mining and transport with unreliable jump technology was difficult but not impossible and, over the course of a century between the settlement of Akdor and the coming of the Earth Alliance, the refitted cargo ships mad many jumps between the two systems.

Sh’lassa III (Sh’lassa Regix)

Without tachyon communication or jump gates they built their settlements and set up an industrial infrastructure. It is believed the Narn discovered them and traded with them at one point, as their colonisation of Akdor would have ben impossible without jump point technology. They remained isolated until 2248, when an Earth Alliance craft opened a jump point near Akdor. When the Earth Alliance confronted the Sh’lassan rebels in 2259, they faced advanced weapons systems, not the primitive systems they expected. It is speculated the Narn may have been smuggling advanced weapon components to the Sh’lassans to create a potential distraction to the Earth Alliance, should it come to that. Sh’lassa today is considered to be a member of the Earth Alliance, though it remains somewhat aloof, and still retains a ceremonial ‘Emperor of Sh’lassa’ and handles its own defence. There is considerable pride in being the only independent Human settlement to colonise a second world without Earth Alliance funding and Sh’lassans still feel they have a right to secede from the Alliance if they see fit.

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Tal-kona’sha Virtuality Ohran’khi System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tal-kona’sha Existence; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Very High

Ohran’khi III

Tal-kona'sha

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (51%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 90F/30V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: None; Tech: Extremely Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: Tal-kona’sha Linkage (P10, D1, C10, S10); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military Few races achieve spaceflight without evolving some equivalent of the ‘do not keep all your eggs in one basket’ philosophy and the Tal-kona’sha are no exception to this. They knew that placing their entire consciousness on one world would be dangerous and so prepared a backup plan. On the world of Ohran’khi III sprawls a structure very akin to the Klonasha complex on Tal-kona’sha – save that it is uninhabited. It is in constant communication with the Linkage on the homeworld and, should the Linkage order it, or should the connection be severed without cause, the complex will activate itself. Stored tissue will grow to clones of the entire Tal-kona’sha population, using tachyonic growth-acceleration and the memories of that population, right up to the instant of activation, will be played into the clones. It is estimated that the entire population can be replicated in this manner within 12 hours.

Tal-kona’sha System

Star: M9 VI; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (4 Cold, 1 Hab), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tal-kon’sha Existence; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Very High

Tal-kona’sha IV Zone: Cold; Size: Large (13,500 miles); Grav: 2.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Very Dense (2.0) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Wet (81%); Continents: 2 Large, 4 Small; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence;

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Pop: 100 million; Tech: Extremely Advanced; Cities: Klonasha (100 million); Gov: Tal-kona’sha Linkage (P10, D1, C10, S10); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 8 Monitor No Human – or Narn, or Drazi, or Minbari, or anyone else – has seen a Tal-kona’sha in person, or visited their space. It is one of the most alien and unknown realms in the known galaxy, far more than Z’ha’dum and rivalling the Vorlon homeworld. Indeed, people have at least seen Vorlons! The world of the Tal-kona’sha was once warmer and more Earthlike but that was long ago, when the sun burned large and yellow in the sky. At this time, the Tal-kona’sha travelled the stars, built an empire, met other races… all of whom are long vanished from history. Then, some fifty millennia ago, their home star began to wither. Whether due to natural processes or the acts of an unknown race, the star began to cool and the Tal-kona’sha, loathe to move, simply… adapted. The seas turned to ice and oceans of methane came to replace them. The Talkona’sha abandoned their old cities and constructed a single dwelling place above a deep core-tap, which draws power from the still warm heart of the world. Within this single complex, containing the entirety of their race, they joined their consciousness into the Linkage, a sort of virtual reality – but more. Within the Linkage, each Talkona’sha was both the god of his own private universe and a cell in the body of the racial whole; the full satisfaction of ego and super-ego was achieved. They were, of course, aware of other races, slowly coming to light around them. They saw new races grow, flourish and die and they knew their own world was somewhat vulnerable. They grew ships to defend them, strange vessels looking like cybernetic sea-shells and spaceborn reefs formed of metal and plastic. No Tal-kona’sha were aboard these ships but each was aware of them and could move their consciousness to and from the ship at will. So long as no one bothers them, they will both no one. They are mid-way between the Younger Races and the First Ones, hence their Extremely Advanced technology rating. Whether they complete their ascension and move beyond the Rim or end up dying without fulfilling their racial destiny is unknown. Their orbital bases are uninhabited but are controlled from the ground.

Tikar Tikan System

Star: K6 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tikar; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Tikan V (Tikar)

Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (10,700 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.3) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Kittik (8 million), Vaktat (6 million); Gov: Tikar Agreement (P9, D1, C5, S9); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 4 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

The constrained nature of their world shaped their culture. Resources and living space were always scarce and the fragile forms of the Tikar could not withstand much violence. To avoid battles, rituals were formed to deal with everything and anything, from who could pass first through a narrow tunnel to which velkor spawn could be harvested on a given day. They would have remained a stagnant, ritual-bound people forever, had not the sky fallen in. A meteor strike smashed through the icy crust of the world and exposed, for the first time, the sky full of stars. The world of the Tikar shattered like the ice; all of their rituals did not prepare them for this. Something like a racial madness took them, and most fled back to the caverns below. However, the curiosity which is part and parcel of being self-aware eventually gripped them and, after over a century of debate, they formed all the new rites needed to venture outside. From there followed the usual course of exploration, advancement and technological growth, with the added difficulty that industrial waste heat caused severe environmental damage to the ice-caves. By the time the Tikar had gained the knowledge to understand how complex an ecosystem was, their world had become one of slushy oceans, not frozen caves. The Tikar moved to the stars, finding a jump gate in-system, settling Uthum and making contact with the Krindarren. This did not go well, as nothing prepared them for the total alienness of

This isolation, broken only by a few minor incursions, lasted for a hundred years, until the Agamemnon, an Earth Alliance ship commanded by John Sheridan, formed its own jump point into their system. Realising that they could not be alone forever, not when enemies could appear on top of them at will, the Tikar tried to communicate. This went better than it had with the Krindarren and a tenuous understanding, leading to hopeful alliance, was reached. Tikar today is a world of half-frozen seas and strange cities halffloating on top of them. The Tikarrans build using organic materials, growing cities as if they were coral. Metalworking is difficult for them and they use metals only rarely, relying on a mix of semi-organic components and crystals. Their ‘organic’ machines are not alive; rather, they grow the structures they need and then harvest them. The Tikar have a very complex language, one which is still only barely understood. Tenses and even words shift around depending on intricate arrangements of circumstance; the way a Tikar greets someone standing to his left differs from the way he greets someone standing to his right. The Tikar use humanoid-shaped pressure suits, which act something like a robotic shell, when travelling throughout the Known Galaxy; it enables them to deal with the existing tools and items more easily. A few seconds exposure to standard heat and atmosphere is fatal to them.

Uthum System

Star: K2 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tikar; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Tikar

Tikar is a large, frozen world, a so-called ‘rocky snowball’ and not the sort of world which is likely to give rise to any life, much less a starfaring race. Nonetheless, the universe is a wondrous place and the strange occurs with regularity. Deep inside the frozen mantle of Tikar V, geothermal pressure and collections of complex organic molecules frozen into the subsurface ice combined to form ever more complex molecules, then self-replicating ones, then DNA and then life. Throughout the ice, shielded from the stars, life grew, mutated and evolved, eventually becoming aware of itself and of the universe. The Tikar, a race of wormlike beings with thick, chitinous scales and a dozen agile psuedopods, roamed the icy caverns of their world, learned to chip rock into tools and to shape thoughts into sounds and tried to grasp the nature of reality and their place in it.

first contact. Terrified, they retreated to their own space and locked their outgoing jump gates.

Uthum VI

Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (9,200 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (1,200 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.2) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Moist (60%); Continents: 2 Large, 5 Small; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 5 million; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Tikutham (400,000), Kivkit (300,000); Gov: Tikar Agreement (P9, D1, C5, S9); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Monitor, 1 Trade Uthum was the first world found by the Tikar and the only world they have colonised. Ignoring the lush, Earthlike world of Uthum III, they settled on the icy outer planet of Uthum VI, a world much like Tikar was in its earlier days. Indeed, Uthum VI is the target of a long-term project designed to replicate, as much as possible, preindustrial Tikar. Technology, especially heat-generating technology, is strictly controlled and the settlers are expected to live in accordance with the most ancient rites and practices. Uthum is not seen as a source for resources but a destination for them; the recreation of the ‘proper’ world for their species has a powerful allure. Above the world a large garrison fleet sits, as the tempting world of Uthum III might prompt a race to attempt to seize the system.

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Tokati Realm

outskirts of it and careful scouting is being done to find an optimal location for a second major city.

Lliesta System

Tokat System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tokati Council; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Lliesta III

Tokati

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (86%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 800,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Motaki (60,000); Gov: Tokati Council (P4, D5, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Trade Lliesta was scouted by the Toulani but never settled. They placed monitors around it to alert them to any intruders in the system. When these were triggered, Toulani ships scrambled to meet what they assumed would be Thrakallans or Moradi, but instead, they found the Tokati, who had just mastered their local jump gate. A few shots were fired and the Tokati fled – to return somewhat later with the best warships they could muster. Naturally skilled in flight, they used small single-person fighters to lethal advantage and seized the system after a brief series of skirmishes. Lliesta turned out to be a valuable prize, strongly resembling Tokat in its youth. Something about it awoke ancient memories in the Tokati and they quickly colonised it. While ancestral longing was a partial factor, the desire to have a world of their own, to establish themselves as a power in a hostile galaxy, was the driving factor. Though the Tokati colonies are barely two decades old, they are already self sustaining and the garrison fleet at Lliesta is enough to discourage casual testing of boundaries. Lliesta is flat and humid, except for the ‘Burning Wing’, a V-shaped region of heavy volcanic activity in the western ocean. There is only one major colony but there are several small settlements on the

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Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tokati Council; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Tokat II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (72%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Cloksta (6 million), Kato (5 million); Gov: Tokati Council (P4, D5, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 3 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Half a million years ago, Tokat was sweltering jungle world, probably on the verge of a runaway greenhouse effect which would have made it into a second Venus. Then, a rogue planetoid passed through the system, sucking away large portions of Tokat’s atmosphere and triggering massive tectonic shifts. Evolution kicked into high gear as long-established species were extinguished and new niches opened. A race of batlike creatures who flew above the dense jungles found that the thinner atmosphere could not support their flight and that the jungles themselves were rapidly dying. A mix of circumstances shaped them to live in the new realm. Their wings shrank, leaving thin arms tipped with bony spikes. Their brains, quite large to perform the complex pattern matching needed to spot prey hiding in the jungles below, turned their excess neural capacity to more abstract thought. The keening shrieks they used to call the flock together began to vary in tone and carry ever more complex meanings. A dozen offshoots settled into various places on the tree of life but one clambered to the top branch and realised, quite suddenly, that it was aware of itself. Life on Tokat proceeded from there. The savannahdwelling flocks of former flyers used their brains to dominate the local lifeforms, then began to

outgrow their environment. They spread across the world, discovered agriculture, worked metal. Their ultrasonic chirping tongue carried very far, allowing civilisation to remain coherent over longer distances; this created more social cohesion and led to fewer wars; society simply had to spread farther to begin to fragment out of control. This is not to say there were no wars but there were fewer and the Tokati varied less over the breadth of their planet than many similar species. In the end, six great nations controlled the world and warred neither more nor less viciously than was typical.

Tokati look something like birds, with long, beaked faces, but they are mammals. They have an exceptionally keen sense of smell and have found some employment in industries where sensitivity to one part in a million of a contaminant is helpful. This also means that they cannot abide the Pak’ma’ra; where most races find them noisome, the Tokati are often overcome and collapse in their presence, leading to some interesting diplomatic situations at League meetings (the Tokati have Observer status with the League). The Tokati are governed by a united council, whose members are drawn from all six of the former great nations. With each passing year, national borders become more and more a convenience than a fact and full planetary unification is likely inside of a generation.

Tokati

The Tokati had reached the late Industrial Age when their first radio telescopes began to pick up unexplained signals from the fifth world in their system. At first, they believed they had found an unexplained natural phenomenon, but prolonged study showed the signals to be artificial, a coded beacon. This discovery, which might have triggered unity in some species, sent the normally somewhat reasonable Tokati into a flurry of competition. Each nation raced to be the first to launch probes to locate and claim the signal; each engaged in vicious competition to stop the others. While not capable of natural flight for hundreds of thousands of year, the Tokati brain remained ‘wired’ for the air and Tokati warfare tended to concentrate on airpower. The skies above Tokat were abuzz with countless warring planes, while the race to build and launch a spacecraft occupied the ground.

ship which penetrated their space and did not leave immediately. Only after constant monitoring of the tachyon networks had taught them more about the galaxy did they dare to face it again.

The ‘winner’ of the race, the Republic of Koti, received nothing for their trouble but a vaporised ship. The jump gate was programmed to launch weapons against any ship approaching without the proper signals. When two other ships met the same fate, the warring nations decided to work together. It took a generation but the code was finally cracked and hyperspace opened to the Tokati. Unfortunately, they entered the universe at the height of the Dilgar War and, furthermore, they were located adjacent to the xenophobic Koulani. Convinced the entire galaxy was filled with hostile forces, they seized the only nearby world they could, Lleista, to use as a buffer. It took a decade before they accepted any incoming communications, keeping their jump gates shut and firing on any

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Torta Regency Jodan System

Star: K3 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Torta Regency; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Jodan II

Torta

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 (600 & 400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Very Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 45,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Grata (12,000), Tortanka (10,000); Gov: Torta Regency (P2, D8, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 200, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military Jodan was the first world the Torta colonised. To them, it is practically a desert world, though most races would call it quite verdant. The planet’s almost non-existent tectonic system has produced two continents, barely more than rounded mounds emerging from the water. Despite having almost the same land area as Earth, Jodan is singularly lacking in geography. One Earth Alliance officer, on seeing scans of the world, commented that ‘It’s Kansas, on a planetary scale’. Such a world would seem ideal for agriculture and a colony there would be quickly self-sustaining but this is not the case. The subsurface caste of the Torta is not allowed off-world and they do all the farming. Thus, the colonists are struggling to learn skills they have long since forgotten and Torat III continually supplies food to the struggling colonies on Jodan. The colonies are slowly becoming self-sufficient, however, and it is considered vital to the Regency that the Torta have worlds to call their own.

Torat System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features:

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Asteroid Belt (Standard), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Torta Regency; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Torat III (Torata) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Wet (95%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 50F/21V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2.8 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Klivan (3 million), Crova (2.5 million); Gov: Torta Regency (P2, D8, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 1 Major/2 Minor, Bases: 3 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Trade Torat III was a pure water world with a thick atmosphere and no meaningful land surface, until an asteroid collision blasted water into space and changed the planet’s orbit. In the global deepfreeze that followed, only the strong or the cunning survived… and the proto-Torta were the latter. They clung to oceanic rifts where the water was warmed, and as they waited out the ice age, they grew ever smarter in order to deal with predators. When the ice cracked and new islands were revealed, the protoTorta adapted to the air and emerged onto land, their brains growing ever more complex until, millions of years after the planetary catastrophe, intelligence awoke on Torat. With intelligence, of course, came aggression. The islands settled by the Torta could not contain their growing numbers, so war began and with war, technological progress. The Torta learned to shape flint and bronze and steel; learned to make gunpowder; learned to harness steam and electricity. Thousands of island domains became hundreds of small nations, then dozens of larger ones. Ultimately, dozens became one – the Gorath. This ruthless and powerful nation seized control of the surface lands and also the subsurface regions, where many of the Torta still dwelled. This subsurface population, denied access to technology, soon became slaves. The land-dwellers, with limited space, needed the underwater cities to grow food. These caste divisions persist to the present.

The Torta are a fishlike people, with stubby legs, similar to lobe-fins, which they use when on land and longer, much more agile fins which serve as hands. Despite their piscine appearance, they can survive out of water indefinitely, though a moist environment is necessary. Government of the Torta is by a single elite ruling family, with the head of government being a Regent. The Regent rules for a period of several years and then nominates a successor. The Torta developed orbital technology by themselves and then discovered a jump gate in their outer system. Given their history of war, it is not surprising their brief sojourn among the stars has been marked by constant violence, against the Earth Alliance, the Ch’lon, the Vree and the Kor-Lyan, not to mention the Dilgar. While currently not in a state of active war, their system is ‘off limits’ to outsiders and ships entering it for any purpose other than to use the jump gate and be gone will be fired upon if they deviate from the specified spacelanes.

Trogoh II is the second colony world of the Torta and it is just barely holding on. A frozen, almost waterless world (all the planet’s water is locked into the south polar ocean and a massive engineering project is underway to link that to the equatorial colony), it is horribly alien to the Torta. They are only there because it was the best world in the area and because it has jump beacons leading to several of the neighbouring worlds, making a valuable buffer world. Trogoh II is slightly more welcoming to travellers than the other worlds of the Regency and a small amount of trading actually gets done here, mostly the purchase of synthetic foods from the Vree.

Torta

All Torta encountered by other races have been of the ruling, surface-dwelling caste. The existence of the subsurface slave caste, many times more numerous, is a racial secret. The fact that only the ruling class is permitted to serve in the military severely limits its size; the Torta are thus very constrained in how much pressure they can exert on other races and are hesitant to conduct more than swift attacks, fearing to leave their home systems undefended.

Gov: Torta Regency (P2, D8, C9, S8); Orbital Pop: 200, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade

Trogoh System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Torta Regency; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Trogoh II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,400 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.7) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 30F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Morat (5,000);

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Vree Conglomerate Alzeral System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Vree Conglomerate; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Alzeral II

Vree

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,000 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 60F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 22.5 million; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Anta’ai (15 million), Kas’ki (6 million); Gov: Vree Conglomerate (P8, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military, 1 Trade Alzeral is a world of brilliant fire at night, due to its unusual magnetosphere. It is controlled by the Vree and is their most populous colony. The world is very similar to Vreetan but somewhat less geologically active. It has three large oceans, each cut off from the others by thin strips of land. The world is somewhat cool, but not frigid, and has a healthy and widespread ecosystem. The Vree are well aware of the value of a world like this, especially to the Humans, and guard it well, often downplaying its value even as its population swells Resources on Alzeral are easy to access and the world is hospitable to the Vree, so the population continues to soar. The two large cities of Anta’ai and Kas’ki are reaching the limits of growth, and a third major settlement is planned. Alzeral also serves as a military outpost for the Vree, providing a listening post on the edges of Earth Alliance space, as well as base from which to launch whatever operations may be required.

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Photikar System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 3 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Vree Conglomerate; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Photikar V Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (10,700 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 1 (900 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Wet (90%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 20F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 90,000; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Ice Base Tua (30,000), Ice Base Tama (30,000); Gov: Vree Conglomerate (P8, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade Photikar is world whose prehistory was similar to that of Vreetan but unlike the homeworld it never recovered from its glacial era. Now, life beyond some extremophile microbes is non-existent; an entire ecosystem lies preserved under hundreds of feet of glacial ice, ice which is exceptionally pure. For this reason, the Vree have established ice mines on the planet and Photikar provides the Conglomerate with most of its needed water. Furthermore, additional operations have uncovered greater treasures beneath the ice, including valuable mineral and ore resources. Because of the value of Photikar to the Vree, the mining bases also serve as fully functional military compounds and a large garrison fleet patrols the world.

Vreetan System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Vree Conglomerate; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Vreetan III

The homeworld of one of the galaxies more enigmatic races, Vreetan is a planet which has seen much change. An early ecological catastrophe froze the world and drove the Stone Age Vree underground; thousands of years later, they emerged to a world utterly different from the one in which they had first evolved. However, as has been demonstrated on other worlds with sapient life; ‘Non-intelligent beings adapt to the their environment; intelligent beings adapt their environment to themselves’. The Vree were and are exceptionally intelligent. Vreetan today is a world mostly restored to its former glory, a warm but somewhat dry world whose landmasses show the scars of ancient glaciation – but not those of war or ecological destruction, perhaps the only major race homeworld to escape both fates. The first Vree war was also the last – the telepathic Vree could not endure war with each other. They were also spared the mixture of greed and desperation which cause most sentient races to decimate their own homeworld in pursuit of short-sighted goals. The Vree achieved industrialisation without excess, a remarkable feat.

No Vree dwell in outposts or live alone. There are a small number of remote stations scattered around the world for monitoring and security purposes but there are occupied only during working shifts; no one dwells in them or near them. The Vree are organised into guilds, with all functions of society being handled by an appropriate guild, from defence to research to law to trade with other races. Some would say this makes them as mercantile as the Brakiri but this is not the case; the guilds use the exchange of payment as a means of setting priorities and determining value, not as a source of personal profit.

Vree

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (30%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 3 Seas; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2.3 billion; Tech: Very Advanced; Cities: Viros Oma (2.3 billion); Gov: Vree Conglomerate (P8, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 10,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 4 Military, 4 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade

The Vree moved into space via their own efforts and there discovered a jump gate left behind by beings unknown. Once they had mastered using it, they met the Abbai and others who would form the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. They also began exploring nearby systems and have been confirmed as having visited Sol during the mid–20th century. Aliens are not welcome on Vreetan, except under very special circumstances, such as League meetings. Fewer than a dozen Humans have set foot on the surface.

The Vree population is entirely contained in a single complex of cities located in the northern hemisphere.

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Yolu Theocracy Kitab System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Yolu Theocracy; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Kitab III

Yolu

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,000 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: 2 (500 & 450 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Low Oxygen); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (22%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 90F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 25,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: To’yli (12,000), Klatai (10,000); Gov: Yolu Theocracy (P3, D2, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 3 Military Kitab III was settled early in the Yolu’s starfaring history, when they had just begun to leave their home system. It was not a promising world but neither was it beyond hope. Yolu science was capable of easily building settlements which could sustain life on the world. Kitab is a world of muddy swamps during the rainy season and baked clay during the dry season and of endless barren rock outside of the small wet zone in the south. Life exists here, burrowing into the drying mud during the winter and waiting out the blistering summers. The Yolu like it; the starkness of the sun against the obsidian outcroppings appeals to their sense of discipline and duty. Prior to the Dilgar War, Kitab was home to 100,000 Yolu; while the Dilgar did not scour the planet (fearing what the Yolu might do if truly provoked), they did demand a full evacuation. After the Dilgar were driven off, the Yolu returned, but the colony has not yet reached its original population. The primary focus of the colony was on mining and industrial development, as the world’s

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tenacious ecosystem could tolerate considerable abuse without meaningful harm.

Pa’rl System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Yolu Theocracy; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Pa’rl II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,000 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (550 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 1 Large, 1 Small; Climate: 60F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Advanced; Cities: I’yla (3 million), Yl’iu (4 million); Gov: Yolu Theocracy (P3, D2, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 50,000, Colonies: 2 Major/4 Minor, Bases: 6 Military, 6 Monitor, 1 Scientific, 1 Trade Pa’rl is a harsh world, with most of the water tainted with poisons and ash. Only inland on the largest continent is there fresh water and the Yolu learned early, as a race, that life was difficult. Continual tribal fighting kept pushing the race to the verge of extinction, until, at roughly the Iron Age for the species, a philosopher known as Ilya’yol rose to offer a new way of life to her species. She preached iron discipline and strict self-control and these philosophies were embodied in the new form of conflict resolution she had devised – the Mutai. Under the rules of the Mutai, issues were settled between tribes or nations by a contest of champions. This philosophy quickly took hold and the Yolu (naming themselves after their philosophical founder) united, developing rapidly and looking to space. Space, however, came looking for them. It was the time of the Shadow War – not that of the 2260s but the one prior, the war of Valen. The Yolu saw no purpose in this battle and refused to become involved. The Shadows could not rouse them to fight but neither could Valen and his allies. This led to a great tragedy, where a race called the Tak’cha, allies of the Minbari, assaulted the Yolu for their

failure to help, angering and saddening Valen, who had of course taught a philosophy directly opposed to this. The Yolu retreated to their worlds and refused to leave again for a thousand years. Empire rose, empires fell. Occasional trading ships did some dealings with the isolated Yolu and the tradition of the Mutai left the world, to become a popular blood sport among the League worlds. Yolu Mutai masters also left, to bring their knowledge to others, but the Yolu as a race stayed locked away, rebuking attackers and diplomats alike. Until the Dilgar came. The Dilgar did not conquer the Yolu homeworld but kept them cowed and frightened. Only when the Earth Alliance and their allies pushed the Dilgar back did the Yolu become aware of how much the galaxy had changed and how much risk they faced by hiding themselves from it. They joined the League and Yolu ambassadors now sit in council on Babylon 5.

The Yolu as a species are not cowards but they do not fight unless they think they have a clear edge. They often have trouble understanding other species and can easily be bluffed by shows of apparent strength, a fact known to many casino regulars on Babylon 5, who enjoy seeing a Yolu sit down at the card tables.

Trotaka is the second Yolu colony world and it is far harsher than Kitab. It is an unstable, highgravity, sweltering world, where the only life forms are walking-leaves, ambulatory vines which engulf anything which stands still long enough to be engulfed, including the Yolu mining complexes which haul weapon-grade crystals and Quantium– 40 out of the rough-hewn, blistering ground. Life at the Klay’ia complex is hard and the fact that families there can date themselves to first settlers, over 1,000 years ago, says much about Yolu endurance. As with Kitab, the colony was abandoned during the Dilgar War but, unlike Kitab, almost all the original inhabitants have returned. A millennia of existence on Trotaka has made Pa’rl an inhospitable and alien place and the colonists could barely wait to re-colonise Trotaka.

Yolu

The Yolu are governed by their religious leaders, a group of 15 men and women who have attained spiritual perfection. Once appointed, rulership is for life.

Yolu Theocracy (P3, D2, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade

Trotaka System

Star: F1 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Yolu Theocracy; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: High

Trotaka IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,400 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (1.2) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Very Dry (6%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 120F/42V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 15,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Klay’ia (15,000); Gov:

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Minor Systems Alaca System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Alacan Republic; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Minor Systems

Alaca III [pre–2230] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 moonlet (80 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (36%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 3 Seas; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2 billion; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Growor (2 million), Vlaca (1.5 million); Gov: Alacan Republic (P8, D5, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Military, 1 Trade

Alaca III [post–2230] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 moonlet (80 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (36%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 3 Seas; Climate: 82F/28V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Saygar Base (2,500); Gov: Alacan Republic (P8, D5, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The galaxy is full of the corpses of worlds. Despite the many thriving colonies and homeworlds, there are countless reminders of how thin the line between survival and extinction can be. Many species can be held accountable for their own destruction but many more are guilty of nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such was the case with the Alacans. Alaca III is a slightly dry world, not a desert planet, but given more to plains and prairie than swamps and rainforests. Fresh water is still rare enough to be valuable and the early Alacans, a race of people best described as ‘catlike’, warred over it constantly. Warfare led, as it often does, to technological advancement, and, over millennia, the Alacans moved from flint to bronze to iron to gunpowder to atoms… and then, unlike many other races, stopped. Given the prospect of global annihilation… they chose peace. Warring nations set down their arms and forged treaties. With difficulty, past sins and wrong

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were forgiven, if never truly forgotten. The breakthroughs made in the pursuit of death were turned to exploration and the Alacans took their first steps into space, where they encountered the Abbai and began to trade with them peacefully, including purchasing some outdated weapons systems – not enough to threaten anyone, just enough to avoid seeming like an easy target to the many predatory species they now knew existed. Unfortunately for them, the Dilgar were not dissuaded by ancient laser or missile weapons, nor by a fighting spirit rekindled from the ashes of peace into a blazing, reborn fury. The Alacans threw everything they had against the Dilgar invasion and were slaughtered. As the Earth Alliance debated joining the Dilgar War, this image was brought up and compared to the Poles in World War II riding their horse cavalry against the German blitzkrieg, an image of doomed courage. It might not have swung the vote in itself but it certainly helped. This did not save the Alacans. Their world was shredded, their race all but exterminated. Of the billions who once lived on Alaca, barely 10,000 remain alive, scattered among a half-dozen tiny outposts, mostly heavily shielded military bases. Even worse, there considerable gender dimorphism among the Alaca led to the military being overwhelmingly male; less than 10% of the survivors were females of breeding age. It is not certain if the species has enough genetic diversity to restore itself; nor is it certain the ravaged planet can sustain life for long. Almost forty years after the Dilgar War, the population is still in decline, with stillbirths and fatal birth defects very common, a legacy of radiation and biogenetic weapons. It is possible that the Interstellar Alliance may find a new, safe homeworld for the few survivors. Alaca today is a blasted wasteland. The fertile veldt is burned away. The small seas are choked with ash, the same ash which blocks the sun and freezes what plant and animal life remains. The majority of surviving animal life falls into the ‘rat and roach’ categories; most food species, animal and plant alike, are extinct.

Antra System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 4 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hab), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

Antra IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Poisonous;

Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Moist (66%); Continents: 1 Large, 6 Small; Climate: 40F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Fusion; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Arisia System

Antra is one of the many dead worlds which litter the rim, marking the coreward end of the ‘death crescent’ that terminates at Ikarra. Unlike many of those worlds, however, the Shadows had nothing to do with the fate of Antra.

Arisia III

Their first was ignoring the fact that their planetary lift systems were breaking down a layer of their atmosphere, a layer which kept heat trapped in the planet, warming it considerably. When this was discovered, it was dismissed, ignored or tabled ‘for further study’. It was felt that by the time the consequences became noticeable, alternate technologies could be developed. However, the breakdown turned out to be exponential, not linear, and quickly passed a point of no return. Their second mistake was to try to find a new home and, in so doing, to blaze a path to Nochtal. Nochtal was habitable to them, one of the few worlds which was, and they were determined to seize it for themselves. The Nochtal set aside their internal squabbles and rose, as one, to the fight. centuries of underhanded dealings with the rest of the galaxy had given the world a selection of doomsday weapons, from burrowing bombs to nanoviral plagues, and all were turned on the hapless Antrans. Their fleet was shredded but the Nochtal did not want a surrender which might only be a prelude to attack. They moved against Antra, the only time their defensive fleet has left the borders of their system, and they cleansed it of all life.

Zone: Hot; Size: Large (16,500 miles); Grav: 2.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Dense (3.0) Corrosive; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: None; Climate: Hot; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: (abandoned) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Arisia is a hellish and uninhabitable world – twice as massive as Earth, a dense and instantly toxic atmosphere and tectonically ‘less stable than a drunken Centauri on a rowboat’. It is, however, rich in Quantium–40, which is why the Arisia Mining Company built an orbital platform and undertook the expense of building mining and processing facilities on the surface. No one lived on the surface; a few dozen people would work in the scattered, mostly automated, mining sites for brief periods and were then shuttled to orbit where the Arisia Mining Company maintained its headquarters. At the peak of its operations, the Arisia Mining Company maintained 9 facilities on the planet and employed 150 people. It had an active trading post in orbit and would sell Quantium–40 to any legitimate buyer and was often visited by Minbari trading vessels.

Minor Systems

Antra is a frozen and toxic wasteland of a world, though ice cores show it was once lush and green and, furthermore, that the shift took place in decades rather than aeons. The planet once held a squidlike, semi-amphibious (much like the Abbai) sentient species which had evolved in the thick jungles and steamy swamps that once defined the planet’s landscape. They were at home in the murky, chemical-laden atmosphere which would char the lungs of most races. They developed industry and early space travel and began to explore their system. However, they had accidentally set in motion their own extinction, an extinction which might have been prevented if not for two fatal errors.

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

The Arisia Mining Company, owned and operated by the Coles, was one of the last family-owned companies to do planetary mining and be able to secure exclusive licence to unclaimed worlds, a holdout against the rise of the faceless conglomerates which dominated most industry in the Earth Alliance. While the Arisia Colony was not a member of the Earth Alliance, the company charter which secured the rights to mine the world required payments of exorbitant taxes back to Earth, leading to some degree of resentment. The Minbari have written volumes on the power of a single individual to change the universe or, in this case, the fate of a colony. William Cole was a dreamer who abandoned his families mining business to run off and become a Ranger, and he returned to Arisia to secure a supply of Quantium–40 for the cause. The Shadows found out and the colony was scoured, leaving only one survivor – Marcus Cole, William’s brother. As of 2262, Arisia III is abandoned and suspended in a legal limbo,

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as Marcus Cole has never sold or passed on the mining rights to the world.

Beta 4 System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Trade Hub, Asteroid Belt (Dense); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Beta 4 Commerce Guild; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium

Beta 4/III

Minor Systems

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,200 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 2 (400 miles & 350 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Diseased); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (15%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 110F/27V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 16,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Trade Base 1 (10,000), Trade Base 2 (4,000); Gov: Beta 4 Commerce Guild (P5, D3, C7, S6); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Trade Beta 4 is a sweltering world, given to ‘forests’ of mould and crawling bugs where the planet is wet and to blasted rocks canyons where it is not. The only ‘wet’ parts are at the north pole, where a single polar ocean and a handful of tiny lakes plays host to large trading bases. Beta 4 has nothing going for it but location – at the junction of four jump routes, it is too convenient not to be inhabited. The world was claimed by the Centauri originally but they had been having considerable difficulty protecting their trade bases there from constant raider attacks, to the point where, as one noble put it: ‘The problem will soon take care of itself; no one will come here to trade and the raiders will then leave. I do not see why we need to fuss’. In 2253, a consortium of Human and Brakiri businessmen approached the Centauri with a deal – they would take over running the planet. The Republic accepted the offer, as even the meagre fees offered in exchange would be better than the current loss they were incurring. Under new management, Beta 4 prospered and it grew even more prosperous when the Babylon Station went online just two jumps down. Rumour that the Humans involved in the original proposal had seen the earliest Babylon proposals and took an immense gamble on the project succeeding have remained unproven. There are now two main ground-based trading posts, collections of prefab warehouses, cheap hotels, agricultural domes, brothels and a large orbital trading station, accompanied by an orbital garrison managed by

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the Brakiri but with supplied by Human contractors. Beta 4 is where G’kar went to find the trail of Michael Garibaldi in 2260.

Bricarn System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (3 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (2 Cold, 1 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None (technically Bricarin Elders); Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Bricarn III Zone: Hot; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (450 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Damp (45%); Oceans: 2 Oceans, 3 Seas; Climate: 60F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 100 million; Tech: Iron Age (some Steam Age and Advanced relics); Cities: Vothak (30,000), Morkan (25,000); Gov: Elders of Bricarin (P2, D5, C8, S4); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Bricarn III is a former Centauri colony which was abandoned some sixty years ago. Physically, the world is slightly dry but habitable, with the northern hemisphere well-spotted with small ocean and seas and the southern hemisphere an arid wasteland, except for an area near the south pole which blooms once a year when the permafrost melts to fertile slush and an explosion of colour ripples across the land. The natives were at the point of early industrialisation when the Centauri found them. The Centauri quickly conquered them and replaced their native industrial infrastructure with their own. When they left, generations later, they took most of their machines with them (having begun to learn harsh lessons about leaving technology behind in the hands of ‘primitives’) and the Bricarans were left with nothing. Their own native tech was long gone; the advanced technology they could use – but not make – was decaying and the infrastructure needed to begin to restore their old civilisation was destroyed. This left them in a state of spiralling decay, rapidly losing what little knowledge they had left. Today, Bricarn is a world locked in a feudal era but filled with the ruins of greatness – both the early strides towards industry made by the Bricarn and the useless fragments left behind by the Centauri. The planetary government, the Elders of Bricarn (‘Elder’ is a title, not an indication of age), has been trying to maintain control using the failing remains of the old communications networks but the breakdown of this system has accelerated recently and large swathes of the planet are out of touch. It is likely that there will be no planetary government within a decade

and the planet will revert to war-torn feudalism, battling over the handfuls of old Centauri tech still available. The Bricarn are a mostly humanoid people, mammalian, distinguished by having three eyes and four-jointed arms.

Coriana System

Star: A3 IV; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 5 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None (technically Bricarin Elders); Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Coriana VI

Coriana VI is known as ‘The Birthplace of the Alliance’, ‘The Graveyard of the Gods’, ‘The Place of Departure’ and many other titles, none of which have anything to do with the actual actions taken by the inhabitants of the planet. Much as with other places renowned for being the sites of great battles, the fame of Coriana VI is based entirely on what other people did there. By 2261, the longstanding prohibition against direct action by the Vorlons and the Shadows had broken down. Both races of near-gods were on the warpath, using worldkilling technologies to eliminate anyone with the slightest hint of an alliance with their enemies. By means of a ruse, Captain Sheridan managed to manoeuvre both sides into bringing their fleets to the Coriana system, there to face the largest fleet ever assembled in galactic history. Though even that fleet was insufficient to battle the ships of the First Ones, it did provide enough time for Sheridan and Delenn, abetted by Lorien, to convince the Vorlons and Shadows that their time was past, that it was time for them to leave the galaxy and leave the Younger Races to find their own destiny, free of interference. These events led directly to the formation of the Interstellar Alliance and to many of the major historical moments of the next few decades. As such, beings of all races descend on the Coriana system, seeking enlightenment, understanding or education.

Prior to 2261, Coriana VI has had only the most limited interstellar contact. While a jump gate linked the world to Janos, it was mostly considered a dead end, the jump gate itself a relic of earlier starfaring cultures which had used the system as a waystation. It was of little interest to traders or explorers and the inhabitants were too primitive to be useful allies but too advanced to be easy conquests. A few scouts and probes had scanned the system but that was all. In 2264, a jump route to Beta 9 was added to the Coriana system and the inhabitants learned of their planet’s accidental role in galactic history, as well as their leaders’ role in nearly destroying the world. The resulting riots were short but effective and the Craniz Republic is effectively defunct. The Union of States, an international organisation which had previously held little real power, has become the de facto voice of Coriana VI in interplanetary matters.

Minor Systems

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (78%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 6 billion; Tech: Oil Age; Cities: Klon Havel (12 million), Voklan (10 million); Gov: Union of States (P6, D5, C3, S5); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Prior to the events of 2261, Coriana was a backwater. The world is roughly technologically equivalent to Earth in the mid–20th century, having just developed primitive nuclear weapons. It was also a world filled with national tension, making it appealing to the Shadows. They sent agents to investigate the various planetary governments and eventually placed their influence behind the Craniz Republic, which was already tilting to belligerent expansionism. Though the leaders of that Republic suspected they were being manipulated, the aid was too good to pass up. When the Shadows began landing their ships in order to protect them from the Vorlons, a protest was made, but the entirety of the Republic air force was eliminated in a battle lasting under two minutes. The government of the Republic kept the consequences of the Shadow landings from their citizens and waited, in terror, for the Vorlons to arrive.

Daltron System

Star: F1 V; Planets: 7 Terrestrial (3 Hab, 4 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Very Low; Security Level: Low

Daltron VII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (550 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Wet (90%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 80F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 5,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Daltras (2,000); Gov: None; Orbital Pop: 100, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade

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Daltron VII was sort of an open secret to the rimward/ spinward races, a world of surpassing beauty and no commercial value. It had no minerals to speak of and the local soil and water were filled with odd chemicals making the world useless for agriculture for most races. It had some value as a trading post as it joined four worlds but none of them were especially useful worlds. By unspoken decree, Daltron VII was left alone, left to serve as a place of relaxation and quiet business, where beings in the region could freely meet, unofficially and unnoticed, to work out what might need to be worked out. It was a small bit of peace in a region oft-torn by war. A small town, somewhere between a resort, a trading post and an embassy complex, provided services and shelter. Traders brought in fresh food and water, since the local supplies were unusable, albeit attractive.

Minor Systems

The Drakh War The Drakh destroy Daltron VII in 2266, because it was there and because they could. They had a planet-killer to test and this was a planet they saw no reason not to kill. Following its devastation, it is a cratered, uninhabitable wasteland, the planetary ocean mostly blasted into space. What is left is a polluted mire. Post–2266, Daltron VII has the following stat block:

Daltron VII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (550 miles); Atmo: Thin (0.7) Breathable (Tainted – Polluted); Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Very Dry (10%); Continents: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 60F/27V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Fusion; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Dorac System

Star: F5 IV; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 4 Hot), 4 Gas (Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dorac Provisional Council [None post– 2261]; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

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Dorac VII [pre–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,500 miles); Grav: 0.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.6) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (6%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 40F/36V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Dorac Dome (10,000); Gov: Dorac Provisional Council (P8, D1, C4, S9); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Dorac VII [post–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,500 miles); Grav: 0.5g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.6) Inert; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Dry (1%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 30F/30V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: None; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Dorac VII was offered, in 2258, to a small group of Mars dissidents who simply wanted total separation from Earth. The offer, which included access to a transport vessel, supplies for survival and a promise of total protection from the Earth Alliance was made by a charming man who introduced himself only as Mr Morden. The separatists were wary but after doing extensive checks, decided his offer was genuine. His price was only that they maintain a small monitor post on the world. They did not even have to do anything; they just needed to maintain the equipment and, every so often, adjust the direction of transmission according to instructions. In 2261, Dorac VII was wiped out by the Vorlon planetkiller as it left Vorlon territory; its last act, unbeknownst to the colonists, was to transmit this fact to Z’ha’dum. The colony was set up as an early warning system; if the Vorlons were to act directly, this would be the first world they would strike.

Dura System

Star: M8 V; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Cold) [Destroyed in 2261], 4 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Dura Oversight Committee [None post–2261]; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Open

Dura VII [pre–2261] Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (6,000 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 2 (450 & 300 miles); Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Very Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 50,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Dura Ice Mining Facility

(30,000); Gov: Dura Oversight Committee (P4, D6, C4, S4); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade

Gov: None; Orbital Pop: 250,000, Colonies: 1 Major (Babylon 5), Bases: None

‘There’s always Dura.’

Very little is known about the third world of the Epsilon system. Once a living world, as evidenced by the oxygen atmosphere, it showed no signs of even microbial life when scanned and so was seen as a perfect place to build the Babylon stations – no one would want the cold, lifeless world below.

Thus the saying went among many of the down-andout of the galaxy. If things got bad enough, really bad, excruciatingly bad… there was always Dura. A dark, frozen world on the fringes of known space, it was the site of extensive ice mines under the control of no government but an ad-hoc oversight committee. There was little pay and few luxuries but there was always work available, a warm sleeping tube and enough food to get by on. The fact that Dura attracted a steady flow of people, year by year, is a statement about the state of the galaxy. Dura was a rough, brutal world, but not a criminal one; if workers minded others’ business and did interfere, workers would be left alone.

Minor Systems

Such a laissez-faire attitude made the world perfect for the Shadows. Far from the ice mines, their Drakh agents had constructed some bases, which they used for various research projects, occasionally removing some luckless miners if they needed subjects for their work. This, in turn, attracted the Vorlons who, caring nothing for the fate of the miners, obliterated the world in 2261. Nothing but a small debris field maks its existence.

Since then, it has been discovered that the world is home to the Great Machine, a device of incredible power and several purposes. Occupying vast cavern complexes beneath the surface of Epsilon III, it draws power from the world’s still-active volcanic core, power which it can use to open rifts in time, to peer across space and to broadcast messages to the galaxy. The Great Machine requires a sentient mind to operate it; it is currently controlled by Draal, a religious caste Minbari with an unusually jovial disposition.

Epsilon Eridani System

Star: K2 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 4 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High Caveat: While security around Babylon 5 is high, the station periodically finds itself in the midst of a shooting war. Further, ships of hostile forces often meet when both sides seek to take advantage of the station’s neutrality. As a consequence, the Threat Level has been raised to reflect these brief, but very dangerous, periods of violence. During normal operation, the Threat Level should be considered Low.

Epsilon Eridani III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (9,900 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (15%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 11; Tech: First One; Cities: The Great Machine (11);

Gamma 7/V Source: IPX/marford/ex.205 Grade: Omega/Omega Notes: Lst rpt Agt tmtd (Nn)

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In addition to Draal, the Great Machine is inhabited by the family Zathras, of whom very little is known, save that no one ever listens to Zathras. Zathras is told to do, so Zathras does. A sad life. In 2260, one Zathras leaves the Great Machine and accompanies Sinclair back through time. Sinclair’s life after this event is very well documented but no one asks about Zathras. Zathras is not sad. Zathras does not expect any better.

Gamma 7 System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Standard), Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Gamma 7 Mining Syndicate; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Low

Minor Systems

Gamma 7/V

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Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (10,100 miles); Grav: 1.2g; Moons: 2 (300 & 250 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.4) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 40,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Alpha Mine (3,000), Beta Mine (2,300); AkHabil Centre (2,000); Gov: Gamma 7 Mining Syndicate (P7, D5, C5, S4); Orbital Pop: 1,500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 2 Trade ‘So much blood over so many rocks.’ — Minbari historian Molann commenting on the history of Gamma 7 Gamma 7/V is a neutral world located near Brakiri, Gaim, Narn and Descari space and it has seen a tremendous amount of conflict for such a hellhole of a planet. A lifeless wasteland which is generally lethally cold, except near the perpetual volcanoes which churn out burning ash and gouts of lava, Gamma 7/V would be ignored by all nearby races, save for the fact that it is rich in just about everything other than life. Heavy metals, light metals, minerals, Quantium–40, exotic gasses – almost any inorganic material can be found in quantity on this world. The Centauri had claimed it for a long time, and established, by dint of tragic empirical experimentation, where the safest zones to build mines were located. When they pulled back, the world became a war zone, as one race after another tried to lay claim to it and failed. In the aftermath of the Dilgar War, Gamma 7/V was claimed by the miners themselves, who managed to form a strong syndicate to administer the wealth of the planet. The other races in the region saw this as a way to cease fighting over the world without losing face. The one ‘non-union’ shop on Gamma 7/V is the Brakiri Ak-Habil Mining Complex.

Gigmos System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

Gigmos III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,100 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable (Tainted – Diseased); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (80%); Continents: 2 Large, 3 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 40,000; Tech: (ruins of ) Oil Age; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Gigmos is a charted but little-explored world, near to Moradi space. It has a functioning jump gate which is falling into disrepair but it is a ‘dead end’ world, with no major or minor jump-routes leading out-system. The planet has not been subject to intensive investigation, as high levels of background radiation make it a poor choice for settlement and preliminary spectrographic readings show few resources of value. The world itself is a wasteland. A flyover will reveal the ruins of large cities, thousands of miles of dead and barren forests and lifeless oceans slowly eroding the shorelines. Everywhere, there are signs of a world once lush, fallen fallow and dead. Technologically, there is little to indicate what could have caused such destruction. The Gig were a humanoid race who had reached the point of early space exploration, having managed to reach the nearer of their two moons. This turned out to be their undoing, as their landing at a site which optical telescopes revealed as showing signs of artificial construction brought back something they were not meant to know. The Drakh had a base on that moon during the Shadow War a thousand years ago and had left supplies behind. One such was a viral generation system, capable of analysing biology and producing a lethal plague. However, the long years had damaged the system; rather than targeting the dominant sentient life, as it was programmed to, it unleashed a swarm of lethal plagues, attacking every part of the planetary ecosystem. A month after it had been returned to Gigmos and unintentionally activated, the first plagues began. The resulting panic, riots and civil war destroyed most of the infrastructure of the world, leaving it in ruins as the plagues continued to work, mutating and modifying themselves. Eventually, they destroyed

enough of the links in the chains of life that there was a total ecological collapse; the world is now dead. Some spore, seeds and the like are the only remnants of life. Visitors to Gigmos who forgo bacteriological filtering mechanisms are likely to inhale some of the dormant virii; how likely they are to be affected is based on biological similarity to the Gig. The viral spores will re-activate 1d4 days after entering a living host. Resisting the plague requires a Fortitude save; the DC is 18 for Minbari, 15 for Narn and 10 for Brakiri. No other known race is susceptible. Once contracted, the plague will inflict 1d2 points of Strength and Constitution damage per day until death. There is no simple cure; the virus alters itself in response to vaccines or other treatments. Finding a cure is a DC 30 Medical check and requires at least a week of work and samples from the infected patient, along with a fully-equipped MedLab.

Ikarra System

Star: F8 V; Planets: 7 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 5 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Very Dense), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Open

Ikarra VII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,160 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable (Tainted – Low Oxygen); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (77%); Continents: 2 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 80F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Ikarra VII is a dead world, one of far too many which fill the galaxy. The Ikarrans were regular victims of invasion, their homeworld attacked a half-dozen times, with each attempted conquest being more and more destructive. As with the Narn (and many other races), their reaction to the threat of subjugation was to fight back, as brutally as possible. To this end, they created techno-organic warriors, lethal and unstoppable, imprinted with the brain patterns of a leading scientist and coded to exterminate all those who were not ‘pure Ikarran’. They felt this would keep the bioweapons from being tricked or confused. Unfortunately, they did not consider that ‘purity’ is

This happened a long time ago and the world is considered ‘picked clean’. The processes of natural decay have worn down many of the ruins and returned much of the planet to a state of nature. The atmosphere is unusually low in oxygen, making breathing masks a requirement for extended exploration but it can be breathed for short periods without ill effect – apply the hypoxia rules (see page 194) after 1/2 hour of normal activity or ten minutes of vigorous activity. Despite this reputation of ‘nothing there’, IPX sent an expedition there in 2258, apparently knowing exactly where to look for bioweapons which countless other scavengers had managed to miss. It is very likely they were sent there via information leaked to them by Shadow agents, given the location of Ikarra near to Z’ha’dum. The endless cycles of invasion which the Ikarrans faced, and their development of organic weapons, stem from their unfortunate proximity to Shadow worlds. The Shadows believed the race had tremendous potential and so, following their dictum of growth through conflict, kept pounding at them (primarily through proxies) over and over, while at the same time giving them enough hints and aid to enable them to fight back. The Ikarrans finally did so, and took the Shadow doctrine of conflict to its logical conclusion, dying in a war of ‘all against all’. The Shadows, naturally, took this as meaning one more weak race removed from the galaxy.

Minor Systems

The plague maker itself is still on the moon, temporarily inert. While the medical facilities of advanced worlds can probably contain and stop the plagues it produces, primitive worlds could be wiped out in months. At this point the existence of the device is unknown.

wholly subjective. Every individual contains minor mutations and deviations – it is how species evolve, after all. Without some level of variation, there is nothing but rapid extinction. The weapons eliminated the invaders and then turned on their creators, finding no one on Ikarra which met their programmed ideal of ‘purity’.

Ikarra is a warm world but one with relatively little plant life. Its animal life is widespread and advanced and has evolved to use the oxygen-poor air with astounding efficiency. The world might theoretically make a viable colony for a race which could either adapt to the atmosphere or terraform the world but its remote location and the taint of holding a dead race – not to mention the spectre of still-lurking bioweapons – makes it unappealing so long as there are other worlds to settle. No one wishes to set up camp in the shadow of Z’ha’dum. Despite the fact the world is unlikely to be colonised, following the awakening of the Ikarran bioweapon on Babylon 5, many different groups have begun to speculate that there may be other such devices present and, heedless of the obvious danger to themselves or the lesson the fate of the Ikarrans should have taught them, have begun new exploration of the planet. This has led the system to

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become somewhat dangerous to travel, as various heavily armed forces with few ethical limitations wish to make sure no one else can find something of value first. Raiders, in turn, have begun to lurk in the system’s asteroid belt, hoping to capture any ship leaving with a valuable cargo.

Imphil System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Imphili Nations (protected by the ISA); Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Open

Minor Systems

Imphil III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,800 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (75%); Continents: 2 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 80F/18V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 500 million; Tech: Steam Age; Cities: Valipheen (100,000), Lovial (90,000); Gov: Multiple Nations; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Imphil III is a lovely world, a world of green valleys, tall mountains, broad and turbulent seas, lush jungles and arid deserts. It is a world which, like many others, eventually gave rise to self-aware life, humanoids who looked to the stars, wondered and dreamed. These beings, in turn, found that while they were still dreaming of the stars, other races walked among them like gods. In this case, the gods – or demons – were the Drazi, who found the peaceful farming world of Imphil, a world where the most advanced of the dozens of small nations had just mastered the steam powered locomotive and the telegraph, to be perfect as a place to work out aggressions and seize food, without the difficult bother of conquering the planet and appointing a governor. The Drazi simply raided the world on a regular basis, attacking first this nation, then that one, demanding large ‘taxes’ of food in return for ‘protecting’ the world from all the evil races out there. The Imphili learned of the cannibalistic Narn, the indescribably cruel Centauri and the oozing, squishyskinned Humans. Next to these horrors, the occasional Drazi raid was almost acceptable. Almost. The Imphili were primitive, not stupid, and the Drazi were not the only ones to find the world. Traders sometimes came by, offering to bargain rather than take. They provided more information on the larger universe and the Imphili began to learn. They managed to barter for a tachyon transmitter and sent a cry for help on a frequency they were given and, to their amazement, a

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man came from the sky wearing brown and bearing words of hope. Their pleas had been heard, he said, and they would be protected. In 2262, one of the earliest acts of the nascent Interstellar Alliance was to put a stop to the Drazi raids on Imphili and to use these raids to shame the Drazi – and the other races of the Alliance – to agree to a Declaration of Principles, by showing that no race lacked the blood of the helpless on their hands. The Imphili system is now routinely patrolled by the Interstellar Alliance.

Janos System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 4 Hot), 4 Gas (2 Cold, 2 Hot), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None [pre–2251 Raider Haven]; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None (technically split between Gaim & Markab); Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Open

Janos VII [pre–2251] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (88%); Continents: 6 Small; Climate: 80F/15V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: 8,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Fortress L’gra (4,000); Gov: Raider Concord (P6, D2, C1, S6); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Janos VII [post–2251] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (88%); Continents: 6 Small; Climate: 80F/15V; Bio Density: Very Abundant; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: None [100 post–2261]; Tech: Advanced; Cities: None [Lurfa Colony (100) post– 2261]; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Janos VII is a neutral world located between Gaim and Markab space. It bears signs of colonisation by both powers, however, neither has any official claim to the world any longer. The twin colony sites, separated by a thousand miles and a century of time, are both overgrown and ruined. Janos VII is a hell world, a planet astoundingly hostile to life. It is a world of predatory life, virulent plagues and climactic extremes. It is an ancient world and life on it has had a very long time to evolve.

The planet is fairly wet but not overwhelmingly so, with few deserts. Twisted scrublands cover the cooler poles, blossoming into thick forests and then into jungle and swamp. The seas are mostly shallow and teem with all manner of creatures, many of whom are surprisingly good at surviving out of water. The leaping shark, the montgolfier jellyfish and the spitting manta are among the many creatures responsible for the deaths of those who felt being in a boat would keep them safe from oceangoing predators.

home have settled in the relatively placid sub-polar region to attempt to establish a farming community. It remains to be seen how well this works.

Even the deserts, few as they are, teem with life. Many of the desert animals are liquivores, who will kill prey and then liquefy it with powerful enzymes, drinking the entirety of the body other than the bones. The desert plants secrete fast-acting poisons which kill those who try to eat them; the bodies then become fertiliser for the plants.

K064/III

In 2262, an attempt was made to civilise Janos VII yet again. Protected by a sonic dome and a variety of other technologies, a small group of colonists looking for a

Star: M4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None (secretly Drakh); Threat Level: Low (Very High); Security Level: Very High

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.6) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Very Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 40F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: None; Tech: None; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None A world so obscure it does not even have a name, just a system designation in the Centauri catalogues. These dismissed it as worthless and preliminary scans by other explorers showed this description to be accurate. It is a wasted world of burned and barren rock, with no discernible resources, no life beyond the microscopic and a foetid, foul atmosphere. The system itself is equally devoid of value.

The Drakh War So long as ships seem fooled by the ‘nothing here’ appearance of K064, the system can be seen as having a Low Threat Level. The Drakh do not wish to call attention to the system by destroying ships. However, if a ship seems to be aware of the value of this world, it will be destroyed with impunity

Minor Systems

In the year 2251, Janos VII became a sort of gathering place for a variety of criminals. Raiders, renegade Dilgar and others managed to form a rough truce, similar to that of the pirates of Port Royal. They seized control of an old Drazi fortress and, with better technology than the Drazi had been able to bring to bear, managed to secure it against the native life. From this base, they were able to strike at many targets, especially worlds of the Earth Alliance whose defences had been weakened during the recent Earth-Minbari War. Rumours that a few renegades of the Warrior Caste, angered at how the war turned out, had been funnelling supplies to Janos VII were never confirmed. EarthGov was determined to not permit any sign of weakness, lest some other race decide to exploit it in a more direct manner and so ordered a strike force to Janos VII, commanded by General Richard Franklin. Because EarthGov wanted intelligence on the raiders and their allies, ‘nuke them from orbit’ was rejected as a strategy; a difficult and vicious ground battle was required. Captain Jeffrey Sinclair was among those involved; he was providing low-orbit cover when his Starfury was shot down by the fortress’ defences. He was very fortunate to survive the landing and ensuing encounter with a grylok and was able to rejoin the Earth forces. The battle for the fortress was brutal, with nearly as many troops lost to the local wildlife as to the enemy’s guns, but in the end the fortress was seized and the very public trials of the raiders served to dissuade others from trying the Earth Alliance’s defences, as well as showing the weakness of ‘pirate kingdoms’. General Franklin added ‘scourge of Janos VII’ to his already impressive resume.

K064

In 2266, however, the true importance of this remote world became know, at least to a few. It conceals a massive jump gate leading to a secret Shadow base, Xha’dum. The Shadows had this base as a ‘back up’, in case Z’ha’dum was destroyed; they left the galaxy without using it but the Drakh knew of it and manipulated the Centauri into uncovering the gate. The base is capable of manufacturing almost any Shadow technology, including the planetkilling death clouds. Those exploring the world prior to this and without Shadow permission or authorisation, will find nothing of value or note; those who

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remain longer than a few days will find themselves stalked and killed by the Drakh, who defend the world for their Shadow masters.

Kandar System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

Kandar III

Minor Systems

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,700 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 2 (800 & 600 miles); Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 90F/18V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Some worlds destroy themselves directly; others are destroyed by the actions of others; in some cases, it is both. Kandar III was a harsh but habitable world near the Rim, located two jumps from Z’ha’dum, which turned out to be its ultimate downfall. A thousand years ago, Kandarran civilisation was flourishing. A strong, disciplined people, the Kandarrans took lessons from the desert wastelands of their world. They believed in endurance, focus and principles. In many ways, they would have been perfect disciples of the Vorlons… but the Shadows had been with them from the beginning. Kandarran civilisation was based around the oasis, with each major watering hole or small lake claimed by a tribe. During their early history, the tribes would respect each other’s territory and often trade with each other, running caravans across the forbidding wastes. Shadow influence whispered dreams of Empire, however, and peaceful coexistence fell to bloody war, with one tribe ultimately seizing dominion over the planet. This took centuries, of course, and when the last independent state fell, it was to nuclear missiles, not the hand-thrown spears which had initiated the long climb to unity. The Shadows played a large role in the social development of the Kandarrans, guiding them from early industrialisation into spaceflight and subtly turning them xenophobic and hostile by sending the occasional small alien fleet into their system to probe their defences. A thousand years ago, the Kandarrans were deemed ready

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to win their place in the larger galaxy and were gifted with jump gate technology and a target – Ikarra. Ikarra had already faced three invasions; this was the fourth. In many ways, Kandar was nothing more than another hammer beating the sword of Ikarra; the Ikarrans had always been one of the Shadows’ favourite races. This fourth invasion was met with new weapons, biological ones. The invaders were torn apart by a dozen plagues, each one agonising and virulent. The survivors, fleeing home, took the plagues with them. While the Kandarrans had mastered much of war, their medical knowledge was poor, limited primarily to dealing with wartime injuries and simple infections. A year after the fleet had moved to Ikarra, Kandar was dead. The bones of the world have been picked clean since then and nothing remains but outlines of cities. Rumours that there are caches of Shadow technology still hidden in obscure places, such as the twisting canyons near the south pole, have never borne fruit.

Kazomi System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Dark Companion; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Kazomi Colonial Board; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Low

Kazomi III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,600 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (400 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (34%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 12,000; Tech: Steam Age (with some Advanced); Cities: Kazomi Colony (4,000), Lakemeet (3,000); Gov: Kazomi Colonial Board (P8, D3, C4, S6); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Kazomi III is one of the newest worlds settled by the Earth Alliance, with the first colony ships landing there in 2257. Dangerously situated between the Torta Regency and the Ch’lon Hunting Grounds, the colony plays on both species’ fear of reprisal from Earth, even though Kazomi III is not considered a member of the Earth Alliance. Kazomi III is a rough, harsh world, with the potential for greatness, a potential which will have to be forced out of the rough and unforgiving land. Even in the most lush regions (the ‘Three Lakes’ area of the planet), life is sparse and only the tough survive. Small wonder, then, that Kazomi was settled by a mixed bag of colonists who yearned for a chance to pit themselves against a world and tame it. The impetus to settle Kazomi came from it being

a world where life was hard, but where the environment was not inherently lethal, where the colonists could live and work in the open air. While the colony craft supplies power and many high-tech conveniences, local industry is still very low-tech and likely to remain so; the colonists are bootstrappers and do not want prefab factories dumped on them. This strong independent streak is part of what led them to accept refugees during the Vorlon rampages; they had little patience for bullies or anyone else who tried to force others to obey, making them also strongly opposed to the Clark regime.

just because they had silly ideas, as long as they were not spreading them around locally – which they no longer were.

Korel System

Krich System

Korel IV

Krich II

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,100 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 2 (300 & 200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (20%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 1 Sea; Climate: 60F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 8,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Okalain (8,000); Gov: Koulani Renegades (P4, D4, C6, S7); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,600 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (700 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 2 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Very Advanced; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of Fusion); Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Star: K6 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Koulani Renegades; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Low

The Koulani could not be bothered to retrieve such a small number of colonists, especially when a coded electronic signal sent after launch transferred twice the value of the stolen ship into the account of the owners. Koulani selfinterest meant there was no reason to hunt people down

Star: K4 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

Strings of dead worlds line the Rim, testaments to the ability of intelligence to destroy itself. Krich is one such. The Krich system is connected only to Daltron and has few visitors. Krich is a verdant world, one which would be considered suitable for colonisation were it not for its remote location. There are lush jungles covering most of the planet’s land surface, so lush, in fact, that detailed scans are needed to realise they have engulfed the remnants of a thriving civilisation.

Minor Systems

No species is uniform. There are humble Centauri, generous Brakiri and even hedonistic Minbari. The Koulani also breed renegades, individuals who have more concept of empathy than is typical for the race. When the Koulani moved into space, they encountered many new worlds and new ideas; most of the populace found nothing in them worth bothering with but a small minority of xenophiles took to the strange and alien concepts and an underground movement began. Some Koulani attempted to mimic mammalian parenting techniques, keeping their own eggs separate from the communal nests and raising the hatchlings themselves; others attempted to inculcate in themselves concepts of empathy and altruism, with varying degrees of success. These various groups had little in common except a dissatisfaction with Koulani life and an interest in alien philosophies but they also had in common persecution and oppression. In 2150, a ragtag collection of such dissidents stole a transport vessel and made for the uninhabited world of Korel.

Korel is a cold world and the Koulani renegades were joined only by a longing for a different lifestyle. They were not selected for special skills or knowledge; the colony is a mishmash of intellectuals, the young, the old and the slightly mad. Survival is hard and philosophical disputes continually undermine long-term planning. A single bad harvest or unexpected event could doom the colony.

1,500 years ago, the Krich reached out from their world and discovered an abandoned jump gate at the rim of their system. A clever people, they deduced the principles of its operation and learned the protocols needed to activate it. They sent ships to nearby worlds and were on the brink of becoming a minor, but solid, spacefaring power. Unfortunately for the Krich, they moved too fast. A small, but vocal, anti-expansionist minority began to drum up fear among the populace. The fear that reaching out into space would attract powerful enemies – someone, after all, built the jump gate – played well. Furthermore, the first true colony ship built suffered a catastrophic engine failure when entering the jump gate; it exploded just after entry into hyperspace, killing all aboard. This shocked the

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pro-expansionist factions and opened the door to a major power gain by the isolationists. This would have been a temporary setback, save that the anti-space movement was motivated primarily by religious concerns. Once in power, they began to impose a theocratic regime which was unacceptable to the majority. Civil war ensued and the resulting nuclear exchanges devastated the world. A chain reaction of ecological damage wiped the remaining Krich out within a century. The world recovered but sentient life is vanished. Krich has little to offer the xenoarcheologist but it can provide shelter for those seeking a place to hide. Many of the smaller cities were spared the nuclear exchange and while they have fallen into ruin since the death of the population, there are many sections suitable for surreptitious habitation. Traffickers in obscure art and cultural relics may find Krich art to have a small market.

Minor Systems

Krish System

Star: G4 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Krishtoc Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Krish II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,000 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.1) Breathable (Tainted – Radioactive); Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (65%); Continents: 1 Large, 4 Small; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 6,000 Krish/4,000 Mitoc; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Place of Rebirth (10,000); Gov: Krishtoc Alliance (P8, D4, C3, S9); Orbital Pop: 100, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade The Krish are often used as iconic victims, perfect examples of the evil of the Dilgar. The fate of the Krish is mentioned as a justification for almost any war, sometimes with merit, sometimes without. Krish was a world where evolution followed a surprisingly similar course to that of Earth, save for one thing – the mammals never rose. Following the end of Krish’s ‘age of reptiles’, it was avian species who took over most niches, leaving mammals as egg-layers. One species, flightless seed-eaters who dwelled in communal nests, found that their gift for co-operation and communication gave them an edge over the many predators who would devour them. Their forewings, adapted to pull down branches to enable them to grab fruit, became more and more

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agile; their brains, which had to process a wide range of sounds and signals to enable the species to work together, became larger and more complex. Sapience came, and with it, tool-making and advancement. The Krish spread across their world but never lost their communal nature or love of each other’s company. A solitary Krish might not literally die from loneliness but it would often wish it were dead. Ancient instincts gave the Krish a love of the air and they developed flying technologies early in their history, building gliders and hot air balloons and ornithopters before moving to propellers, jets and rockets. They moved to orbit and then to the other worlds of their system and then to the jump gate which seemed to have been placed there by a benevolent god. Their ships had no weapons – none. They had a history without war; they knew that animals preyed on each other but the Krish did not. They became friends with the Mitoc, who were less naïve but not hostile and the Vree, who bore them no ill-will… and then they met the Dilgar. The slaughter was brief and total. The entire world of Krish was scoured from pole to pole. Several captured Dilgar reported that the word ‘Krish’ had begun to be used as slang for ‘target’; ‘attacking Krish’ was a Dilgar idiom translated to ‘shooting fish in a barrel’. The few Krish who survived were those who were on scout fleets and managed to avoid the slaughter. They found the few surviving Mitoc and both races returned to Krish, the slightly-less-ravaged of their two worlds, to try to rebuild both the world and their respective peoples. As far as most of the galaxy is concerned, both races are dead.

Kokkar System

Star: G6 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centaurum Kokkar; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Medium

Kokkar IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,000 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Wet (65%); Continents: 2 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 40F/39V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 120,000; Tech: Industrial Age (with some Very Advanced); Cities: Korkaro (20,000), Morian (18,000); Gov: Centaurum Kokkar (P4, D3, C6, S8); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

At one point, the mighty Centauri Republic stretched across almost a fourth of what is called the known galaxy; today, it is but a fraction of that size. While many former worlds of the Republic were simply abandoned, a few hung on, hoping for a return of the glory days or because they were far too populous to move. One such world is Kokkar.

Many on Kokkar were quite content to simply leave, most especially the nobility. The commoners though, and a small percentage of the nobles, were attached to their homes and lives and they were determined to survive, as part of the Republic or not. Today, Kokkar is a world struggling to hold on. They have few trade goods and so have to rely on what they can make locally. Bit by bit, high-tech equipment is failing and what remains is being held together primarily by prayers to the Great Maker. The Kokkarians have tapped into a reserve of determination which most Centauri have long abandoned and are either holding or learning to do without. Ancient skills, long forgotten, are coming to the fore. Kokkarians are re-mastering metalworking, carpentry, primitive agriculture – everything needed to survive. The few offworlders who visit Kokkar are amazed but also begin to understand how the Centauri built an empire in the first place. On Kokkar, the ancient Centauri pride and unwillingness to admit defeat, no matter what, is apparent. With most of the nobility gone, Kokkar has adopted a more democratic system of government. There are no slaves anymore and most decisions are accomplished through the Centaurum Kokkar, though the titular head of government is always the Patriarch of House Denalano,

The only export Kokkar has is agriculture. Several fruits in the valley have narcotic properties for Drazi and occasionally traders will stop buy to pick some up, usually bringing in electronics and industrial components. Without this trickle of trade, Kokkar would fall back to a pre-industrial state inside of a decade; with it, the decline is likely to take a generation.

Krindar System

Star: F9 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hab), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Dark Companion; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Krindarren Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Very High

Krindar V-Alpha (Greater Krindar) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (4,000 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (70%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 50F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1.8 billion; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Gru’grandim (4 million), Karindarn (3 million); Gov: Krindarren Alliance (P8, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major, Bases: 2 Monitor, 1 Trade Greater Krindar is one of two habitable moons orbiting Krindar V (known locally as Grakindar, or ‘World Father’). It is a large, cold but eminently habitable moon. The equatorial regions are ice-free year-round and a variety of hardy plants have adapted to growing in the permafrost. The ‘frozen jungles’ of Greater Krindar, hundreds of thousands of square miles of twisting thornbushes (some of which grow to three dozen feet high) is a mildly popular attraction for xenobotanists who do not mind a long trek off the beaten path. During the brief summer season, the forests explode with colour. The flowering time is very short – a week or two, Earth time – but spectacular.

Minor Systems

Kokkar was settled almost 200 years ago and the Centauri population expanded rapidly. While the planet is mostly encrusted with glaciers and permafrost, a long volcanic belt provide a region of substantial warmth. In this long valley, Centauri settlements were planted and they began to grow. The people of Kokkar were loyal, served the Emperor well, as diligent in their duty as any Centauri could reasonably be expected to be… and were told, a century ago, that they were no longer part of the Republic. Technically, they were classified as ‘Remote Protectorate’, a term usually applied to low-tech worlds the Centauri did not wish to govern directly but also wanted an excuse to defend if some other race tried to claim them. The official order simply noted that if ‘circumstances should change to permit it’, the borders of the Republic would once again expand to engulf Kokkar but, for now, they were expected to conduct themselves in a manner befitting the Centauri.

the one noble house to remain in full strength. House Denalano was a minor House on Centauri centuries ago but that branch of the family was wiped out due to poor choices in politics and gambling.

The Krindar system is home to a minor race, known to the rest of the galaxy as Krindarren. They are a squat, heavy-set race, covered with thick fur. Surrounded on all sides by more advanced species, including the Tikar, the Torta and the Ch’lon, they have never had an opportunity to build an empire and their moon has little to offer. A few half-hearted attempts at conquest by their neighbours were roundly rebuffed; the Krindarren are not warlike but are very good and resolute fighters. Given the general

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poverty of the moon, they were left alone, contained and mostly forgotten.

Minor Systems

They are not without the urge to expand and explore that infects so many sentient beings, however, and denied an empire beyond their system, they have engaged in considerable settling within it. Their greatest colony is Lesser Krindar (a slight mistranslation; to their language, the moon is ‘Second Krindar’). Greater Krindar is ruled by the Krindarren Alliance of Republics, a loose planetary union similar to the Earth Alliance in many ways. Each of the dozen Krindarren Republics maintains control over its internal affairs but the Alliance Council serves to speak for the planet. It was this council which, by a narrow vote, declared both Lesser and Greater Krindar to be open to refugees from the Vorlon planet-killer in 2261. This was an act of courage and calculation. Courage, in that worlds accepting the fleeing populaces were both likely targets of the Vorlons and risked the economic and political danger of a flood of alien refugees; calculating in that such an action brought Krindar to the attention of the forces of Sheridan. The Krindarren are big and slow moving – but not stupid. They saw a great future for Sheridan and his allies and took a chance on moving to his side in the expanding war. It paid off. By 2263, Krindar was in the process of joining the Interstellar Alliance. Krindar is eager for any income and welcomes what few visitors may come. The two largest Republics, Grandim and Mrkanir, both have ‘Cultural Centres’ which are set up to handle offworlders. Further, both Republics now have active (if small) ‘xenotowns’, inhabited by a few thousand refugees of various species who either had no world to go home to or decided to remain on Krindar for various reasons once the Shadow War was over.

Krindar V-Theta (Lesser Krindar) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (3,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Wet (99%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate: 20F/42V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Morkrin (6,000), Gramkirn (2,000); Gov: Krindarren Alliance (P8, D4, C5, S8); Orbital Pop: 500, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Monitor Lesser Krindar (more properly translated as ‘Second Krindar’ but the name has stuck throughout the larger galaxy) is a moon with a very dynamic climate. As with Greater Krindar, it is a moon of the gas giant Krindar V.

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Lesser Krindar was the first Krindarren colony. For nine months (Terran time), it is a moon of frozen seas broken by countless sharp-peaked mountains – it resembles ‘a flat plane of white, pierced continually by shafts of obsidian’, in the words of a visiting Brakiri. For a single month, though, a combination of axial tilt, tidal heat from Krindar V and nearness to the system’s sun produce a dramatic shift. The seas crack open, the solid sheets of ice fragment and melt and horrendous winds spring up, turning the planet into a tempest. Despite this, life has evolved here and the Krindarren have settled, with large underwater colonies located throughout the moon. During the long cold, they are connected to the surface by tubes which pierce the ice and lead to landing platforms on the largest islands; during storm season, the colonists are protected from the tempests by the depths. Few shuttles will risk landing through the perennial hurricanes during these times and surface installations tend to be scoured clean, leading to a period of effective blackout. As one might guess, Lesser Krindar attracts fairly idiosyncratic colonists. Scientists often arrive as transients, to study the fascinating ecosystem which has evolved to survive the planet’s climactic shifts but the permanent inhabitants (drawn from most of the Krindarren republics) are a much more random lot, an odd mix of artistic types who value the isolation, far below the moon’s surface, and more ‘rugged’ sorts, who spend more of their time up on the surface during the frozen months, in sprawling (albeit temporary) camps and landing ports and who sit out the time trapped below in ill humour. While Lesser Krindar accepted refugees during the Shadow War, none chose to stay once the war ended; some migrated to Greater Krindar.

L–213

Star: G4 V; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Hab); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Debris, Flares; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Open

L–213/I Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.1g; Moons: 1 (200 miles); Atmo: Vacuum; Geology: Very Rugged; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: None; Climate: 50F/60V; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: (rumours of ) First One; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None ‘Go here if you wish to die.’

This is the only entry for L–213 in the legendarily completist Minbari Archives. L–213 is a cursed world. Long distance scans show the outlines of continents and dead seas and patterns of ruin which seem to be those of large cities. The entire world has been blasted into ruin, however, with the ecosystem completely and totally destroyed. At least, that is current speculation; no ships which land on L–213 to take samples return. Humans, Narn, Drazi, Centauri, Minbari… none of them can make a dent on this planet. Telepaths who approach L–213 begin to get headaches as soon as the craft they are on exits hyperspace. After an hour in the system, all telepathic abilities cease functioning, as the telepath’s mind is overwhelmed with mental static. After two hours, the telepath begins to suffer brain haemorrhages, taking 1 point of damage per hour until dead or until the telepath has left the system. No medical treatment can stop or reverse this while in-system; one doctor noted it was akin to ‘microscale telekinesis suddenly manifesting in the brain, tearing it apart from within’.

Mitoc System Star: M4 VI; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 2 Hab). 3 Gas (Cold), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Mitoc Consortium [None post–2230]; Threat Level: Low [Very Low post– 2230]; Security Level: High [Open post–2230]

Mitoc II [post–2230] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,200 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: 2 (1,200 & 800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (5%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 75F/28V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: (ruins of ) Fusion; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The Dilgar, it is said, turned half the galaxy into a graveyard. If this is so, Mitoc is one more tombstone. Mitoc was, prior to the Dilgar, a cool but arboreal world, with a low gravity that allowed the trees in its many forests to reach prodigious heights. It sports no vast oceans, but countless small seas and lakes, distributed evenly over the surface of the world, leaving few deserts. Mitoc is not dense with metals but neither does it lack them completely; enough existed that technology and industry could develop. The polar caps are large, especially the southern cap, leaving most life to the equatorial regions and the northern hemisphere. Today, it is a cinder, a burned and shattered ruin which holds almost no multicellular life, except for a few hardy insects. Even those are likely to perish as the ecosystem continues to collapse.

Minor Systems

Ships which remain in the system begin suffering random and unexplained breakdowns. Each day, a random system will suffer a critical of random severity, continuing until the ship leaves or is destroyed. No universally-accepted explanation for this phenomenon has been found.

million); Gov: Mitoc Consortium (P8, D6, C4, S7); Orbital Pop: 15,000, Colonies: 2 Major/2 Minor, Bases: : 1 Military, 2 Monitor, 1 Trade

Mitoc II [pre–2230] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,200 miles); Grav: 0.7g; Moons: 2 (1,200 & 800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Damp (45%); Oceans: 8 Seas; Climate: 70F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 2.4 billion; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Vallitoc (4 million), Bokole (3

Mitoc II Source: IPX/Kyven/px.49 Grade: Omega/Tau

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Minor Systems

The sentient race which evolved on Mitoc is primarily tree-dwelling, with many individuals bragging their feet had never touched the ground. The Mitoc have been described as ‘opossumlike’ and this is true in a rough sense. Four feet high, with long, prehensile, tails and a marsupial reproductive system, they do bear a certain resemblance to the terrestrial opossum. They have a somewhat flatter face, however, and a much larger braincase relative to their body. They are quick of body and mind and, while not hostile, they are suitably cautious. Males and females are very similar to outsiders; the race has very little sexual dimorphism and both males and females have pouches; whether it is the father or the mother who carries the children from birth until they are ready to leave the pouch is determined by the parents as a private matter. Mitoc society and government is centred on family. The complete lineage of each Mitoc could be determined by another based on scent; this caused it to be possible for the Mitoc to build social structures based on hugely extended families, with a single ‘line’ encompassing thousands of individuals. Each such ‘uber-family’ determined a spokesman via their own means, be they democratic, random lot or contests of skill or intelligence, and the collective of spokesmen formed a planetary congress. During their earlier days, ‘family’ and ‘nation’ became one and the same. The Mitoc were not free of wars but they were closer to feuds than national battles, albeit no less vicious in tone. Their first forays into space caused them to gain friends but they knew: ‘Where a friend sits on one branch, a hunter may sit on another!’. They began to prepare their defences but these plans were barely underway when the Dilgar came. Their small fleet fled to hyperspace, hoping to return to strike back at the invaders. When they did so, though, they found their world surrounded by a fleet bombarding the planet into ruin. In days, the work of two billion years of evolution was undone and a verdant world was burned black and lifeless. The Mitoc fleet, now holding the entire population of the race, fled to Descari space, where they were uncharacteristically sheltered. After the Dilgar War, with their homeworld gone, the Mitoc survivors took up residence on Krish.

Nacambad System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 2 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Nacambad Colony; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium

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Nacambad III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Very Dry (1%); Oceans: Scattered Lakes; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 2,000; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Oshan (2,000); Gov: Nacambad Colony (P8, D1, C8, S9); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Nacambad III is a barely habitable but unclaimed world nestled precariously between the Vree and the Kor-Lyan, both of whom often patrol the system looking for signs of incursion by the other. It was during one such mutual game of ‘chicken’ in 2250 that they noticed new energy signatures coming from the third planet. Orbital scans showed that an Earth Alliance transport had either landed or crashed on the planet. The Vree, eager to curry some favour with the Humans, sent down a rescue party, only to find the inhabitants were very happy to be on the sand-strewn plains and had no intention of leaving. Followers of a religious sect, they wanted a world where they could live according to their own laws and dogma, and selected one which no one else was likely to want. The sect practised extreme asceticism, the denial of almost all bodily urges, with special dispensation for essential acts of reproduction. While planning to monitor the world for any signs of weapons construction, listening posts or other such things, both the Vree and the Kor-Lyan felt leaving the crazy Humans alone would not harm them and would give each of them an excuse to act if the other side chose to increase operations in-system. In 2260, the colonists of Nacambad opened their doors to refugees fleeing the Vorlon planetkiller, provided such refugees agreed to follow all of the colony’s very strict rules. A small number agreed to this, though all left once it was safe to do so, even those with nowhere else to go.

Nochtal System

Star: M4 VI; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Nochtal; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Very High

Nochtal II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Dense (1.3) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Very Active; Hydro: Very Wet (95%); Continents: Island Chains; Climate:

90F/27V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1.5 billion; Tech: Fusion (with some Advanced); Cities: Trochar (4 million), Kratale (3 million); Gov: Nochtal (P5, D9, C1, S4); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None ‘I have never before seen a people who so hated their live, and yet, who clung to them so strongly.’ — Sh’la Malenn, Minbari xenoanthropologist Nochtal is a world of small island chains and shallow seas, churned by volcanic eruptions which have turned the air into an unbreathable miasma of gasses. Unbreathable to most of the galaxies races, that is – the Nochtal’la are quite happy on their world. It is, perhaps, the only thing they are ever happy about.

The Nochtal have one unique gift which seems to counterbalance their racial misery; they are shapeshifters, the only sentient ones known in the galaxy. Contrary to myth (and the horrid tri-vid ‘The Chameleon Conspiracy’, produced under the auspices of the Clarke Administration’s Ministry of Truth), this process is not instantaneous. A sample of genetic material allows the Nochtal to form a cocoon and rebuild himself into an exact duplicate of the individual from whom the material came, even to the point of changing mass by up to 10%. This process takes 1d4 days. The primitive Nochtal used it for hunting purposes but after they attained sentience, it began to be used for other purposes. When the Minbari landed on Nochtal, they did not realise they had taken a Nochtal aboard with them when their scout ship left; the hidden spy was eventually found out and returned to his world but by then, the Nochtal knew about the stars. When a Centauri ship found them decades later, they were ready. Quite secretly, the Nochtal have infiltrated much of galactic society, never as rulers or power-brokers, but always hiding in the shadows. Their racial depression keeps their ambitions small and petty but they include the protection of their world and their people. They have stolen all manner of weapons systems to use in defending

The desire to protect their own kind is about the only common desire the Nochtal have; beyond that, they are a bitter, squabbling people. That they managed to attain the native industry needed to exploit what their agents brought back from the stars is a tribute to their overwhelming survival instinct.

Praxis System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 6 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 1 Hab, 4 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Raider Haven; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Praxis Guild; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Low

Praxis IX Zone: Cold; Size: Medium (8,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (600 miles); Atmo: Dense(1.5) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: 25,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Praxis Dome (25,000); Gov: Praxis Guild (P2, D9, C2, S2); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The Praxis Colony has its origins in a long-vanished race which established a mining dome on the surface of this poisonous world and then abandoned it. The dome, still functional, was found by Centauri renegades two centuries ago, who seized and expand the base. Since then, the world has become a semi-secret criminal hideout, a place where the professional scum of the galaxy can congregate. Every vice, mentionable and unmentionable, is practised and paid for here. Drugs, prostitution, slavery and worse occur with regularity. Only its distance – and the fact every government has some need for the services available here – keep it from being wiped off the map. The destruction of the raider base on Janos VII only made Praxis more prosperous, as it was widely seen as being secure due to distance.

Minor Systems

The Nochtal are widely considered to be the most unhappy race in the galaxy, a not inconsiderable feat when one considers the amount of misery which exists. Xenobiologists have found the race has the neurological desire for happiness but lacks the capacity to feel it. Nonetheless, they have the same urges to survive, reproduce and expand as any other sentient species. This paradox has prompted some to theorise that their fate was forced upon them, possibly as a punishment for some crime against one of the First Ones.

their world and have managed to funnel enough wealth and resources to Nochtal to construct a small but effective defence fleet. They do not seek extensive contact with other races and simply tell all passing through their system to avoid their world. This does not take much; few races wish to risk picking up a shape-changing hitchhiker and the Nochtal have little to offer in trade.

Entry into the Praxis dome is managed via several external gates which are locked with one of several security codes; these codes are passed around the underworld like a treasure. The codes are, perhaps foolishly, changed only rarely; old codes are often found to work. Michael Garibaldi once commented that if criminals followed

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standard password security protocols, his job would be a whole lot harder.

while the first harvests were sparse, there was no famine and, after a few years, the colony attained stability.

Quadrant 15

The Minbari found the colony, sent down a fighter squadron to blast the central fusion core of the colon ship to molten slag and left again, seeing no other threat to be dealt with. The fusion core was not being used; it was in standby mode in case of emergency. The destruction was more devastation for the thousand or so people killed than for any loss of power. When a rescue team from Earth, led by Minbari records of ‘military targets destroyed’, arrived and told them what had happened, the colonists were furious at Earth for ‘bringing your wars to us’ and offered a statement of ‘solidarity with the Minbari in grievance for the loss of your great leader at the blood-stained hands of humanity’.

Star: K5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Cold, 1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Dark Companion, Raider Haven; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: People’s Council of New Promise; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Low

Quadrant 15/II

Minor Systems

Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,100 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: 1 (300 miles); Atmo: Standard(1.05) Breathable; Geology: Very Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Moist (65%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 10,000; Tech: Steam Age (with some Advanced); Cities: New Promise (10,000); Gov: People’s Council (P9, D8, C3, S7); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Quadrant 15 was charted by Earth in the early 22nd century, noted and forgotten. A slightly small, slightly cool and very flat world, it showed no rich mineral deposits and, while it had a reasonably developed ecosphere, cost analysis showed it would take two centuries of exports before the world could repay the cost of colonisation. Furthermore, there were violent distortions in local hyperspace, making travel riskier than it might otherwise be. With so many better worlds available for colonisation closer to home, there was little reason to develop it. But, as the Brakiri know, there is nothing which someone will not find valuable. In the late 2240s, as Earth was focused on the Dilgar, a group of political dissidents, similar to those which settled Regula, purchased a transport ship and set out for the unclaimed world. Ardent pacifists and agrarian anarchists, the increasingly militant stance of the Earth Alliance and the focus on expansionism greatly troubled them. To them, the Dilgar War was simply another trumped-up excuse for military adventurism, the tales of atrocities just wartime propaganda. They wanted no part of the ‘Earth Empire’ and so fled. Quadrant 15/II was their target world. The sole continent, a virtually endless flat expanse, offered soil fertile enough to support a small farming colony and nothing else of value anyone would want. They landed their colony ship and began disassembling it for the raw materials needed to survive. Idealists, but not idiots, their numbers included skilled farmers and biologists, who were capable of dealing with the expected unexpected problems, so that even

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Quadrant 15 today remains happily isolated. Traders who try to land there are politely but firmly told to leave. Both the Earth Alliance and the Minbari Federation have let the other local powers know Quadrant 15 is not open for colonisation. This has not stopped several raider factions from using the far side of the continent for a base. The colonists suspect something is occurring there, due to the occasional overflights, but they lack the ability to cross the continent to find out what. The raiders, for the most part, leave the colony alone – it has nothing worth stealing and they know an open attack could bring EarthForce down on their heads.

Regula System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Centauri Republic/Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Regula IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,780 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard(1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (79%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 90F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Advanced; Pop: 15,000; Tech: Iron Age (with some Advanced); Cities: Regula Colony (15,000); Gov: Regulan Council (P8, D2, C3, S9); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None The Regula system is nestled between Earth Alliance and Centauri space and is somewhat claimed by both sides. The Centauri have vacated the world but have not fully relinquished all claim to it; the Earth Alliance claims it but has not yet officially begun colonisation, pending settlement with the Centauri. Neither side is in much of a

rush to get things done, possibly because Regula can be a useful bargaining chip in other negotiations. Despite this, Regula is home to small and unusual Human colony, a Luddite enclave which settled the world in an effort to free themselves from the corrupting influence of technology. Arrangements were made with a trader to deposit the colonists and their pre-industrial tools on the world; there are no colony vessels on-planet. There is sporadic contact with the greater galaxy via traders who occasionally stop by to trade a few vital supplies such as medicine for the handcrafted goods the colony produces but there is no regular trade. Such visits occur only once every few years and the locals endure, rather than welcome, them. The world itself is one which is currently habitable but whose environment was degraded by centuries of Centauri exploitation. Mild radioactivity taints the air (the Regula colony is situated so as to be protected from the worst of it) and the planet is prone to extreme swings of temperature over the course of its year.

Star: G3 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Hyach Gerontocracy/Narn Regime; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Very High

Roth III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Very Flat; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (32%); Oceans: 2 Oceans; Climate: 80F/39V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 15,000 Narn/25,000 Hyach; Tech: Advanced; Cities: K’lohn (12,000 Narn), Lachi (10,000 Hyach); Gov: Hyach Gerontocracy(P3, D2, C7, S8)/Narn Regime (P3, D6, C6, S5); Orbital Pop: 2,000 Hyach/1,000 Narn, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military (Hyach) & 2 Military (Narn) Roth would make someone a major colony world someday, once ownership is settled. The original inhabitants of this dryish, but habitable, world were Abbai of an isolationist religious sect who wanted nothing to do with the League and all that it implied, so they settled on a world no Abbai would ever want. They were wiped out by the Dilgar and the Abbai relinquished all claim to the world. When the dust of the Dilgar War settled, both the Hyach and the Narn laid claim to the world, and each set down bases to prove their point. The skies over Roth have occasionally flared with battles, but neither side is giving an inch,

‘What is permanent in this universe? The stars? No, they flare and die, in time. Life? No, all living things must perish, according to their span. Existence itself? No, not even that, for even the simplest particles will eventually decay! So I say to you our colony is not permanent, for nothing truly can be!’ (Ambassador G’kar, 2258, responding to claims by the League that the Narn were in violation of the Roth Accords.)

Sector 49

Star: M2 VI; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Earth Alliance; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Medium [Very High 2259 to 2261]

Sector 49/I Zone: Cold; Size: Small (1,500 miles); Grav: 0.25g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: None; Climate: Cold; Bio Density: None; Bio Complexity: None; Pop: None; Tech: Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: Earth Alliance (P7, D4, C5, S8) [2259 to 2261: P4, D8, C9, S4]; Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military Sector 49 contains a jump gate and a single frozen rock. Stellar archaeology indicates that, long ago, the central sun of the system had expanded to red giant stage, devouring the inner worlds. The sole remaining world was, and still is, very far from the sun.

Minor Systems

Roth System

more out of pride at this point. A treaty gives both races joint ownership of the world, but forbids ‘permanent’ colonisation until one side or other cedes control. The term ‘permanent’ has become something of a word of art, as no definition has yet satisfied both sides.

Despite the lack of anything of value, Sector 49 is on a direct jump route from the Earth Alliance to Epsilon Eridani and thus to most of the galaxy. Prior to the Babylon Project, Sector 49 was claimed as an Earth Alliance military base, a way to monitor traffic which might be coming in from the Epsilon system. Being stationed at the lone base in the system is generally seen as a ‘dull but safe’ detail; so dull, in fact, that few individuals are stationed here for longer than six months. During the Clark era, after the secession of Babylon 5, the garrison in Sector 49 was greatly expanded but only after Clark first attempted to frame Babylon 5 for an attack on the existing garrison.

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Sector 83

Sector 83 contains nothing but an anomalous asteroid field. There is speculation that a rogue planet was shattered in this sector, long ago. Clearly, something existed here, as a jump gate – an unusual, five-pronged gate, the only one of its kind known – was built here. Sector 83 was the site of one of the first strikes against the Shadows, when the White Star fleet ambushed them as they were preparing to slaughter a horde of refugee ships. It was, perhaps, this fact which caused Captain Sheridan to select this area as the site of his ‘attack on nothing’, which triggered fear among the League worlds of an ‘invisible enemy’.

Shandukan System

Minor Systems

Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Raider Haven, Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Shandukan Trader’s Guild; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Shandukan II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,400 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: None; Atmo: Thin (0.8) Breathable; Geology: Flat; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Moist (51%); Continents: Supercontinent; Climate: 50F/33V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 15,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Port Shandukan (10,000); Gov: Shandukan Trader’s Guild (P4, D3, C2, S7); Orbital Pop: 100, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade ‘Location, location, location.’ Shandukan was a barely habitable world playing host to a few dozen isolated hermits in personal survival domes until the birth of the Interstellar Alliance. The jump route opened from Shandukan to Lumati space provided access to the Lumati, the Antareans and the Golians and the route to Jux Prime connected the Centauri Republic, as well. A world easily accessible by no fewer than four starfaring races was a prime location for trade and a consortium of free traders, corporate representatives and others secured the world and declared it open for business. Prior to 2262, Shandukan was officially claimed by the Centauri but they did not enforce this claim and anyone could land there. Raiders often used the system as a hiding place or a rest & refuelling stop and many of the ‘hermits’ were former raider captains marooned there by their crews

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Shandukan’s popularity has seen it grow to its current population in a fairly recent population explosion. It is now one of the primary centres of commerce in the coreward regions and continues to grow.

Sin’talith System

Star: K5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 2 Gas (1 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: League of Non-Aligned Worlds; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: High

Sin’talith III Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,500 miles); Grav: 0.9g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (0.9) Poisonous; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Very Dry (6%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 40F/18V; Bio Density: Infrequent; Bio Complexity: Basic; Pop: None; Tech: Advanced; Cities: None; Gov: League of Non-Aligned Worlds (P8, D9, C5, S6); Orbital Pop: 100, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Military, 1 Scientific Sin’talith is an inhospitable world in a strategic location. The Descari had claimed it as a colony world, going so far as to set up a dome and make a pretence at mining operations; the Gaim drove them from it, then retreated. Several other races have made claims for it but, ultimately, it was decided that control would be shared among the League worlds, with a single military outpost run in rotation. The Sin’talith base serves to monitor traffic through the system and report back to the League. The atmosphere of Sin’talith consists mostly of methane and carbon monoxide. Despite this, life has appeared, sporting an extremely alien biochemistry. A scientific base, also shared by the League, was built in 2256 to conduct research for mutual gain, with the findings published to all League worlds simultaneously. So far, no major breakthroughs have occurred, but such shared projects are rare and even a minor one is an important step towards interspecies co-operation.

Soom System

Star: F5 V; Planets: 5 Terrestrial (2 Hab, 3 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Light); Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open [Very High pre–2261]

Soom V [pre–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,780 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (79%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate:

70F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 400 million; Tech: Iron Age (with very little Fusion and Advanced); Cities: Tain (40,000), Drel (35,000); Gov: Non-unified; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Soom V [post–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (7,780 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (79%); Continents: 3 Large; Climate: 70F/33V; Bio Density: Abundant; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 4 million; Tech: Iron Age (with very little Fusion and Advanced); Cities: Tain (10,000), Drel (5,000); Gov: Non-unified; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Soom is unremarkable physically. The atmosphere is breathable; the planet is somewhat wetter than Earth, but not much; there are many advanced lifeforms but none which are extremely impressive, though the semi-benign parasitic reproduction favoured by one group of animals is of mild interest to xenobiologists. It would make a very nice colony world for most races, were it better situated, but its isolation saves it from such exploitation. Soom has three major continents. All three are inhabited by the local race but only one, Clafio, has several advanced civilisations. Advanced, in this case, means Iron Age. The inhabitants of Soom are humanoid, with the most obvious distinguishing trait being a reversed knee joint. They tend to white or very pale hair and show affection or friendship by a quick lick on a cheek. At this stage in their development they are primarily agrarian but they have some small cities scattered around the world. The others hold only primitives. Clafio has a smattering of nation-states in various stages of war and peace – mostly peace. The Soom are somewhat argumentative but tend to be more shy about lethal force than many races. They are overall brawlers, not killers.

Thenothk System

Star: F4 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 3 Hot), 2 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: Asteroid Belt (Dense), Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Drakh; Threat Level: Very High; Security Level: Very High

Thenothk IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,400 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,000 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Dead; Hydro: Damp (35%); Oceans: 1 Ocean; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 75,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Thenothk City (40,000); Gov: Drakh; Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 2 Military, 4 Monitor, 2 Scientific, 1 Trade ‘Gateway to Z’ha’dum’ is not exactly the most sterling recommendation for a world but, during the Shadow War, this is what Thenothk IV became. Terraformed by the Drakh to provide a base where they could meet and work with other races without taking them to Z’ha’dum, Thenothk in the late 2250s and early 2260s was a sort of Casablanca of darkness, a world where Drakh, Streib and others could walk freely. A large city suitable for inhabitation by Humans and others was constructed on the world, complete with hotels, bars, warehouses and more.

Minor Systems

Soom is a world very far off the beaten path; it is at the end of a long, slow arc of minor jump routes which take a traveller through the territories of several minor races and offers very little in return for the long trip. It is a peaceful, agrarian world with little advanced technology and inhabitants which have no special skills, abilities or talents. In short, it is a perfect retreat for those who do not wish to be disturbed and who also do not wish to spend their lives hiding in a ruined wasteland or in an asteroid belt. There is a small spaceport in the city of Tain, home to the occasional traders who come this far out.

Soom was also the lair of the Technomage Elric and his apprentice Galen. This fact ultimately led to great disaster; in 2261, a Shadow fleet scoured the planet, killing most of the population, especially those in the region where Elric lived. Because the fact that Soom was a Technomage retreat is generally unknown, many have wondered what made the world worth the Shadows’ attention and distant, quiet and battle-scarred Soom is now often visited by treasure hunters seeking some great prize which, they feel, must be buried here.

The world of Thenothk is one which has undergone radical transformation in a very short time. It has no native life but an ecosystem bioengineered by the Drakh was put in place to provide a self-sustaining atmosphere. Water was brought in from the system’s Oort cloud, creating a somewhat shallow planetary ocean. The city was constructed to serve the needs of the Shadows’ servants, while also being comfortable to many other races. The world is disconcerting. A living, inhabited world, with signs written in Interlac, hotels which accept Earth Alliance credits and bars serving fine Centauri wines does not belong out on the Rim, far from all other worlds. It would be akin to opening a rusting hatch in the most

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decrepit part of Downbelow and suddenly finding oneself in a beautiful sunlit garden, with no hint of walls or ceiling, surrounded by individuals of refinement and wealth, all acting as if the place they were in was perfectly normal and had always been here. Thenothk exists for one purpose – to serve the Shadows. Those who live and work there have a single bleak agenda – universal chaos and war. It draws hollow souls like a magnet. The trader who does not care what his cargo is or what it will be used for, the politician lusting for power for the sake of power, the mercenary, the thug, the sociopath. Through whispered passphrases and hidden conduits of knowledge, word of Thenothk spread.

Minor Systems

Outside of the central city, there is little of value – just barren wasteland. The Drakh maintain a number of laboratories, bases and facilities here and do not welcome visitors. Those who leave the city are rarely seen again, unless they possess exceptional power or luck.

Thrakalla System

Star: M7 VI; Planets: 1 Terrestrial (Hab), 1 Gas (Cold); Features: Raider Haven; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Thrakallan Hives; Threat Level: High; Security Level: Low

Thrakalla I (Tr’kl) Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,700 miles); Grav: 0.8g; Moons: 1 moonlet (90 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Poisonous; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (81%); Continents: 3 Large, 2 Small; Climate: 40F/27V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 1.7 billion; Tech: Fusion; Cities: Vkt’h (800 million), K’th’k (300 million); Gov: Thrakallan Hives (P2, D4, C8, S4); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Very few aliens have ever seen the surface of Thrakalla. It is a cold world circling a dim red star, an ancient and dying place. Its atmosphere is a noxious morass of sulphurous gasses and other poisons and is nearly impossible for most other races of the galaxy to see through. It has a tendency to clog respiratory systems as well, making extended stays, even in a pressure suit, risky. The world is home to race of mantis-like beings who have only occasional contact with the larger galaxy and do not do much to incite a desire for increased contact. N’grath is a native of Thrakalla, one of the few to leave his world for any length of time and he is sadly typical. The Thrakallans are manipulative and grasping by nature, working together only for so long as there is a clear benefit

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to doing so. For this reason, despite the age of their world, they are at the same level of advancement that Earth was in the mid–21st century. They learned to use the local jump gate centuries before but found few worlds which were useful to them and few species with whom they could comfortably interact. Thrakalla itself is a world of jungles and volcanoes, with the seas mostly shallow mires broken by countless ragged island chains. Thrakallan cities are hives – originally made of purely organic matter but long since replaced with advanced materials. Rather than being ruled by a single queen, however, each hive is composed of thousands or millions of small family groups, each with their own queen. Each group is in constant competition with other groups and, within each group, with the other members, as only one member of the family will be selected to breed and propagate the next generation. Thus, there is a compulsive drive to prove one’s worth, as well as an amazing skill in playing one being against another and one faction against another, which serves those few Nochtal who leave the planet very well. The Thrakallans are a purely carnivorous race and they maintain vast farms where the creatures they feed upon – mostly parasitic insects – are provided with host animals in which to breed. When the host animals die, the parasites are harvested from them. The Thrakallans have no planetary government but each hive has an oligarchy formed by the queens of the most powerful family groups and these oligarchs are empowered to deal with other races. The orbital stations which surround Thrakalla and allow it to trade with the rest of the galaxy were each built by a different species and then taken over, via various means, by the Thrakallans. The major exports from Thrakalla are exotic drugs, chemicals and life-forms but its main business offering is sanctuary. The Thrakallans have no treaties of extradition with other races (and any ship is free to hide among the moons of its one gas giant or dock at a spaceport for as long as it wants… and so long as it continues to pay). While the Thrakallans do not permit unprovoked attacks on vessels entering their system, so many of those who visit have longstanding grudges against other ships or races that some violence is inevitable and ships entering the system had better be prepared to find themselves in the middle of a shootout.

Tirrith System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 3 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 2 Hot), 4 Gas (3 Cold, 1 Hot), 3 Icy (Cold); Features: Raider Haven,

Trade Hub; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Tirrith Free State; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low

Tirrith IV Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.3g; Moons: 1 (800 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Dry (28%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 2 Seas; Climate: 70F/24V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Moderate; Pop: 500,000; Tech: Advanced; Cities: Anzakar (10,000), N’thral (8,000), New Botany Bay (6,000); Gov: Tirrith Free State (P4, D8, C1, S5); Orbital Pop: 5,000, Colonies: 1 Major/6 Minor, Bases: 1 Monitor, 2 Trade

When the world was liberated and the Dilgar defeated, a rare moment of sanity – perhaps sparked by the realisation of the ultimate cost of incessant conflict – caused the local races to sign the Tirrith Accords, which placed the planet in a free zone, with no race claiming dominion. The predictions that this would just lead to further warfare proved false, because of the arrival of the so-called Tirrith Free State. Several raider bands had seized control of an abandoned Earth Alliance orbital platform and renamed it Freedom. It became a free port of sorts, a home to countless raiders and others, with the extremely important caveat that no violence was to occur in the Tirrith system. The Tirrith Free State enforced this simple dictate with ruthless efficiency, with each band of raiders realising they had more to gain from having a safe zone than from any pillage they might find in-system. In addition, the Tirrith Free State mandated protection for civilian transports bearing goods to or from Tirrith, in exchange for ‘duties’ which were no more onerous than most planetary taxes. The raiders heeded these orders too and runs from Tirrith are very rarely attacked by pirates. The net result has been the peaceful development of Tirrith and the slow transition of the Tirrith Free State from a pirate stronghold to a legitimate, multi-racial government – although Freedom Station is still a very rough-and-tumble place which makes Downbelow look positively civilised at times, there is some sense of rough justice and social order evolving.

Vinzin System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 4 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 2 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Debris, Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Violet Hierarchy; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Open

Vinzin II Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,500 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Standard; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Dry (25%); Oceans: 1 Ocean, 5 Seas; Climate: 80F/33V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 500 million; Tech: Industrial Age (with some Advanced); Cities: Nonzan (75,000), Cloz (60,000); Gov: Violet Hierarchy (P3, D4, C9, S4); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None They came, they saw, they conquered… and they left. As the Centauri Republic pulled back during its long, slow contraction, it left worlds in its wake, much as a receding tide decorates the shoreline with random bits of flotsam. Vinzin II was found by the Centauri when the local inhabitants were just beginning to master steam power. The Centauri saw a race with an industrial infrastructure, as well as a governmental system conducive to their needs, and moved in. They promised, of course, to bring knowledge, technology, a better life and, for a privileged few among the Vinzin, the Centauri delivered. For most, though, the consequence of the Centauri conquest was that they worked in Centauri factories instead of Vinzin ones, they built goods for the Centauri instead of for themselves, their planet was mined to feed the Centauri war machine and little, if any, technology or science was given to them.

Minor Systems

Tirrith is a world at the crossroads of six jump routes, making it a place of vital strategic importance. As with several other such worlds, it was so valuable to so many races that none could hold it for long; as soon as one government got a firm grip on the world, others would unite to keep them from having it. During the Dilgar War, the Dilgar succeeded in seizing it and holding it for a time, building several mining colonies and massive orbital defences.

Tirrith itself is home to dozens of small colonies. It is considered one of the last true frontiers in an increasingly controlled galaxy, a place where anyone can settle in and homestead.

Then they left. They could not afford to defend the borders of their old empire and someone back on Centauri Prime crunched some numbers, ran some calculations and determined that the cost of running and securing Vinzin was more than could be justified – not that it was unprofitable but that scarce resources needed to be moved elsewhere. The Centauri and most of the colonists left. A small number of Centauri, those born and raised on Vinzin and who knew no other home, remained behind. Used to lives of privilege merely due to their species – even lowborn Centauri had rights the natives did not – they expected to continue living as they had. When the Vinzin realised both that they were free and that they had

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been left a ravaged and polluted world, they turned on the only targets they had. A year after the Centauri declared Vinzin to be free, there were no more Centauri left alive on the planet. Desperate pleas from the local-born for the Republic to send a ship, any ship, were ignored. Mention ‘The Vinzin Massacre’ to those few Centauri who even know of it and the subject will be changed so quickly that there is a visible Doppler shift.

Minor Systems

When a similar thing happened to the Narn, they turned their rage into determination and went out and became an empire in their own right. The Vinzin, however, had not fought Centauri domination, merely endured it. They lacked the unifying fire which drove the Narn. They quickly fell to squabbling over the scraps of Centauri technology remaining to them. Eventually, one faction succeeded in cowing or exterminating the others. They called themselves the Violet Hierarchy, after the colour of the pre-Centauri flag their nation had used, and set about trying to govern their world. The first order of business was to attempt to understand the fragments of technology left behind. The Centauri had wanted labourers, not scientists; serfs, not technicians. Very little documentation remained. Puzzling out the equipment took decades. The Vinzin have still not mastered the technology left behind. They have learned, at most, how to scavenge and maintain it. Their world has orbital satellites built using the most advanced technology they can manage (equivalent to the early atomic age on Earth), lifted to orbit by a small fleet of still-functioning shuttles. Planetary telecommunication is a mix of advanced Centauri technology and local systems, no better than telephones and in a few areas telegraphs. The Vinzin are desperate to construct a ship which can survive hyperspace, in the hopes of proving themselves a ‘spacefaring’ people and gaining membership in the League but this remains an idle dream. They might well win sympathy from the Narn but they are too far from Narn space to hope to benefit from it. The world of Vinzin II is drier than most, with indications of more extensive surface water in the past. Much of the surface is intricately carved with dried water channels. Civilisation clusters around the south polar ocean and the scattered inland seas. A few small forests remain, mostly because there was nothing beneath them the Centauri needed. The surface of the planet is pitted with strip mines, and much of the subsurface water has been tainted with chemical runoff. Large numbers of rusting industrial complex dot the landscape, entire cities once dedicated to the extraction of resources. The Centauri abandoned

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those cities, many of which were not reachable over land, without regard for the thousands of workers left behind. Most of them perished when the food supplies ran out but a few managed to survive, causing the outback of Vinzin to be home to several nomadic and often vicious tribes. The Vinzini are an anthropoidal race with eight legs and compound eyes. They are physiologically incapable of controlling the physical expression of their emotions, making them the galaxy’s worst poker players – provided their opponents understand Vinzini body language.

Zander System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 2 Terrestrial (1 Hab, 1 Hot), 3 Gas (Cold), 2 Icy (Cold); Features: Oort Cloud; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: None; Threat Level: Low; Security Level: Low [Open post–2261]

Zander II (Zander Prime) [pre–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (85%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 70F/30V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 750 million; Tech: Industrial Age (with some Advanced); Cities: Colreen (1 million), Novlaon (800,000); Gov: Zander Confederation (P2, D6, C9, S5); Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None

Zander II (Zander Prime) [post–2261] Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (8,200 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: None; Atmo: Standard (1.05) Breathable (Tainted – Radioactive); Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Stable; Hydro: Wet (81%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 65F/25V; Bio Density: Scarce; Bio Complexity: Simple; Pop: 750 million; Tech: (ruins of ) Industrial Age; Cities: None; Gov: None; Orbital Pop: None, Colonies: None, Bases: None Zander Prime is typical of the worlds which had interstellar contact forced upon them not by conquerors but by traders. A relatively average planet just entering the late steam age, it was found by merchants exploring rimward jump routes a century ago. They had little interest in conquest (and the Zanderians would fight back quite well) but they had every interest in a world just advanced enough to appreciate modern machines and too primitive to have a hope in hell of reverse engineering them. Synthetic cloths displaced woven fibres. Genetically engineered grains with ‘terminator’ seeds displaced local crops. Engines requiring radioactive fuels ran the

factories and imports of entertainment from the stars proved more captivating than local arts. In a short period of time, Zander was wholly dependant on interstellar trade to survive. As the bills became due – especially those incurred by governments interested in purchasing advanced weapons – the inability of the primitive planet to pay became apparent. It was not surprising then that desperation forced the planet’s inhabitants to begin to sell their own people into slavery to pay debts. Sometimes, this was done by private individuals, often to their own children – it was seen as preferable to sell off one child in order to support three others. Other times, large numbers of individuals where shipped to slave worlds en masse.

Zafran System

Star: G5 V; Planets: 10 Terrestrial (1 Cold, 3 Hab, 6 Hot), 1 Gas (Cold), 1 Icy (Cold); Features: None; Jump Gates: 1; Ownership: Wychand Elect; Threat Level: Medium; Security Level: Low [Very High pre–2260]

Zafran VIII Zone: Habitable; Size: Medium (6,300 miles); Grav: 1.0g; Moons: 1 (1,200 miles); Atmo: Standard (1.0) Breathable; Geology: Rugged; Volcanism: Active; Hydro: Wet (83%); Continents: 2 Large; Climate: 90F/36V; Bio Density: Standard; Bio Complexity: Native Intelligence; Pop: 900 million; Tech: Oil Age (with some Advanced); Cities: Frachan (900,000), Port City (40,000); Gov: Wychand Elect (P5, D4, C3, S4); Orbital Pop: 1,000, Colonies: None, Bases: 1 Trade

Port City is a blend of technologies and architectures, mixing Earth Alliance construction techniques with Brakiri architecture, where restaurants serve Breen and flarn on the same plate, where Pak’ma’ra rub shoulders with Narn – who later wash their shoulders thoroughly. Prior to 2260, it was the home of a Technomage, who found the world’s blend of openness to trade and obscurity from galactic events served her needs perfectly.

Minor Systems

The world held another secret, though. Long ago, the Vorlons had established a base there, a hidden outpost where they could observe this distant portion of the galaxy. Though none of the natives were aware of it, the Shadows were and, in 2261, they came to destroy the world. Dureena Nafeel is the only known surviving native Zanderian.

warehouses, hotels and every luxury or vice a spacefarer might wish. The world did not exactly prosper but neither did it fail and the Wychand are, if not pleased with their place in things, not displeased either.

Zafran is typical of backwater worlds who, on the edge of space travel, found out the universe was already claimed. They had just managed to send their first feeble rockets to their world’s moon when they were visited by an Earth Alliance scout ship in 2190. Suddenly, their world expanded and contracted at the same time. On the one hand, the vastness of a civilised galaxy opened up to them; on the other hand, they realised they were never going to have much of a part in it. Zafran became a waystation, investing heavily in a port city designed to attract traders of all sorts, with large

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Travelling the Galaxy Realspace

Travelling

Very often, travel in realspace over any distance is ignored. Ships leave Babylon 5 or Centauri Prime and head to the jump gate, or emerge from hyperspace near to a target world. This occurs often in the series because the characters are either stationed near a jump gate or travel in ships capable of forming their own jump points. Characters in the Babylon 5 roleplaying game, may have neither of these luxuries and may often be required to spend considerable time in realspace. Nearly all private transit in Sol system, for example, goes through the jump gate on Io. This is a long haul from Mars or Earth and while individuals may use intersystem shuttles, free traders or others flying their own non-jump capable ships must travel a long time to get to where they are going. A ship in realspace and not in a combat situation (in other words, one which does not need to make sudden turns) can reach considerable speed by simply accelerating. Ships should not travel faster than Speed 20 when exiting a jump gate, though some do, especially if fleeing a hostile ship. This can be risky if the jump gate is in a busy sector of space, as the craft may not be able to stop or turn in time to avoid a potentially fatal collision. Once in realspace, however, navigation is simpler (at the least, it can detect other ships well in advance) and great speeds can be achieved. There is another side to the equation, however. Most ships reach a ‘cruising speed’ and then turn off the engines, allowing them to continue at the same speed with no wear and tear. This also makes it easier to decelerate or manoeuvre; the faster a ship is going, the more energy must be expended to change direction. This applies primarily to Earth Alliance and Narn ships, less so for Centauri and even less for Minbari. First One ships can manoeuvre without restriction, unless severely damaged. Realspace travel involves determining how far a ship has to travel between two points. These points are usually planets and as such these distances change every moment (as each planet is either moving towards or away from each other as they follow their separate orbits around the sun). The examples given below use the Sol system and use AU (Astronomical Units) as a distance measure. One AU = 92,960,116.8473 miles or 149,597,870.691 kilometres.

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The Sol System Distances table lists the perihelion and aphelion of every planet that orbits the sun. Perihelion and Aphelion are the planet’s closest and furthest distances from the Sun.

Sol System Distances Perihelion 2NCPGV (AU) /GTEWT[ 0.31 8GPWU 0.72 'CTVJ 0.98 /CTU 1.38 ,WRKVGT 4.95 5CVWTP 9.01 7TCPWU 18.28 0GRVWPG 29.8 2NWVQ 29.6

Aphelion (AU) 0.47 0.73 1.02 1.67 5.45 10.07 20.09 30.32 49.3

Zone Hot Habitable Habitable Habitable Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold

The closest two planets can possibly be to one another is the perihelion of the furthest planet from the sun minus the aphelion of the closest planet to the sun. The furthest two planets can possibly be away from one another is the aphelion of the furthest planet from the sun plus the aphelion of the closest planet to the sun. These minimum and maximum distances between planets in a solar system are summarised on the Minimum/ Maximum Distances in AU between Planets table. So Mars at its closest to Earth is (1.38 perihelion – 1.02 aphelion) 0.36 AU. The furthest it will be is (1.67 aphelion + 1.02 aphelion) 2.6 AU. If a Games Master requires a quick average distance between two planets, he can add these two figures (closest distance and furthest distance) together and divide by 2. However, a Games Master is also free to simply pluck any number from between these two figures. So should a ship wish to travel from Earth to Mars, a Games Master can either assume a distance of 1.48 AU (the mean average) or choose any value between 0.36 and 2.6 AU. Systems other than Sol will obviously have planets orbiting at different distances. The Games Master is free to come up with a perihelion/aphelion chart and then work out a minimum/maximum distance table for such systems… but to be honest, we recommend this only for systems where Players are going to be spending a lot of time shuttling between planets. Otherwise, simply use the Sol system figures – if they want to get from a Hot Zone planet to a

Minimum/Maximum Distances in AU between Planets 2NCPGV Mercury /GTEWT[ — 8GPWU 0.25/1.2 'CTVJ 0.51/1.49 /CTU 0.91/2.14 ,WRKVGT 4.48/5.92 5CVWTP 8.54/10.54 7TCPWU 17.81/20.56 0GRVWPG 29.33/30.79 2NWVQ 29.13/49.77

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

0.25/1.2 — 0.25/1.75 0.65/2.4 4.22/6.18 8.28/10.8 17.55/20.82 29.07/31.05 28.87/50.03

0.51/1.49 0.25/1.75 — 0.36/2.6 3.93/6.47 7.99/11.09 17.26/21.11 28.78/31.34 28.58/50.32

0.91/2.14 0.65/2.4 0.36/2.6 — 3.28/7.12 7.34/11.74 16.61/21.76 28.13/31.99 27.93/50.97

4.48/5.92 4.22/6.18 3.93/6.47 3.28/7.12 — 3.56/15.52 12.83/25.54 24.35/35.77 24.15/54.75

8.54/10.54 8.28/10.8 7.99/11.09 7.34/11.74 3.56/15.52 — 8.21/30.16 19.73/40.39 19.53/59.37

17.81/20.56 17.55/20.82 17.26/21.11 16.61/21.76 12.83/25.54 8.21/30.16 — 9.71/50.41 9.51/69.39

29.33/30.79 29.07/31.05 28.78/31.34 28.13/31.99 24.35/35.77 19.73/40.39 9.71/50.41 — 0.72/79.62

29.13/49.77 28.87/50.03 28.58/50.32 27.93/50.97 24.15/54.75 19.53/59.37 9.51/69.39 0.72/79.62 —

Cold Zone planet, use the statistics given for a Mercury to Neptune trip or a Mercury to Jupiter trip.

Maximum Safe Speed

Maximum Safe Speed %TGCVQT4CEG Maximum Safe Speed Dilgar 0.9 AU per 24 hours Earth/Narn 1.0 AU per 24 hours Centauri 1.2 AU per 24 hours Minbari 1.5 AU per 24 hours First One 3.0 AU per 24 hours For League worlds and other races, use whichever is closest in general technological level. Races with no gravitic control should use the Earth/Narn column. Using the Earth to Mars trip as an example once again, it would take an Earth Alliance ship anywhere between 8.64 hours (minimum Earth-Mars distance) and 62.4 hours (maximum Earth-Mars distance) to travel between the two planets. A Minbari ship, on the other hand, would make the same trip in 5.76 hours to 41.6 hours. Note – it is often quickest and easiest to figure out the time it would take an Earth ship to get from A to B and then divide the result by another race’s Maximum Safe Speed to find their times.

Sometimes, two ships will try and race each other through realspace to a destination. As has been noted, since Maximum Safe Speed is determined by their construction, two Earth ships racing to Mars would arrive at precisely the same time, assuming they left Earth orbit at the same time. In these cases, one of the ships will probably try and push its safe maximum speed beyond its limits… with possibly disastrous results. A ship can voluntarily attempt to surpass its Maximum Safe Speed in increments of 0.1 AU per 24 hours. This requires a Technical (space travel) check – the Breakneck Speed table gives the DC. This check is made either by the pilot or the chief engineer; one can provide the other with an aid another bonus in the usual manner if both are present and active on a ship.

Travelling

Maximum speed does exist in realspace but it is not based on a ship’s short-range speed. Even a ship with a painfully slow acceleration score can still reach the same top speed as most other ships in the universe. The problem is one of physical construction – ships can only travel so fast before the stress imposed on the ship’s superstructure becomes intolerable and the vessel literally starts to break apart. The maximum safe speed for a ship is determined by its creator race, as shown on the Maximum Safe Speed table.

Racing in Realspace

Breakneck Speed 5RGGF+PETGCUG Technical (space travel) DC 0.1 20 0.2 25 0.3 30 0.4 35 0.5 40 There is a reason why this is called Breakneck Speed. A successful check produces the required speed boost for the duration of the journey but inflicts one Light critical hit on the ship’s superstructure for every AU travelled. If Damage Reduction is reduced to 0 in this way, the ship literally breaks apart and is destroyed – most pilots will obviously not allow this to happen and they are free to drop back to normal speed at any point in the journey to stop the Damage Reduction loss. A failed check is quite possibly the end of the line for fragile ships and reckless captains. 1d3 AU into the journey (or

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1d6 x 0.1 AU for journeys of three AU or less), the ship shudders abominably and begins to break apart. The ship suffers a Moderate critical hit to its superstructure every round from the excess stress that has been placed upon it by the speed. The only way to stop this damage is by slowing down… which temporarily increases the stress upon the ship. Slowing the ship does not take a check and automatically reduces the speed of the ship by 0.1 AU per round. For each round the ship slows, it incurs a Heavy critical hit to its superstructure.

Travelling

When slowing down after a failed Breakneck Speed check, the pilot or captain has no choice but to do the best he can with his crippled vessel. He drops to the safest speed for his now damaged ship. This new Maximum Safe Speed is equal to his usual speed minus (1d6 X 0.1). Travelling at this reduced speed will not incur any additional damage to the ship and the whole journey is simply recalculated according to this new cost. Engineers onboard may make the usual repair checks to remove the critical hits but the ship’s Maximum Safe Speed remains impaired until all damage suffered due to the failed Breakneck Speed is repaired.

Hyperspace

The swirling red shades of hyperspace are a familiar sight to all those who travel through space. While the first jump gates were built eons ago by the First Ones, their design has been copied and recopied over the millennia, until, there were hundreds throughout the galaxy, making galactic trade, communication and warfare possible. While larger ships do not need the gates, it is unlikely any race would develop such technology without the gates to study. Hyperspace does not map one-to-one with realspace; while within hyperspace it is not possible to know your realspace location without reference to the navigational beacons. The continual pull of forces in hyperspace makes navigation without those reference points impossible; even trying to stay perfectly still requires precise control and advanced technology. Once a ship is off the beaten path, its chances of survival are very small indeed.

Slipping Off Beacon ‘Lost in hyperspace.’ These words are a death sentence to almost any crew. Even the Minbari, the most advanced of the Major Races and the most familiar with hyperspace, cannot navigate without beacons, though they can travel further from them than other races can. Any of the possibilities noted below can cause a ship to slip off beacon – when a condition does so,

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the ship in question must roll on the Slipping Off Beacon table. The Signal Chance column represents the chance that an active beacon’s signal is still in range; the second number is the chance of being able to lock onto that signal before the ship begins to drift. If there is no beacon in range or if the Technical (space travel) check fails, the ship has slipped off beacon. You may not take 10 or 20 on Technical (space travel) checks made to avoid slipping off beacon.

Slipping Off Beacon Region of Space Well Travelled Somewhat Travelled Lightly Travelled Untravelled

Signal Chance 80% 60% 40% 10%

DC of Technical (space travel) Check 15 20 30 40

Beacon Destruction: Destroying a jump gate or a hyperspace beacon is an act so intolerable that even the Shadows are loathe to do it under normal circumstances; the destruction of the Markab gate by Sheridan was an exceptional phenomenon, justified by humanitarian concerns as well as by a struggle for survival. If a hyperspace beacon is destroyed, any ship which was using it to navigate by may become lost – roll on the Slipping Off Beacon table as normal. Combat and Manoeuvring: The signals sent by the hyperspace beacon network are narrow-beamed, not broadcast. This means that manoeuvring too dramatically while in hyperspace can put a ship off beam; it is also why ships regularly cross each other’s paths in hyperspace- there simply is not much room to manoeuvre. It helps to think of the beacons as roads; in some areas, the roads are very wide and there is ample room to manoeuvre without risking heading off the path. In other areas, the roads are singlelane and it is relatively simple to accidentally drive off. The only problem is, once a ship is ‘off the road’, returning to it is difficult or impossible. If combat is engaged in while in hyperspace, the normal twists, turns and dives of battle may move a ship off the beacons. Roll on the Slipping Off Beacon table every round of combat. If a ship has an agility bonus to Defence Value, the pilot may voluntarily reduce this bonus by 1 to grant a +1 bonus to the Technical (space travel) checks he makes in combat. This reflects the pilot deliberately trying to stay on beacon, even if this means exposing his ship to attack. Fortunately, the nature of hyperspace is not conducive to weapons fire, making combat in hyperspace rare. It has

been shown that Shadow weapons work in hyperspace, however, so the possibility cannot be ruled out. Engine Failure: Travelling in hyperspace is much like traversing a physical ocean, one with many winds, currents and tides. So long as the engines work, the ship can easily ignore the effects of the hyperspace ‘sea’ but, if they fail, the powerless ship will quickly be moved at random, quickly leaving known waters behind. For each minute that a ship is powerless, it must roll on the Signal Chance percentage column of the Slipping Off Beacon table but do make a Technical (space travel) check until engine power is restored. If these percentage chances succeed until the ship regains engine power, then make the Technical (space travel) check as normal, increasing the DC by +1 for every minute the ship was without engine power. Any Signal Chance failures or Technical (space travel) check failures result in the ship slipping off beacon.

Navigating Off The Beacons ‘No ship lost in hyperspace has ever been found.’ This is a common statement but it is a bit extreme. While getting off-beacon is never good, it is not an absolute death sentence – just near-absolute for those without the capability to create jump points. A lot of skill and even more luck might return a ship to the main routes. The following options and the Finding Your Bearings table contain all the relative game information needed to determine whether a ship can wend its way back to civilisation. All DCs in the table refer to Technical (space travel) checks. Only one Technical (space travel) check may be made per day and you may not take 10 or 20 on these checks.

A successful check means that the ship has managed the near-impossible – it has picked up the tight-band transmission of the nearest hyperspace beacon (almost certainly located in the nearest inhabited system). The ship may fly there as per normal hyperspace travel. Note that the system may only have a beacon (though this is unlikely, given the prevalence of jump gates) – in this case, a non-jump capable ship will probably have to plot its own hyperspace course from the beacon to a jump gate… but at least it is no longer lost. A failed check means that no beacon has been found. The ship may attempt to fly wildly through hyperspace but that will mean that tomorrow’s checks are automatically made as if the ship has moved through Untravelled hyperspace. Alternately, the ship can attempt to maintain its position. If it stays in hyperspace, subsequent checks are made as if the ship has moved through Untravelled hyperspace (Starfury pilots refer to the identical choices of moving or not moving as the Double-Damned Decision) but at least there is the infinitely thin chance that a rescue ship could find them by plotting their last known course. If it stays in realspace, the Chance of a Nearby Inhabited System is not re-rolled – after all, the ship has not moved – and the DC to locate any kind of beacon is raised by +1.

Travelling

Natural Phenomenon: Several of the natural hazards of hyperspace, such as a vortex, can pull a ship off-beacon. For this reason, unmanned probes regularly traverse hyperspace and broadcast alerts of such phenomenon; even so, there is always the chance of one occurring without detection. Depending on the severity of the disturbance, natural hyperspace phenomena may increase the DC of Technical (space travel) checks to maintain a beacon lock or simply force a ship off beacon automatically.

Locate Nearest Beacon: This is the last-ditch option for non-jump capable ships or ships too far from any inhabited system to be able to make it in realspace. Simply put, the ship tries to locate a beacon – any beacon – and flies towards it. Roll on the DC to locate nearest Hyperspace Beacon column; if the ship has not been able to find its realspace position then the DC in parentheses. This is what Lieutenant Keffer did in the television series after his first encounter with the Shadows.

Realspace Position: A ship which is not severely damaged and which can form its own jump point can leave hyperspace and find its position in realspace. It is possible that they may be within range of a known star system or jump point. Even if they are not, taking bearings in realspace can give them some idea of a direction to proceed within hyperspace. If a ship uses this tactic, it will automatically use its starcharts to locate the nearest inhabited system. The reason for this is that the nearest inhabited system will invariably have

Finding Your Bearings Ship was travelling through Well Travelled Hyperspace Somewhat Travelled Hyperspace Lightly Travelled Hyperspace Untravelled Hyperspace

Chance of Nearby Inhabited System 50% 25% 10% 1%

DC to locate nearest Hyperspace Beacon 30 (35) 35 (40) 40 (45) 50 (55)

DC to relocate destination Hyperspace Beacon 35 (40) 40 (45) 45 (50) 55 (60)

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a jump gate (or at least a hyperspace beacon) – once this beacon has been reached by the ship, they can return to travelling hyperspace normally. Discovering a ship’s realspace position has two benefits. Firstly, there is a chance that the ship is close to an inhabited system of some kind. Even if the ship cannot locate that system’s hyperspace beacon, it may be able to fly through realspace and find aid or reinitiate a jump point from the beacon in this way. If the percentage roll is successful, there is an inhabited system 1d10 X 10 AU away. This is not immensely helpful for smaller ships with limited oxygen or supplies as they will probably starve or asphyxiate before reaching the system but larger ships may be more than willing to spend weeks or days in realspace as long as they can be guaranteed a jump gate or aid at the destination.

Travelling

Secondly, finding one’s bearings does have a beneficial effect on attempts to find beacons in hyperspace – at least a rough orientation is possible now as opposed to the random guessing of those stuck in hyperspace. Ships which have discovered their realspace co-ordinates use the normal DCs to locate beacons, rather than the DCs in parentheses. Relocate Destination Beacon: The choice of idiots. There is a far greater chance of staying alive if you simply try to find any beacon – trying to find that one beacon you already lost is simply suicide. Successful and unsuccessful checks are handled as per Locate Nearest Beacon, except for the higher DCs. This has never been successfully performed by any of the Younger Races. Anyone who actually managed this feat would be lauded as a hero and mindnumbing dimwit in equal measures. First One Technology: It seems likely that Vorlons, Shadows and others of their ilk have learned to navigate through hyperspace without recourse to beacons. There may well be artefacts left behind which can serve the same purpose. As with all technology of such power, artefacts of this nature are likely to be dangerous, unpredictable and three-edged but desperation may justify experimentation.

Hyperspace Lifelines Hyperspace lifelines are an exceptionally rare occurrence – a string of ships in hyperspace, each just within sensor range of one ship behind it and one ship ahead of it. This is the only method known to the Younger Races of searching for things within hyperspace. It is normally only performed under exceptional circumstances, for three reasons. Firstly, at least four ships must be willing to take part. Secondly, it is normally ordered only to retrieve a vitally important ship (or something of equal importance on said ship) or as a humanitarian effort. Thirdly, it rarely works.

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Firstly, in order to set up a hyperspace lifeline, an organiser must have at least a vague idea of what to look for and where to look for it. Since this is only ever really done to find ships lost in hyperspace, this is harder than it seems. If a lost pilot has followed standard operating procedures (and this is true across most civil and military ships), he has attempted as best as possible to maintain his hyperspace position and is activating his emergency beacon. Nevertheless, this still means the ship is likely to have moved significantly and the distance an emergency beacon can be heard in hyperspace us erratic at best. If the ship has attempted to move in any way from its hyperspace position, it is lost and must make its own way home. If the ship has tried its best to stay stationary, the Games Master must make a Technical (space travel) check for the organiser of the search – failure means the organiser has misinterpreted the original flight plans or the ship has simply drifted too far off. By all means roleplay the lifeline search – but it is automatically a failure. Secondly, the line must be made. The ‘anchor’ of a lifeline is always a beacon or jump gate and it must be one that the lost ship used most recently to either enter hyperspace or log its relative position. The 1st search ship then flies out to the edge of his sensor range. The 2nd search ship then flies out to the edge of the 1st ship’s sensor range, the 3rd search ship to the edge of the 2nd ship’s sensor range and so on. For as long as the line lasts, every ship may make a sensor check every minute. The DC for this check is 25 and the sensor operator may not Take 10 or 20 on this check. A failure results in nothing being found. A successful roll by any one ship means that something has been found by the lifeline. Roll on the Random Artefacts table (note that only one roll is made, regardless of the number of ships in the lifeline). Every minute, every ship in the lifeline must make a Pilot check (DC 10) for which they may not Take 10 or 20. Failure means that the line has snapped, usually because a pilot has veered too far out of another ship’s sensor range. The pilot that failed the check has one chance to avoid slipping off beacon (this is treated as a Slipping Off Beacon check where the ship always counts as being in Somewhat Travelled space). Should this check fail, this ship and every ship further down the line have slipped off beacon.

Jump Point Backwash It is rare, though possible, for a ship which is near to a suddenly-opened jump point to be sucked into it. Mr Garibaldi speculated this is what happened to him during the battle surrounding Babylon 5 in ‘Z’ha’dum’. If a ship of Large size or smaller is near a ship forming its own jump point, there is a chance of being caught in the energy flow

and drawn inwards, possibly losing all control and taking heavy damage in the process. Consult the Jump Point Backlash table.

Jump Point Backlash Ship size Gargantuan Colossal Colossal II Colossal III and above

Minimum Safe Distance 250 ft. 500 ft. 750 ft. 1,000 ft.

If the beleaguered ship does not have the capability to form a jump point, it is in trouble. It must make immediately make a Locate Nearest Beacon check. Unlike most such checks, this one only takes a round – the pilot is basically checking to see if a beacon is immediately next to him; this sometimes happens if there is a jump gate in the system he was swept away from.

Navigational Buoys Some ships, primarily explorers, carry navigational buoys which can be dropped. These are relatively short-lived and will drift with time (becoming useless when they do so) but can be used to allow a ship to find its way back without much difficulty. Of course, the first buoy must be dropped close enough to the main network that it can get a fix on it; if a ship is lost before a buoy can be dropped, dropping one after the fact is nearly useless. A buoy will be useful for 1d4 days before hyperspatial drift pulls it off target. The range of a buoy is approximately three hours of hyperspace travel; that is, a ship can drop a buoy and fly through hyperspace for three hours before losing the signal. How far this is in realspace is indeterminate; it can be anywhere from half a light year to several light years.

Features of Hyperspace

Most beings who are not pilots or physicists know hyperspace as, essentially, ‘the place between jump gates’. Few ships dare veer from the established beacons and those which do progress in slow, cautious hops, coming out every few light years to get their bearings in realspace, leaving beacons behind them so they can find their way back. Thus, it is not commonly known that the crimson emptiness of hyperspace is not quite so empty. Beyond the beacons and the ships, there are other things. Hyperspace is an entire universe, after all, and it is filled with unknown wonders and terrible dangers. While it is a vacuum, it is a vacuum rent by strange forces. Realspace mass tugs and distorts hyperspace, very slightly, but, over time, the forces which build up are dramatic. There are forms of ‘weather’ in hyperspace – huge, slow ‘winds’ which traverse light years, sudden vortexes, unexpected surges of energy. While these are very rare, and the beacons are placed so as to avoid areas known to be dangerous or unstable, it is still possible for a ship to encounter danger. Hyperspace has also been used for transit by sentient beings since the First Ones were young and possibly even before that. As a consequence, there is a lot of junk in there, from fragments of jump gates destroyed in wars (though this is considered an abominable crime, it does happen) to lost ships, secret installations and huge constructions of unknown origin.

Travelling

If a ship is in the ‘backwash’ region, the pilot must make a Pilot check (DC 10, +1 for every 50 feet below the minimum safe distance) or be caught in the jump point vortex. If this occurs, the ship will take 5+1d10 points of damage (Damage Reduction is ignored) and risks being pulled directly into hyperspace. The chance of being pulled into hyperspace is 5%, +1% for every 50 feet below the minimum safe distance, making it a rare but not unknown event. If this occurs, the ship is not always ‘fully’ in hyperspace; it is riding a distortion in space-time and may be ejected fairly quickly when the instability collapses. There is a flat 25% chance the ship will be carried along by hyperspatial eddies and then tossed out 3d6 AU in a random direction from where it entered. Otherwise, the ship is now in hyperspace.

Dropping a buoy requires half an hour and a Technical (space travel) check (DC 20). This is required to align the buoy with the beacon network and verify it is functioning properly. Most ships will wait at least half an hour after dropping a buoy to verify that it is functioning properly. See page 192 for prices and statistics for navigational buoys.

Burst Hyperspace bursts are a mystery even to such advanced races as the Minbari. It is generally theorised that they are a form of naturally occurring rift between realspace and hyperspace, akin to the artificial rifts which are created by jump gates, but which are wholly uncontrolled. They occur rarely but they can be catastrophic if a ship is caught in one. There is no random chance of one occurring; if one happens, it is by Games Master fiat. If it were even so rare as 1%, hyperspace would be too dangerous to be used casually. The damage done depends on the severity of the burst, see the Hyperspace Bursts table for details.

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Hyperspace Bursts

Hyperspace Bubbles

Increase to Technical (space travel) checks to Burst Size Damage1 avoid Slipping Off Beacon Small 1d4 X 10 +5 Moderate 3d6 X 10 +10 Large 5d8 X 10 Automatic2 Cataclysmic 10d10 X 10 Automatic2

Many of the First Ones possess the ability to create ‘pockets’ or ‘bubbles’ in hyperspace, areas where things can be hidden. These folded regions of space are not normally discernible. However, White Star class ships, and other ships built with Vorlon (and, presumably, Shadow or other First One) technology can detect them and enter them. Locating such a bubble is a DC 30 sensor check but such a check can only be made if the sensors incorporate First One technology. Ships built wholly with the technology of the Younger Races, even the Minbari, will slip right by them.

1 2

Damage bypasses Damage Reduction. The ship has no chance to stay on beacon.

Travelling

Directional Ripple These are the ‘winds’ or possibly ‘waves’ of hyperspace. They are distortions in the fabric of hyperspace which move in a single direction. A ship travelling against the direction of the ripples is slowed, as hyperspace itself resists the progress of the vessel – all travel times are increased by up to 20%. Contrariwise, a ship travelling in the same direction as the ripple gains a small boost to speed, reducing travel time by as much as 10%. These numbers represent the maximum speed loss or gain; it is rare for a ripple to be moving directly towards or away from a specific gate. Thus, if its determined that a ripple is encountered, roll 1d6 to determine the general direction of the ripple – 1–3 indicates it is generally moving against the direction of travel, 4–6 indicates it is moving generally towards it and then roll 1d20 to determine the percentage of time increase or 1d10 to determine the percentage of time decrease. The chance of a ripple existing between any two gates is 1% per week. Ripples will exist for 1d4 days before dissipating.

Gravitational Incline This is one of the most common features of hyperspace. Indeed, all of hyperspace can be seen as a series of inclines, some so shallow as to be almost unnoticeable, others so sharp as to seem like cliffs. The tug of stars and planets warp hyperspace into something like an endless series of rolling hills, albeit in three dimensions. Ships propel themselves against or through these inclines when travelling from gate to gate. Even a momentary loss of motive power can send a ship tumbling along one, taking it far off the beacons in seconds. Jump gates and beacons are generally stationed so as to take maximum advantage of the ‘terrain’ of hyperspace; it is not generally possible for even a very skilled navigator to find a faster route between long-established gates.

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Once a bubble is found, it can be entered easily enough. Doing so without knowing what is inside can be risky. Such bubbles are created by powerful races for their own purposes – during the final days of the Shadow War, the Vorlons used them to hide their fleet of planetkillers. Many such bubbles may be scattered throughout hyperspace, holding lost and forgotten artefacts, lurking fleets of Shadow ships waiting to be activated or terrifying creatures or entities locked away for good reason.

Random Artefacts The ‘space’ of hyperspace is infinite, and without stars or other major gravity wells, items can drift forever with no tendency to cluster in particular spots. To some extent, gravitational inclines and other factors mitigate this, resulting in definite directions of drift. However, such things generally occur well off the beacons, which are placed so as to lead ships around known hazards. This helps create the illusion of emptiness. Given the risks of leaving the beacon network, the odds of simply stumbling across anything in hyperspace which did not originate there are pretty slim. Nonetheless, if some form of chance discovery is desired, the following system can be used. Every ten days (cumulative) of travel off the major jump routes has a 5% chance of a discovery being made. Because the main routes are so well-travelled, any items on them will most likely have been found and removed long ago. Only off the beaten trail are there still any items to find. If such a discovery occurs, roll d% on the Random Artefacts table.

Random Artefacts Roll 01-05 06-07 08–16 17–18 19–21 22 23 24 25–30 31–100

Result Junk, Interesting Escape Pod Goal Abandoned ship, known Major Race Abandoned ship, known Minor Race Abandoned ship, unknown race. First One relic Active base, major race Junk, Dangerous Junk, Boring

Abandoned Ship, Known Minor Race: As above, except the ship belongs to one of the member races of the League of Non-aligned Worlds or a similar ‘bit player’ in galactic politics. Abandoned Ship, Unknown Race: The species which built this vessel is a mystery but their technology is not on a par with the First Ones. The ship will contain clues to the race’s location and biology and as such is an incredible treasure, as whoever finds it will be able to make a wellinformed first contact after suitable study. Of course, a ship built by an unknown race may well contain a variety of dangers; exploring it can be risky, due either to different environmental tolerances (perhaps they breathe corrosive gasses) or due to traps left behind by the original owners, who do not want aliens wandering onboard their ship. Active Base, Major Race: Psi Corps maintains bases in hyperspace, ultra-secret research facilities located on vessels which are capable of maintaining position within the turbulent realm. It can be assumed that there are other such places, extremely secret, run by EarthGov and by the other Major Races. Centauri, Narn and Minbari all have reason to keep large ships permanently stationed in hyperspace

Escape Pod: Often, ships become lost in hyperspace due to damage, perhaps caused by some of the natural phenomenon documented above. Once it is obvious that the ship is crippled, the crew may seek to leave, taking the infinitely slim chance of rescue over certain death. In most cases (99%) the escape pod will contain only a longdead corpse. In 1% of the cases, however, the pod will either contain a sleeper system (which will most likely be of Human origin, although, in theory, it could be a very old Centauri or Minbari pod), or it will contain very, very lucky living being, who will most likely need immediate medical attention and then some form of transit home. Alternately, in the case of hyperspace lifelines and other search ships, it means that the escape pod is from the missing vessel and the chance of finding someone alive inside is much higher (35% chance). If the missing vessel did not have escape pods, then this will obviously not be the case.

Travelling

Abandoned Ship, Known Major Race: A ship belonging to one of the major races has been abandoned here. This is most likely a badly damaged vessel, one where the crew fled prior to its expected destruction. The ship could be on the verge of exploding or it could be a dead hulk. Alerting the owning government to its location would probably be the best course of action, unless the ship belongs to race currently at war with the species which controls the ship which made the discovery, in which case, the ship can be claimed as a prize of war. Alternately, in the case of hyperspace lifelines and other search ships, it means that the missing vessel may have been actually been located (30% chance but only if the missing ship is of the correct race).

and such ships, if stationary, are de facto bases. A true base, without motive power, is unlikely to be built in hyperspace. It would quickly drift away and be lost. Furthermore, it is sometimes necessary for a ship to re-enter realspace. Stumbling on such a base is very dangerous, even if the base is run by the same government which the discovering vessel serves. The very existence of such bases even in theory is a secret; to discover one in actuality is akin to coming upon an alien vessel on a 21st century Terran military base. The discoverer, if not authorised to be there, is likely to be silenced out of hand unless the controlling government is extremely ethical, the discoverer is known to be very trustworthy or there is some other compelling reason to not follow the dictum that dead men tell no tales.

Goal: The ship has managed to find something it was specifically looking for. In the case of hyperspace lifelines and other search ships, it means that the missing vessel has actually been located. In other cases, a clue in an ongoing investigation or a vital piece of evidence has been picked up. First One Relic: This is about as dangerous – and as potentially rewarding – as a random find can get. The ship has stumbled on something left behind, abandoned or lost by one of the elder races of the galaxy – by the Vorlons, the Shadows or some other unknown and ineffably ancient species. The artefact could be anything – a weapon, a scientific experiment, a collection of music – but it will be strange, incomprehensible and, even if benign in original design, very dangerous to those who find it and do not take every possible precaution. Even the hypothetical music collection could be lethal; perhaps the music of the First Ones causes insanity or the vibrations turn Human cells to mush. The introduction of such a relic can easily spawn several scenarios or, if it is sufficiently dangerous, end a

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campaign... and leave another pile of junk drifting through hyperspace. Indeed, if the relic is found adrift in a cloud of fragments identified as being from a recently-constructed ship, this ought to be considered an important clue...

Travelling

Junk, Boring: More or less exactly what it says. Odd bits of worked metal of no value, empty cargo pods, fragments of an old jump gate which contain no valuable minerals and so on. A total waste of time and effort retrieving it; it has no monetary, historical or military value. Junk, Interesting: This is junk of the same general type as Boring Junk, except that, as the name implies, it is not boring. The interest may be historical – a fragment of a ship known to have been lost decades ago. It may be military – a portion of a Narn encryption system, which Centauri intelligence officials would love to get their hands on. It may be information – a fragment of a destroyed ship from an unknown race with the information needed to find them and contact them. It may be monetary – a cargo pod which is stocked with valuable seeds or metals. Or it might be plot-dependant, a clue the characters have been searching for. No matter what, the junk was worth stopping and collecting. It is almost impossible to distinguish interesting junk from boring junk without actually bringing it onboard for examination, however. Alternately, in the case of hyperspace lifelines and other search ships, it means that the missing vessel may have been actually been located (30% chance). Junk, Dangerous: Generally indistinguishable from Boring or Interesting junk but a lot riskier to have onboard. A missile warhead whose arming mechanism is triggered by the warmth of the ship’s hold. A cargo pod containing dead food animals which are infected with a lethal virus which is still virulent. A tracking beacon which leads hostile forces to the ship. Dangerously radioactive or toxic waste. The possibilities are limited only by the sadism of the Games Master, which is to say, they are without limit. Alternately, in the case of hyperspace lifelines and other search ships, it means that the missing vessel may have been actually been located (30% chance) but the danger of the find is still there…

Starshard This is, thankfully, an extremely rare phenomenon. They are reported about once per decade and alerts are generally posted to all starfaring races. Starshards are relics of a longago war, involving either very advanced Younger Races or unknown species of First Ones. A starshard is a small piece of neutronium which has been moved into hyperspace via unthinkable technology. Presumably, at the time of the war, they were aimed along the travel routes used by enemy

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starships; now, they move randomly. A starshard literally tears hyperspace apart as it travels through it, leaving a trail of realspace behind, something like a comet’s tail. It also creates a storm front of hyperspace distortion in front of it. The shards move in vast arcs, the curve so slight that they seem to be moving in straight lines to most observers. Once a starshard is mapped and charted, it is easy to avoid until it travels off the beacons; the danger is when one first enters travelled space. A ship which encounters a starshard is likely doomed. A sensors check (DC 20) will detect the phenomenon before it hits but starshards storm fronts are very big and move deceptively fast. A ship that has detected one has two choices – it can either try and ride the storm or fly off beacon. The latter choice is far from easy – it requires a Pilot check (DC 25 to avoid the storm front) and it will be necessary to make Slipping Off Beacon checks as normal. The storm front will inflict 1d6 Severe critical hits on any ship it touches for 2d4 rounds; after this time the ship has passed the front and is now entering the tail. Should the ship still be in one piece, it is likely to be violently ejected from hyperspace as the tail brushes it. A Technical (space travel) check (DC 30) must be made to avoid this and this presumes the ship’s engines are still functioning. The sudden transition to realspace inflicts an additional Cataclysmic critical hit and the navigator will need to use the Find Your Bearings table to find out wear it has ended up…

Vortex A hyperspace vortex is formed by the same forces which create directional ripples, only it takes much longer for one to form. A vortex is a swirling, powerful distortion which can pick up even the largest ship like a leaf in a hurricane and carry it far off course. As with bursts, these are so rare that they should not be checked for randomly; they should be introduced as plot elements only. A ship caught in a vortex will take 4d6 damage per turn (ignoring Damage Reduction) and the difficulty of the Technical (space travel) checks to avoid slipping off beacon are increased by +2. A ship will remain within the vortex for 2d10 turns before it is flung free; trying to exit the ship before this time is a Pilot check (DC 30). Failure by more than 10 results in an additional 4d6 damage (ignoring Damage Reduction).

Commercial Transit

Moving people and goods through space is big business and every one of the Major Races has some form of commercial space travel. Commercial transit ranges from tiny one-man freighters hauling small-volume, high-profit goods to vast bulk haulers, from chartered shuttles capable of holding

a handful of passengers in cramped accommodations to Centauri luxury cruisers which make the most decadent cruise ships of Terran history look like rusty tramp steamers. This section discusses types of ships, costs of transit, general procedures and life onboard ship.

Travel Details Most of the existing sourcebooks focus, understandably, on military and government vessels. This section discusses some features more common to civilian and commercial craft, including everything from checking in to the quality of in-flight meals.

Chance of Available Transport

Destination Major Race homeworld Major Race colony League Race homeworld League Race colony Minor Race homeworld Minor Race colony Uninhabited/unowned world

Commercial Passage

Example An Earth businessman on Nar’shal realises, to his disgust, that he must travel to Melat next week. Melat is a League Race homeworld so the base chance of being able to book passage on a scheduled flight is 50%. Reaching Melat will involve entering both Drazi and Pak’ma’ra government space (–10%) but fortunately Nar’shal is both a Major Race homeworld (+10%) and a Trade Hub (+10%). This leads to a total percentage chance of 60%. The businessman rolls 34, a success – there is a trade ship leaving which is also taking on passengers leaving for Melat in a week’s time. It will cost the businessman (or rather, his company) 6,000 cr. for the journey in Adequate accommodation as it consists of five minor jump routes (Narn to Sorith to T’il to Hilak to Shambah to Melat). Once on Melat, he concludes his business (very, very quickly) and immediately prepares to depart for Earth. Earth is a Major Race homeworld so the base chance of being able to book passage on a scheduled flight is 70%. In addition, Earth is a Trade Hub (+10%), Melat is a League Race homeworld (+5%) and the businessman has no problem accepting changeover points as long as he can get home quickly (+5%). Unfortunately, the journey is convoluted to say the least and

Adjustments Destination is of same race/ government as origin Destination system has no jump gate Destination is Fusion Age inhabited world Destination is Pre-Fusion Age inhabited world Destination is a Trade Hub Origin is a Trade Hub Origin is Major Race homeworld Origin is League Race homeworld Origin is Minor Race homeworld Each restricted jump route involved Each new government entered1 Searching for passage in more than one week’s time2 Searching for passage in less than one week’s time2 Willing to accept changeover points3 Insist on Adequate travel Insist on Excellent travel Insist on Exceptional travel Insist on Imperial travel

–35% –5% –10% +10% +10% +10% +5% –10% –20% –5% +5% per day

Travelling

It is generally impossible to simply wander onto a ship, hand someone 500 credits and subsequently board. There are several steps involved in securing passage between the stars though it is generally a simple process. A traveller figures out where he wants to go and instructs a computer to find him transit there. It will take 1d6 minutes for an optimal price to be located, unless the destination is well off the main trade routes. If it is, a little work may be required. The chance of passage being available can be determined on the Chance of Available Transport table. If there are no scheduled flights, an additional try can be made each week. Note that these probabilities refer only to scheduled flights – chartering a ship is also possible, also diplomats or those acting on government business can expect to have ships assigned to them.

Base Percentage Chance of Available Transport 70% 50% 50% 30% 15% 5% 1% Percentage Increase/ Decrease +25%

–10% per day +5% –5% –15% –25% –40%

Generally speaking, transports tend to stick ‘close to home’. Trips to neighbouring governments are fairly common but the more territories a ship must cross, the more likely it is that the trip is not worth it. 2 The table’s calculations assume a week’s notice. For each day less, reduce the chance by 10%, also, increase the cost by 10% for each day less than a week. For each day in advance the passenger is willing to book ahead, increase his chances by 5% (maximum of +20%). 3 This reflects transfers, changing ships and so on. A computer can analyse schedule routes and find a sequence of ships which will take a passenger to his destination. By being willing to not travel directly, the odds of finding some passage increase. 1

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Flight Costs

Travelling

Accommodation Quality Cost Very Poor Often Free (see description) – if not: 280 cr. per person per jump on major routes 470 cr. per person per jump minor 675 cr. per person per jump on dangerous routes Poor 560 cr. per person per jump on major routes 937 cr. per person per jump minor 1,350 cr. per person per jump on dangerous routes Adequate 750 cr. person per jump on major routes 1,250 cr. per person per jump minor 1,800 cr. per person per jump on dangerous routes Excellent 1,500 cr. per person per jump on major routes 2,500 cr. per person per jump minor 3,600 cr. per person per jump on dangerous routes Exceptional 3,000 cr. per person per jump on major routes 5,000 cr. per person per jump on minor routes Unavailable on dangerous routes Imperial 6,000 cr. per person per jump on major routes 10,000 cr. per person per jump on minor routes Unavailable on dangerous routes will take the businessman through Centauri and Earth space (–10%) and the businessman wants to leave now (–35% as there is no seven days advance period). The final percentage chance is 45% – the businessman rolls a 96. That route is not being serviced this week. The frustrated businessman can either wait a week or try to charter a ship. If it had been available, the transit would have cost a lot of money as nearly a dozen jumps are involved and prices would be bumped by +70% due to his urgency. Freighters The assumption above is that passage will be on ships dedicated to carrying passengers. However, it is generally true that people and cargo go on the same routes. Corporate freighters almost never take on passengers (too much risk of a lawsuit), though they may offer a working passage (see Working Passage, below). Civilian traders often take on passengers to make ends meet, trusting to their general poverty to defray any risk of liability. If a percentage roll for a transport fails by 10% or less, then no passenger transports are available – but a freighter is. Travelling on a freighter reduces travel expenses by 25% but increases travel time by 50% – freighters are slow and often make additional stops en route. Such passage will be spent in staterooms, of a sort – freight travellers travel in the cargo hold (Poor) and those working passage bunk with the rest of the crew (Adequate).

Arrival and Boarding It is generally good to arrive at the departure point at least one hour prior to departure for intragovernment flights and three hours prior to departure for extragovernment flights. Failure to do so can mean a chance of not getting through the necessary paperwork and security measures prior to the ship leaving dock. Identity A valid identicard recognised by the government controlling the point of debarkation is required to board any flight. It is also a good idea to have similar documentation recognised at the point of departure. One of the many achievements of the Babylon Treaty was the creation of a standard data protocol for personal identification recognised by all of the major races and the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. Campaigns set prior to this time period, or which involve travel to civilisations which are not signatories of the treaty, may need to deal with minor bureaucratic difficulties in acquiring an acceptable ID.

As a general rule, travel outside or through governmental borders requires the permission of all governments involved. Citizens of nations at war with each other will not be allowed to board transports heading into their enemies space. This becomes an issue when at neutral ports, such as Babylon 5 – a Narn seeking passage on a commercial liner to Centauri Prime during the War of Retribution will be denied access to the liner. Security Security varies wildly based on starting and ending destination. Some races will not blink if characters carry a heavy plasma rifle on board with them, while others will look askance at even a dull knitting needle. Whatever the laws might be, there will always be those who seek to break them. Sneaking contraband onto a craft is difficult but not impossible. If the item is hidden on someone’s person, a Search check against a DC determined by the Games Master is required. If the item is being handled by the passenger, a contest of the security personnel’s Spot check against the passenger’s Sleight of Hand check is required. Remember to factor in the general state of security. During times of war or great tension, more attention is paid to security; during times of peace, security checks are often perfunctory. Destination or point of origin is also a factor. It is also possible to attempt to hide items in luggage. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that,

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since luggage is not immediately accessible to passengers, there is less concern about weapons other than timed explosives and thus searches are generally less rigorous. The disadvantage is that there is nothing the passenger can do to influence the search and the searcher has unrestricted access to the luggage. Customs Violations on Babylon 5 On Babylon 5, minor customs violations involving personal quantities of items of Legality Class 1 or 2 (see page 180) goods incur a fine of 350 to 500 credits and the confiscation of the item. Weapons infractions will incur a 1,200 credit fine. Other locations are likely to have more severe fines, as well as the possibility of imprisonment.

Working Passage

Medical: Doctors and other health-care specialists are often welcome on ships, especially freighters which normally cannot afford a full-time employee in that role. To secure such passage, a Diplomacy check is needed, along with some proof of medical training – this is usually trivial if the character is travelling under their legal identity; if they are not, a Bluff check (DC 25) may be called for to convince someone of their missing credentials. Characters may add their ranks of Medical to this check. The Diplomacy check has a DC of 20 for Novices, 15 for Journeymen and 10 for Experts. Profession: A wide range of professions may be useful on a ship; cooks, porters, mechanics and others may all find work, though such mundane jobs are usually filled by the regular crew with little need for an extra hand. Finding an open position is as much luck as it is skill and diplomacy; there is a base 5% chance, +5% for each skill rank in any Profession skill a character possesses, of a spot being open.

Warm Body: Sometimes, a simple willingness to do what one is told to do – often involving dirty, exhausting, physical labour, even in the high-tech era of Babylon 5 – can be enough. A character with a decent physique and a willingness to work hard may find a few ships willing to take them on. The base chance is 5%, plus 1% for each point of Strength and Constitution bonus. Thus, a character with a Strength of 14 and a Constitution of 12 has an 8% chance of securing passage as brute labour.

Chartering a Flight A businessman on Melat who desperately needs transit to Earth may find himself out of luck when it comes to a commercial flight. Thus, he may begin the process of chartering a flight. Most major stellar destinations have a small coterie of freelance pilots or freighter captains who are willing to take passengers to a specific destination, usually at a price which can only be described as ranging from ‘exorbitant’ to ‘usurious’ to ‘were you not informed that piracy is outlawed in this part of the galaxy?’

Travelling

Another possibility for those without money but with vital skills (or just a strong back) is working passage. Working passage first requires a ship to be going where the character wishes to go; use the standard rules above to determine that. Then, it must be determined if there is a need for the character’s skills. The following section describes skills commonly needed aboard starships, and the chances of finding passage with them. For purposes of this section, 4 or fewer ranks in a skill (but a minimum of 1 rank) mark the character as a Novice; 5 to 8 ranks denote a Journeyman and 9 or more ranks denote an Expert. If a character succeeds in gaining working passage on a ship, he can assume it costs him no credits to travel to his destination though it is very likely the character has been worked extremely hard during the passage to make up for this.

Technical: There is often a need for an extra set of hands and eyes on the machines. While security considerations keep ‘pick up’ crewmen away from the more sensitive controls, there are countless lesser tasks which they can do, from updating the stockpile database to running diagnostic checks and physical maintenance of components. Anyone with Technical skills will need to demonstrate them in order to gain a working passage; this will normally take about an hour and will be scaled to the character’s claimed level of competence. The DC will be 14 for those claiming Novice skill, 18 for those claiming Journeyman status and 20 for those claiming Expert skills. It is possible to take 10 on this check.

The chance of finding a charter ship is dependant on how busy the local world’s starports are. Worlds which are centres of trade and commerce often attract freelancers, or create them accidentally when a promising trade deal goes sour or expected payment or cargo does not arrive. Worlds with few regular visitors, obviously, will attract few pilots hoping to find passengers. The chance of a charter ship being available is determined on the Chance of a Charter Flight table – checks can be made daily to see if charter flights are available.

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Intrasystem Flights

Intrasystem flights – those which begin and end in one system, commonly referred to as shuttle services – are dealt with slightly differently from intersystem flights. The specific destination in-system only really factors into the cost of the trip, not the availability (unless it is a known off-limits or dangerous area). It is not possible to gain working passage on intrasystem flights as they are too short in duration to get any amount of decent labour out of a worker. The time it takes these flights to get to a destination can be calculated using the Realspace rules on page 150.

Chartered Flights

Intrasystem Flight Costs Accommodation Quality Third-Class Second-Class

Travelling

First-Class

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Cost 100 + (10 X AU distance) cr. per person 200 + (20 X AU distance) cr. per person 300 + (30 X AU distance) cr. per person

Chance of Available Intrasystem Transport Base Percentage Chance of Available System Details Transport Major Race home system 90% Major Race colony system 80% League Race home system 80% League Race colony system 70% Minor Race home system 50% Minor Race colony system 30% Uninhabited/unowned system No chance Percentage Increase/ Adjustments Decrease Highest system technology is Fusion –10% Age Highest system technology is Oil No chance Age System is a Trade Hub +20% Searching for passage in more than +5% per hour 24 hours time1 Searching for passage in less than 24 –2% per hour hours time1 Insist on Second-Class travel –5% Insist on First-Class travel –10% Destination area/planet/moon is off- –20% limits or dangerous

The table’s calculations assume 24 hours notice. For each hour less, reduce the chance by 2%, also, increase the cost by 2% for each hour less than 24. For each 24 hour period in advance the passenger is willing to book ahead, increase his chances by 5% (maximum of +30%).

For chartered flights, there is the same chance of being able to acquire one as noted in the Chance of Available Intrasystem Transport table. The cost, however, is equal to ten times the normal given in the Intrasystem Flight Costs table.

Short-Term Accommodations Short-term accommodations differ from long haul transportation. Basically, passengers get a seat. They come in various classes: Third-Class: Third-class accommodations are basically ‘standing room’ or on ships without gravity ‘floating room’. Often, low-gravity areas on ships with rotating sections are given over to this level of accommodation. Passengers are herded into a central area and stand or sit on the floor during travel. If there is no gravity, straps are provided. Storage is limited to one cubic foot of space and whatever characters are carrying. Second-Class (Business Class): This is where the majority of passengers will be. Second class seats are designed by the finest engineers, biologists and ergonomic experts of each race to be equally uncomfortable to all travellers and in all positions. Students of industrial design often spend months studying this achievement and marvel at how universal it is. There are rumours that seats found in xenoarcheological digs dating back to the rise of the First Ones still meet these exacting requirements. Storage consists of two cubic feet of space and carry-on goods. Seats are often equipped with a small computer screen, which can be used for a usurious surcharge (5 credits/minute). On flights of longer than six hours, a meal consisting of several unidentifiable lumps of shaped semi-organic mush will be served. First-Class: Seats in first class tend to be comfortable and large. While not entirely without flaws, a protracted flight spent in one is mildly annoying, rather than bordering on torture. Decent food is provided, though few will consider either the portions or the quality highly noteworthy. Computer access is provided. Many such seats include alpha-wave induction fields to provide restful sleep on longer voyages.

Chance of Charter Flight Available

Starting World Major Race homeworld Major Race colony League Race homeworld League Race colony Minor Race homeworld Minor Race colony Uninhabited/unowned world

–25% –30% –5% No chance +15% –20% –30% variable

It is also possible to spread a little money around or track down rumours, or both, to speed up the search. Some potential charter pilots may not be openly advertising or seeking work but can be turned up with a little digging. A Gather Information check can be made. For every full five points of the rolled result, increase the odds of finding a pilot increase by 2%, to a maximum of +20%. This check can be made once a week and the bonus lasts for a week. Using Gather Information in this manner costs a number of credits equal to the rolled result multiplied by 100 and represents small bribes, drinks bought in seedy bars, money paid to agents and so on). Spending twice this amount results in an extra +5% to the percentage bonus for the week. 1

The Games Master must apply some degree of common sense – there will be no itinerant pilots waiting around Z’ha’dum for passengers, even if it is technically a ‘Major Race homeworld’. The type of craft taking on passengers can be widely varied. Freighters may have room for a few paying customers. Courier ships, capable of forming their own jump points, are sometimes available for hire, especially if planned travel arrangements fell through. Some businesses make a habit of purchasing decommissioned warships and refitting them as passenger or cargo craft. A wealthy Centauri noble may

The cost of passage is, as noted, extreme. The chartered pilot, though, has to meet considerable operating expenses, as well as endure certain risks. It may be difficult or impossible to get a return flight or the destination may lack essential repair and maintenance facilities. Many charter flights go to dangerous or unexplored systems and there are often cases where ‘desperate’ passengers turn out to be pirates, killing the owner of the ship and seizing his craft minutes after entering hyperspace.

Travelling

Adjustments Starting system is only on minor jump routes Starting system is only on restricted jump routes Starting system has no jump gate Starting world is Fusion Age Starting world is pre-Fusion Age Destination system is a Trade Hub Destination system is in hostile space Destination system has no jump gate Spreading the word & greasing palms1

Base Percentage Chance of Charter Flight Available 90% 60% 60% 40% 30% 10% No chance Percentage Increase/ Decrease –10%

take on passengers to fund his habit of touring the galaxy. A few eccentrics (some would say ‘lunatics’) have refitted shuttlecraft and other short-distance ships to be capable of surviving (barely) the rigours of hyperspace and to sustain life support for several days – just long enough to make it from one jump gate to the next and refuel. The Games Master should select a craft appropriate to the starting world – there will be no idle Centauri nobles on Narn in 2262, for example. This is an opportunity to introduce a Non-Player Character from a little-used race; many citizens of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds find their best chance to see the larger galaxy is through freelance work. If stymied for ideas as to who might be willing to offer transit, a Games Master may use the following concepts: a downon-his-luck free trader, a corporate freighter with a captain willing to bend the rules, a pirate or criminal (who will attempt to ransom or rob the passengers once in space), a Brakiri merchant who was heading that way anyway, a professional charter pilot, a minor Centauri noble with time to kill and a ship to spare, a smuggler, a Minbari on a spiritual journey or a courier whose employer failed to show up.

Charter travel costs (10+2d4) X 1,000 credits per passenger per jump route. Add 1d4 X 1,000 credits per passenger per jump route to systems without jump gates. This price assumes Adequate accommodations – it may be increased further if the chartered ship is well-appointed or luxurious, though it will not be commensurately decreased even if the ship is an ore-hauler with some sleeping tubes attached to the walls. If the ship is expected to ‘wait around’ for the passengers, the passengers will be expected to pay all docking fees, plus 10%. The advantages of a chartered ship are that it will take characters where they are going by the fastest and most direct route and the individuals chartering the craft are generally the only passengers aboard. Many of the pilots who accept charters are known for being circumspect and do not ask questions. They are also often willing to risk forging or falsifying manifests and flight plans and are generally ‘open minded’ about the contents of luggage, provided they do not sense a risk of hijack.

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Accommodations

Long haul accommodations are used on intersytem (jump route) trips. Some voyages can last several days or even several weeks. On the most luxurious ships, travel is often slightly extended, as the trip itself is considered to be enjoyable, but most star craft are not sufficiently well-appointed to entice passengers to take longer than is absolutely necessary to get where they are going.

Travelling

The Zocalo sourcebook includes details on a wide variety of goods services, many of which may be purchased aboard passenger vessels. As a general rule, the costs when onboard ship should be increased by 25% to 100%, depending on the avariciousness of the captain or owner and the general quality of the vessel. Very Poor Accommodations This describes conditions generally found only on refugee ships or ships which are carrying fugitives, prisoners or slaves. Basically, there are no accommodations, just a pressurised, air-filled hold, in which all those travelling at this level congregate. If there is no gravity, they float freely. Most will tie themselves to whatever is handy with strips of cloth. There are no showers or other hygiene facilities and bodily waste is disposed of in sealable containers. No commercial carrier sells ‘tickets’ for this style of travel; this describes the arrangements made between the desperate or the hopeless and those who wish to deal with them. Sometimes, this is the only way to get large numbers of people out of a bad situation (such as ferrying thousands of Narn covertly across space in the hull of a bulk transport) but, most often, such ‘accommodations’ are the result of cruel exploitation of desperation. In a worst case scenario, the cargo container or similar holding the passengers may even be jettisoned in hyperspace, giving the owners of the ship their pay while exposing them to little risk of transporting fugitives. Poor Accommodations Only the most desperate would voluntarily travel under these conditions. Poor accommodations grant a sleeping tube or sleeping web and two cubic feet of storage (no more than 50 lbs. of gear). There are no private or semiprivate cabins; passengers are placed in a single large hold or bay. There is one bathroom/shower area shared among all passengers and water use is strictly rationed. There are no water showers; sonics are used instead. Privacy, outside of the washroom facilities, is non-existent. Minimal food is provided, usually tasteless synthetics and distilled water. No entertainment or other services are provided. If there are Poor accommodations for ten or more people, there will usually be a small common area (no more than ten feet

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by ten feet) with access to outdated computer terminals, badly worn couches (if there is gravity) and simple games. Adequate Accommodations The majority of working and middle class folk travelling on their own credits will settle for Adequate accommodations. Adequate accommodations include a bunk, tube or sleeping hammock in a semi-private room (generally, from two to four people) and the rooms include small terminals over each bunk and, if there is gravity, two small chairs and a table. The rooms are about ten feet by five feet. If there are more than 10 passengers, a smallish lounge will be provided, consisting of seating, computer terminals and some games. Food is synthetics but decent synthetics, with a variety of options. Alcohol will be served at obscene prices. If there are more than 50 passengers, there will be a larger lounge with several forms of entertainment, including gambling if it is appropriate to the culture owning the vessel. Furthermore, with more than 50 passengers, a small restaurant or snack bar will be available, offering slightly better food than is standard but again at outrageous prices. The lounge or lobby will also contain a communicator from which calls can be made on the tachyon network, at an outrageous mark-up. As a general rule of thumb, passengers paying for ‘tolerable’ accommodations end up paying 25 to 50 percent more than the base rate as they sample various ‘supplementary’ services. Excellent Accommodations Business travellers star-hopping on company expense accounts, the upper-middle class travelling on vacation, semi-important dignitaries and minor celebrities tend to make up the bulk of passengers enjoying transit at this level. Rooms are either private or shared between passengers travelling together and each room has its own shower and bathroom facilities, as well as individual thermostat controls, full computer access and a desk and chair. A self-serve bar is often included, though use of it is billed at exorbitant prices. Food is included in the cost of travel and it is decent enough, though bland. If there are ten or more passengers at this level, there will also be a well-appointed lounge area with several different options for entertainment. If there are more than 50 passengers travelling at this level, there will specialised recreational areas, including such things as a small casino, exercise rooms, small restaurants or food stands and observation decks. Private rooms include interstellar communications, though there is still an obscene surcharge for it. For every ten passengers, there will be one crewmember whose sole job is attending to them in some capacity. Exceptional Accommodations This represents the best the ‘average’ sentient is likely to afford as anything other than as a once-in-a-lifetime

Imperial Accommodations This style of travel always has some name associated with it; Platinum Class, Elite, Luxury, Full Enlightenment (the Minbari term) and so on. It is used by corporate CEOs, the heads of Centauri Great Houses, high-ranking politicians, diplomats and dignitaries, the most famous celebrities, the scions of wealthy families and so on. It is the best any private citizen can expect; only heads of state are likely to travel between the stars in any more comfort than this. Rooms consist of a large living room/meeting/kitchen area and from one to three bedrooms. All the luxuries which the local technology can provide are present and special requests for specific items can be made in advance of launch. Even the largest private liners do not have the space for many rooms of this size, so reservations must be made well in advance. Everything noted for Exceptional accommodations is applicable here, enhanced to the finest degrees of luxury that the culture permits or can afford. The shower facilities will be of whatever materials signify decadent opulence in the culture. There is a personal steward for every five guests. Even the colour and style of furnishings can be changed prior to departure. All aspects of the room, from temperature to humidity, are controllable by the passenger. Luxurious meals, cooked to the passengers’ preferences, are delivered to the cabins or served in private rooms off the main lounge area. Direct access to officers of the ship is usually available. Interstellar communications services are included in the room charges.

Cultural Variations The above descriptions are generic, and apply more-or-less to all starfaring races which have any sort of commercial travel. Some cultural notes: Centauri Centauri accommodations are, as can be expected, decadently luxurious. If there is a bar, it is overflowing with all manner of intoxicating beverages. Furnishings are as opulent as possible and personal attendants are much more common – double the number of crew devoted to seeing to passengers needs. Lounges are the site of continual parties, balls and performances, with live entertainers providing all manner of distraction. Larger Centauri vessels also provide small but very secure meeting rooms, where private business can be discussed. However, there is another side to the equation. The slaves, working and middle classes do not travel among the stars, except on business, and then their conditions are Poor or Very Poor. There are no Adequate or Excellent quarters on Centauri commercial liners; those who cannot afford Exceptional or Imperial accommodations travel in Poor ones. Armed guards keep the rabble out of the regions occupied by the nobility, unless one has proper business being there. Non-Centauri rarely travel on Centauri craft unless they can afford the best quarters; if they can, the trip is likely to be extremely pleasant. Earth Alliance Earth Alliance ships often have quarters in lower-gravity areas, as many passengers enjoy the feeling of being lighter, though not weightless. Accommodations tend to be slightly smaller than described, though this can vary. Socialising on trips is important to Humans and this reflected in larger lounge and meeting areas, as well as many scheduled activities on longer trips. Food is often of a lower quality, due to a need to preserve space. The fact that spinning sections must sometimes cease rotation during manoeuvres or if there is a mechanical issue which needs to be attended to limits the design possibilities of the living areas and passengers are usually given a quick orientation and training session on how to deal with ‘G-outs’.

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experience. Business executives, celebrities, diplomats and the idle rich all travel at this level. Rooms are spacious (200 square feet), usually including both sleeping quarters and a small anteroom. There is a tiny but functional kitchen and ingredients can be ordered at the usual insane markup. There is a computer screen in the bedroom and a full terminal in the anteroom, which grants interstellar communications at an extra fee. Gravity permitting, there is a bath as well as a water shower. A well-stocked self-serve bar is standard. The bed features a range of options, such as massage, adjustable tension or, on Centauri ships only, variable gravity. The Minbari also have this technology but see no need to use it for personal luxury. There is at least one crewmember per ten passengers at this level dedicated to providing support and services. High quality meals are included in the cost of travel but there is also a wide range of foods available via room service. If there are more than ten passengers travelling at this level, there will be a luxurious passenger lounge or meeting area, with many amenities and often a good deal of decoration, such as holographic artwork, statuary or a fountain. If there are more than 50 passengers at this level, there will be several high-quality recreational options ranging from casinos to holographic suites.

Minbari The Minbari have very few ‘civilian’ ships. The nature of Minbari society and its focus on service means that most of those who travel do so because it is part of their job or role in society. Whether it is workers going to a colony world in order to construct shelters or members of the religious caste on a pilgrimage, most travel occurs because it needs to. There are exceptions. Some Minbari desire to visit worlds for their own enlightenment and education. Musicians,

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poets and other artists seek inspiration among the stars. Long years of toiling in the same place can fill even the most contented worker with a desire to be somewhere else, if only for a short time. Furthermore, the increased contact with other races which followed the end of the Shadow War and the forging of the Interstellar Alliance increased the number of non-Minbari who simply wished to tour one of the most ancient and beautiful civilisations in the galaxy. Minbari ships focus on the spiritual, rather than the physical. Rooms are designed to encourage quiet meditation. They have fewer class or social distinctions and accommodations are usually provided based on need rather than on ability to pay. Most ships have quarters which would be considered the equivalent of Adequate or Excellent. Room decorations often include candles, religious symbols and other aids to relaxation. There are few organised entertainment activities, but there are many rituals which passengers are encouraged or expected to attend, including Fi’han Sho (the rite of leave-taking), Taler’jha (the Blessing of the First Meal) and Volan (The Ceremony of the Void). Non-Minbari are generally not expected to participate but they can if they wish, provided doing so does not disrupt the ceremony. Some Humans find travel on a Minbari cruiser to be infinitely relaxing; others, and nearly all Centauri, describe it as: ‘A wonderful way to ensure that even the most tedious daily job is an orgy of excitement by comparison. You will return loving whatever it is you must do for a living, if only because it is something to do!’ Narn Narn ships have technology close to that of the Centauri (from whom nearly all of it was copied) but they are much more spartan in nature and little effort is made to make the craft hospitable to non-Narn. Furthermore, Narn vessels lack both artificial gravity and rotating sections. As a consequence, the sight of a non-Narn civilian booking passage on a Narn ship for personal or recreational reasons is rare; most travel in the Narn Regime by non-Narn is done aboard transports belonging to other races. Conditions on a Narn ship can best be described as ‘functional’. Only the most perfunctory of luxuries are present. Non-Narn will only choose such ships if other races are forbidden to travel to a destination, as is often the case with Narn colonies, many of which serve military or industrial functions. However, Narn traders are notably cavalier in regards to both customs laws and the fugitive status of individuals seeking transport ‘no questions asked’, especially if they are willing to pay well. This does not apply to anyone who may have harmed a Narn or otherwise acted against the interests of the Narn Regime but most other crimes will

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be overlooked If the crimes are against a Centauri, the perpetrator might well be given free transit!

Onboard Security

It seems inevitable that, sooner or later, someone will consider how much a starship is worth, then tally up the crew onboard, do a little cold-blooded calculus and decided that stealing a starship is a good way to begin a life of raiding and pillaging, or at least secure enough funds to retire to a small rim world for a few decades. That few ever seem to have succeeded in this is often not enough to discourage the occasional fool. Further, some people (very often, Player Characters) have a mix of desperation, skill and gross overconfidence that leads them to attempt, if not the impossible, the remarkably difficult. The threat of losing control of a ship – to hijackers, mutineers or boarding parties – is always on the minds of starship captains, military planners and starship insurers. As a consequence, the security arrangements on most starships are very good, often better than the systems designed to preserve the health and life of the crew. Indeed, the actuarial figures often show that it is cheaper to replace a skilled crew than a starship. Shipboard security can be categorised as: Low This is rarely seen. Even a ship traversing a wholly safe route – such as a shuttle ferrying passengers from Babylon 5 to a waiting transport ship – could become a dangerous weapon if hijacked and piloted at full throttle towards a powered-down warship, the station or the jump gate. Even so, a small number of ships have no security other than basic password locks (Computer check (DC 20)) on the control systems and possibly sidearms on the crew. This is sometimes the case on raider vessels, as security systems are often destroyed when the ship is seized. Extremely old or poorly maintained transport ships may also have Low security. Standard This is typical of most commercial ships running safe routes. The focus is on nonlethal containment of potential hijackers. The security features will stop most attempts at piracy or mutiny and include: Biometric scans: All primary control systems, such as navigation, engineering or weapons, require both password access and biometric scans. Fooling a biometric scanner requires specialised equipment (see the Equipment appendix) and a Technical (electronics) check at a DC of 20. Failure by more than 5 will activate a security alert on the ship.

Bridge Shutoff: The bridge and other control areas can be sealed behind reinforced doors. These have a Damage Reduction of 20, 80 hit points and a Break DC of 35. Once activated, a security alert is begun. Knockout Gas: On a command from the bridge, any room or corridor can be flooded with gas designed to cause rapid unconsciousness in most lifeforms. Often, passenger manifests are used when the ship is being resupplied to change the gas mix to affect any beings on board. The gas requires a Fortitude save (DC 18) each round of exposure or unconsciousness results. This feature also triggers a security alert. High This level of security is found on passenger ships which routinely travel through hyperspace, non-combat military craft and high-end corporate craft. It has the same features as Standard security, with the following exceptions/ additions: Biometric Scans are more refined. The DC to disable them is 25.

Electrical fields: Bulkheads can be charged with electricity, dealing 1d8 points of electrical damage to anyone touching them, with a Fortitude save (DC 14) for half damage. If that save fails, a second Fortitude save (DC 14) must be made to avoid unconsciousness for 2d4 rounds. Scanners: Theoretically, all passengers are searched for weapons before coming aboard and weapons are confiscated or deactivated as need be. However, some passengers can succeed in slipping weapons past security – both Centauri and Narn are skilled in this regard and few scanners can identify a Minbari fighting pike as a weapon in the first place. To compensate for this, vessels with High security have additional weapon scanners placed on approaches to all sensitive areas. Upon detecting an unauthorised weapon, personnel will be dispatched to intercept the weaponbearer. Very High This level of security is found on military ships and diplomatic couriers, as well as exceptionally important ships such as EarthForce One. It has all the features of High security, with the following exceptions and additions:

Bulkheads are reinforced, with a Damage Reduction of 22 and a Break DC of 37. Lethal Countermeasures are in place. At critical junctions throughout the ship, drop down weapon emplacements can be activated. These will fire at anyone not broadcasting an appropriate IFF signal. These emplacements will first acquire a target (a ranged touch attack – remember to add the emplacement’s +5 attack bonus), representing their limited AI computer brain ‘locking on’ to a target. A target may add a +4 bonus to his Defence Value if he spends a standard action trying to avoid the lock-on (+6 if he has 5 or more ranks in Tumble). Any devices the target possesses that cloud perception may add a +1 to +5 bonus to Defence Value as well (Games Master’s judgement). If an emplacement locks on to a target, it will fire at that target every round until the target stops moving or removes itself from its range (generally 60 feet). Every round of fire from an emplacement requires four attack rolls against the target, all adding the emplacement’s +5 attack bonus. Each successful roll inflicts 2d6 damage to the target as the PPG blasts hit.

Security Alert Most ships have a set of automatic actions which are performed in the event of a security alert. These include: Armament: Most ships with security level of Standard or above will maintain a small cache of sidearms in secure areas, such as the bridge and engineering. These will be opened automatically, allowing the crew access to weapons, if the ship is under threat and if the controlling AI senses the areas are still under crew control.

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Life Support can be selectively controlled. Air, heat and light can be cut off to various areas of the ships, trapping potential hijackers in the cold and dark. On Minbari or Centauri ships, gravity can be selectively deactivated as well.

Biometric scans are as precise as possible. The DC to disable them is 30.

Broadcast Alert: An alert that a hijacking or take-over attempt is in progress will immediately be broadcast. Since many races have suffered from raiders, and since most raiders get their start via stealing ships, there is a vested interest in stopping such take-overs. Naturally, there is a matter of perspective – Narn prisoners who successfully manage to take over a Melano transport do not consider themselves to be ‘hijackers’ and races which have had bad dealings with the Centauri may be unduly slow to respond to a distress call from such a craft. Interlocks: On ships with a security level of High or better, a security alert activates a series of interlocks. All of the ships systems continue to poll each other on the state of their security and correct any inconsistencies introduced by attempts to manipulate or override the system. This adds

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5 to the DC of all Computer or Technical checks made to defeat security. Engine Shutdown: If this ship is in realspace, the engines are shut down. Note that this is controlled by an advanced neural net which is usually capable of determining if doing this will place the ship in worse danger – such as being in the middle of a combat zone. If there is doubt as to the ability of the ship’s computer to make such a decision wisely, roll 1d20; on a roll of 1, it fails to make the ‘intelligent’ choice. This is done so as to prevent the ship from being used as a weapon, a lesson which dates back to the start of the Terrorist War at the dawn of the 21st century on Terra and from similar incidents on most other worlds. In hyperspace, engine shutdown would cast the ship dangerously adrift, so the ship enters holding station, with only the minimum engine power being used.

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Section Seal: Much as with a hull breach, the ship will seal off individual sections. Unlike a hull breach, however, all section bulkheads close, isolating everyone until the emergency is over. Authorised crewmembers can open individual bulkheads on a case-by-case basis. ♦

Sabotaging a bulkhead: Some would-be hijackers will try, prior to the hijack attempt, to override or block bulkheads, so they cannot be contained. This is a Technical (engineering) check with a DC of 20. Failure will sound an alert. If the check is successful, the bulkhead will not close properly when commanded to do so. Note that in the event of a hull breach, this could be very hazardous indeed.

Transport Lockdown: All internal transit, such as lifts, will shut down. This can be overridden by someone with the correct authorisation (subject to biometric scan) or the lift can be ‘hotwired’, requiring a Technical (electronics) check at a DC of 20.

Emergencies

Space travel is dangerous, though not so dangerous as adventure stories make it out to be. It is safe enough that refusing to travel between the stars (astronautiphobia) is considered a mild mental illness, one which can hinder full success in life. The odds of a calamity during normal travel, due to something other than targeted aggressions are very small – but not infinitely so. Furthermore, while accidents are rare, they tend to be major. On a spaceship, either everything goes right or something goes catastrophically wrong.

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Safety Levels Not all ships, or even all areas on a ship, are equally wellequipped to deal with an emergency. EarthForce One contains enough redundant systems that any emergency short of the ship itself being blown up can be safely contained. Old tramp freighters, on the other hand, often rely on improvising solutions to shipboard crisis. While every conceivable combination of threat and response cannot be catalogued, the following safety levels should serve as a guide for the Games Master when asked ‘Is there a fire extinguisher here?’ or ‘How much room is there in the lifepods?’ Areas which are ‘adjacent to vacuum’ are those which have at least one wall directly in contact with space. These areas will generally have the best structural support or, at least, some capacity to be sealed or even ejected (as in the case of cargo pods). Unsafe The ship, or area of the ship, is grossly unprepared for disaster. Only a single wall separates the interior compartments from the harsh emptiness of space. Emergency supplies are non-existent. No sensors exist to alert occupants to hull breaches, dangerous levels of radiation or other hazards. There are no fire prevention or suppression mechanisms. There are no alarms which can be activated to signal a disaster. The ship itself will have no lifepods. Low The ship, or area of the ship, is unprepared. Walls will be either a thick single wall or a thin double wall. There is a 25% chance of emergency supplies being present. Sensors for hull breaches exist but nothing else. There are manual alarm systems but no automated ones. A basic fire suppression system may be present (25% chance). Lifepods sufficient for half the normal complement of passengers will be available. There is a 25% chance of a single survival bubble being in any area which typically contains passengers and which is adjacent to vacuum. Typical The ship, or area of the ship, meets the most minimal guidelines for disaster preparedness. A strong double hull with sensors to detect breaches lines the area. Emergency bulkheads will seal the area in the event of a serious breach. Fire detection and suppression systems exist. In addition to hull breaches, sensors will detect radiation and sudden temperature changes. Manual alarms exist, as do automated ones hooked into the sensors. There will be lifeboats sufficient for normal crew and passengers but no extras. 1d4 survival bubbles will be found in any area which is

likely to contain passengers and which is on the outer edge of the ship. Good The ship, or area of the ship, is very secure. Double walls with self-sealing mechanisms to handle minor breaches line the outer areas and a complex sensor web detects even pinhole breaks. Emergency bulkheads with rudimentary ‘self awareness’ evaluate conditions second by second and can both closed and opened as needed. Advanced fire detection systems which pick up incipient flame exist, as do fire suppression systems with self-aiming capability. Sensors for temperature, radiation, air pressure and air composition changes regularly monitor the environment. Manual and automated alarms exist. Lifepods for the expected compliment of crew and passengers, plus a 10% surplus, are present. There will be 2d6 survival bubbles in all vacuum-adjacent areas and one in each non-vacuumadjacent area.

Breaches The most common type of accident is a hull breach. Contrary to the standard myths, a pinhole-size breach does not cause a sudden, catastrophic drop in pressure resulting in a hurricane-like wind. Small breaches are often only noticeable on very precise scanners measuring air pressure and can be patched in a few minutes. Even large breaches, such as those a few inches across, can be dealt with. Only exceptional holes pose a serious threat. The Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book contains details on the effects of explosive decompression.

All passengers and crew on a ship will be instructed as to standard procedure in the event of decompression. Said procedure is to move immediately towards the nearest emergency exit and not to panic. If the breach is Tiny or smaller, crew in the area (if any) try to patch the holes. Most ships will carry a selection of emergency hull patches woven of lightweight but strong metal and backed with powerful adhesive. These patches have Damage Reduction 10 and 5 hit points. Applying one requires a Technical (space travel) check (DC 5) and will take 1d4 rounds. It is possible, though risky, to try to seal a larger breach with multiple patches. Many ships are equipped with survival bubbles as well. Long-time space travellers, especially hitchhikers and others who tend to travel surreptitiously or outside of normal passenger compartments, often carry them as part of their gear. Oxygen Deprivation The good thing about sealing off a fire on a starship is that, if it cannot spread out of the compartment, it will consume all the oxygen in the compartment and die. The bad thing is that, without oxygen, most life forms in the compartment will die as well. Standard policy is to leave a sealed chamber closed for a full hour after the last traces of flame have vanished, which is very bad for those in the area who might have survived the flame itself. Deliberate arson on a starship is a capital offence in most societies (death of personality in the Earth Alliance).

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Excellent This level of safety is generally found only on top-line governmental vessels, and even then, only in special areas. The hull is as noted above, as are the bulkheads. Fire detections systems can pinpoint even small irregularities in heat flow and the fire suppression systems contain adaptive mechanisms to use the best techniques to eliminate fire while doing the minimal possible damage to anything else in the room. Sensors include biological filters as well as being able to detect even trace airborne toxins. In addition, the life signs of all within the area are monitored, with medical personnel being alerted if there is any kind of significant deviation from the norm. The ship sports sufficient lifepods to handle 120% of the expected passengers and crew and at least 20% of these will be advanced lifepods. Survival bubbles are distributed as per a safety level of Good.

bulkheads will begin sliding into place to seal off the affected area. It will take 4+1d6 rounds for the bulkheads to fully close; this is due to the need to allow people to evacuate. If sensors show no life forms in the affected area (this can be a problem if stowaways have deliberately disrupted the sensors to show precisely that), then the bulkheads will close after only 1 round. All life support to the area is then cut off, until the breach can be patched.

As the fire burns, oxygen is removed. Once an area is sealed, the time until those in the area begin to feel the effects of the fire is dependant on the size of the fire. For every time period that elapses noted on the Oxygen Deprivation table, the atmosphere is reduced by 0.1. This will bring into effect the Hypoxia rules noted on page 194.

If a serious breach occurs, it will be detected by various automated systems (only the most primitive of starships lack these). Alerts will sound throughout the ship and

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Oxygen Deprivation Size Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal

Time to Atmosphere Reduction n/a1 2 hours 1 hour 1/2 hour 10 minutes 5 minutes 1 minute

While in theory even a small flame could eventually consume all the oxygen in a sealed area, it is difficult to imagine such a fire continuing long enough to do so. It will either grow or be extinguished long before anyone notices the oxygen consumption. 1

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This will mean that even a Small fire will begin to drop the air pressure relatively quickly and Huge or larger fires will cause hypoxia within a matter of minutes. Unlike normal Hypoxia rules, an additional Hypoxia check must be made every time the atmosphere drops by 0.1 as more and more oxygen is eaten up by the fire. These rules assume that the sealed area is about 2,000 cubic feet. Treat the fire to be one size smaller if the sealed area is 4,000 cubic feet, two sizes smaller if it is 8,000 cubic feet and so forth. The opposite is also true; treat the fire to be one size larger if the sealed area is 1,000 cubic feet, two sizes larger if it is 500 cubic feet and so forth. Note the oxygen deprivation rules do not include the effects of smoke.

Fire Fire in space is exceptionally dangerous, as it consumes oxygen. The smoke can strain life support and air recycling systems and many of the components of a spaceship produce toxic fumes when burnt. Nonetheless, fires do happen. Most ships are designed to reduce the risk of fire, using non-flammable components wherever possible. As a consequence, a fire on a ship will spread slowly, increasing in size every 1d10+20 minutes, unless some flammable substance (such as fuel) is readily available to burn. Standard procedure for fire is to evacuate the affected area, seal it off and flood it with fire-retardant chemicals. If a fire is spreading fast, or if the fire extinguishing system is somehow offline, the area may be sealed and then exposed to space. Small fires can be dealt with via small fire extinguishers placed throughout the ship; most craft have such an extinguisher every 100 feet or so. It will be capable of dousing any fire covering less than 10 square feet.

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Smoke Fires often produce smoke. For game purposes, smoke can be considered either normal or toxic. ‘Normal’ smoke comes from burning material which does not produce poisonous gasses – at least, no more poisonous than smoke normally is. ‘Toxic’ smoke usually occurs when such things as plastics, electronic components and exotic materials catch fire. Thick smoke, normal or otherwise, makes it hard to both see and breathe. A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round nauseated. A character who chokes for two consecutive rounds takes 1d6 subdual damage. Also, smoke obscures vision, providing concealment (20% miss chance) to characters within it. Toxic smoke has additional affects. The Games Master must determine if the smoke is mildly, seriously or severely toxic. Consult the Toxic Smoke table for details of the deleterious effects of toxic smoke.

Toxic Smoke Toxicity Mild Serious Severe

DC 14 18 22

Con Damage 1d3 Con 1d4 Con 1d6 Con

Fort Save Required Every… 10 minutes Minute Round

Smoke may also have other effects. At the Games Masters discretion, smoke can cause damage to the eyes or other organs. Particularly toxic gasses could cause skin to dissolve or bones to become brittle and break (adding hit point damage to the Constitution damage). Holding one’s breath to avoid the effects of smoke inhalation is possible. See the rules on Suffocation and Drowning in the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book.

Evacuation It is sometimes the case that a ship must be evacuated. Ideally, at the first sign of crisis, all passengers and nonessential crew would be moved to the outer sections of the ship, where the lifepods are kept. Sometimes, however, a crisis comes too quickly, and the order to evacuate is given while many of those on board are far from safety. This has led to one of the great debates in ship design. If the ship is designed to seal off any damaged areas in order to contain the damage, crew and passengers are likely to be trapped and die. On the other hand, keeping passages open allows for fire, poison gas or hull breaches to spread

rapidly, likewise risking lives. Furthermore, during a crisis situation, internal controls may be damaged or offline, so the crew may not be able to control such things manually. The final result is that most races have adopted the following protocol. Each set of bulkhead doors is equipped with a small computer, an array of sensors and an emergency power supply. Furthermore, these units form a general network throughout the ship and can determine, via the number of broken connections, if the ship has entered a state of emergency. Once it is determined that it has, each bulkhead will scan conditions on both sides of itself. If both sides are safe, it will lock itself open; if either side is seen as dangerous, it will lock itself closed. The locks are designed to remain effective even when the power is out. Once this is done, the ship will attempt to find safe passages from all connected points to any remaining lifepods and broadcast instructions on how to get there, routing crew and passengers around damaged sectors and through safe ones.

Transport Law

Throughout this section, ‘race’ and ‘government’ are often used interchangeably. Generally, the governments of the Babylon 5 universe are tied to species; there is the Centauri Republic, the Minbari Federation, the Narn Regime and so on. While all of these governments include other races within their borders, these races have so little influence on interstellar affairs and law that, for all practical purposes, the various governments are basically monoracial. The League of Non-Aligned Worlds is a ‘League’ in name only, with its members fighting among themselves on a regular basis. Only with the birth of the Interstellar Alliance does a truly multiracial government appear in the Babylon 5 universe. It is impossible for trade to occur outside of the rule of law, except in the most primitive and risky fashion. The sophisticated interstellar economies of the Babylon 5 universe rest on a mountain of laws, regulations, treaties, guidelines and precedents, many of which evolved from the various races’ earliest years. Further, these laws often interact in ways in which their authors could never have imagined. Even something as simple as a dispute over damage done

Where did the crime occur and was it a crime there? In general, each government enforces only its own laws and does not attempt to impose the laws of other governments, even if that government views its laws as transcending local authority. This means, for example, that a Narn on Babylon 5 in 2260 has little to fear of the Centauri Republic’s repressive laws, since he is on an Earth Alliance station. However, Centauri agents may note his actions and have him arrested as soon as he leaves that protection. There are exceptions, often handled on a case-by-case basis. A Narn who murders another Narn on Babylon 5 may be tried under Earth Alliance law or the Narn government may request his extradition to Nar’shal, to be tried there. Since both murderer and victim were subjects of the same government, such a request is likely to be granted, unless there were extenuating circumstances. However, if the murderer had been Human and the victim Narn, the issue may be much more complex. The Human will most likely prefer to be tried under Earth Alliance rules, while the Narn regime may feel the trial will be biased or the punishment unlikely to satisfy. This can lead to long and protracted negotiations.

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When loading lifepods, the ancient tradition of ‘women and children first’ remains, at least on non-military vessels. Nearly all races have adopted it, albeit with some species and culture specific variants. Among the Centauri, for example, rank is also a factor; it is not considered a matter of honour or pride for a highborn Centauri male to die in order that a slave child may live.

to a stateroom during transit can involve three or more interstellar governments. While treaties ending genocidal wars or forging great alliances are the ones studied in civics and history classes, the treaties between species governing the mundane details of who has to pay when a Centauri nobleman spills hot j’hala on an irreplaceable piece of Minbari weaving which was on display in the lounge of an Earth Alliance starliner travelling within Brakiri territory are what make interstellar society possible. Resolving issues of law involves first answering one key question:

As a general rule, though, most treaties hold that the laws governing the territory where the crime is committed hold sway. Treaties may contain explicit provisions overriding this. This becomes relevant in space travel, as a ship in free space – that is, between worlds or in hyperspace – is considered to be ‘of ’ the government to which it is registered. See ‘Registration’ on page 178.

Race Relations One important thing about interstellar law is – it does not exist. That is, there is no body or force powerful enough to enforce its dictates on unwilling parties, at least prior to the formation of the Interstellar Alliance. There are countless treaties, agreements and reciprocal arrangements but they are only as good as the force used to back them and the strong tend to use such laws as a cudgel against the weak. The Narn can enforce the terms of their trade agreements with the Drazi but the reverse is not entirely true and so,

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when push comes to shove, a Narn in Drazi space is likely to be able to get away with a little bit more than a Drazi in Narn space, because the Narn can push harder on the Drazi than vice-versa.

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This is not to say that there is no sense of responsibility or honour, or that all treaties are worthless. If this were so, interstellar trade and diplomacy would be impossible. Rather, there is the letter of the law, the spirit of the law and the actual practice of the law, all of which vary greatly. Severity of offence matters, as does whether or not both parties consider something to be a crime. Most government feel an obligation to protect their own citizens when they enter foreign lands – up to a point. The religiously devout Markab, for instance, have many prohibitions against ‘spreading heresy’. This has sometimes led to them arresting overzealous Earth Alliance evangelists, preaching Christianity, Islam or Neoshintoism to the Markab masses. The Earth Alliance does not recognise that peaceful preaching is a crime, and would not be pleased with having its citizens jailed for 20 or more years for ‘spreading false doctrines’. However, it does issue missionary licenses, in order to keep tabs on who is preaching and to control the spread of purely political ideas under the guise of religion. EarthGov will not protect those advocating violence against a minority or revolution against a legitimate government, even if the advocates claim it is done for ‘religions reasons’. On the other hand, the Markab are not going to pretend their laws do not apply to non-Markab in Markab space. Ultimately, the Earth Alliance established a set of fines (generally 500 credits per offence) for violating other race’s religious or political speech limitations but also mandate that those found in violation be merely deported, not jailed, tortured or executed. Every year (until the events of ‘Confessions and Lamentations’), the Markab would ship a dozen or so would-be saviours of the benighted home to Earth and then file formal complaints with EarthGov. On the other hand, Yolu missionaries often found themselves imprisoned, as the Yolu lacked the clout of EarthGov when it came to influencing the Markab. Conditions between governments can be summed up as: Alliance The two races are closely allied and accord each other many rights and privileges. Laws are harmonised as much as possible while allowing for racial and cultural differences. Many times, this leads to a ‘when in Rome’ situation, where all the laws of one government apply fully within its territory, even to citizens of the other government and such citizens are expected to know, and obey, the law. Specific exceptions are often carved out during long and arduous treaty negotiations. Areas commonly agreed upon include contraband materials, the definition of capital and major

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crimes, regulations governing health, safety and worker’s rights, the rights of the accused in criminal cases, security of foreign-owned property from arbitrary seizure and so on. If two races have an alliance, it is nigh-impossible to escape the laws of one by fleeing into the territory of another. Military Treaty The two races have agreed to share their defences, signing pacts signifying that one will aid the other if attacked and often that neither will initiate a war without the other’s approval. While many such pacts are often of convenience, with one or both parties hoping never to be called on it, they are powerful symbols of trust and often serve to prevent minor wars by raising the stakes to the point where no one dares initiate them. This logic, however, can have a nasty turn when one side finally decides that war is called for; masses of entangling alliances can bring a half-dozen governments into sudden, violent conflict, as happened on Earth in the second decade of the 20th century. The terms of a military treaty can vary greatly but they often include the right of unimpeded passage of warships through another race’s territory, the right to use military repair and resupply bases and a limited sharing of technology and intelligence. Few races ever give up all of their secrets, even to their closest friends. The treaties also often include acknowledging a partners enemies as enemies, denying their ships access to territory and resources and treating incursions as acts of war. Trade Treaty The most common arrangement between governments are treaties controlling and regulating trade. Trade is often much more complex than war. Without it, nations grow isolated and weak, yet too much of it can also be risky. A corporation or consortium wants to sell its goods to other nations but it does not want the goods of other nations flooding its home market. A government wants access to new technology yet it does not want to give up its own technological secrets – or become dependent on imports which may be cut off at any time. Cheap imported goods will please the citizens who buy them but anger those who used to work in local industry. As such, trade agreements tend to devolve into incredible levels of detail and monthlong quibblings over a tenth of a percentage point on a tariff. If two governments have trade treaties, there are generally well-known rules and procedures in place for most commercial transactions. Merchant craft are allowed to use starbases and can expect emergency aid and protection from raiders. Formal systems to deal with disputes over goods, currency exchanges, terms of employment and so forth are in place. If the treaty has been in force for any

length of time, a reasonable body of precedent and case law will exist to provide a framework to resolve most disputes. In addition, there are likely to be sold rules regarding smuggling and contraband, with both parties agreeing to acknowledge the other’s rules when within each other’s territory. Non-Aggression Pact This is a basic treaty indicating an acceptance of formally stated borders and an agreement to not initiate war. It is often the first step towards more advanced diplomatic relations. Such pacts are easy to enter into – few governments formally declare they plan to attack another, after all – but can lead to entangling alliances.

Neutrality This is not a formal state but is the ‘default’ state in the absence of either treaties or cause for war. Most first contact situations occur under these conditions. Without good reason, a race will generally not casually destroy an intruding starship from an unknown species, though a lot of this depends on its apparent intent. A heavily armed warship appearing above a homeworld with weapons armed and ready is likely to be greeted with direct fire; a trading or scout vessel appearing far from any target and bearing no obvious weapons is more likely to be met with guarded caution. Generally speaking, governments with no formal relations have only limited intercourse with each other. Emergency aid is usually given if requested but that is about it. Ships which enter non-sensitive areas of space are firmly but politely asked to leave and are fired upon if they do not do so and do not have some compelling reason to be there. There may well be free ports or open starbases near the borders of the territory which allow for open trade, but that is about it. Hostility This is not a formal state but it is a ‘recognised’ one. Hostile races are not actively attacking each other but consider any intrusion into their territory by the other party to be sufficient cause for aggression. A Centauri civilian ship in

War This may be either declared or undeclared and is often called anything but war – but everyone knows it when they see it. During times of war, warships in another’s territory are shot down immediately; transports are either destroyed or seized and civilian ships may be targeted as well. Depending on the level of aggression, even unarmed ships claiming nothing but civilian passengers may be considered legitimate targets; at best, such craft will be seized and the passengers deported. Active incursions into enemy space with the purpose of targeting and destroying ships and facilities are common. All trade is suspended. If war occurs suddenly, individuals of one government who are located in the territory of another may find themselves deported or arrested; if they are lucky, they will be given a few hours to clear out under a limited promise of safe passage. If they are very lucky, they will be allowed to keep their ships and cargo, unless they are deemed ‘necessary for the war effort’ or considered to be useful to the enemy.

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A non-aggression pact basically means that ships entering the territory of one of the parties to the agreement will be allowed safe passage within accepted limits. Few races allow foreign ships to enter too near to their homeworld’s territory, for example, and many systems of military or strategic importance will likewise be off-limits to alien vessels. Access to public or civilian facilities such as trading outposts and starbases is permitted, though if there are no formal trading treaties, business will be conducted haphazardly and the rules governing trade may be made up on the spot.

Narn space in 2258, for example, would most likely be shot down on site or at the very least boarded, searched and seized, with the crew and passengers returned to Centauri space via a neutral world after interrogation as ‘spies’. The same would be true of a Narn ship in Centauri space. Even requests for emergency aid are ignored, though this tends to violate the most basic of interstellar agreements; if pressed, it will be claimed the requests were not received or that rescuing vessels arrived too late to do anything. Governments which are hostile to each other will shelter enemies of the other freely and will often ignore any requests for the extradition of criminals or demands for restitution. Governments in this state are finely balanced between détente and war; an enlightened ruler can try to reduce tensions, while a more militaristic one can easily turn simmering hostility into boiling war.

There are only a few rules of war which are regularly observed. Destruction of jump gates is considered anathema, as all spacefarers rely on the strength of the network. There are standards for the treatment of prisoners of war that most governments adhere to, if only because there is a strong sense of tit-for-tat when it comes to the mistreatment of prisoners. Such standards do not apply to ‘spies’, however, and the definition of a ‘spy’ is often as simple as ‘anyone caught where he does not belong’ – something smugglers and mercenaries need to be aware of when travelling in wartorn space. The exchange of bodies under a flag of truce is an extremely ancient tradition which few governments will ignore. Other rules of engagement are as often as not seen only in the breach. The Earth Alliance (other than during the Clark

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years) and the Minbari tend to respect them, while other races do so primarily to the degree to which they fear the condemnation of other powers. There is a certain level of atrocity which is met with Sternly Worded Condemnation and then there are acts which will move fence-sitters to take sides, due to a mix of genuine moral outrage and fear that any race so willing to ignore the ‘ground rules’ may come after them next. Such rules include: Respect surrender: A ship which has signalled surrender and which has powered down weapons is not to be fired upon, unless it attempts to flee.

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Do not fire on unarmed or civilian ships: This is often difficult to enforce, as many races will use civilian ships as ‘cover’ for transporting war supplies or even soldiers. This rule is also only considered to apply to civilian ships encountered in their own territory; it is assumed any such ship in hostile territory is a legitimate target. The use of weapons of mass destruction is forbidden: The term ‘weapon of mass destruction’ is a recurrent phrase and often means whatever the speakers wishes it to mean. In the most commonly agreed on definition, it refers to weapons which cannot be aimed or controlled and which indiscriminately destroy military and non-military targets alike. The mass driver bombardment of Narn in 2259 is the most dramatic example of this ‘rule of war’ being ignored and the ecologically devastated wasteland that is the Narn homeworld in the 2260s serves as a poignant reminder of why the rule exists. Had the galaxy not already been enmeshed in multiple Shadow-influenced wars, the response to the Centauri bombing would have been much more severe; as it was, the Earth Alliance was Shadowcontrolled, the Minbari did not care and the League worlds were too fractured to mount any kind of meaningful response – besides which, the longstanding Narn feuds with many League worlds meant that they were seen as ‘getting what they deserved’ to many observers. Inhumane weapons are forbidden: This is another very vague ruling and often devolves into hundreds of pages of legalese in treaty documents. Many of the more cynical have quipped there is no ‘humane’ way to kill someone. In general, though, weapons whose function is to maim rather than kill (such as blinding lasers) or which kill in a particularly painful way (such as flamethrowers) are banned from battlefield use. Weapons which inflict lethal pain, such as agony whips, are also banned, even if they have nonlethal setting. They are often used in POW camps, though, despite protests.

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Policies of the Major Races Centauri Centauri law is ancient, complicated, steeped in tradition and heavily biased. Family power is everything – ‘objectivity’ is non-existent. This has led to many conflicts which have had to be resolved via diplomatic action, as non-Centauri seen as being wronged in Centauri courts have demanded redress via their own governments. After wasting enough time on this, the Centaurum has simply ceased prosecuting crimes which occur between non-Centauri, passing both accused and defendant on to whichever government is currently most in favour with the Royal Court. When Centauri are involved, though, the Republic is very insistent on running the trials themselves, almost always to the detriment of the non-Centauri involved. It takes a great deal of evidence (plus bribes and threats) for a Centauri court to convict a Centauri of a crime against a nonCentauri. Exceptions do occur, especially if the accused has little influence or if the plaintiff has a great deal of it. It is likewise difficult for a non-Centauri to defend himself against charges of a crime committed against a Centauri. On issues of interest to space travellers: Captains have near-total authority over their ships but they may be over-ridden by a high ranking member of the Centaurum. Failure to obey lawful orders is a capital crime. Centaurum members who commandeer ships for trivial or treasonous reasons will be censured, fined or punished. Lower-ranking Centauri on a ship which has been diverted by the orders of a noble are expected to accept the inconvenience as part of their duty to the Republic. Stowaways may be spaced or imprisoned. If the stowaway is a Centauri, his family should be contacted before any action is taken. Centauri vessels are expected to answer distress calls from other Centauri. Distress calls from non-Centauri ships may be honoured at the discretion of the captain. A captain who delays an important noble’s trip by hours or even days in order to help some Drazi merchants will almost certainly be fired and his entire family may lose tremendous status. Criminal charges are also possible. It is acceptable for powerful Centauri to ‘bump’ the less powerful, provided that funds for alternative transport are provided. The timing or utility of such transport is not an issue.

In the case of Centauri ships, smuggled goods and the ship used to smuggle them will be treated according to the politics of the situation. Being caught with smuggled goods can be anything from embarrassing to suicidal to a Great House, depending on the nature of the goods. Large bribes often change hands to avoid the exposure of such a crime. Ships of non-Centauri origin may be returned to their government of registration after a ‘complete inspection’ has passed. Often, there is a demand for payment of ‘holding fees’. The time a ship is held and the amount of the ‘holding fee’ is heavily based on how much influence the owner, or his government, can exert. The Centauri almost never recognise pleas for political asylum, unless there is some powerful overriding circumstance – for example, a wealthy Earth Alliance businessman fleeing an investigation into corrupt business practices may find that the Centauri will shelter him as political fugitive, especially if he had the good sense to convert his holdings to ducats before fleeing Earth Alliance space.

Earth Alliance Other than during the notable exception of the Clark years, the Earth Alliance strives to meet high standards of fairness, tolerance and justice, believing in a system of objective law which no one is above. This is, of course, subject to the usual limitations of corruption, self-interest and contradictory directives, but it is not a bad baseline from which to start. Of course, to the Centauri, a legal system which takes little accounting of status borders on insanity, while the Minbari consider the system to be lacking in proper ritual and concern for spiritual, as well as temporal, matters. Narn sometimes sneer at Earthen hypocrisy – for example, EarthGov was happy to buy advanced weapons from the Narn to use against the Minbari but now complains when the Narn sell weapons to other warring powers. On issues of interest to space travellers: Captains have near-total authority over their ships when in space. Defiance of lawful orders by officers or crew is mutiny. Mutiny is one of the few offences permitting spacing under Earth Alliance law, in part because detention of mutineers onboard ship can lead to the mutiny spreading. Stowaways may not be killed (unless they are actively threatening the ship or crew) but they can be held without trial until the ship reaches port.

Earth Alliance vessels used for smuggling will be held until the charges can be pressed. At the least, smuggled goods will be impounded and fines imposed. The captain and crew will be detained until evidence of their knowledge of the smuggled goods can be determined. Non-Earth Alliance vessels in Earth space will have the illegal goods impounded if they are Legality Class 4 or 5 and the ship may also be impounded. Whether or not the ship is impounded or returned depends on treaties with the government with which the ship is registered. In 2260, the Earth Alliance would impound Centauri, Gaim, Brakiri and Drazi cargo and return, under armed escort, Minbari or Narn craft. In the cases of Legality Class 1, 2 or 3 goods, the cargo will be impounded but the ships will generally be free to go, as long as the captain pays any relevant fines. Gambling, prostitution, consumption of mild narcotics and other ‘vice’ laws generally do not apply on Earth Alliance ships which are not currently in Earth Alliance space. Generally speaking, facilities offering such entertainments open after entry into hyperspace and begin shutting down operations one hour prior to scheduled exit from hyperspace. While in port, all local laws apply.

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Nobles and their families are entitled to personal safety, advanced medical care and a wide range of luxuries and personal comforts. Crewmen are entitled to their promised pay.

All Earth Alliance vessels are expected to divert and aid any ship, of any species, issuing a distress call, unless there is overwhelming evidence that the call is fake or that the ship will be placed in equal danger. Individuals rescued from such a craft are to be accommodated if at all possible, even if this requires the jettisoning of cargo. Exceptions are few and usually only allowed when a more pressing emergency is present (i.e. the ship is carrying perishable vaccine or patients in need of emergency medical case).

Individuals who claim to be travelling under duress may petition the captain of an Earth Alliance vessel for sanctuary; whether or not this is granted depends on treaties. Centauri slavery of other Centauri is recognised by Earth Alliance treaty as a fundamental part of their social order but the Earth Alliance does grant some requests for asylum by nonCentauri serving as slaves to the Republic. In other cases, it is often required for the captain to hear statements and make a snap judgement. The captain and crew of a ship are responsible for keeping order; if a crime occurs due to negligence in this regard, they may be held liable. All passengers and crew on a ship are entitled to certain minimum levels of safety; reckless disregard for the lives or health of passengers and crew or failure to have adequate facilities, may be a civil or criminal offence, depending on the severity of the violations and of the consequences of the negligence. For example, no one expects a passenger ship

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to have state-of-the-art medical facilities. However, basic medical care and equipment for dealing with common emergencies is expected. A passenger liner which lacked the facilities to deal with a heart attack or an inflamed appendix would be negligent and, if someone died due to this negligence, the owner or operator might well face criminal charges. All ships which carry passengers must have at least Good safety levels in passenger areas. All cargo and transport ships must have at least Typical safety features in areas accessed by the crew ‘under normal operating conditions’ – this explicitly excludes the interiors of cargo pods.

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Minbari The Minbari have very few criminals among themselves. Minbari do not kill Minbari and very few of them are prone to other crimes. Furthermore, the Minbari view crime as a spiritual failing, a sign of great personal shame and weakness, and consider criminals to be very ill people in desperate need of healing, rather than punishment. Nonetheless, their experiences with other races over their long history has left them with a good understanding of the fact that they are somewhat atypical among sentient beings. Minbari do not have jails or other systems which are designed to hold non-Minbari for any length of time. Criminals are captured or killed as quickly as possible. If captured, they are returned to their own race for punishment, unless it is felt that there will be no justice done, in which case, they usually given a sentence of labour. Non-Minbari stand out so much on Minbari worlds that there is little fear of escape and the Minbari feel that 10 or 20 years of work may help to eliminate criminal tendencies and teach the former criminal the value of service to others. There are no forms of labour reserved solely for criminals, though they are usually assigned to difficult and unpleasant work. The ice mines of Davala Than are a ‘popular’ destination. On issues of interest to space travellers: The Minbari dedication to service means the authority of commanders is so rarely questioned that mutiny is not an issue. Minbari are often very open to pleas for sanctuary, especially from those who describe their needs as primarily spiritual. Victims of religious persecution often find welcome on Minbar and the Minbari tend to view contracts and laws of other races as subordinate to the need for spiritual growth. Again, treaties are written so as to grant the Minbari more leeway in such decisions than the other side may have intended.

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Minbari take a dim view of personal vices but will ignore those which do not harm others. No Minbari ship offers gambling, prostitution or similar facilities but personal use of drugs will generally be overlooked, being viewed as a personal failing which the individual must overcome on his path towards enlightenment. Warrior caste Minbari will usually ignore distress signals from non-Minbari, feeling that the needs of other races are not their concern. Religious and worker caste ships are more likely to respond but neither feels an overwhelming obligation to do so and will often not do so if the service they are performing takes precedence. Treaties which would oblige such behaviour are often written to subtly permit the Minbari great latitude in interpretation of when such aid is ‘required’. The Anla’shok, however, are strongly inclined to render whatever aid is needed, unless on a truly urgent mission. Smugglers are generally ignored, provided they do not seem to have any intention of violating Minbari law. Again, what other races do is of little concern. Smuggling arms to enemies during wartime – for example, running guns to Human colony worlds during the Earth-Minbari war – is of course a different matter. The Minbari themselves have so few inherent vices that there are few illegal goods. Nonetheless, this does mean that those few smugglers operating in Minbari space are in high demand, usually running stolen technology, weapons and information for resale elsewhere. Such individuals, when caught, are punished as noted above. Minbari who need access to illegal goods – for example, a changeling net – usually have to travel outside their own space to find someone to sell it to them.

Narn The Narn are not, in general, known for their kindness or tolerance, at least prior to the Book of G’kar being written. Within the timeframe of Babylon 5 (the late 2250s to the early 2260s), the words of G’kar had not had sufficient influence to dramatically change Narn culture. As such, the Narn deal with infractions of law aboard their vessels with simple efficiency – the Centauri would say ‘with typical brutality’. On issues of interest to space travellers: Captains generally have total authority on their ships, subject to the orders of the Kha’ri. However, mutiny is sometimes considered justified, more often than among other races, as the Narn have learned to question those who give orders without explanation or justification.

Non-Narn stowaways are generally spaced out of hand, especially if they are Centauri or allied with the Centauri. Humans and other races which the Narn are friendly with will be clapped in irons and forced to work for the remainder of their passage, then ignominiously abandoned wherever it is convenient. Narn stowaways are likewise put to work, but they can expect to be returned to their homeworld. Because the Narn have benefited from smugglers in the past, they tend to be relatively tolerant to ships carrying contraband passing through their space – they do not wish to anger people whose skills they may need in the future. However, this applies only if the smuggled goods do not threaten the Narn Regime – someone carrying viruses bioengineered to kill Narn, or information to the Centauri, will be lucky to escape with his cargo seized and only a few bones broken. Quite often, such people simply vanish, their ships eventually reported destroyed by unexpected natural phenomenon. Narn would prefer to ignore most distress calls from other races but they are signatories to many treaties of mutual aid. They will grudgingly honour such calls, especially if they

feel that other races will know they received them. Narn will rush to aid other Narn in distress without hesitation. Narn have some inherent sympathies to pleas for political asylum but they also have to consider the needs of their own race first. They feel that taking on anyone who pleads oppression could turn the Regime into a dumping ground for all of the galaxy’s detritus and so they tend to politely but firmly deny such requests. Even other victims of the Centauri are likely to find their pleas turned down; a Narn might inform them that they need to drive off the Centauri, just as the Narn did. There are a few exceptions, of course. The Narn would welcome blips, for example, but few of those fleeing the Psi Corps will trust the Narn to respect their rights, knowing how desperate the Narn are to reintroduce the gene for telepathy into their race.

Registry

All ships which ply the spacelanes legally are registered to a recognised government, almost always the one to which the craft’s owner pledges allegiance. Rarely, this can result in a ship built by one race being registered to another, such as may occur if a Centauri corporation acquires title to

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some Narn transports seized as spoils during the war and chooses to use them as auxiliary shipping. A ship’s registry is important. The government to whom it is registered is a primary determinant of what laws are in effect when the ship is in unclaimed space. It is also the agency to whom those wronged by the ship or its crew may turn to for redress. This can make a dramatic difference in the consequences of being caught breaking the law. The Drazi may not hesitate to attack, cripple and board a ship flying Brakiri colours but they will think twice about doing so against an Earth Alliance ship.

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Registration is usually to both a specific government and to some sub-unit within that government. Earth Alliance ships are usually registered to a specific country or colony world. Minbari ships are registered to the appropriate shere, fane or gale. Centauri vessels are registered to a Great House – even corporate vessels usually seek House sponsorship. Brakiri vessels are registered to a particular clan. Registering a ship costs credits, as does renewing registration. When a ship is registered, extensive data on the ship is collected, including its basic design, armament, crew complement and any modifications which may have been made to the design. If any of those modifications are illegal, the ship may be impounded on the spot. Initial inspection and registration takes one day for ships of Large or smaller size, two days for Gargantuan ships, four days for Colossal ships and two additional days for each size step above Colossal (six days for Colossal II, eight days for Colossal III and so on). Costs are shown on the Registration Costs table.

Registration Costs Size Medium or smaller Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal I Colossal II Colossal III Colossal IV Colossal V Colossal VI

Initial Cost 1,000 cr. 2,500 cr. 5,000 cr. 7,500 cr. 10,000 cr. 16,000 cr. 25,000 cr. 50,000 cr. 100,000 cr. 250,000 cr.

Annual Cost 200 cr. 500 cr. 1,000 cr. 1,500 cr. 2,000 cr. 3,200 cr. 5,000 cr. 10,000 cr. 20,000 cr. 50,000 cr.

Armament License 5,000 cr. 10,000 cr. 15,000 cr. 20,000 cr. 40,000 cr. 75,000 cr. 100,000 cr. 150,000 cr. 200,000 cr. 500,000 cr.

Initial Cost: The cost to register the ship. This includes the cost of inspection but not the cost of any docking fees. These costs apply only to privately owned commercial

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ships. Military or government ships do not need to pay for registration, though they must still be registered. Annual Cost: Ships must be re-registered every year, but this can be done remotely – no additional inspection is required, provided the owner of the ship transmits all information on any design changes or modifications. Because of the sometimes chaotic nature of space travel, there is a 30 day ‘grace’ period after the expiration of registration in which a ship can be re-registered without penalty. Should the ship miss this grace period, it must be re-registered at full initial cost. Armament License: Most governments do not like it when civilian ships carry heavy weapons; this makes them capable of turning to piracy or of being able to pass through blockades or customs checkpoints. Acquiring an armament license requires proving a legitimate need for a civilian ship to carry significant firepower. Such needs include courier duty in high-risk zones, travel into areas known to be infested with raiders, exploration into unknown space and so on. Ships whose stated purpose is routine cargo or personnel transport are rarely allowed to legally sport weapons. This has not proven to be too significant a barrier; many ships covertly add them and find ingenious ways to disguise them during casual inspections. In game terms, an armament license is required for anything heavier than ‘light’ weaponry on a civilian ship. This is generally up to the Games Master and depends a lot on the ship in question. An Earth Alliance space liner (Colossal V size) as described in the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book may sport four particle beams but is still considered only lightly armed and does not require an armament license as its offensive capability is extremely limited compared to other Colossal V ships. In comparison, a Starfury only sports twin-linked uni-pulse cannon that actually inflict less damage than the space liner’s particle beams – but for a Huge craft this is more than enough to require an armament license if owned by a civilian (not to mention a lot of paperwork explaining how a civilian legally acquired a Starfury in the first place). General Exceptions Cargo and Escape Pods: These do not require registry; they only need to be programmed with the registry of the ship upon which they are berthed. Military Ships: As can be surmised, military ships do not require payment of registration fees or armament costs. Such costs are either waived by the government that supports the military or are paid by the military body itself (usually the former).

Shuttles and Fighters: These and other subordinate craft require registry but are generally permanently registered along with their parent craft. Add their costs on to the costs of the parent craft. This includes the cost for arming them, in the case of fighters. If a ship is carrying armed fighters, it must have an armament license itself. Racial Exceptions Abbai, Gaim, Minbari and Pak’ma’ra: These governments do not charge their civilian populace registry fees. They must still be registered – there is simply no fee attached. Similarly, they offer no surcharge for armament of a civilian ship. Centauri: The bearing of arms is considered standard for Centauri vessels, a holdover from the old days when the Great Houses regularly battled each other. As a consequence, there is no Armament fee imposed for Centauri spacecraft. Narn: The Narn government is not as draconian in its registration fees as the Brakiri or EarthGov. Halve the registration and armament costs for Narn vessels.

Registration is not used solely to identify ships. Ships flying in governed space are usually required to file their flight plans, passenger lists and cargo manifests. This is done for a variety of reasons. Simple recordkeeping of interstellar trade requires tallying of how many loads of spoo are exported from Centauri Prime to Zhabar and how much cloth is moved from Brakos to Earth. Locating individuals who are travelling, in order to relay messages to them, is also a vital concern – it is not possible to randomly broadcast a request for a specific individual who may be anywhere in hyperspace to ‘phone home’. The general location and direction of travel must be known. Governments pursuing fugitives or tracking suspected criminals also need to know this information, although few planning illegal acts fly under their own names. Lastly, the knowledge that a ship is overdue can be vital in

Commercial travel companies usually make their flight plans public; finding the location of such a craft is a simple matter of looking it up on a terminal. Other vessels, such as free traders, have a great interest in their competitors not knowing where they are heading to or what cargo they are carrying and so only file their data with the appropriate government offices, which normally have treaties in place to seal it unless authorised to release it. Locating such data can be done via computer hacking or good old fashioned ‘social engineering’. A Technical (electronics) check (DC 20) will reveal a commercial transport’s flight plan. Getting passenger lists or cargo manifests is more difficult (DC 25). Failure by more than 5 indicates the hacking attempt has been noticed. Social engineering is also commonly used. A passenger list will not be revealed to any random stranger but someone having proof they are a close relation or have a vital message which must be delivered can sometimes get a transport employee company to ‘bend the rules’ a bit. This is a Bluff check (DC 20) if no such relation truly exists and a Diplomacy (DC 15) check if is genuine. If documents (forged or genuine) showing proof of relation or a close business connection (‘He is my partner and if I do not get his approval for this contract, we’re both ruined!’) can be provided, a +5 circumstance bonus is granted to the check.

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Flight Plans and Manifests

saving it from some disaster; if a ship is more than 24 hours late for arrival, a general alarm is issued and, if possible, ships are dispatched along its projected travel route.

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Government officials have it easier. In most cases, extradition and other treaties will allow any ‘legitimate’ representative of the government or of civilian law enforcement (but not private security firms) to request such information.

Consequences of NonRegistration A ship which is out of registration, or which has never been registered or which is flying false colours (i.e, claiming false registration or registered improperly) is generally breaking interstellar law.

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If a ship is out of registration for more than 30 days and enters the territory in which it was formerly registered, it is subject to seizure and the owner and captain subject to arrest. Most often, though, this occurs only if the ship has been stolen, which the owner will presumably have reported long before the registration period expires. It is possible to plead extenuating circumstances but while the plea is being evaluated, the ship will be impounded and all officers will be detained. Usually, non-registration simply imposes heavy fines. Outside of its ‘home territory’, non-registered ships are generally left alone, as one race does not often concern itself with the details of another race’s bureaucracy. This changes, of course, if the ship is involved in a criminal act. ‘Travelling under false colours’ is usually tacked on to whatever other charges might be made. Generally speaking, fines will usually be 1d4% of the cost of the ship, plus an additional 1% for each month out of registration. Filing a false travel plan, passenger list or cargo manifesto is fined at 0.5% of the cost of the ship, unless doing so was ‘for criminal purposes’ or ‘to harbour known fugitives’. In such cases, fines will 2+1d4% of the cost of the ship and, if the fugitives were wanted for capital crimes, prison terms of 1d6 months. This is a baseline and will vary from government to government.

Smuggling and Contraband

Perhaps the crime most likely to involve Player Characters is smuggling. Player Characters are always trying to get around, under or through the law and tend to feel naked without enough personal armament and milspec gear to outfit a small mercenary unit. Furthermore, many of the activities in which Player Characters are involved tend to involve moving items from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ without

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being intercepted, all of which leads to a need to have solid rules on what characters can and can not cart around and what happens if and when they are caught.

Legality Class In order to boil down the hundreds of thousands of pages of interstellar law into a few simple game rules, the concept of Legality Class is introduced. The Legality Class of an item indicates if it is legal to own or transport and what rules, if any, are associated with it. Note that Legality Class is often contextual. A licensed doctor has the right to own, buy or use many restricted pharmaceuticals; a typical lurker does not. A licensed weapon dealer may have the right to hold a stockpile of guns and to show samples to legitimate clients, while a known felon does not. Some entities may arrange for special permission to own otherwise forbidden items; IPX has an exclusive right to own, investigate and transport alien technology which other private corporations are forbidden to own. Class 5 Forbidden: The item is not legal to possess in any way. Even bringing it into the controlling government’s space is a crime. The item will absolutely be seized and the owners or crew of the ship will be subject to criminal charges, ranging from fines to imprisonment and impounding of the ship. A ship will rarely, if ever, openly declare the possession of such an item; it will do so only if it is not known how criminal the item is in the current territory. Depending on the relationships between the government controlling the territory and the government owning the ship, they may open fire out of hand. Examples would include genetically tailored viruses targeted at the species which controls the territory, Shadow or Vorlon weapons technology (which the government would seize for its own purposes or just to keep out of the hands of other species) and similar items too dangerous for a government to permit to remain controlled by anyone else. Class 4 Illegal: The item is illegal to own, buy, sell or transport but it is possible to negotiate. Most often, a ship carrying such an item which declares it will be asked to leave or to provide proof the item is legal at both the ships origin and destination and that it is ‘just passing through’. Even if such proof is provided, the ship will be watched closely and there may be surprise inspections or the like to make sure that all relevant laws are being obeyed. If the item is not declared and is found later, it will be treated as Class 5. This category also includes dealing in or knowingly possessing

stolen goods, though this requires that the government recognise them as stolen. Class 3 Illegal to Transport, Buy or Sell: This applies to items which may be legally possessed but not bought, sold or transported within the territory. A good example is powerful weapons systems. A Narn ship carrying fusion bombs for delivery to a Narn military outpost, but which has stopped at Babylon 5 for resupply, has every right to carry the weapons – but not to sell them. It is often the case that this category applies to information as much as to goods; many governments strictly regulate what books, films, works of art and so on may be bought or sold in their territory but understandably do not apply these laws to members of other species merely ‘passing through’. The pre- and post-Clark Administration Earth Alliance had very few such laws, making Babylon 5 a haven for the exchange of information.

Quarantine: An important subcategory of regulated goods is quarantined goods. Many governments rightfully fear the introduction of organisms that can be harmful to their ecosystem, from diseases against which local lifeforms lack immunity to herbivore species with no natural predators to fast-growing plants which can choke native agriculture. Often, specimens need to be held for some time before they can be released for sale. In many systems, goods to be quarantined are offloaded and stored by the buyer, with payment pending on the end of quarantine. However, if a quarantine is newly imposed the shipper may be responsible for storage: ‘Didn’t you hear? All plant life from Beta Durani is being tested for Netter’s Syndrome. You can’t unload that until it has been cleared by the inspectors.’ Class 1 Tariffed: The item is not illegal to buy, possess, transport or sell… but there is a price. Governments often wish to protect local businesses from foreign competition or simply get a piece of the action when goods cross into their territory. ‘Sin taxes’ which are designed to discourage self-destructive behaviour (or simply fatten government

Declaring Items It is generally the case that a ship not currently docked at a starbase or landed on a planet is considered to be in the territory of the government under which it is registered. That being the case, it is usually customary to declare a full cargo manifest upon entering a star system or approaching a starbase for docking. If the cargo is illegal or restricted, the ship will be informed of this and may take appropriate steps, as follows: Turn and Leave: Unless the item declared is Legality Class 5, a ship carrying it will be permitted to leave the system unharmed, provided it does so by the most direct possible route. Abandon Goods: A ship may be willing to simply dump illegal cargo into space. This is likely to be done if they were unaware it was illegal or if they are desperate to dock or land.

Travelling

Class 2 Regulated: The item is not out-and-out illegal, but there are regulations on its use. Smuggling, in this case, does not involve possession of the item, but violation of the regulations associated with its ownership or use. Medical drugs, personal weapons, code breaking or communication interception tools, and so on, are items typical of Class 2. Misuse of a regulated item is usually met with fines, with criminal charges only against the actual person misusing it, not the transporter or dealer, unless there is evidence they knowingly violated laws (such as selling weapons without performing background checks).

coffers) are commonplace. Furthermore, some goods require more government regulation and oversight to keep safe, and tariffs pay for these. Smuggling Class I items usually involves trying to duck the tariffs. This can be done in order to undermine a competitor on prices or to make an otherwise unprofitable trip profitable by cutting out an expense. The higher the tariffs, the more likely it will be that smugglers will seek to avoid them, and the more effort will be spent to catch them. Generally, smuggling tariffed goods results only in seizure of the goods and a hefty fine (usually several times what the tariff would have been).

Lockdown: Goods of Legality Class 3 or less may be declared to be ‘Secured’. They will not leave the ship and no one other than the ships crew will have access to them. Inspections of the storage facilities and careful monitoring of the ship is assumed but the less illegal the goods are, the lighter the observation or security requirements will be. Compliance: For Legality Class 1 or 2 goods, the ship may simply choose to comply with all regulations – paying the tariffs, obeying restrictions on sale and so on. The simple declaration of an intent to obey the law and a legally-binding statement that the laws are both known and understood is usually enough.

Smuggling Of course, there are times when the legal route is not the one chosen. The motives for smuggling are nearly as numerous as the goods which can be smuggled and the line between hero and villain is very thin. The same smuggler who runs arms to Narn rebels fighting the Centauri may also carry guns to Homeguard terrorists or to simple thugs

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Travelling

in Downbelow. A Brakiri merchant may simply chafe at high tariff rates and wish to avoid them for his own profit, while the Drazi may deliberately run around Hurr border patrols in order to flood the markets of their neighbours with cheap goods as a form of economic warfare.

sensors. This is usually done via either blocking the sensors or designing packaging to emit false traces. Note that sensor-screening techniques are often illegal and are always viewed with suspicion; if they are detected, a detailed search of the craft will most likely be called for.

Avoiding Detection

Detection is a Search check performed by the customs agent, against a DC determined by the nature of the screening. The cost of sensor-shielded or false-reading containers is based on the degree of security and the size of the container, as shown on the Screening and Screening Modifiers tables.

The first thing to do, of course, is to avoid anyone knowing characters have the goods – though sometimes, for relatively legal items, this is not necessary. Legality Class 3 and below items will not, in and of themselves, cause a ship to be seized or items confiscated (usually) and it might be best to declare them, if the heightened awareness caused by such a declaration will not undermine plans for smuggling. For example, a Brakiri ship is hauling a hundred pounds of refined plutonium, a Legality Class 3 substance in Earth Alliance space (and even then, only with a mountain of paperwork on file authorising the transport ship to be carrying it and documenting the safety protocols being followed). The radiation is hard to mask, so it declares it upon exit from the Babylon 5 jump gate. Once the ship is docked, the captain begins the complex problem of removing a pound or two of the material and getting it into the hands of a Human who claims he needs it for ‘humanitarian purposes’. Generally, though, it is best for a would-be smuggler to not let anyone know he has any goods they may be concerned about. Sensors in the Babylon 5 era are very sophisticated. Across the void of space, they can sense the number of life forms on a ship, the use of active power sources and a wide range of energy emissions. A decent sensor scan can identify the size, class and tech level of a ship with ease. Avoiding these sensors takes considerable effort. Here are some common methods: Screening: If the goods being smuggled leave even small traces, such as low levels of radiation leaking into space or traces of biological residue, it is best to screen them from

Thus, a Large shielded cargo compartment with a base Search DC of 16 would cost 7,000 credits to install on a ship. The actual DC will 15, due to the container’s size. To set up a compartment or container to emit false traces requires somewhat more work. This will triple the final cost of the container but it requires two successful checks to detect the subterfuge. The second check is made with a +4 circumstance bonus but only those with a very strong suspicions are likely to scan a container twice.

Screening Search DC 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Cost 1,000 cr. 2,000 cr. 3,500 cr. 5,500 cr. 7,000 cr. 10,000 cr. 13,500 cr. 17,500 cr. 22,000 cr.

Scanning Modifiers Circumstances Centauri technology Minbari technology Military base or exceptionally secure station (this includes the Babylon 5 station) Backwater or colony world/system No jump gate in-system Time of heightened alert (War or Hostility) Inbound ship is government or military ship under the command of the system’s controller Each separate shielded or false-reading compartment or area

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Search Check Modifiers +2 +4 +2 –2 –2 +2 –2 to manual scans only +1

Screening Modifiers Size Tiny Small Medium Large Huge Gargantuan

Cost Modifier X 1/4 X 1/2 X1 X2 X4 X8

DC Adjustment +2 +1 0 –1 –2 –4

Performing A Scan Scans can be remote or hands-on, performed by automated sensors as a ship passes out of a jump gate or by a team of specialists prowling the cargo holds with advanced tools. The general protocol is determined by the Security Level of the system (see page 5). Also apply any relevant modifiers from the Scanning Modifiers table. Open: Automated scans will be performed if the ship approaches a starbase on an intercept course or asks for docking or landing clearance at a space station or city. The base Search bonus of the scan is +6.

Medium: As for Low, but manual scans will be performed when the ship approaches for docking. The base Search bonus is +8 for automated systems and +10 for manual scans. High: As for Medium, but patrol ships with crews manning sensor suites regularly criss-cross the region and will run scans on ships which have already ‘passed’, in case someone missed something. The base Search bonus is +10 for automated systems and +12 for manual scans. Very High: As for High, except that manual scans of all ships are performed immediately upon a ship being detected insystem and the Search bonuses are +12 for automated and +14 for manual.

Example Dallas Luchenko, captain of the Earth Alliance registered trader Aeolus, enters the Epsilon Eridani system through Babylon 5’s jump gate. He is carrying a Small container of stolen thetagrade crystal resonators, normally restricted to purely military use (these are Legality Class 4). Dallas has paid handsomely for the container which has a Search DC of 27 (at a cost of 8,750 credits). Epsilon Eridani has a Security Level of Very High and gains a +2 bonus for being an exceptionally secure station.

Hands-on Searches Hands-on searches of ships generally occur only if the ship is extremely likely to be smuggling or if very few ships pass through a region of high security. They are not like the manual scans discussed in the Performing a Scan section – true searches involve a lot more than simply waving a scanners over a cargo hold. Most trading ports, such as Babylon 5, conduct some ‘random’ searches, in order to keep ships on their toes. A trader can never be 100% sure his ship will not come up for such a search. Much like the ‘random’ audits used by the Internal Revenue Service of Earth during the 20th and 21st centuries, though the randomness is minor. Every security worker has his own personal set of ‘suspicious traits’ that he keeps an eye out for. Typical things which may trigger a hands-on inspection are: G Missing or out-of-date registration. G A flight plan leading from worlds known for their lax security or which are sources of illegal materials. G Strange gaps in a ship’s recorded travel history. G Prior convictions for smuggling. G An out-of-place cargo (‘So, you're carrying 5,000 gallons of pure mineral water you picked up cheap on Quadrant 7 in the Narn Regime? Right. Didn’t your contact tell you that’s a desert world?’). G An out-of-character cargo (‘You're an ore hauler, always have been… so what made you go into the spoo business?’). Reticence to undergo routine security scans. G Exceptional eagerness to permit searches (‘Anyone that eager to have me check the ship out has to be hiding something – he wants me to look and not find it so I don’t think about him when it shows up onboard the station.’)

Travelling

Low: Automated scans will be performed when a ship exits the jump gate or when it approaches an inhabited world or space station, as well as under the conditions noted above. The base Search bonus of the scan is at +8

The automated scan has a total +14 bonus but only rolls a 2, for a total of 16 – not enough to detect the contraband. The manual scan is performed as the Aeolus comes in to dock with the station; this has a total bonus of +16 and rolls a 10 – not quite enough to detect the contraband. Dallas breathes a sigh of relief and docks without triggering a security alert.

Undergoing a search is a tedious process, as is performing it. While traditionally only cargo areas are searched, if there is ‘reasonable suspicion’ of smuggling, then crew quarters, control rooms and even access passages may be searched. Of course, 'reasonable suspicion' is something which varies greatly from one government or system to the next; a Centauri commissioner in charge of Transportation Security will invariably declare all Narn vessels as suspicious. Searching a ship takes time; this can prove vexing to ships on a tight schedule.

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The Hands-on Search Times table assumes a search staff of four people for a Cursory search, six for a full search and 12 for an Exacting search; doubling the number of search staff will halve the time it takes to complete the search. Ships on a tight schedule may plead to have more people assigned or to have the search reduced in detail; this is normally a DC 20 Diplomacy check and should be heavily modified by the relationship of the ship's captain or owner to whomever is overseeing the search. Searches are performed in one of three levels of detail: Cursory, Full and Exacting

Travelling

Cursory searches primarily involve the declared cargo of the ship. Cargo pods are checked and scanned to make sure they contain what they claim to. A few random containers will be opened to verify their contents. No searches of crew quarters, control rooms or non-cargo areas will be performed unless something suspicious turns up. The captain and crew are free to leave the ship during the search, though most captains prefer to remain onboard to keep an eye on the searchers. Full searches are usually performed when there is suspicion of criminal activity but no certainty. Cargo areas are thoroughly searched and several containers are opened to verify the contents. Weight and mass of random containers are checked for discrepancies. Public areas of the ship are searched but private quarters are not, unless something has turned up. The crew is generally permitted to leave the ship following a quick scan and ‘pat down’ style search.

Exacting searches are every smuggler’s nightmare. The ship is practically turned upside down as every square inch of the ship is checked for contraband. Crew are not permitted to leave the ship except for medical emergencies. All cargo containers are opened and scanned. Crew quarters and personal belongings are searched. This level of search occurs only when there is a high degree of certainty that easilyhidden contraband is on board the ship, such as Dust.

Hands-on Search Times Size Large or smaller Gargantuan Colossal Colossal II Colossal III Colossal IV or larger

Full 2 hours 4 hours 8 hours 16 hours 32 hours 64 hours

Exacting 3 hours 6 hours 12 hours 24 hours 48 hours 96 hours

Dealing with Hands-on Searches If a ship is carrying nothing illegal, then a search is a ‘mere’ inconvenience, though a sufficiently long search can cripple a ship’s flight schedule, causing it to miss vital appointments and possibly void contracts. For this reason, some unscrupulous traders with connections among the security or customs staff at a port will spread rumours that a particular ship is carrying contraband; while that ship is delayed, the other ship can speed ahead to secure a deal. If,

Hands-on Searches Modifiers Circumstances Each searcher who has at least 5 ranks in Search (other than head searcher) Total size of contraband (the sum of all smuggled items) Fine Tiny Small Large Huge Gargantuan Colossal Centauri technology Minbari technology Military base or exceptionally secure station (this includes the Babylon 5 station) Time of heightened alert (War or Hostility) Result of smuggler’s Hide check to conceal contraband 5 or less 6 to 10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 or more

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Cursory 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours 8 hours 16 hours 32 hours

Search Check DC Modifier –1 (max. –5) +8 +4 +1 –1 –4 –8 –16 –2 –4 –2 –2 –4 –2 +0 +2 +4

contraband is being carried, however, the captain and crew are in trouble if it should turn up. The chance of such material coming to light during a search depends on how in depth the search is and how well the material is hidden. A single vial of Dust hidden in a false heel in a crewman’s shoe is very unlikely to be found unless the searchers know precisely where to look; on the other hand, two tons of weapon components shipped in containers marked ‘Agricultural Supplies’ are very likely to be found by any competent search team. At the end of a search period, a Search check is made, using the searcher with the highest Search skill bonus. The base DC is 30 for a Cursory search, 25 for a Full search and 20 for an Exacting search. Apply any relevant modifiers from the Hands-on Searches Modifiers table.

Interfering with a hands-on search is a contested Bluff versus Sense Motive check, made against the searcher with the highest Search skill bonus. The check is contested against this person as he is the individual co-ordinating the overall search; distracting him can ruin the search’s overall efficiency. Players should roleplay this process or at least describe the actions taken to confound the search. For every two points by which the Bluff result exceeds the Sense Motive result, the DC of the Search check increases by +1 (maximum +5 increase). Failing the contested roll normally means that the distracter has simply failed to suitable divert the lead searcher’s attention; however, if the Sense Motive result exceeded the Bluff result by 10 or more points, the search team immediately becomes suspicious of the distracter and his cargo. This normally results in the search being upgraded (from Cursory to Full, for example) and criminal charges may be pressed against the distracter, even if no contraband is discovered.

Example The Aeolus may have docked safely but its troubles are not over. Zack Allen pays attention to the wider galaxy and is aware of the crystal resonator theft from Proxima IV – and the Aeolus is the first ship to pass through Babylon 5 that has passed through the Proxima system since the reported theft. As such, he orders six of his men to perform a Full search upon

Step 1 – Legality Class of Contraband 1 2 3 4 5

Typical Bribe

1d3 X 50 cr. 1d3 X 100 cr. 1d3 X 250 cr. 1d3 X 400 cr. 1d3 X 500 cr. Bribe Step 2 – Size of Contraband Multiplier Fine X 1/4 Tiny X 1/2 Small X1 Medium X2 Huge X4 Gargantuan X 10 Colossal X 20 Steps 1 and 2 generate the ‘typical bribe’ amount – compare this amount to the ‘bribe offered’ to see how effective the bribe is. Step 3 – Result of smuggler’s Bribe Knowledge check1 Multiplier 10 or less X 1/4 11 to 15 X 1/2 16 or more to 20 X1 Step 4 – Result of smuggler’s Bribe Sense Motive check2 Multiplier 10 or less X 1/4 11 to 15 X 1/2 16 or more to 20 X1 Steps 3 and 4 generate the ‘bribe offered’ – the amount the smuggler offers the official.

Travelling

It may be possible to distract or confuse the searchers. Doing this is risky, though, as the searchers will redouble their efforts if they suspect a deliberate effort is being made to hinder them. Depending on the seriousness of the suspected crime, criminal charges of interfering with a lawful search may be filed. At best, the crew will be forcible escorted off the ship and held until the search is complete.

Determining a Bribe

Part of the smuggler’s art is knowing how much to bribe a particular kind of official in a particular sector of space. Knowledge (local) is the best skill to use. However, a Knowledge (star system) check may be made instead with only a –2 penalty, or a Knowledge (sector) check with a –4 penalty. A Profession (smuggler) check may be substituted with no penalties. The smuggler can choose to Take 10 (but not 20) if he wishes. This is how veteran smugglers always seem to know how to grease the right palm the right way. 2 Smugglers have to judge the particular person they are bribing very carefully; the result of their Sense Motive check represents their evaluation of the customs official. The smuggler cannot choose to Take 10 or 20 on this check. 1

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Dallas’ ship –it will take four hours to complete this search upon the Gargantuan craft. The Search check DC is calculated normally: 25 – 2 (two of the customs officials have 5 ranks in Search) +1 (the contraband is of Small size) – 2 (as Babylon 5 is an exceptionally secure station) = 22. Dallas’ Hide check to conceal the resonators is 27, raising the Search DC to 24. In addition, Dallas decides to try and distract the head searcher as much as possible, making a Bluff check with a result of 23 – compared to the head searcher’s Sense Motive result of 16, Dallas manages to raise the DC of the Search check by a further +3, to a final DC of 27. The head searcher only has a total Search bonus of +12 but rolls a 19 for a total of 31 – more than enough to spot the hidden container masquerading as a comms console. Things do not look good for Dallas…

Travelling

Suffering the Consequences If contraband is found, the smugglers must decide what to do. Generally, combat is pointless. While it might be possible to kill a search team, the smuggler’s ship is most likely docked, with little chance of leaving before an appropriate response to the assault is mounted. Even if the ship can somehow leave dock following the killing of the customs agents, the firepower of the station will be brought to bear. Lastly, even if the ship manages, against all odds, to enter hyperspace, its identity will be broadcast near and far. Not even the most foolish or desperate smugglers

would attempt to blast their way out of such a situation. If the smugglers are caught in deep space, with the search party boarding from another craft, the situation changes somewhat. Challenging the findings is the most common response: ‘It’s not mine!’, ‘I don’t know how that got there!’ and ‘I didn’t know that was illegal!’ are all common pleas. Depending on the nature of the smuggled goods, such claims might even work, though seizure of the contraband is virtually inevitable. Capitulating with good grace to the authorities and paying the fine is often the simplest choice, though this is generally done only if the fines are relatively low and the goods only marginally illegal (Legality Class 1 or 2). Otherwise, fighting the charges in the hopes of scoring a plea bargain is usually the preferred course of action. Of course, this in turn depends on the nature of the law in the area in which the smuggler has been caught. It is said there is no Narn word for ‘plea bargain’. Bribery is a classic response. Customs officials are often overworked and underpaid and many will take the job primarily in the hopes of under-the-table personal aggrandisement. While the security force on Babylon 5 was hand-picked by Mr Garibaldi and has one of the lowest records of corruption anywhere, it is still not entirely free of those willing to look the other way for a few credits. Security forces in other ports of call are often ‘on the take’. Centauri, in particular, view bribery as part of their payment package

Bribery Modifiers Circumstances Bribe offered is less than typical bribe Bribe offered is half of typical bribe or less Bribe offered is one quarter of typical bribe or less Bribe is double or more the typical bribe Bribe is triple or more the typical bribe Official is stationed on a military base or exceptionally secure station (this includes the Babylon 5 station) Time of heightened alert (War or Hostility) Official is: Centauri Brakiri Drazi Narn

Minbari

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Diplomacy check DC modifier +2 +5 Check automatically fails –2 –4 +2 +2 –4 –2 –1 –2 unless working directly for the Narn Regime or Babylon 5, in which case +2 +8

and expect a few credits to not find problems even when there is nothing to find. Minbari are nigh-incorruptible; Narn are hard to bribe when they are working for the Regime but are more likely to let some things pass when working for other races, especially if the smuggler is also Narn. An exception are the Narn working for Babylon 5 security; they are committed to demonstrating their loyalty and value and will even turn in their fellow Narn, often lecturing them on the shame they are bringing to their own people.

Comparing the typical bribe to the bribe offered is one of the key factors in determining how effective a bribe attempt is. The bribe attempt itself is a Diplomacy check. The base DC is 15, plus the Legality Class of the smuggled goods x 5. Apply any relevant modifiers from the Bribery Modifiers table.

Example Dallas has been caught smuggling by a sharp-eyed Babylon 5 customs official. Rather than own up to the crime and suffer under Earth Alliance law, the captain attempts to bribe the official. The Games Master rolls 1D3 and multiplies the result by 400 credits, which comes to a typical bribe figure of 800 credits. As the contraband is of Small size, the multiplier is only X1. Now it is time to determine if Dallas knows the art of greasing palms as much thoroughly as he thinks he does. As a seasoned smuggler, Dallas takes 10 on a Knowledge (Epsilon Eridani star system) check, for a final result of 17. His Sense Motive check does not fare so well and his total result is only 14. By multiplying the typical bribe by X 1/2, Dallas’ final bribe offered is 400 credits – half the typical bribe amount. The DC for the Diplomacy check is already a daunting 35 as the resonators are Legality Class 4. By only offering half the typical bribe and with Babylon 5 being an exceptionally secure station, the DC rises to 42. Dallas has a total Diplomacy bonus of +16 and rolls an 18 for a total of 34 – not enough to bribe the loyal Babylon 5 official. As he failed the check by more than 5, his cargo is confiscated, his ship is impounded and Dallas Luchenko is taken into custody on charges of smuggling and attempted bribery.

Travelling

A ‘typical bribe’ depends on the Legality Class of the item and the amount the shady character is trying to smuggle. Steps 1 and 2 in the Determining a Bribe table generate the typical bribe amount. Steps 3 and 4 determine whether a smuggler misjudges this amount in practice and generates the ‘bribe offered’ – note that a smuggler must make the Knowledge and Sense Motive checks designated. A natural 1 rolled on either check results in a drastic overestimate on the smuggler’s part – apply a X2 multiplier instead of the listed multiplier. Note that it is possible for the smuggler to deliberately roll a natural 1, though this must be decided before a check is made. This represents a smuggler with plenty of cash trying to ensure he gets his goods through customs by offering ludicrous amounts of money to the official.

the customs official or security officer to turn the smuggler in for bribery.

The Games Master should apply common sense. A Centauri merchant would almost never be able to successfully bribe a Narn; most likely, the Narn will take the credits and report the smuggled goods anyway. An existing relationship between the smuggler and the guard, or a belief on the part of the guard that the smuggled goods should not be illegal, may create a bonus to the check. If the goods are things the guard finds personally offensive, there is likely to be a penalty to the check. Failing the roll by 5 or more causes

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Equipment Appendix

Equipment

Many of the items discussed below distinguish between Earth Alliance, Narn, Centauri and Minbari versions, to account for the differences in technology between the major cultures of the galaxy. While these differences are generally small for common items, they are useful for highlighting the distinctions between societies, especially since such small enhancements are not widely known. For other races, the Games Master should use equivalent technology. Most League worlds are close to Earth or Narn technology levels, though the Brakiri are on a par with the Centauri in some areas and the Vree are close to Minbari levels. Some starfaring races fall below the tech level of the Earth Alliance and their equipment should be, in general, heavier and less reliable. The Zocalo sourcebook has detailed rules for modelling items made by differing races. Some might ask why the Earth Alliance does not simply buy Minbari or Centauri equipment, rather than use their own slightly inferior technology. Certainly, some individuals do make such purchases. However, bulk sales of technology between governments are rare, for several reasons. First, the delicate dance of interstellar politics has many unexpected steps and changes of tune. The loyal ally of today can be the hated enemy of tomorrow and it is a foolish government which arms or equips a potential foe. Second, governments do not wish to become dependent on foreign suppliers. A race which purchases all of its technology from another becomes, in effect, a client of that race with no native industry. The dominant races of the galaxy are those with their own native industrial and technological infrastructures. For example, while the Narn learned most of their science from stolen Centauri technology, they learned it – they did not merely seize and refit Centauri ships, they studied them and learned to build their own and continually work to enhance their understanding. The Earth Alliance bought weapons from the Narn but those were emergency supplies, not a replacement for their own military R&D programs.

Encounter (Pressure) Suits

Sooner or later, any regular space traveller will find himself needing to walk into hard vacuum with nothing but a thin layer of microweave alloys and advanced polymers between his body and the void. Searing heat, inconceivable cold, lethal radiation and the vast emptiness which is vacuum are all kept at bay by these suits. Small wonder that considerable

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effort is spent on improving, modifying and perfecting them. Veteran spacehands often have many superstitions and rituals regarding their personal suits.

Encounter Suit Rules These rules can be used in situations when time is of the essence or when they are dramatically appropriate and add tension or excitement. They should not be used when the characters are performing routine work in non-stressful situations. Generally, encounter suits are designed to be idiot proof but they assume a small level of training and familiarity. Anyone from a spacefaring culture will usually take a short course in basic suit operation; this is assumed to be the case for any Babylon 5 character whose career or life is likely to take them off world. This includes all those with any levels in the Officer or Soldier class, all warrior caste Minbari, and any Worker or Scientist whose career puts him among the stars. In the event that a character does not fall into these categories, whether or not they have had any basic space training is up to the Player and should reflect the character’s background and history. Even with no training, common cultural information for anyone from a starfaring culture allows them to know what an encounter suit is and the basics of what characters do with it. The suits themselves contain computers which will issue usage instructions when picked up, unless this feature has been deactivated. In short, to fail to put a suit on properly when not under stressful conditions requires either a total lack of familiarity with the concept of a space suit or stupidity of such a degree that the species will be genetically enhanced by the character’s death. Encounter suits come in two pieces: A lower piece (which covers the legs and waist) and an upper piece (which covers the head, arms and torso). The upper piece has gloves and a helmet fastened to the sleeves and neck by default, though these can be fully removed. Encounter suits are self-sealing and aware of missing or improperly attached components. A suit will alert the wearer if the seals are not secure. Components of suits from different races are generally not compatible with each other. A Technical (electronics or space travel) check (DC 15) can be made to attempt to interface different technologies, such as a Narn lower portion with an EarthForce upper portion. All suits made by the Interstellar Alliance are designed to inter-operate and will fit and function efficiently for most oxygen-breathing humanoids.

Minbari suits can patch holes of up to four holes of less than one inch. Note that corrosive atmospheres may damage the wearer of a suit upon even a brief exposure; in the time it takes for the suit to seal even a small hole, the wearer will take 1d2 points of damage.

Putting on a Suit

Removing a Suit Opening a helmet or unfastening the gloves is a standard action. Removing the suit entirely takes one minute. Again, this can be rushed but there are risks. Removing a suit more rapidly requires a Technical (space travel) check. The DC is 15 to remove a suit faster and it takes 1d6 rounds. Failure indicates the suit was somehow damaged during the process of taking it off or the suit has become snagged or tangled and takes two minutes to remove.

Suit Damage Encounter suits are designed to resist minor damage. All of them have a limited self-sealing capacity and have multiple layers of cloth and reinforcement. An encounter suit can survive a realistic deep space work environment. As such, damage to the suit should occur only under exceptional conditions, such as combat, exposure to unusually sharp shrapnel or deliberate attempts to rip or puncture the suit. EarthForce, Narn and Centauri suits can have sufficient auto-seal capability that up to four holes of less than 1/4 inch in diameter will automatically seal themselves.

Patching A Suit Fortunately, all suits come with a few patches, stored in an external compartment, which can be applied quickly. These patches will cover tears up to three inches in diameter. Retrieving the patch and applying it will take 1d4 rounds. At the Games Master’s discretion, a Will save (DC 14) may be required to remain calm in the face of this crisis; it takes a certain degree of training and control for a character to calmly find and apply a patch when his oxygen is leaking into space.

Equipment

It takes two minutes to suit up under most circumstances. This can be rushed but there are risks. Suiting up more rapidly requires a Technical (space travel) check. The DC is 15 to suit up in one minute or 25 to suit up faster (1d6 rounds). Failure means the suit is improperly sealed; failure by 10 or more indicates the suit was somehow damaged during the process.

If a rip or tear is beyond a suits auto-seal capacity, the wearer is in deep trouble. Internal ballooning will slow the leak but if the wearer cannot manually patch it up (see below) the suit will not be able to function for long. In 1d4 rounds (one round if the leak is more than two inches in diameter), the character will begin to suffer suffocation from vacuum exposure, as well as the effects of extreme cold. The suit will continue to protect him from radiation or heat as long as it is at least 90% intact.

Maintenance Space is a hostile environment and keeping an encounter suit functioning takes some effort. In situations where a technical staff or crew is present, there is no need for Players to worry about suit maintenance; it is done in the background. If the Player Characters have only themselves to rely on – such as the crew of a small freighter or a squadron of Narn mercenaries – then they must take care of their suits. For every 24 hours of use, a DC 10 Technical (engineering or space travel) check must be made to keep the suit in perfect working order. If the check fails or maintenance is not performed, the suit loses 25% of its life support capacity due to minor leaks, clogged tubes, poorly sealed joints and so on. The DC of the check increases by

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Encounter Suits Government Centauri Republic Centauri Republic Earth Alliance Earth Alliance Earth Alliance Earth Alliance Minbari Federation Minbari Federation Minbari Federation Narn Regime Narn Regime 1

Equipment

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Suit Basic Advanced Basic Advanced Long-Term Combat Basic Survival Long-Term Basic Boarding

Cost 1,800 cr. 3,000 cr. 950 cr. 2,500 cr. 4,000 cr. 3,500 cr. 2,000 cr. 4,500 cr. n/a 1,200 cr. 4,000 cr.

Weight 28 lb. 18 lb. 32 lb. 20 lb. 40 lb. 35 lb. 25 lb. 18 lb. 21 lb. 30 lb. 35 lb.

DR1 1 (2) 1 (2) 1 (2) 1 (2) 1 (2) 3 (4) 1 (2) 3 (4) 2 (3) 2 (3) 4 (3)

Skill Penalty –2 –1 –3 –2 –4 –4 –2 –2 –2 –3 –3

Defence Penalty –2 –2 –3 –2 –4 –1 –2 –1 –2 –3 –1

Base Speed Reduction –5 ft. –10 ft. –10 ft. –5 ft. –15 ft. –10 ft. — –5 ft. –5 ft. –10 ft. –5 ft.

Operation Time2 12 hours 24 hours 12 hours 18 hours 36 hours 8 hours 24 hours 48 hours 96 hours 8 hours 4 hours

Encounter suits use the bracketed Damage Reduction against any kind of heat or cold damage, including PPG fire. The duration that a suit can sustain life before needing to be recharged and resupplied (with fresh oxygen mix and so on).

+2 for each 24 hour period of use between maintenance. Maintaining a suit takes one hour and requires specific tools available in an encounter suit maintenance kit.

Furthermore, all encounter suits incur a penalty upon a wearer’s Defence Value and base speed (apart from some Minbari versions).

Encounter Suit Modifiers

Centauri Republic Encounter Suits Basic: Centauri suits are efficient, functional and have been made to a standard design for nearly a century.

Encounter suits are the products of very advanced engineering, but most of them are still bulky and clumsy to wear, especially in normal gravity. This is reflected in the optional skill penalty listed on the Encounter Suits table – this penalty may be safely ignored if this level of detail is not required. The skill penalty is applied to the following skills so long as the suit is worn: Balance, Climb, Jump, Move Silently and Tumble. The skill penalty is also applied to the following skills so long as gloves are worn: Forgery, Medical, Sleight of Hand and Technical (if the task requires fine manipulation or control, not if it is purely knowledge based). Removing gloves in conditions where a suit is necessary is not advised; the user will take damage as if exposed to vacuum for 1d4 rounds until safety features seal the wrists of the suit. The sheer agony of having one’s hands exposed to vacuum will generally mean they become useless for whatever task they are required for in any case, though a successful Will save (DC 20) may allow a single action without penalty. If the user remains ungloved for ten rounds or longer, the damage to the hands from capillary explosions, cold and radiation will be so great that amputation will be required.

Advanced: These suits are made to be worn by nobles or high-ranking military officers and are usually issued on a prestige basis rather than a need basis. Earth Alliance Encounter Suits Basic: This encounter suit is identical to the pressure suit described in the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book. This suit is standard issue for the Earth Alliance and is the

most likely to be found on civilian ships or anywhere else a space suit is needed, unless there is an obvious special need for a different type of suit. Advanced: This suit contains more advanced engineering than the basic suit and is much lighter. It is used where longterm suit use is expected, such as deep space construction projects, airless colony worlds and other places where it is likely that suits will need to be worn often and for extended periods. Long-Term: This suit is somewhat heavier than the basic suit and much heavier than the advanced but it uses advanced recycling technologies to drastically extend its operation time. It is issued to explorers who must spend extended periods in airless terrain (such as those exploring deep in the ruins of a city on a world with an unbreathable atmosphere), deep space workers who have to perform very long-term tasks in vacuum and so on. It is rarely seen outside such specialised environments; it is too expensive and difficult to maintain to use it as a general-purpose survival suit.

Minbari Federation Encounter Suits Basic: The default Minbari suit, used by most members of all three castes when spacewalks are required. It will sustain life as efficiently as the Earth Alliance suit but it is lighter and more flexible. Many have found their way into the hands of non-Minbari, though flaunting this in front of members of the warrior caste is likely to lead to a violent beating and the suit being reclaimed, unless the wearer has some good reason for having one. Following the formation of the Interstellar Alliance, a variation of this design became the standard Anla’shok Ranger encounter suit. Survival: This suit is issued to Rangers and warrior caste members who are expected to be exposed to harsh conditions. It combines aspects of the long-term and combat suits of the Earth Alliance but Minbari technology makes it lighter than either. Long-Term: The Minbari have been in space for longer than any of the other Younger Races and they have had the opportunity to learn about what is necessary to sustain life for the longest possible time in the smallest possible frame. These suits are works of art and are often handed down from a master to an apprentice among the worker caste or given as a sign of great honour to a distinguished member of the warrior caste. Workers use these suits when performing specialised feats of deep space engineering, while warriors use them for more daring feats – such as drifting through

Narn Regime Encounter Suits Basic: The Narn suit is based heavily on Centauri technology but is bulkier and offers somewhat better combat protection, in exchange for a marked decrease in life support. Boarding: The Narn are masters of ship-to-ship combat, as they prefer to capture ships intact for technological study. It is no wonder that most of their soldiers are issued these heavily armoured suits. Almost all life support is sacrificed on the altar of combat efficiency. Narn soldiers grimly note that this encourages them to fight quickly.

Other Equipment Item Survival Bubble, EA or Narn Survival Bubble, Centauri Survival Bubble, Minbari Web Hammock Encounter Suit Maintenance Kit Sealed Crate, Small Sealed Crate, Medium Sealed Crate, Tiny Biometric Signature Emitter

Cost 100 125 200 50 25 400 800 300 1000

Weight 10 lb. 6 lb. 4 lb. 3 lb. 1 lb. 5 lb. 10 lb. 2 lb. 1 lb.

Equipment

Combat: This suit is relatively weak on life support but it is designed to keep the wearer alive during extreme circumstances, such as boarding actions or fighting on a ship without an atmosphere.

vacuum for days in order to slip through a sensor web. Prior to the dawn of the Interstellar Alliance, no non-Minbari had ever seen one (short of briefly, in combat), much less been issued one. Even in the 2260s, they are very rarely given to non-Minbari and they are never legally for sale.

Encounter Suit Maintenance Kit: A vital part of any spacer’s travel bag, this small set of tools, chemicals and sealants contains all the equipment required to keep an encounter suit in prime working condition. Biometric Signature Emitters: Legality Class 3 or 4 on most worlds, these devices can be used to store and then transmit a biometric signature. The signature (be it fingerprint, DNA sample or retinal scan) to be used must be acquired directly; it cannot be synthesised and fingerprints left on a glass or a photograph of an eye do not contain enough data to provide a working copy. Once captured, a signature may be replicated and transmitted by the emitter like any other kind of data. Sealed Crate: Sealed crates are storage units which are designed to be perfectly secure – airtight, radiation resistant, and capable of blocking most forms of electromagnetic radiation. There are many valid uses for such crates but there are also some shadier uses – namely smuggling. Most such crates are used to hold goods which cannot survive in a normal atmosphere – providing a perfect excuse to not open them to customs officials.

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Survival Bubble: When folded, a survival bubble is a block of clear plastic approximately one foot by one foot by three inches affixed to a rectangular block of machinery approximately six inches by six inches by one inch. The entire assembly weighs 10 lbs. When in use, it is a bubble eight feet in diameter, capable of holding one person comfortably or two uncomfortably.

Equipment

To use a survival bubble, it must be shaken out, revealing something akin to a large garbage bag. The user steps inside and seals it. Once sealed, it is activated and fills with air from the attached tank. It is also heated to a comfortable temperature. A shortrange homing beacon is also activated. A survival bubble is not a lifepod and is designed primarily to keep people alive inside a damaged ship – for example, the crew of a free trader might use them if a cargo container they are working inside has been breached. Survival bubbles have no food or water and only limited air recycling. Earth Alliance and Narn bubbles can keep one occupant alive for 12 hours or two alive for six hours. Centauri bubbles can keep one occupant alive for 18 hours or two alive for nine hours and weigh 8 lbs. Minbari can keep one occupant alive for 24 hours or two alive for 12 hours and weigh 6 lbs. Survival bubbles cannot be reused. Web Hammock: A web hammock is used when sleeping in microgravity. It is designed to attach to any convenient hooks or protrusions and it also comes with two powerful electromagnets (each capable of supporting up to 300 lbs.) which can be used to affix the hammock to bare metal walls, provided the walls are contain some magnetic material. The electromagnets have a 48 hour charge. The hammock itself is made of very light but very strong plastic fibres, which have a limited degree of shape memory. The fibres are soft, so that jostling against them due to acceleration will not wake the sleeper and are resilient enough so that they do not cut into the skin, even in the event of a sudden change in gravity. The hammock is closed from inside by a fastening a few tabs. Skilled space travellers can usually set up and enter a hammock in under a minute; the inexperienced will usually fumble with it for 1d6 minutes before settling in. Exiting a hammock is a full round action for the experienced and will take 1d4+1 rounds for the novice traveller.

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Starship Equipment Hyperspace Buoys The ship is equipped with a number of hyperspace buoys, which it can drop as it travels through hyperspace far off the main jump routes. This allows it to explore the galaxy and seek out strange new worlds. It is primarily exploration ships that are equipped with these devices, though they might also serve to lead a larger, military fleet to an ambush point without using other signals that could theoretically be intercepted. The beacons can be set to a preselected frequency that is not casually detectable. 50,000 credits per buoy; 25,000 credits to add launcher. Each buoy is a Medium size item and occupies 200 lbs. of cargo space. Buoys have a DR of 6, 20 hit points and a DV of 10.

Rules Appendix

size or relative toughness of a ship matters little to this as the constant grinding effect wears away all kinds of ship equally, though those with living ships can repair this damage extremely quickly.

This section of the Galactic Guide contains rules related to character generation, environmental effects and expanded guidelines for climates, asteroid belts and gravity diving.

Asteroid Belts

‘We’ll lose the Void-eaters in the asteroid belt! It’s only ten klicks from here!’ ‘Are you mad? No one can fly a Starfury through an asteroid belt! We’ll be killed!’ ‘Hey, don’t you trust me?’ ‘No.’ from Furious Stars 2: Revenge of the Spacedemon, 2258

This is not to say that there are no dangers whatsoever to a belt, only that they are not as dramatic as often presented. Belts are relatively dense with dust, pebbles and smaller rocks – harmless in themselves but potentially lethal to small ships which move at high speeds. All of space contains some such debris but, in most cases, the density is so low that the odds of a collision are far below what any random system could meaningfully generate. Ships moving at full speed through an asteroid belt risk slow ablation of their hulls and, in extremely dense belts, collision with larger rocks. ‘Larger’ in this case means roughly fist-sized. Furthermore, metal-rich belts can interfere with some communications and sensors. The superstructure damage column only applies to ships travelling faster than the maximum safe speed and represents the slow abrasion that can occur as microparticles continually pound away at a ship’s hull in a belt. The

Climactic Variability

Climactic variability is a combination of several factors – axial tilt, orbital eccentricity and so on. Rather than provide pages of formulae, this system abstracts everything into a single number and allows the Games Master to provide a rationale if one is required. To determine various temperature averages, use the formulae given in the Seasonal Temperatures table, where AET = Average Equatorial Temperature and V = Variability. Note that ‘summer’ and ‘winter’ are used for convenience; for these purposes, ‘summer’ means the hottest point as a combination of orbit, tilt and other factors while ‘winter’ means the lowest point as a combination of the same factors.

Rules

Such scenes as the one above induce peals of laughter in any spacer, especially those who dwell in the asteroid belts. Asteroid belts are not dense fields of giant rocks, rolling and tumbling past each other; nor are they demarcated by precise boundaries. ‘Entering’ and ‘leaving’ an asteroid belt is a matter of degrees, not absolutes.

The chance of collision is the possibility of encountering a hunk of rock large enough to do meaningful damage but small enough that it will not be sensed and avoided long before collision is imminent. Collision with larger rocks should follow the normal collision rules and should only occur as part of a planned encounter, not due to random travel damage. For example, raiders may have a base in a large asteroid and fly out to attack a Starfury which has come too close; under such conditions, the Starfury may end up smashing into the rock, just as it might theoretically smash into a large spaceship. However, if it is simply flying through the region, it is almost impossible to hit the rock except by deliberate action. There are simply too few large rocks in any belt, even the most dense, to have a chance of an accidental collision.

Note that these are averages and can be greatly affected on a day-to-day basis by many factors. Worlds often have warming or cooling ocean currents which make regions unusually warm or cold; in addition, geothermal activity, wind patterns, cloud cover and so on can all change temperature by tens of degrees. Temperature can vary by tens of degrees from day to night, especially if there is no cloud cover and no bodies of water nearby to serve to

Travelling through Asteroid Belts Belt Density Light Average Dense Very Dense

Maximum safe speed in AU/24 hours 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.5

Superstructure Damage Light Light Light Moderate

Collision chance/hour — — 1% 2%

Collision damage — — AU X 1d20 AU X 1d20

Sensor operation penalty — — –1 to –2 –3 to –5

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Seasonal Temperatures Season/Location Average Temperate Average Cold Equatorial Summer Equatorial Winter Cold Summer Cold Winter Temperate Summer Temperate Winter Average Polar Polar Summer Polar Winter

Abbreviation AT AC ES EW CS CW TS TW AP PS PW

Hypoxia Formula AET – V AET – 2V AET + 1/2 V AET – 1/2 V AP + V AP – V AT + V AT – V AET – 3V AP + V AP – W

Rules

regulate temperature; assume temperature can decrease by 1/2V to V during night-time on most worlds. This can be important if, for example, the average temperature is just above freezing during the day; delicate equipment may be destroyed when the temperature dips at night. Extreme temperatures reflect the highest points reached at ‘ideal’ locations on the world – for example, the hottest deserts or the coldest polar regions. These will be V degrees above or below the averages. If it becomes important to determine the temperature on any given day, determine the rough time of year (summer, winter or in-between) and the temperature zone (equatorial, temperate, cold or polar) and roll 2d10 of different colours, designating one as ‘high’ and one as ‘low’. If the ‘high’ die has the lowest value of the pair, add that number to the expected temperature; if the ‘low’ die has the lowest value, subtract that number from the expected temperature.

Environments

The Galactic Guide details a wide range of planetary environments, exposing characters to thin atmospheres, crushing pressure, blinding glares and corrosive gasses. This section contains detailed rules for a variety of environmental hazards, building on the material in the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book. These rules should be used only when the environment is key to play and dealing with it is dramatically appropriate. Combat, high stress or sudden exposure to a hostile environment are such times; simply walking from one dome to another with a rebreather on, on a thin atmosphere world, is not. The rules exist to aid and shape the story, not to turn an exciting adventure into an endless series of die rolls.

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There are many gradients between ‘hard vacuum’ and ‘standard air pressure’. There are many worlds where the atmosphere is breathable but thin or low in oxygen. In these atmospheres, characters do not suffocate instantly but slowly lose mental and physical abilities as the amount of oxygen reaching their bloodstream is too low to sustain heath long term. Hypoxia occurs whenever the atmospheric pressure becomes too low, such as when climbing mountains or taking a poorly pressurized aircraft too high. In Babylon 5, it is most likely to occur on worlds with a thin atmosphere to begin with, but adventures in the high altitudes of normal atmosphere worlds are certainly possible. Even on the Babylon 5 station, there are some alien sectors where the air is kept exceptionally thin. Also, someone with access to the right computer protocols can reduce atmospheric density in a section of the station at will or change the composition to increase other gasses and decrease oxygen. Hypoxia has many symptoms, increasing in severity as oxygen deprivation increases. Once the symptoms begin, the only cure is to increase oxygen supply, either via technology or by moving the character to an area where there is more oxygen to breathe. These rules can work for any vital gas but since most races are oxygen breathers, the term ‘oxygen’ is used throughout. The Hypoxia table shows the atmospheric pressure, the time between Fortitude saves and the DC of the Fortitude save. Apply any relevant modifiers from the Hypoxia Modifiers table. A failed save increases a character’s Hypoxia Level by one step. Once the character is at Hypoxia Level 1, successful saves only mean the character does not get any worse; they will not improve his condition unless something is done to increase their oxygen supply.

Hypoxia Atmospheric Pressure Time Between Checks Thin Atmospheres 0.9 8 hours 0.8 4 hours 0.75 2 hours 0.7 1 hour 0.65 30 minutes Very Thin Atmospheres 0.6 10 minutes 0.5 1 minute

DC of Check 10 12 15 18 20 22 25

Hypoxia Modifiers Hypoxia Modifiers Rapid exposure (sudden depressurisation, for example Slow exposure1 (initial acclimatisation is drawn out over a period time) Character possesses 5 or more ranks in Survival Character possesses the Endurance feat Native2

DC Modifier –2 +2 +2 +4 No check required

Slow acclimatisation takes one hour for every 0.1 atmosphere below 1.0. 2 Natives of a planet with a thin atmosphere (0.61-0.9) need not generally make Hypoxia checks, as they have acclimatised all their life to their environment. However, such natives will almost certainly find it harder to breathe standard (0.91 to 1.1) atmospheres. GMs can easily adapt the Hypoxia rules to simulate what happens when thin oxygen breathers encounter standard air pressure. 1

Hypoxia Level 2 Dizziness: The character is dizzy and light-headed. In addition to the effects noted above, balance and coordination suffer, imposing a –2 penalty on all Dexterity based skills.

Hypoxia Level 5 Suffocation: The character begins to die of slow suffocation. The character must make a Constitution check every minute; the DC starts at 15 and increases by +1 every minute. Failure at this check drops the character to 0 hit points. The following round, the character drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round after the character failed his constitution check, he dies.

Microgravity Space travellers, especially Humans, often find themselves in situations where there is no gravity. Most older or smaller Earth Alliance vessels have no spin sections and the crews of transport craft or smaller military vessels spend weeks, sometimes months, with no gravity. While larger passenger craft do have spin sections, such craft are not always an option and, in addition, even routine combat is likely to damage the complex mechanisms which keep sections rotating, requiring protracted periods of no gravity while emergency repairs are effected. Further, shuttles and the like are also incapable of generating gravity, so almost any space trip will involve some time spent in zero-G. Even among non-Humans, the chance of spending time without the familiar tug of gravity is high. Artificial gravity can be shut down due to damage to a ship or to conserve power in emergencies. Travelling in Earth Alliance space, or among some of the less technically advanced League worlds, is also likely to expose spacefarers to prolonged periods of weightlessness.

Rules

Hypoxia Level 1 Headache: At this level, the character begins to suffer from severe headaches, enough that concentration is impaired. Any Intelligence, Charisma or Wisdom based skills suffer a –2 penalty, as do Will saves. Any telepathic skills also have a –2 penalty.

This may result in mystical visions, harmless fantasies or sudden bouts of violence.

Hypoxia Level 3 Nausea: All of the above effects persist, with the modifier increasing to –4. Furthermore, the character is nauseated. Hypoxia Level 4 Delusions: All of the above effects persist and the character becomes increasingly unfocused and deluded. They will begin to see vision or react to things which are not there. Each round, the character must make a DC 14 Will save (bear in mind the modifiers to the save brought on by other effects) or be effectively incapacitated or uncontrollable, unable to react properly to the world.

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The Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book contains basic rules for the effects of microgravity on combat. These rules enhance and expand on those. Use them if there is a good roleplaying or plot-related reason, not simply to have more dice to toss. The sudden loss of gravity on an Earth Alliance battlecruiser during a boarding action by Centauri shock troops is exciting and fun; rolling Balance checks every time a character stowing away on a Narn freighter moves is not.

Rules

Nausea A common effect of sudden exposure to microgravity is nausea. Anytime a character first enters a period of weightlessness, a Fortitude save (DC 12) must be made or the character becomes nauseated for 2d10 rounds. Eating and Drinking Even such simple tasks as eating and drinking are difficult in microgravity. Food floats off a fork and liquid becomes bubbles in the air. Specialised drinking containers and food designed to minimise the danger of losing bits and pieces are part of every spacers travel kit (at least if they come from a culture without artificial gravity). Using these is part of training for anyone in the military of all races but civilians often do not have such. A Dexterity check (DC 10) is needed to avoid a harmless, but embarrassing, accident the first few times that these are used. Similar rules and conditions apply to the use of zero-G toilet facilities. Skills Many technical skills are more difficult to perform in microgravity. Tools float off unexpectedly. Liquids, such as lubricants, do not seep into surfaces but instead form clouds of bubbles in the air. Even twisting a wrench without proper bracing can cause the technician, not the bolt, to go spinning. The following skills are affected by microgravity – note that these penalties are in addition to any ability penalties due being in microgravity (such as Dexterity penalties). Escape Artist, Forgery, Move Silently, Perform (Dance, Juggling) and Survival are Lightly Affected by microgravity. These skills suffer a –2 penalty when used in microgravity. Anyone with the Microgravity Conditioning feat may ignore this penalty completely. Medical (any use where tools and equipment are needed or where the subject must be kept still) and Technical (any use regarding repairing, maintaining or modifying at item) are Greatly Affected by microgravity. These skills suffer a –6 penalty when used in microgravity. Anyone with the Microgravity Conditioning feat may treat these skills as only Lightly Affected.

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Health Effects Long term travel spent in a microgravity environment can have serious health risks. Muscles weaken, bones become brittle and the heart becomes used to a dramatically reduced workload. While a few weeks of travel will have only minimal effects, extended journeys can produce serious problems once gravity is returned. Note that the ability score damage is cumulative and no ability score may be reduced below 1 due to microgravity. The effects of the Microgravity and Health table assume the character is taking steps to minimise the effects of microgravity by engaging in recommended exercises while travelling. If this is not the case, increase all penalties by –1 for periods over a week (–2 Strength and Constitution after a month, for instance). Recovery periods of longer than a few hours assume treatment at the hands of professionals, regular physical therapy, appropriate drugs and so forth.

Microgravity and Health Length of Time 1 day to 1 week 1 week to 1 month 1 month to 2 months 2 months to 6 months

Effect –1 Str –1 Str, –1 Con –2 Str, –1 Con –2 Str, –2 Con, –1 Dex

Recovery 2 hours 2 days 1 Week 2 Weeks

Gravity Dive

On rare occasions, a ship which is being pursued may attempt to lose a pursuer in another world’s gravity well, diving towards the surface and then pulling out, hopefully leaving the other ship trapped and unable to escape. Only worlds with an Extreme gravity can be used for this, as lesser gravities will not trap any ship used within the Babylon 5 game. Extremely primitive craft, equivalent to those of early 21st century Earth might have some problems but any enemy craft which could pull off this manoeuvre would be able to dispatch such ships so easily as to make the matter moot. To execute this dive, the lead ship must begin jetting down towards the planet at a sharp angle. If the other ship pursues, the lead ship must decide when it will begin to ascend. It is generally the case that it will take ten rounds for a ship to reach the ‘point of no return’, with each round taking the ship into a further stage towards the planet. For a normal Extreme gravity planet, the point of no return is the edge of the ionosphere where gravity is great enough to continually drag the diving ship directly towards its surface, resulting in an uncontrolled and terminal crash into the

planet’s surface. For gas giants, the point of no return is where a ship is crushed by sheer pressure.

Note that these rules still apply to ships capable of atmospheric flight as a gravity dive is not the same as a controlled descent.

New Feats Born Smuggler Characters are exceptionally good at hiding small objects on their person, luggage or craft. Prerequisite: Wis 13+. Benefit: Whenever you have had more than five minutes to work at it, you can hide any object of Small size or smaller in such a way as to make them especially hard to find. All Search checks made to locate such hidden objects, whether they are hidden on yourself, your luggage or a ship, suffer a –4 penalty. You also gain a +2 bonus to any Profession (smuggler) checks.

Microgravity Conditioning Long experience with entering microgravity environments mean you are nearly as comfortable in microgravity as you are in normal gravity. Prerequisite: Con 11+, Dex 11+.

Benefit: You never need to make a nausea check due to microgravity. Furthermore, reduce any penalty to Dexterity due to being in a low gravity by two and you gain a +2 bonus to all Balance checks required by the rules for ‘Zero and Low Gravity’ in the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game and Fact Book.

New Worker Class Type

Rules

A ship may safely return without risk after five rounds (stages) of descent. Attempting to gain altitude after the fifth stage requires a Pilot check (DC 20, +3 for each stage beyond the fifth the ship is at). Even if the Pilot check is successful, the ship will take a Moderate Superstructure critical hit from the immense strain but elevates ‘up’ by one stage – once it reaches the fifth stage it may escape the gravity well without trouble normally. If the check fails, the ship takes the same amount of damage but drops a further stage. If a ship reaches the tenth stage and fails a Pilot check, or if it takes enough Superstructure damage to reduce it to 0 Damage Reduction, it is immediately destroyed.

Spacer A spacer is one who regularly plies the starlanes, often working in highly dangerous and unexpected conditions. They tend to be almost gypsy-like, taking on odd jobs on various ships, picking up all sorts of random technical knowledge as they travel. While many are qualified to hold high-ranking positions, they prefer the freedom of working as they see fit. Worker Class: Blue Collar. Instead of gaining the normal blue collar class feature at 1st level, spacers may choose either Spacecraft Proficiency or Microgravity Conditioning as a bonus feat. Expert Level: Instead of gaining the normal worker class feature at 6th level, a spacer may choose either Born Smuggler, Skill Focus (Technical) or Microgravity Conditioning as a bonus feat.

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Index

198

Abbai Matriarchy Abba System Tirolus System Utriel System Antares Sector Anasi System Antares System Holuva System Asteroid Belts

30 30 31 31 32 32 32 34 8, 193

Balosian Territory Balos System Brakiri Syndicracy Brakos System Comac System Ekalta System Lorka System

35 35 36 36 36 37 37

Cascor Commonwealth 38 Cascan System 38 Zachai System 38 Centauri Republic 39 Ardun System 39 Batain System 39 Centauri Beta II System 39 Centauri Beta III System 40 Bentat System 40 Centauri System 41 Coutor System 42 Entat System 42 Gorash System 42 Heptharg 43 Immolan System 43 Jux System 44 Marigol System 44 Mipas System 44 Morbis System 45 Nakaleen System 45 Nefua System 46 Quadrant 1 46 Quadrant 8 47 Quadrant 17 47 Quadrant 32 48 Quadrant 37 48 Raghesh System 49 Tolonius System 49 Tumbar System 50 Ventari System 51 Ch’lon Hunting Grounds 52 Ch’lon System 52 Climactic Variability 193

Corilliani Corillan System Orillan System Cultural Drift

53 53 53 9

Hyach Gerontocracy 81 Shra-bal System 81 Shri-shraba System 81 Yonog System 82

Defining Worlds Deneth Denova System Descara Bestine System T’lad’tha Dilgar Imperium Innata System Omelos System Rohric System Wahant System Drazi Freehold Drathun System Fendamir System Latig System Mofaka System Shambah System Zagros System Zhabar

2 54 54 55 55 56 57 57 57 58 58 59 59 59 60 61 61 62 62

Ipsha Baronies Eklor System Elitria System Ipsha System

83 83 83 83

Kor-Lyan Kingdoms Kor-Lya System Lotna System Oleng System Koulani Koulani System

85 85 86 86 86 86

Llort

88 88 89 89 89 90

Vartas System Lumati Dominion Lumat System Mollitra System Xochat System Markab

Earth Alliance 64 Beta Durani System 64 Beta 7 System 64 Beta 9 System 65 Ceti Gamma System 65 Cyrus System 66 Deneb System 67 Jericho System 67 Orion System 68 Proxima System 69 Sinzar System 70 Sol System 71 Theta System 74 Vega System 75 Encounter (Pressure) Suits 188 Environments 194 Gaim Intelligence 76 N’chak’fah System 76 Golians 77 Golia System 77 Horuna System 77 Thenavi System 78 Gravity Drive 196 Grome Autocracy 79 Gromahk System 79 Hurr Republic 80 Androma System 80

91 Markar System 91 Tiree System 92 Troth System 92 Minbari Federation 93 Davala System 93 Drala System 93 Eshar System 93 Minbar System 94 Nocalo System 94 Pagatic System 95 Rafala System 95 Shengol System 96 Solta System 96 Sorpigal System 96 Tala System 97 Tarellen System 97 Tavalan System 97 Thessin System 98 Trigati System 99 Tro’kact System 99 Valusha System 100 Minbari Protectorate 101 Eudu System 101 Iklath System 101 Moga System 102 Norsa System 103 Tir System 103 Tychola System 103 Zendamor System 104

Moradi Purity Morad System Narn Regime Dross System Hilak System Kotak System Narn System Quadrant 7 Quadrant 14 Quadrant 24

105 105 106 106 106 107 107 108 108 109

Shu System 109 Sigma 957 System 110 Sorith System 110 T’ill System 110 Tachunq System 111 New Feats 197 New Worker Class Type 197 Pak’ma’ra 112 Melat System 112 Planets 6 Planet Generation 13 Atmosphere 13 Biosphere 22 Cities 26 Climate 21 Geology 16 Government 26 Gravity 13 Hydrosphere 18 Moons 16 Oceans and Continents 18 Orbital Population 28 Population 23 Technology 25 Volcanism 18 Sh’lassan Empire Akdor System Sh’lassa System Star Systems System Generation Features Jump Gates Ownership Planets Security Level Stars Threat Level

113 113 113 3 10 12 12 12 10 13 10 13

Trogoh System 119 Travelling the Galaxy 150 Accomodations 164 Commercial Transit 158 Emergencies 168 Features of Hyperspace 155 Hyperspace 152 Onboard Security 166 Policies of the Major Races 174 Realspace 150 Registry 177 Smuggling and Contraband 180 Transport Law 171 Vree Congomerate Alzeral System Photikar System Vreetan System

120 120 120 121

Worldbuilding

Yolu Theocracy Kitab System Pa’rl System Trotaka System

122 122 122 123

Index

Minor System 124 Alaca System 124 Antra System 124 Arisia System 125 Beta 4 System 126 Bricarn System 126 Coriana System 127 Daltron System 127 Dorac System 128 Dura System 128 Epsilon Eridant 129 Gamma 7 System 130 Gigmos System 130 Ikarra System 131 Imphil System 132 Janos System 132 KO64 133 Kandar System 134 Kazomi System 134 Kokkar System 136 Korel System 135 Krich System 135 Krindar System 137 Krish System 136 L-213 138 Mitoc System 139 Nacambad System 140 Nochtal System 140 Praxis System 141 Quadrant 15 142 Regula System 142 Roth System 143 Sector 49 143 Sector 83 144 Shandukan System 144 Sin’talith 144 Soom System 144 Thenothk System 145 Thrakalla System 146 Tirrith System 146 Vinzin System 147 Zander System 148 Zafran System 149

Tal-kon’sha Virtuality 114 Ohran’khi System 114 Tal-kon’sha System 114 The Galaxy of 2262 8 The Nature of the Universe 2 Tikar 115 Tikan System 115 Uthum System 115 Tokati Realm 116 Lliesta System 116 Tokat System 116 Torta Regency 118 Jodan System 118 Torat System 118

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License

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References