Aspects

ORBITAL PLAYKIT
BY JACK HARRISON
v1.0, FEBRUARY 2021
 The Interstellar War.
An all-consuming conflict, burning across the stars
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• How do we keep the war from devouring us?

• Who on the station would profit from the war?
• What humanity lingers in the common soldier?

LISTS

Pick up when someone deals with soldiers, officers or spies, or SOLDIER NAMES
discovers the war is closer than they thought. mallard, tucker, connor, hardshell, blue, o’neal, rax, hicks, strom, cassius, echo
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same.

INTRODUCTION
SOLDIER TRAITS
single-minded focus, an unblemished record, a life reduced to vengeance, a
A CONFLICT WITHOUT END
misguided path to redemption, a broken spirit, a desire to escape, love back home
The two powers have been at war longer than most can remember. It began with
ideological differences and border disputes but quickly escalated to a galaxy-wide SERVICE RANKS

schism. Now we live amid open, near-inescapable galactic warfare. cadet, private, ensign, corporal, sergeant, officer, captain, major, colonel, admiral

Almost every planet, asteroid and construct in the galaxy has allied, willingly or MILITARY DETAILS

otherwise, with one of the sides. The fact that our station has remained neutral is a ceremonial pistol, a medal of repute, nationalist slogans, whispered callsigns,
clanking boots, broken transmissions, blinking explosives, a waiting fleet
a miracle, one that requires constant vigilance and, sometimes, desperate action.

NOTES
CREATION MOVES

NAME THE TWO SIDES ASPECT MOVES

the union, the federation, the
truth, the empire, the rebellion,
the principality, the republic, the
coordinators, the host, the feast
CHOOSE TWO DIFFERENCES
the colours they wear, the language
they speak, their colonial excuses,
their interpretation of the texts,
their views on tradition,
their vision of the future
• Introduce a soldier in dire
need of assistance.
• Mark someone with the ire of a
senior officer.
• Force someone to pick a side,
literally or otherwise.
• Pull a weapon on someone.
• Make something, or someone,
collateral damage.

The Interstellar War

 The Station Itself.
The systems, mundane and uncanny, that keep us alive
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• How have we adapted to live on this old station?

• How has the station adapted to us?
• Which parts of the station scare us?

LISTS

Pick up when someone interacts with life support systems, wanders
unmapped corridors or seeks the strange.
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same.
INTRODUCTION
DUCT TAPE WORKS ANYWHERE
We did not build this station, we found it. As such, the life support systems are
a capricious jumble of found, built, stolen and traded machines. Often we feel
more like marriage counsellors than engineers—dousing little fires, teasing apart
knotted cables and arguing with our sometimes wilful Assistant.
LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
artificial gravity, water filtration, oxygen scrubbing, waste management,
atmosphere pressurisation, humidity controls, thermal regulation, nutrient
dispensers, hydroponics, fire suppression, autodoors
ANCIENT SUBSYSTEMS
insectoid synthetics that wander unguided, an AI core covered in faintly-glowing
lichen, a pyre of discarded electronics that we must keep alight, a monolith that
whispers half-heard secrets, a cloud of nanites that sterilise as they meander,
autodoors that you must compliment to open.

We keep things running, but so much of the station remains enigmatic and
strange. Whenever we search for answers, we’re left with more questions.
CREATION
MALFUNCTIONS
depressurisation, toxic gases, burst sewerage, knee-high water, lights out,
flickering displays, gravity fluctuations, dangerous temperatures, food spoilage,
MOVES
stubborn doors, unceasing klaxons, rebellious automatons

NAME THE STATION ASSISTANT ASPECT MOVES CAUSES

system, sam, edi, sunny, mira, abena, • Remind them that the Assistant is cracked reservoirs, flooded chambers, clogged filters, perished seals, dead
vigil, hodan, michael, roberts, suke, always watching. batteries, fried circuits, overloaded outlets, finicky software, cut cables, roosting
chetan, lerato, hari, faros, sara, yin birds, burrowing insects, blooming flowers, vermin infestation, strand disruption
• Trigger an ominous countdown.
CHOOSE TWO DIRECTIVES
• Reveal a malfunction in a NOTES
to protect that which grows within, life support system.
to cultivate life before harvest, to
• Broadcast a message from
maintain impeccable records, to
an ancient entity.
prepare for the return of the makers,
to keep the signal blazing, • Dramatically reshape the
to contain a terrible evil physical environment.

The Station Itself

 The Markets.
The ways we trade for resources on this station
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• Which resources cause strife in our community?

• Can we resist the quick wins investment offers?
• What are our economy’s unspoken rules?

LISTS

Pick up when someone seeks a buyer, shops

LOCAL NAMES
for something uncommon or needs a job done.
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same. layton peach, tesh cassini, ceylon coldstar,
INTRODUCTION arlo sage, king sparrow, doctor dealbot
THE SHAPE OF WEALTH OUTSIDER NAMES
On the station, we live and work collectively—from each according to their spiff cardoon, meridian blank, chek nitro,
ability, to each according to their needs. Sometimes we argue, from squabbles pinky margarita, glup shitto, gordo goodson
over little luxuries to schisms over vital resources, but we always figure it out. SPACE CURIOS
However, as we grow we’ve started to glint in the eyes of the galactic financiers. a moonglaze pendant, a bag of assorted eyes, a vaskari deathwish,
an inverse-entropy skateboard, a holographic game,
They see an untapped market, ripe for investment and profit. Worse still, some of
fresh amalfi lemons, a sunflower pressed in glass
their early ventures have solved problems we’ve been struggling with for years...
MARKET DETAILS
CREATION MOVES shared cigarettes, a scattered purse, a rack of knives,
NAME THE OUTSIDE INVESTOR ASPECT MOVES a chrome briefcase, screeching birds, a ticket stub,
red sun galactic, magbank alliance,
crackling fires, friendly squabbling, bitter feuding
• Introduce an opportunist or
popcorp!, brightstar power, valdivian hustler with a predatory offer.
intergalactic, blitcon-zeta group, NOTES
• Stoke a quarrel over resources.
worryfree ltd, murdoch the undying
• Reveal a rule of the economy
CHOOSE TWO INTENTIONS by breaking it.
establish their franchises,
• Show someone struggling to resist
commodify our traditions, control
the allure of outside investment.
our media, offer conditional safety,
make us a tourist destination, turn • Make a vital resource into
us into entertainment a scarcity.

The Markets
 The Scum and Villainy.
The smugglers, gangsters & thieves who haunt our station
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• How does criminal activity strengthen the station?

• What lines will we not permit them to cross?
• Which parts of the station are considered safest?

LISTS

Pick up when someone visits the seedier parts of the station,

witnesses a shady deal, or when things are too quiet.
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same.
INTRODUCTION
LIKE MOTHS TO A FLAME
This is pretty much the only populated place in the galaxy that’s not an active
war zone, a nightmarish police-state or a desperate, destitute backwater. The
problem is, this unique situation makes us a haven for unsavoury characters—
the sort found in every shady port, seedy bar and dingy alley in the galaxy.
There is an implicit agreement, written in sly nods and stolen glances, that they
live with us as equals. Let’s just hope they don’t decide to change the terms.
CREATION MOVES
SCOUNDREL NAMES
djin darendo, rake gillard, verse keen, zed zakkil, reina roja,
mas dangon, greedar, soonta, sly dente, calo, galdo,
bug, vinca, jynne, rogos, feevo, krussk, gorok
SCOUNDREL TRAITS
a heart of gold, a messy past, a duplicitous smile, some bad debt, a love in chains,
a strict code, bound as brothers, biding their time, the best in the galaxy, a
weaver of the strand, desperate to prove themselves, desperate to get out
CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES
contract killings, organised fights, ‘protection’, blackmail,
smuggling, slavery, thievery, drugs, hacking, forgery
UNDERWORLD DETAILS

NAME THE TWO MAJOR GANGS ASPECT MOVES broken glass, makeshift emblems, hastily-sprayed tags,
the yotto family, the sliznyak kajidic, a heated disagreement, a single shot in the dark
• Introduce an outlaw with
the crimson claws, the fondor fangs, ideas above their station.
the brotherhood of ra, the broken
NOTES
circle, the blood pack, the blue suns, • Entangle a resident with a
eclipse, the ebon wing, vega’s boys, criminal obligation.
the orchard syndicate • Offer something rare or illicit at
a ruinously high price.
CHOOSE THEIR REPUTATIONS
ambitious, zealous, vicious, weird, • Threaten a resident’s life or
callous, bold, principled, reckless, livelihood with violence.
professional, organised, wise, canny • Seize a vital asset with swift force.

The Scum and Villainy

 The Unaffiliated.
The families, workers & refugees who make up our diverse society
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• How do we combine our cultures to make something unique?

• How do we govern ourselves, and who is in charge?
• How can we make our growth sustainable for all?

LISTS

Pick up when someone is dealing with their friends and neighbours,

or when new people arrive on the station. STATIONER NAMES
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same.
marta cook, janus iver, irfan gerber, azaliya biaggi, terezia contreras, ruslan ellis,
INTRODUCTION natalia einar, orval roosevelt, bedwyr budai, eli fairburn, rashmi roth
A SANCTUARY, A STATEMENT, A HOME STATIONER ORIGINS
Like a flame to parchment, the war consumes utterly as it burns. In its wake it born here, fled a war-torn planet, military deserter,
leaves scorched cities, ashen fields and broken people. Our home is a refuge from seeking better work, rejoining their family, snuck aboard a freighter,
the raging conflict, and for all our differences we are united in rebuking the war. seeking something spiritual, following academic curiosity,
can’t remember, ran out of fuel, just passing through
Whether you have fled a ruined world, an oppressive regime or something worse,
we will welcome you with open arms. As our reputation grows, though, we can’t WALKS OF LIFE
help but stress over tallies and charts as we consider the limits of our hospitality. a religious leader who carries a pistol, a chef eager to share their cooking,
a talented painter held back by insecurities, a baby left with a hand-written note,
CREATION MOVES a parent to eleven or twelve rowdy children, a mournful soul with a covered face,
a grouch with a love of straight lines, a passionate reader with shelves of ideas,
NAME AN UPCOMING EVENT ASPECT MOVES a banjo player who sits on the corner, a celebrity operating incognito
grand prix, wingleton, redline, the • Introduce a new arrival with
solstice, life day, armstice day, gold a difficult history.
week, the long night, lavender phase, NOTES
• Bring someone’s past to reckoning.
the feast of st. lazare, loudfest, union
• Ask for help with a problem that
CHOOSE A NAMING SYSTEM can’t be solved alone.
streets named after our founders,
• Gather disgruntled residents in
sequential hab-codes, like old earth
protest, peaceful or violent.
suburbs, coloured sections,
towns from our homeworlds, • Receive more refugees than we can
haphazard and unplanned comfortably accomodate.

The Unaffiliated
 The Lambent Strand.
A glowing thread, weaving every life together into a great tapestry
Resources.
CONSIDER AS YOU PLAY

• Can anyone use the strand or does it require something innate?

• What myths or spiritual practices does it inspire?
• How does the Strand feel about the War?

LISTS

Pick up when someone draws on cosmic energies, asks for answers

from the stars, or when a weaver reveals themselves. WEAVER NAMES
Trade away when it’s your character’s turn to do the same.
delphine d’akar, aulat vale, shiari nango, lantha laga, syko vain,
INTRODUCTION ged kargex, alakor the wise, sayla plume, ren arlo, plo ashta,
THE TIES THAT BIND leina jade, zai tilvas, master kroda
We consider our lives ruled by complex but comprehensible processes. Our EVERYDAY MANIFESTATIONS
tangled biologies have, for the most part, been reduced to a large web of a metallic taste in your mouth, the scent of the air after a heavy downpour,
chemical equations. Our machines perform tasks so well that we consider them a smell of smoke before the fire starts, crackling static energy residue,
unremarkable. Our societies can be classified, segmented, made predictable. the triumphant yell of a gifted pilot, a bad feeling about someone, a tingling in
the hairs on the back of your neck, shared visions of a possible future
But, in this world there are still phenomena beyond explanation—miracles, even.
OLD STORIES
Some people believe it’s even possible to weave these threads for your own ends...
speaking without language, moving with your mind, visions come to pass,
CREATION MOVES
mending mortal wounds, a lone figure emerging unscathed, distant whispers
from dead friends, laser swords spitting as rival masters duel
CHOOSE TWO OTHER NAMES ASPECT MOVES
the thread, the weave, the pattern, • Introduce a potent young weaver
the current, the call, the lifewend, or a wise old master. NOTES
the force, the allsight, the evermist
• Manifest a troubling omen in the
CHOOSE TWO WAYS WE SEE IT environment.
a hokey religion, smoke and mirrors, • Offer strength at a great
an unsettling sensation, an affront personal cost.
to the faithful, the source of bad
• Use visions to clarify or confuse.
dreams, an inscrutable oracle, a
holistic energy, a divine power, • Unleash a blast of cosmic power.
our protector, our salvation

The Lambent Strand