Stellar Nations

Austrin-Ontis Unlimited

"Without guns, where would humanity be?"

-CEO James "Crazy" Gates, 2472

Austrins are gun-crazy traders. Pundits claim to abandon notions such as the "typical Austrin". Citizens of the 26th century
can only laugh. The traits a nation shares are what hold it together. What holds the Austrins together is a love of firearms, the
belief in violence as the crucible of character, and even a somewhat quaint notion of personal honor. Austrins learn not to shy
away from confrontation or competition. Witness human history. War and conflict bring aut the need for development.
Recognition of kindred souls allows the rugged frontiersman to survive the 26th century.
Austrin tend to be direct, honest folk. They tell it as they see it. This trait and its fame has served them well in their weapons-
trading throughout the galaxy.

Austrins gain a -1 step bonus on either their Heavy Weapons or Modern Ranged Weapons broad skill and their respective
specialty skills.

Borealis Republic

"Justin Arimensis extends compliments from the Republic of Borealis, the nobility of the planet Sapphire, the Conclave of Lords, and the twelve
schools of philosophy. Due to the emergency situation which has developed concerning the destruction of the Borealis fleet at planet Retradat
twelve days and sixteen hours ago, the Conclave of Lords has accepted the petition that formalities be kept to a minimum during the current
conference between the Conclave of Lords and the Orion delegates on this the 13th of August, 2442. Adress this human being as Justin Arimensis,
son of Charles Tantresis, Prince of Dalos Bay, Grand Philosopher of the Conclave of Lords, Historian of Ledarn Metaphysics, and alumnus of the
College of Justice Ethics."
- Grand Philosopher Justin Arimensis, 2442

Life of a Borealin is a life of intellect. As the saying goes, scratch a Borealin and you uncover a philosopher. They admit that
they are more interested in the immutables of existence than, for example, in the rising price of rhodium. New thoughts and
discoveries are traded in the Republic much as weapons or metals are elsewhere. No one questions knowledge as the noblest
pursuit. Borealin hold ranks based on academic standing. Most of the population still ranks as Student, with upper echelons
gaining the titles of Lecturer, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Professor and Dean.

Borealins increase their Intelligence score by one point during character creation, to a maximum of 15.
All Borealin heroes automatically begin play with a moderate (+4) Obsessed flaw (removable later using standard rules). The
player chooses the focus of the obsession.

Hatire Community

"The destiny of mankind lies not with its aberrations or its technology slaves, but with our brothers and sisters, standing together for the soul of
humanity."
- High Minister Marion Rhodes, 2498

Accused of racism and feared as Luddites, the Hatire follow a difficult path. Almost all the Brethren have an abiding distrust
of new technology, and they abhor technology that alters the human body. The Community founders accepted an alien
doctrine, named the Cosimir, discovered in some ancient ruins, into their own theology. For the words of the Cosimir to reach
all species, the Community itself must prosper. Without thought of reward, the Community has accepted the burden of
preaching to the unwilling; it wouldn't say much about the strenght of their faith if they only spread the word to those who
were already listening. Until the day when "all are one", the Brethren must act to preserve the Community's integrity even as
they found Hatire churches in far-flung reaches of space under foreign flags.

Hatire begin playing with the faith perk without having to pay for it.

Insight

"Click on this reality."

-Zane, 2460

Inseers describe themselves as poets, explorers, and artists of electronic dreams. For the Inseer, the Grid is the reason for
being. Many Inseers avoid real life altogether, leaving machines and programs to regulate the frail flesh. The Insightful, their
branch of religion, believe the Grid to be the final expression of intelligence. Most Inseers seem just as colorful outside their

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virtual realities as within them. As the youngest stellar nation, they are almost desperate to find new experiences, to do that
which no one has done before. Inseers have something to prove, to themselves and to the other stellar nations.

Inseers gain a -1 step bonus to all computer activities, including design, use hacking, programming and any Grid-based
actions. All Inseers suffer a +1 step penalty on real-world action checks.

Nariac Domain

"Workers of the galaxy, unite!"

-Premier Palis, 2304

An individual Nariac - the idea is alien, bordering upon the absurd. Just as the Domain rewards each of its worker-citizens
with a livelihood, employment, and a place to live, the Nariac contribute their skills and hard labor for the betterment of the
whole. The Domain legally owns all material goods, individual citizens only register use of objects, land, and other
possessions. Cybertechnology prevents any organized disruption of the Domain. Of course, most Nariac understand the
necessity for such precautions: Humanity is filled with those who wish to harm the Domain. Nariacs understand that once the
galaxy is united, the true utopia will issue forth. For this reason, Nariacs travel far from home and family and the comfortable
order, to risk their lives to educate the workers of the galaxy.

Nariacs begin play with one free item of cyber gear worth $5000 or less - and with a free implanted security monitor that
reports their movements to the Domain. These implants do not count against the heroes' cyber tolerance score.

Orion League

"I stand in awe of this diverse fellowship of men and women who have bound together to form a union."
-President Kathryn Brown, 2321

Personal freedoms are taken for granted among the Orions. Orions travelling outside the League are often astonished at both
the interference and the subsidies that foreign governments inflict on their citizens: licenses, high taxes, economic support,
and denial of basic rights. Checks on the free practice of speech or religion are practically unheard of within the League.

Orion heroes add 1 point to their Personality attribute, to a maximum of 15. In addition, they gain a -1 bonus when using the
Culture broad skill or any of its specialty skills.

Orlamu Theocracy

"Prepare to enter the Divine Unconscious."

- Orlamu medium Anwar Etan, 2501

The people of the Theocracy maintain a belief in scientific revelations: the tachyon paradox theory of subatomic particles, the
grand unified theory of forces, and the Kaidman dark-matter assumption, all of which provide the scientific foundation of
knowledge for a stardrive. Along with their allegiance to the most advanced disciplines of science, the Orlamus gaze with
wonder at the marvels of the universe - the beautiful balances of energy and matter, and the existence of life itself. And in
these marvels, they see witness of a conscious, divine will. The Orlamu mission is simply to explore the divine itself: in this
world, a realm of conscious divine creation, and the Divine Unconscious itself, which others call drivespace. Orlamus hold a
great deal of reverence for all things that drivespace touches. Pioneers in many realms of science, Orlamus pride themselves
on their use of scientific methods and instruments to discover truth.

Orlamus receive a -1 bonus on the use of any Physical Science or Navigation skill. Orlamu Mindwalkers reduce the cost of all
Mindwalker broad and specialty skills by 1 point. They also gain a -2 bonus when using the navcognition specialty skill.

Rigunmor Star Consortium

"Warthen, let's make a deal."

-Executive Guilder Alison Breel, 2465

Ringunmors are a nation of traders. Of course, simple honesty is not the approach that most Rigunmors choose to operate their
business with. The Rigunmor way of life is subtle and manipulative; the law of the Rigunmor is to let the buyer beware.
Ambitious young traders travel far from home seeking a chance for riches.

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Rigunmors gain a -1 step bonus to all uses of the Interaction and Deception broad and specialty skills. In addition, Rigunmors
pay 1 point less than the listed cost for the Interaction- bargain skill. They may begin play with the Filthy Rich perk for free or
they gain 6 more skill points instead.

StarMech Collective

"Unit 82189, give me an update on the hull reconstruction project. Unit 92052, increase the pressure by four newtons. Unit 53891, adjust the
holo frequency to 106 megahertz. Unit 45215, prepare my beverage."
-Lt. Commander Samuel Tritiac

StarMech engineers conceive brilliant theories, unorthodox desings, and fantastic models. Then the robots do the work.
The Starmechs enjoy the opportunity to have a good time. Most Starmechs prefer to travel with at least one robot servant. For
instance, they seem more comfortable when surrounded by their own robotic creations rather than other humans. In addition,
many Starmechs are prone to the excesses of hedonism, withdrawing from the real world in favor of parties, inebriation, and
sensory excess.

They gain a -1 bonus on any Technical Science broad or specialty skill. At the players option, he may take the Oblivious flaw
and gain double the usual skill points (8).

Thuldan Empire

"The future of mankind is a burden we cannot refuse."

-Emperor Gregor Kent, 2263

Thuldans stride from world to world with pride and patriotism, and more than a bit of arrogance. That the galaxy will be
united under solid leadership Thuldans have little doubt. To many in the Empire, the current peace is only a cease-fire.
Centuries-long breeding and widespread genetic manipulation have toughened the Thuldan physique. Their drive for
perfection has encouraged ambitious Thuldan physical education.

Thuldans have maximums of 15 in Strenght and Constitution during hero creation. Thuldan mutants reduce their number of
drawback points by one.

Union of Sol

"The Union of Sol welcomes you to the Earth metropolis. While visiting the cradle of humanity, please remember that camping, collecting,
farming, fishing, harvesting, hunting, gathering, littering, loitering, mining, settling, smoking, violence, and any disturbance of the natural
environment are not permitted on the surface. Enjoy your stay."
-Starport Supervisor Irene Liu, 2501

Today, years after humanity left Earth behind, Solar communities and individuals attempt to preserve the human cultures of
Earth. Many Solars adopt the lifestyle and fashions of a lost age, such as the precolonial Aztecs, imperial Japan, independent
Athens, or 17th-century France. Solars show great respect for native life forms, but they rarely tolerate mutants and
genetically altered humans.

Solars start with a total of 62 points to assign to Ability Scores.

VoidCorp

"VoidCorp does not grant the clemency request of assistant manager FH327 74USK (Catherine Howe). VoidCorp hereby terminates FH327
74USK's contract, effective immediately."
-Vice President ZM925 34HIW (deleted), 2499

Rank is everything. Stop at nothing to get it. Among Employees (as VoidCorp citizens are called), such statements are
common, even accepted. Every citizen holds a corporate rank from birth, expressed in his Employee Identification Number.
They range from AA, AB to ZZ. At ranks M and above, Employees accept management positions. VoidCorp does not permit
retirement - Employees must work until death. VoidCorp takes steps to ensure that all of its Employees are prepared for a life
in the harsh realities of interstellar business.

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VoidCorp heroes gain the Business broad skill and the Business-corporate specialty skill for free and all uses of the broad skill
and their respective specialty skills receive a -1 bonus.
Employees permanently fill in the leftmost box on the achievment track, thus advancing in levels faster than others (can never
be turned in for skill points).

The Galactic Concord

"Humanity is only as strong as its commitment to fellowship, advancement, and peace. For once civilization has lost faith in its future, then it is
truly lost in the present."
-First Secretary Thomas Stern, 2472

Members of the Galactic Concord have a knack for reading the political climate of the times, and they realize that they have
both great power and responsibility in dealing with the other stellar nations. Concordans take extraordinary risks to do the
right thing, they excel at knowing where the thin gray line begins and ends. Concordans embody the finest qualities of
humanity: honor, selflessness, and a certain realistic attitude.

Concordans add +1 to one of their resistance modifiers (Strenght, Dexterity, Will, or Intelligence)

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Aliens

Fraal

"Let us speak. There are humans present."

-Lirist Jil Oric, 2124

By now, fraal and humans should be as close as brothers. They've known one another for almost 400 years, and they colonized
space together. Fraal can be found as members of every significant society. The truth is, though, that fraal are in many ways
still the most alien sentients that humanity deals with. Fraal enjoy the strongest protection under the law and suffer the least
discrimination, as humanity shares the credit for the stardrive with them. Indeed, the respect given to fraal borders on
veneration in some parts, especially fraal who have experienced their 300th or 400th birthday. They also live in human-
dominated cities and find employment side by side with humans.

Weren

"Of course I care whether I live or die. Did you think that big meant stupid?"
-Lt. Commander Raiaza, 2500

In February 2246, the Orlamu Theocracy made contact with the ferocious weren, living on Kurg and just emerging from their
own Middle Ages. Despite more than three centuries of human contact, weren culture and spirit are unpolluted. The weren
remain a proud people, and depending on a clan's opinion of humanity and space, they send either their best or worst
representatives to one of Kurg's two isolated starports. Disaffected weren also make the trip, fleeing an unhappy life or hopeful
of a better one in the stars above. The many weren who take up lives within the Theocracy can choose careers in business,
academia, or the military. Whether they stay at home, join the Theocracy, or travel abroad, weren are among the most
respected sentients in explored space. Proverbially, when a weren elects to place his loyalty - whether to clan, nation, religion,
or friend - it's impossible to shake.

Mechalus

"We agree."
-Phi Sota, 2273

The aleerins were discovered and adopted by the Rigunmor Star Consortium. The aleerins signed a commercial agreement
after only a few days. Three centuries previously, the warlike and expansionist aleerins had discovered and fought a sentient
species within their own star system. The complete annihilation of this species produced a revolution on Aleer and the aleerins
vowed to put aside their violent ways. The aleerins even accepted the name that humans gave them: mechalus. Shedding their
old name seemed to serve as the last element of the revolution. Today, the mechalus are recognized as the unquestioned
masters of computer and Grid technology. Their skill at manipulating the Grid is so advanced, only the best of Insight and
VoidCorp can match them.

Sesheyan

"It's a pleasure to serve, Vice President. How else may I be of assistance?"

-RX839 58LIE (Easodan), 2483

VoidCorp survey ships landed on Sheya on July 13, 2274.Since that day, the Sesheyans have fallen under the control of the
corporate state. The sesheyans became VoidCorp citizens-Employees, actually - just like any other. They have clear and equal
rights under official corporate memorands. A few million among 17 billion have made their way, illegally, to join other stellar
nations.. Even so, 85% of the sesheyan populace remain productive members of VoidCorp.

T’sa

„Of course! Graviton wave compression! Dark matter duodecim! Tachyons! If only we’d realized!“
-Wisek Wopli, 2296

When humans met the t’sa in 2296, the t’sa had claimed five star systems near their homeworld. None of the humanity’s
young stellar nations could press a clear claim to the t’sa and their stars. T’sa independence was the spark that lit the First
Galactic War.

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Today, the T’sa Cluster numbers twenty-three worlds. For all practical purposes, the t’sa have complete independence within
their space. Almost a tenth of the t’sa have left their homelands behind to join human affairs..
The t’sa, more than any sentient species, are a curious people. They like to know, to find things out, to discover. To many t’sa,
humanity’s scientific and stellar explorations are irresistible.

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Vergers
"They abandoned us for a hundred years. Did they expect us to welcome them back with open arms? Let’s go real. The Arrivers see a lot of things
around here that they want. And they have some things we’d like to have. Fine. What we need to decide now is wheter we’re willing to tie our fate
with theirs one more time. And, if the answer is no, what we’re willing to do about it....“
-President Michael Kevik

Life out on the frontier is quite different from the decadent lives led by the teeming trillions of Old Space. While a Verger
sacrifices some modern comforts, the benefits can’t be overlooked. Even the most rigid of the frontier governments in the
Verge fail to match the level of intrusive control imposed by VoidCorp, the Nariac Domain, or even the Borealis Republic.
Vergers are free to come and go as they please, and most of them take a great interest in ensuring that this freedom is
preserved.

Loyalists

At one extreme lie the enthusiastic Vergers of star systems such as Ignatius, Tychus, Coulomb, and Mantebron. Without
resupply ships from the Stellar Ring, the colonies were forced to set up makeshift trading circles among themselves and
improvise ways to persevere. The loss was high and many Vergers squeezed out a miserable existence on their new worlds.
Variously known as patriots, sympathizers, or collaborators, loyalist Vergers usually endorse a quick reunification with the
stellar nation that founded their colony.

Separatists

Not every citizen of the Verge thinks well of the stellar nations’ return. History has proven the capricious stellar nations less
than trustworthy. Many of the nations lied, cajoled, or even abducted citizens in order to get them here.
The Concord quelled conflicts between stellar nation forces and separatists in the Annahoy and Oberon systems.

Undecided

Of course, most Vergers don’t reach such a level of fanaticism even if their personal sympathies are for loyalist or separatist.
They remain undecided. It’s clear that a marriage with the stellar nations offers many advatages, but it’s equally obvious that
the Verge systems will give up something special should they become just another outpost of stellar identity. The last few
years of growth show that the stellar nations are here to stay; what happens next is anyone’s guess.