Christopher Briggs stepped off of the shuttle and into the airlock of Trade Station Alpha. Its name came from the fact that it was the first space station built by humans for trade purposes. My new home. he thought, Too bad it's a piece felgrum.

True, the station was massive, with a volume of almost a cubic kilometer, but with ships docking and undocking almost once a minute, the shear number of people kept most of it from being the pristine jewel of the solar system that the tourist adverts showed. The sunward top of the station, dubbed white sector, had a massive arboretum and flower garden, shopping centers, and all manor of goods and services. The next several layers, dubbed green sector, provided the foundation for the facade of perfection, recycling everything that was used, growing all of the food for the station, and providing most of the goods and services that the thousands of crew demanded. It was also home to the power systems, storing or utilizing the energy produce by the more a square kilometer of high-efficiency solar panels that surrounded the station. The layers below that were the Bazaar, a place where trade happened between the various worlds in the solar system and with other races.

Below that, however, was the gray sector. Gray sector was where the salvage and refining took place. Chunks of asteroids and pieces of space debris would be hauled in and bid on. The winner would rent a smelter, if they didn't have one already, and would melt down the rock, hoping that it was worth what they had paid for it. The refined materials would usually work its way up to the bazaar, where it would be shipped to whoever was willing to pay the best rate for it. The rest would be put into storage, or would be sold to various businesses on the station to be made into any number of over-priced goods that the tourists just had to have. Gray sector was the lowest of the levels, in both the station's artificially created gravity well and in terms of its splendor. It was also where Christopher Briggs arrived, having booked passage on a salvage ship which brought fragments of a pirate ship in from a battle site near Earth. “Hey, you forgot something!” said one of the freighter's crew, then tossed a bag to him.

Don't want to forget that, thought Chris, It's pretty much all I have and I doubt I'll be able to replace it any time soon. “Thanks” he called, but the man was already going back to help unload the salvage. Now, to find Julius and join his crew.

He made his way up to the Bazzaar and started looking for docking bay 324, where his cousin's ship was supposed to be. While counting his way down the bays, he heard shouts coming from a local club. Well, you might as well call it that, as “drug den” didn't quite fit when virtually everything you could want could be legally purchased down here. A clearly intoxicated man came out of “Bacchus' Delight” and immediately started cursing at the passers-by. “Hey you, you spuz-sucking piece of felgrum, why are you looking at me? You wanna fight?”

It took Christopher a few seconds to recognize the man that shouted at him. “Julius?”

“Yeah, that's me, got a problemth with my name do you?”

“It's me!” replied Christopher.

“Yeah, of course you're you. Who else would you be?”

“I'm Christopher.” Julius gave him a strange look, like he didn't understand. “Your cousin?”

“Chris!” he said, when finally realized who he was talking to. “You came! Let me introduce someone to you!” he screamed something in a likely-slurred alien language, and a female Hibros walked out of the bar. Her species was mammalian, something that appeared to be between a cat and a dog, with a long nose, retractable claws, and whiskers. In fact, most carbon based sentient life (non-carbon based lifeforms rarely interacted with humans) fell into one of the classifications of life on earth, sometimes several.

“Nice to meet you,” she said in heavily accented English, “My name is Griszma.” Her body language in a human could be interpreted as a romantic overture, but with an alien, you never knew until you had dealt with them for a while.

“She's my first officer.” He wrapped his arm around her waste, pulling her closer.

“And more." She purred.

“So you two...?” Christopher left the question open, hoping that things didn't just get as weird as he thought they had.

“First rule of being a Spacer little cuz, you're not really one of us until you've bedded an alien.” He patted Christoper on the arm. “Don't worry, I've been with a member of most of the species on this station. If you want, I'll introduce you to a few of my favorites.”

Christopher reflexively took a step back. What's gotten into him? He didn't used to be like this. “No, I think I'll stick with human women for now.”

“Your loss.” Julius turned and walked towards his ship. “Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew.”

---

You can be whatever species you want to be. I'll play as Christopher, with Julius being kind of an open character in case I want to move the story along with him.. It will be set on the station at first, but we can move it afterwards to Earth, where I'll introduce you to how screwed up everything is there.

Species Overview sheet:
Name: (self explanatory)
Homeworld: (name, basic description)
Similar non-intelligent lifeforms: (everyone evolves from something)
Appearance: (description)
Biological traits: (blowhole, claws, spit venom, etc.)
Cultural traits: (Religion, customs, etc.)
Specialization: (What niche does your species fulfill in the galaxy?)
Tech: (Basic overview of you tech strengths and weaknesses)

Character Sheet:
Name:
Age:
Species:
Appearance:
Personality:
Skills overview:
Position on crew:
Years on crew:
Bio:

interested, but I'd have to warn you I'm new to Casual Roleplay

I assume you've done free, then? It's not that bad. You just need to develop your character a bit more, and make sure all of your posts are at least a paragraph or two long. Also, good grammar and spelling, etc.

I've been trying to get into Casual Roleplay for not too long now, and I know my Grammar and Spelling is definately not a problem. The more issues are with what you said, character development, lengthiness, and writing ability. I don't think it'll be much of an issue, as long as you can put up with my mistakes :)

I'm interested!

Do you have a CS in mind that I could start work on?

Maybe, just maybe.

Do we have limits or guidelines? Are we all crewing a ship? Or something similar that would give us a reason to travel together?

We would be Julius's crew, a group of spacers he pulled together to try and turn a profit hauling cargo or smuggling, or mining, or salvaging, or whatever we need to do to turn a profit.
I'll post what I've wrote so far about the story:

Our first mission will be to try and offload a million defective power cells that someone conned Julius into buying from them. We'll go to Earth to do that, since the people there don't care if you can only discharge it at half speed or it overheats. We can't land though, so we'll dock at a space station in orbit, maybe at a space elevator.
I might have to implement a "Cowboy Bebop" style warp system for moving around the solar system so it doesn't take 7 months to go between Earth and Mars.

I'll post a CS tonight or sometime today.

Interested

Sounds like a good enough story to me, when you get a CS up, I'll work on it

I recommend doing a cross section map of the ship to so navigation in posts can be easy to keep track of

Jinxlynx said
I recommend doing a cross section map of the ship to so navigation in posts can be easy to keep track of

I'll work on that tonight. I'll have to freehand it in paint, though, so it won't be the neatest schematic.

Edit: Added a character sheet and a species overview sheet to the first post. I'll write the ones for my character(s) and species later. I'll mark Julius and Cat-woman as NPCs so that anyone can use them.

Edit2: I finished the schematic and added it to the first post under a hider. Very crude.

TheUnknowable said
I'll work on that tonight. I'll have to freehand it in paint, though, so it won't be the neatest schematic.Edit: Added a character sheet and a species overview sheet to the first post. I'll write the ones for my character(s) and species later. I'll mark Julius and Cat-woman as NPCs so that anyone can use them.Edit2: I finished the schematic and added it to the first post under a hider. Very crude.

Would it be cool if I took over the cross section for the ship? I take engineering in college so I am pretty handy with blueprints

Jinxlynx said
Would it be cool if I took over the cross section for the ship? I take engineering in college so I am pretty handy with blueprints

The basics are up, but they are extremely crude. You can clean them up if you want, add things that I forgot. Just PM me the fixed schematic so We can discuss it before you post it on here.

Species Overview sheet:
Name: Hibros
Homeworld: Hibral
Similar non-intelligent lifeforms: cats/dogs
Appearance: 5'10" - 6'6", Mammalian, fur, tail
Biological traits: Retractable claws, fangs
Cultural traits: Hunters, they believe that a victory won with borrowed strength, including that of technology and other people, is meaningless. Because of this, they utilize weapons that work off of the strength of the user, such as laser bows that must be drawn or pumped to store power for the shot.
Females actively try to attract males more than in humans, and may have more than a dozen children in their lifetimes.
Specialization: Security for those who care about honor. They are also good at tracking and stalking their prey, making them excellent bounty hunters.
Tech: Specializes in converting muscle strength into electricity. They are also good at disabling enemy vessels so that they can fight the crew one-on-one.

Character Sheet:
Name: Christopher Briggs
Age: 19
Species: Human
Appearance: Skinny, 5'8", toned
Personality: Scientifically minded. Hardworking, and likes to learn, though up to this point he's only used it to try and get ahead at work and in life.
Skills overview: Technician 3rd class
Position on crew: Jr. engineer, later he'll become a market analyst/adviser
Years on crew: 0, first day
Bio: He grew up on Earth with his 4 siblings and parents. When he turned 16 he got a job at a factory that made high-voltage capacitors. He eventually moved out of his parent's house, shortly after turning 18, and into a factory-apartment, an old factory building into which people had moved shipping containers and installed amenities into them to make them into apartments.
Three years after getting the job, he was contacted by his cousin. The video email told him about his cousin's new ship, and asked him to come to trade station alpha to work for his cousin. Eventually he arranged for his cousin to pay for his journey, and he quit his job. He boarded the space elevator to EarthSat 1, then arranged passage on a salvage ship that was heading for Trade Station alpha.
They took the hyper-gate to the station, and a few days later he was there.

Alright, I'll get to work on mine

Extremely interested, going to get to work on my CS now.

So is the Species Overview sheet only for if we are making a new species? Or is it a mandatory thing?

Tawkua said
So is the Species Overview sheet only for if we are making a new species? Or is it a mandatory thing?

You have to fill it out even if you are playing a human :P NO if your playing a human you probably can just leave it blank, as a human myself I am pretty confident in my knowledge of the species XD

Tawkua said
So is the Species Overview sheet only for if we are making a new species? Or is it a mandatory thing?

It's for if you are playing an alien, so we can know what your species is like. We all know what humans are like, so we don't need it for human characters, unless you're a human offshoot like a gene splicer, transgenic, a genetic experiment gone wrong, or something like that.

My Species Overview sheet was actually for the NPC first officer's race, but I didn't make her CS yet.

Species Overview

Name: Drowlath (Also known as "Drow" in general.)

Homeworld: Ariel; A planet much like earth Ariel is larger in size and has 2 moons. Almost the definition of a fantasy world the planet was populated by several intelligent races, including humans and goblins. Under the surface the Drow live in coexistence with the surface races but can be considered the dominate race because of their more advanced technologies.

Similar non-intelligent lifeforms: Fea; The first beings to have an aura they have been extinct for a long time, they became Light and Dark elves but after their exodus into the underground they evolved into the Drow (Dark elves became Drowlath, Light elves became Drowassu)

Appearance: The drowolath are one of several genetic descendants from the dark elves of the surface, having evolved since their exodus from the surface. While features vary, they almost always tend towards fine-boned structures. The further removed a drowolath is from their dark elf ancestor, the more 'drow'-like they become; a second or third generation drowolath might still retain the dark hair color with only some white, while a tenth generation might be lucky enough to have a slight coloring left. Because there is little variation in hair color and body shapes, many drow dye their hair, paint their faces, get tattoos or adorn their bodies with precious gems to set them apart from others.The females are the dominant gender, being larger and stronger then their male counterparts, and this has dictated their entire cultural code.

Biological traits:
-Average Height - Females: 2.25m / 7'4, Males: 2.08m / 6'10
-Drowolath skin is dark chocolate brown, but depending on the region can come in coal black, pale brown, or light brown.
-Drowolath eyes can be shades of brown, dark grey, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta and violet.
-Drowolath hair is usually white; in earlier generations, some coloring inherited from dark elf ancestry remains.
-Drowolath ears are long and pointed.
-Drowolath possess auras, and are able to use Mana Tech. Their auras can be converted into physical energy making them living batteries..
-Drowolath eyes are able to see into the extended spectrum, able to see well in the dark and view heat sources.
-Drowolath age at a ratio of 2:1 (2 years to every 1 human equivalent year; i.e., they age at half speed.) Mental aging is only two years behind the human equivalent. (ie. a 10 year old drowolath is the mental equivalent of an 8 year old human.)
-Drowolath stop aging at age approximately age sixty.

Cultural traits: Drowolath culture is an incredibly varied thing, yet at the same time can be tracked into varied patterns. The most obvious social facet is the Clan system, where the nine Great Clans each have their own traditions, perceptions, prejudices, and atmosphere. For the Val'Illhar'dro, everything is a celebration of creation, and the ability to make beautiful things is highly respected, whereas in the Val'Sarghress, how one looks or what one can make are perhaps less important than how powerful or cunning one is. To further complicate matters are the numbers Minor Clans, Houses, and common populations which develop social stigmas and trends sometimes independent of the Great Clans. In short, drowolath culture is fluid, constantly evolving, and as strikingly fascinating as it is, at times, dangerous.

Specialization: All Drow can almost be considered living batteries because of their auras, known as mana by them it is actually an ability to guide and control the excess amount of energy their bodies give off. Because of this most Drow tech is based off of using the wielder's aura instead of an internal battery pack. Though few in number having a Drow of any sub race is wanted on a ship because they can provide extra power to the ship with their auras.

Tech: Their technology is very up to date and advance, their ships are capable of intergalactic travel with built in energy generators, most of their tech is designed to use a Drow's Aura to be powered but they have methods of creating independent power for larger devices or power distribution across cities. Their ranged weapons are energy based, weaker than ballistics but far more efficient with ammo. Their ship are also built for energy weapon combat, they have heavy shields but lack in armor to defend against missiles.
In ground combat a Draw wears full plate power armor or pilots a Golem into battle (A aura powered mech), they never fight in open conflict preferring to use small marine teams to sabotage enemy ships or elite commandos on solid ground.
Civilians have access to a connected network on Ariel and colonies, planet to planet communication is done through satellite rely. Almost every Drow have a special bracelet that acts as a universal communicator and messenger.
Most Drow refuse to use foreign technology, preferring their own since they do not need to worry about power sources.

---

Character Sheet

Name: Kyne Val'Sharen

Age: 39

Species: Drowlath

Appearance:

Height 7'6" (232cm)
Weight 167 lbs (76kg)
Bust 33.9" (86cm)

Personality: Kyne gets along with the crew, like most of the others she enjoys a good drink and sometimes gambles some of her extra money for fun, being on a ship with small quarters may get to some people but being a subterranean species Kyne does not mind the lack of privacy and is not very shy, though sexually she acts a little naive but if someone wants to and gives her a little push (or after a couple drinks) Kyne will open right up. She enjoy interacting with the others and can get in friendly competitions with Lug and Yasha (usually drinking or gambling) but when given a task she becomes dead set on completing it. She joined the crew with the promise from Julius that they would someday go to the asteroid belt where she lost her Golem and retrieve it.

Skills overview: A retired Mech pilot she reached the rank of Captain in the Draw exploration fleet marines. She has knowledge on large engines, knowing how to maintain and repair them but she is more in tuned to smaller vehicle/ships and the mining equipment onboard. Perfectly at home in small spaces and with the ability to see in low light conditions Kyne is perfectly at home on the ship and underground, actually preferring them to open areas. Her native language is Elven but she can speak Common (English) and Goblin (which is strangely very similar to Orgarien's language)

Position on crew: Mining Engineer

Years on crew: 2 years

Bio: Born on a colony Kyne had two paths she could choose from in her youth, either head down into the mines or join the military, it is ironic that she ended up on a mining ship. She starting her military career at the young age of 21 (the youngest a draw of any subspecies can join the military) she started off as a marine in the Ariel defence fleet, moving to the Drow homeworld. Because the draw were mostly at peace Kyne never saw much action and actually signed on as a Golem pilot for the exploration fleets to get away from doing boring patrols and for a much much higher paygrade. Call sign "Can Opener" Kyne saw a few skirmishes during her tour often doing recovery missions on old derelict ships.
It was an ambush on the exploration vessel by a fleet of pirates that made Kyne want to retire, She made it out of the fight uninjured but her Golem was heavily damaged and had to be ditched for her to escape safely. After this she finished the remainder of her tour and retired with her rank as Sergeant.
Kyne was then picked up by Julius' crew on one of the Drow trade stations while they were selling some raw materials, they needed a mechanic and she had the skills to fill the role. She join on the promise that they would visit the asteroid belt where she had lost her Golem and hopefully recover it.

Notes: Golems are basically a 15 foot mech suit that run off of the pilots aura energy for a power source, they replace the main battle tank in Drow combat tactics. A Golem pilot is very attached to their mechs during training a pilot is required to assemble their own suit and maintain it themselves, unlike the marine armor a pilot must have a Golem specifically tailored to them to increase the integration between pilot and machine.
Kyne also owns a 3 bedroom flat back on her homeworld Ariel, she collects a monthly payment from her tenant who rents one of the rooms, they live there at a heavily discounted price with the deal that they maintain the flat as well. It gives Kyne a little extra spending money.