"The lines of communication are back online after eight days of nothing from Earth. The war is over, we got the communique this morning. 27 past years, almost a thousand ravaged worlds and billions of dead is what it took to stop Humanity being erased from the Milky Way permanently. Was it worth it? Perhaps, but i suspect the struggle has only just begun.
The ripples made by our fabulous war with The Nomad and its slaves will be felt for as long as mankind breathes oxygen or craves violence. Our little colony escaped destruction by a hair's breadth; one of The Nomad's fleets is just outside our atmosphere, floating listlessly and without power. We watched it burn the system's capital world from orbit til its surface shone like glass.
The pre-war fast travel networks are down, and its no secret that we're desperately low on ships, but someone at home thinks we're worth bothering with. I received word last night that a UWG Cutter Class vessel, the Scythian, is enroute to the system. When we asked why, we were given instructions to monitor all comms channels for further instructions. This has got to be Naval Intelligence jargon for 'we've been commandeered by a Naval Intelligence spook and we don't know why we're coming out there', i can feel it. Matter of fact, i'm going to ask the Director about this right now."
End log.
Introduction
The year is 2804 and Humanity, led by a coalition of world governments, has inhabited almost a thousand worlds. That is, until they lost almost all of them again. 27 years prior, teams led by Earth's Naval Intelligence department uncovered what they thought was an artifact buried deep beneath the sands of desert planet. They were tipped off about its location by seemingly the only inhabitants of the planet, a sect of fanatical zealots worshiping a thing they called The Nomad.
Naturally they decided to investigate and upon finding the artifact and discovering it had the potential to yield many technological breakthroughs, attempted to relocate it back to Earth. The artifact awoke, and bore a startling resemblance to the world destroying Nomad that the world's inhabitants had so eagerly described. The teams didn't return to the vessels in orbit, and then the entire solar system went dark.
The United World Governments didn't know what to do. Should they cover it up, hope it goes away? For almost a year that is what they did, assuming that the exploration crews had just stumbled into some nasty accident. This illusion was shattered almost a year later when the Outer World of Cornucopia was completely destroyed, beginning the First Contact War. The Nomad was ruthlessly effective, harvesting resources from destroyed planets to build mega-factories that churned out spaceships and mechanical killing machines at a frightening rate.
It took the entire effort of every human being, friendly AI and alien mercenary in UWG space just to slow The Nomad. It leapt into each pricey naval engagement with vigour; seemingly with more craft at its disposal than last time. The UWG were growing desperate, digging up artifacts in other areas of deep space and researching long lost technologies from past civilizations. The war came to a close just as The Nomad's main fleet finally found the Sol System and jumped in.
Something happened during that final, embattled stand. The UWG deployed some kind of device and all The Nomad's fleets just deactivated; doomed to hang listlessly on the precipice of victory. I've been painstakingly piecing together the war from rumours, pirate broadcasts and snippets of overheard conversations. The UWG are not telling us something, i just know it! I'm going to find out what it is.
Roleplay Information
Hello and welcome to The Nomad! I'm Catharyn, your GM. This is a story driven (with short respites at regular intervals), galaxy spanning adventure full of intrigue, space battles and an ancient secret that threatens to finally erase Humankind for good! The main starting point for this Roleplay is RX3248, a small moon orbiting the system's recently decimated Capital World, Ha'Mdama. A UWSC Cutter called the Scythian is enroute to the system on an urgent and secretive mission, having been commandeered by the famously shadowy Naval Intelligence Department. The inhabitants of RX don't know it yet, but they may be in the centre of the flashpoint which will ignite an entirely new kind of conflict. If you're interested in the roleplay but have some questions, come and say hi in the OOC and ask away. I promise we're friendly! If you're convinced and want to create a character, head to the Character Sheet tab here.
Roleplay Guidelines
Respect the GMs - That is myself and Ozymandias, who will both be working to ensure that everyone has a good time and does not feel left out. If you have any questions or concerns i assure you we are both very approachable. Please feel free to PM us or mention us in the OOC and we will get back to you ASAP. In return, we ask that you respect any and all decisions that we make with regard to this RP. You are free to discuss all decisions with us in an orderly manner but if we say its final, its final.
Respect the other roleplayers - None of us are being paid to roleplay, we all do it because we want to have fun and develop our skills as a writer. Work together and please do not give anyone grief, whether you're in the right or not. Similarly if you feel uncomfortable with something that a fellow roleplayer is doing, either IC or OOC, please message me privately and i will decide what the course of action is.
Read and post in OOC before submitting a Character Sheet - this is so you know exactly what the roleplay is about and can tailor your character accordingly. Posting in the OOC is also a chance for everyone to get to know you - there will always be space for your character so don't feel rushed into it; we need to make sure we gel as a group.
Don't be over powered - This applies to characters and situations - Yes Humanity has been at war for 27 years, meaning a lot of people will know how to fight. However that does not give you the excuse to run around with an aimbot, killing any and all bad guys instantly. Same goes for non-combat problems, don't make some random shit up which miraculously saves everyones bacon. Give consideration to the extents of human ability and do not be tempted to become a killing machine or a problem solving genius. If you're considering something that may be over powered, consult one of the GMs first and we can decide.
No Anime character pictures - This is a non-anime roleplay, so i'm afraid no anime character or animal pictures are allowed.
Aim for at least three paragraphs of 3 lines each - This is the absolute minimum required when it comes to posting a reply! This allows you to respond to any other characters you happen to be interacting with as well as build out the world with more detail and generally adding to the story. Any less than 9 lines is putting undue pressure on other characters to describe the situation and otherwise carry the heavy load.
The Nomad
The Nomad is an ancient self aware machine, fully space-faring and capable of FTL travel. Reports on its exact appearance are unreliable contradictory. It is generally agreed to be gigantic for one entity, with accounts putting it at anywhere between 5 and 100 kilometres in diameter. Some reports claim it forms a perfect sphere when entering hyperspace but represents a huge, bug/snake shape when in combat. All reports mention three red eyes in what is assumed to be the machine's frontal face. And a sensation which reverberates through space and shakes the inside of your ears and throat. A tortured humming sound which was indentified as a primitive sensory ping. It has been suggested that this is a throwback to an ancient system inside the Nomad that hasn't been deactivated.
The Nomad is widely regarded as the single greatest threat to Humanity in its entire history. Aside from being unrelentingly violent and a brilliant strategist, it has the capability to build automated spacecraft and a vast array of combat droids at an accelerated rate. It harvests planets it has conquered for resources before constructing space-capable factory ships which manufacture everything from AI controlled dreadnoughts to small reconnaissance drones. The Nomad also crashed ships infected with a variety of biological weapons on worlds which were too heavily defended for it to easily take with a frontal assault. The devastating effects of these bio-weapons include turning all sentient life into deranged killing machines.
The Nomad is extremely difficult to pin down, let alone kill. Multiple missions to find and destroy it by desperate UWG strike teams invariably led to complete loss of life. It is a brilliant and shrewd strategist, choosing not to direct the slaughter from the front but instead lurking in deep space; only arriving near the front line just before a big engagement though never directly fighting. Instead it assumes direct control of individual units to wreak havoc seemingly for its own pleasure.
The Nomad's fleets are stronger and larger than the UWG's own, with Human ships being outnumbered by 2:1 in many of the war's engagements. The Nomad also made good use of abandoned and derelict commercial leisure, cargo and tanker ships. They were converted into cannon fodder and sent charging into UWG ranks to board or scupper as many enemies as possible. This overwhelming numerical and tactical advantage forced the UWG to station fleets around vital colonies to protect them from total destruction. This allowed The Nomad's fleets to maneuver into position before attacking on all fronts.
The Nomad's Army
AI fleets of Spacecraft
Controlled by enslaved AIs and crewed by subjugated Humans and aliens alike, The Nomad can build and direct a large number of self-contained battle groups of over one hundred ships each. These contain craft which loosely adhere to the roles of fighter squadrons, destroyers, cruisers and dreadnoughts. They protect World Destroyers, which are large vessels that carry troops but also have a devastating main gun which is used to directly burn the surface of a planet to ashes.
Robotic abominations
The Nomad can deploy a stunning variety of very powerful robotic weapons platforms from orbit. All of the below are extremely durable and act as heavy units. While they appear to have separate AI cores, they take orders directly from The Nomad and appear to experience it frequently wrestling control from them to partake of the battle itself.
A Basilisk class multi-purpose transport ship, built in the final years of the Nomad war to replace one of the many transports destroyed by enemy forces. The Scythian is 600ft long with three decks. The aft section of the bottom deck consists of three large cargo bays. They are connected by large blast doors made of large sheets which fold up to create one large space. In front of that is an elevator and stairwell which stops on the second and command decks. Around these you'll find an assembly area, the marine barracks, armory and field hospital and engine room.
On the second deck there is room for the crew to sleep, three common rooms, supply rooms...
Setting
I will be updating this setting tab as the story progresses and we move around, with the location at the top of the tab being where most Roleplayers are likely to be located.
RX3248
RX3248 (referred to simply as RX by its inhabitants) is a small rocky moon, and the primary starting point of our roleplay. Populated by roughly 40,000 people, RX orbits the Molyneux star system's capital world, Ha'Mdama. The moon's terrain is extremely treacherous, with expansive mountain ranges ringing the equator. RX has a thin atmosphere which is only breathable by Humans for very short periods of time (less than a minute). The weather is generally calm, with the occasional violent storm predicted and tracked well in advance.
RX is home to a collection of interconnected 'stations' or small colonies which are all no more than half a days drive from each other by exo-buggy in fair weather. The largest of these is the Spaceport, which serves as the Moon's primary access point for space craft. It has been expanded in recent years to feature more accommodation for support staff and a rudimentary marketplace for travelers. It has also come to house the moon's colonial administration authority, including the Director and representatives from each station. Halfway up a nearby mountain is the Security Station, which houses the moon's Security Co-ordinator and controls the Moon's basic point defense systems. In a dried up lake bed, an area deemed to have been inhabited by another species aeons ago, is the Science Station. This is where all research and development happens, as well as a healthy portfolio of advanced scientific projects. Close to one another but the furthest away from the others is the Mining and Manufacturing Station, where Helium-3 is mined in reasonable quantities and shipped back the Spaceport by funicular railway.
Playable Species / Factions
Humanity & the UWG
Before the war, Humanity had been enjoying a golden age of prosperity and expansion. Since the Faster Than Light travel breakthrough of 2219, Humans had scattered among the stars, colonizing planets at an astonishing rate. A period of instability followed whereby colonies began distancing themselves from Earth and demanding independence. Several insurrections were savagely put down with millions of lives sacrificed, permanently turning scores of colonies away from Earth's influence. After nearly one hundred years of negotiation with every colony that would listen, the United Worlds Government was formed in 2479. This placed 85% of all planets colonised by Humans loosely back under the control of Earth, with most day to day power being devolved to councils on each system's capital world and to colonial administrations on smaller bodies.
Technology
When it came to technological advancements, Humanity had made great leaps in practically all fields. The UWG placed great emphasis on science, medicine and also in space-faring infrastructure, with space craft manufacture becoming one of the largest industries on almost every major planet. During extended periods of peace, military expenditure took a back seat to consumer vehicles and other gadgets to make peoples lives easier.
Military
The UWG military apparatus is split into 4 branches: The United Worlds Land Army (UWLA) which deals with ground based combat on planets / planetary bodies / space structures. The UWLA also undertakes whatever water-based combat is necessary using Army craft. The United Worlds Air Force (UWAF) is in charge of all sub-orbital missions on planets. The United Worlds Space Corps (UWSC but generally referred to as The Navy) is the most powerful branch of the military and is in charge of all military spacecraft and space-based weaponry. The Naval Intelligence Department looks after all the Space Corps' intelligence and counter espionage needs etc. Finally the fourth branch of the military is the Marine Corps. They handle space based EV (extra-vehicular) combat, ship-to-ship boarding, insertion into combat zones from space and other specialised tasks.
Seaman Recruit (SRT)
Seaman (SMN)
Able Seaman (AB)
Leading Seaman (LS)
Petty Officer (PO)
Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)
Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
Ensign (ENS)
Second Lieutenant (SLT)
Lieutenant (LT)
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
Commander (CDR)
Captain (CPTN)
Rear Admiral (RDML)
Vice Admiral (VADM)
Admiral (ADM)
Fleet Admiral (FADM)
Chief of the Navy (CN)
Private (Pte)
Lance Corporal (LCpl)
Corporal (Cpl)
Sergeant (Sgt)
Staff Sergeant (SSgt)
Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt)
Master Sergeant (MSgt)
First Sergeant (1stSgt)
Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt)
Sergeant Major (SgtMaj)
Second Lieutenant (2ndLt)
First Lieutenant (1stLt)
Captain (CPT)
Major (Maj)
Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol)
Colonel (Col)
Brigadier (Brig)
Major General (MGen)
Lieutenant General (LGen)
General (Gen)
Chief of Marines (CM)
Private (Pte)
Lance Corporal (LCpl)
Corporal (Cpl)
Sergeant (Sgt)
Staff/Colour Sergeant (SSgt/CSgt)
Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2)
Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1)
Officer Cadet (Oct)
Second Lieutenant (Slt)
First Lieutenant (Lt)
Captain (Cpt)
Major (Major)
Lieutenant Colonel (LCl)
Brigadier (Brig)
Major General (MGen)
Lieutenant General (LGen)
General (Gen)
Chief of the Army (CA)
Aircraftman (AC)
Leading Aircraftman (LAC)
Senior Aircraftman (SAC)
Junior Technician (JT)
Corporal* (Cpl)
Sergeant*/Sergeant Aircrew (SAcr)
Chief Technician (CT)
Flight Sergeant (FS)
Warrant Officer/Master Aircrew (WO/MAcr)
Officer Cadet (OCT)
Pilot Officer (POF)
Flying Officer (Flg Off)
Flight Lieutenant (FLT)
Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr)
Wing Commander (Wg Cdr)
Group Captain (Gp Cpt)
Air Commodore (Air Cdre)
Air Vice-Marshal (AVM)
Air Marshal (Air Mshl)
Air Chief Marshal (Air Chf Mshl)
Marshal of the Air Force (MRAF)
*Ground combat regiment ranks.
Name: Apis
Status to Humans: uncommon citizens/client species of the UWG
Life expectancy: 12 years individually
Genders: single gender race
Full Description: standing at only 15 cm tall when fully grown this species manages to be sentient despite it’s diminutive brains size by featuring a complex information sharing network which allows the relaying information between individuals at astonishing speeds and data density for a biological system. This is done using rapid wing buzzing to produce high pitched signals that can be heard and rapidly comprehended by the surrounding individuals who could then relay it onward if necessary. This method allowed groups to rapidly share information, each individual holding a small amount of relatively specialised data which they could then relay to others if they require it. They are known for being able to transmit both knowledge of skills as well as sensory data to one another, a test subject being able to replicate an image seen by another perfectly or an entire group managing to perform a skill taught to only one individual.
As a result of this network method, they are effectively a hive mind, each individual is but a conduit for the group they are in. While they may show some individuality by visually noting what information they store, this fashion will generally be shared by a smaller sub group within the whole who are stores for different parts of the same expertise. As a result it is not possible to “know” individuals and so it is generally easier for most other sentients to see a tribe as an analog to a person, with each groups showing something acin to personality traits and localised memory or familiarity.
It is hypothesised that they are either a biological computer abandoned by some long gone creator or a deliberate self modification by their distant ancestors who then suffered a technological collapse.
History: A native species of one of the many worlds colonised by humanity they were originally written off as non-sentient, however after only 50 years of human habitation it was noticed that they had began to exhibit limited speech and the formation of what could only be described as cargo cults mimicking human behavior. Attempts made to study their intelligence and ability to learn in laboratories quickly leaked back into the wild and so in the space of just over a year the planet became the homeworld of a sapient species where one had not existed prior. After gaining citizenship and rights they underwent massive and rapid technological advancement via the acquisition and then replication of human technologies. This include a particular interest in the realm of robotics which allowed them to compensate for their small frames. This is one of the few areas where they have created advancement over humanity, though most of these advancements found their way back into the human market not long after.
They are mainly located in the region of space around their homeworld where they have either migrated in small numbers to surrounding human planets as well as having formed a few colonies of their own. Further afield are traders and ship based colonies that became more common as the Nomad crisis developed, the small race making a conscious attempt to spread its population out to avoid extinction should a fleet arrived in their relatively small region unexpectedly.
Type of society: Hivemind
Technological advancement: Tier 2 - mostly human tech
Miscellaneous: They make no use of space suits, instead preferring remotely operated drones or crewed mechs for operation in hazardous environments.
how big is the colony anyway. Is it basically a town near a colony ship landing sight, a bunch of small towns a la the old west or something else. I was thinking of maybe either making a character that is the colony's (meager) automated defense system or perhaps an alien trader that got trapped there. Knowing the scale of the colony would be useful in both those circumstances.
Are we allowed to be part of the UWG crew or just the colony? Just wanna know before I start deciding on a character.
You can be UWG aboard the Scythian, i'm just finalizing that plot-line now.
how big is the colony anyway. Is it basically a town near a colony ship landing sight, a bunch of small towns a la the old west or something else. I was thinking of maybe either making a character that is the colony's (meager) automated defense system or perhaps an alien trader that got trapped there. Knowing the scale of the colony would be useful in both those circumstances.
I'm gonna write up a detailed description of RX today, but essentially its a collection of small colonies (small being less than 10 buildings), each a short buggy ride from one another. The infrastructure is fractured purely because the terrain is fairly inhospitable (space suits on when outside the biospheres) which prohibited a large central colony. So there'd be a science base, a fairly basic automated manufacturing facility, a security base which handles automated defences and a space port with some other general housing and commerce modules.
Hello. Do you have any particular specifics about settled worlds/stations, tech overview of humanity etc. in mind? I don't want to accidentally put something into the CS that would contradict the lore.
Hello. Do you have any particular specifics about settled worlds/stations, tech overview of humanity etc. in mind? I don't want to accidentally put something into the CS that would contradict the lore.
Hi, yes i'm working on the tech overview and details for important colonised worlds this evening. There will be loads of info going up on the OP soon so keep checking back. Was there anything specific you wanted to know now so i can tell you quickly?
Count me in. But I wonder about the military ranks within the UWG. I am not forcing you to create an entire ranking system, but I want to know if there is a limit to the ranks that the character can bear. I mean, I intend to make my character a high-ranking officer within the Scythian and do the mind work (I like intellectual characters), but I wonder how far in the ranking system can he reach when I made him?
I'm developing the military side of things as we speak. However, I'm away till Sunday, so I can't update yet. The military is similar to modern day structure, with some sci-fi elements, and is separated into branches. For now we have the navy and the marine complement, but on more developed planets that we're visiting there will be the in-atmosphere army and air forces. You're more than welcome to make an officer aboard the Scythian, but be aware that it's just a transport to get us to the planet, it's not a battleship or anything.
Personality: (Only put something here if you plan to stick to it)
I'm afraid my personality section will probably be quite short, then, if it exists at all. I never know my character's personality that well until several posts into the IC.
Anyway, I'm thinking about making an ex-UWG soldier who was discharged for PTSD.
Count me in. But I wonder about the military ranks within the UWG. I am not forcing you to create an entire ranking system, but I want to know if there is a limit to the ranks that the character can bear. I mean, I intend to make my character a high-ranking officer within the Scythian and do the mind work (I like intellectual characters), but I wonder how far in the ranking system can he reach when I made him?
Great Yeah like Ozy says the UWG military apparatus is split into 4 branches: The United Worlds Land Army (UWLA) which deals with ground based combat on planets / planetary bodies / space structures. The UWLA also undertakes whatever water-based combat is necessary using Army craft. The United Worlds Air Force (UWAF) is in charge of all sub-orbital missions on planets. The United Worlds Space Corps (UWSC but generally referred to as The Navy) is the most powerful branch of the military and is in charge of all military spacecraft and space-based weaponry. The Naval Intelligence Department looks after all the Space Corps' intelligence and counter espionage needs etc. Finally the fourth branch of the military is the Marine Corps. They handle space based EV (extra-vehicular) combat, ship-to-ship boarding, insertion into combat zones from space and other specialised tasks.
Soooo i can give you the ranking structure for the United Worlds Space Corps if you wanna be an officer aboard the Scythian? It goes:
Crewman Recruit (CR)
Crewman Apprentice (CA)
Crewman (CN)
Petty Officer Third Class (PO3)
Petty Officer Second Class (PO2)
Petty Officer First Class (PO1)
Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO)
Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
Ensign (ENS)
Lieutenant, Junior Grade (LTJG)
Lieutenant (LT)
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
Commander (CDR)
Captain (CPTN)
Rear Admiral (Lower Half) (RDML)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half) (RADM)
Vice Admiral (VADM)
Admiral (ADM)
Fleet Admiral (FADM)
For a ship like the Scythian, which is basically a fast exploration vessel with capacity for science equipment and other light cargo, i wouldn't expect the highest ranking officer to be more than a Commander in rank.
Personality: (Only put something here if you plan to stick to it)
I'm afraid my personality section will probably be quite short, then, if it exists at all. I never know my character's personality that well until several posts into the IC.
Anyway, I'm thinking about making an ex-UWG soldier who was discharged for PTSD.
That's perfectly fine, i know quite a few roleplayers who loathe creating a personality section for that very reason. I have the additional benefit of knowing your previous RP experience too which puts me at ease.
Will the UWLA or Marine Corps be on the Scythian or is it all Naval Intelligence? I was looking for more of a security/soldier rolde so is there anything like that in the Naval Intelligence like modern day Masters At Arms?
Will the UWLA or Marine Corps be on the Scythian or is it all Naval Intelligence? I was looking for more of a security/soldier rolde so is there anything like that in the Naval Intelligence like modern day Masters At Arms?
A Naval Intelligence team of 4 have commandeered the use of the Scythian but other than that all the crew are Space Corps with a few Marines for security. The Captain is still on board, but they will be taking direction from the Special Operations agent on board. In short, there is definitely scope for you to fill a security role aboard then Scythian. Does that answer your question?
Thanks for the info. And I'm fine with a cargo vessel. I mean I have written about characters that ranges from a low lieutenant commanding a small scout vessel to a supreme general commanding an entire galactic army, so I have a bit of experience already. Now I only have an iPad so the character sheet can be a little late
A Naval Intelligence team of 4 have commandeered the use of the Scythian but other than that all the crew are Space Corps with a few Marines for security. The Captain is still on board, but they will be taking direction from the Special Operations agent on board. In short, there is definitely scope for you to fill a security role aboard then Scythian. Does that answer your question?
