Champions of the Empire
Campaign Info\Glossary

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[o]Amber Zone - Amber Zone - Travellers' Aid Society classification for a nation, world, or system which presents a need for caution in dealings and activity. The amber code may indicate chaos, upheaval, or xenophobia in local business, politics, society, or culture, or it may be applied for other reasons. Travellers should exercise caution.

Until recently, the Imperial Travellers' Aid Society considered all worlds within the Imperium safe unless specifically noted otherwise. With the recent fragmentation of the Imperium, the travel zone classification of worlds has been relegated to local branches of the Society.

The Domain of Deneb branch of TAS has classified worlds outside its borders as amber zones. Travellers are advised to exercise caution, especially in areas bordering Aslan space, Corridor Sector, the Vargr Extents and the Solomani Rim.

See also Red Zone, Travel Zone
[o]Ancients - Highly intelligent race which gained prominence approximately 300,000 years ago.

Most of what is known about the Ancients has been gleaned from archeological excavations of Ancient sites: the remains of cities, bases, outposts, and settlements of the Ancients. Scientific dating techniques have established that a "Final War" spanning a 2000-year period destroyed virtually all of the Ancients at that time. The influence of the Ancients is broadly felt in the universe. Humans from Terra were transported to many worlds by the Ancients; their descendants became the Vilani and the Zhodani, as well as the 46 known minor human races. The Vargr have been shown (through genetic testing) to be descendants of genetically manipulated Terran canines (apparently, the canine stock was acquired at the same time the humans were taken from Terra). Ancient artifacts which have been discovered show a very high tech level and an equally high degree of sophistication; such artifacts often reveal new, previously undiscovered or unexploited technologies.

The Ancients were responsible for several major features within the region now occupied by the Imperium. Their warfare resulted in the large proportion of asteroid belts throughout explored space. There is evidence they created the multiworld rosette at Tireen (Knaeleng 2910, in the Vargr extents). Scattered empty cities (most severely damaged by battle) stand as evidence of their wars; most, however, are restricted areas under investigation by the Imperium and not open to the public. One notable exception is the world Antiquity (Corridor 0816). The Antiquity Ancients site is open to tourists: its fascinating museum displays many wondrous and mystifying artifacts. many of which are still in working condition. The Shionthy (2306 Spinward Marches) Asteroid Belt is believed to have been formed during one unusually intense battle between Ancient forces. Reports indicate that other Ancient sites within the Regina subsector are currently being excavated, both by official expeditions and clandestinely by treasure hunters.

See also Humaniti, Solomani Hypothesis.

Name given to a race of intelligent beings who inhabited various regions of this portion of the galaxy approximately 300,000 years ago.

Specific evidence of the Ancients is rare, and is almost always found in the form of ruins or destruction.
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[o]Belt Mining - The process of extracting useful minerals and other substances from asteroids. Asteroids fall into three basic categories, each of which is different in nature and value.

Nickel-iron asteroids are reasonably dense, high-grade sources of metal of most value to the manufacturing industry; large asteroids can be sold to local shipbuilding concerns as planetoid starship hulls.

Carbonaceous asteroids are the most common planetoids and have the lowest value of all asteroids in most marketplaces. These stony chunks have the most value in systems where space colonies and large stations can make use of the variety of the useful elements - carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and so on - that can be extracted from them.

Ice chunks are made up of various frozen volatiles, including methane, water, and the like. These "dirty snowballs" are a source of hydrogen fuel and hence support an entire specialty of "ice miners" who seek them out. In systems where gas giants cannot be used for one reason or another, a starport or space station may pay reasonably good money for ice chunks, though they will never make a belter rich.

None of these three categories of asteroid is particularly valuable, and few belters ever made a fortune strictly from discovering and mining any of these. In point of fact, there are other things to be found. Many asteroids. most particularly nickel-iron rocks, contain varying amounts of the valuable minerals, platinum, iridium, and so forth, and sometimes radioactives. Occasionally an asteroid will be discovered with an unusual configuration that makes it valuable for scientific or even aesthetic purposes. And, finally, there are artifacts, which take in the entire gamut from the flotsam of a week-old wreck to a trove left by the Ancients, and which vary in value accordingly.
[o]Belter - Strictly speaking, one who practices the profession of asteroid prospector and miner, usually working alone or with a small number of partners. Loosely, any resident of an asteroid belt (including citizens of civilized belts such as Gilsten, some of whom have never been in a spaceship).
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[o]Cape Goliath - The largest city on the most populous planet in the Spinward Marches. Cape Goliath is located on Regina in the Regina subsector. The massive city sits on the edge of the Giant Ocean. It has a population of over 100 million people.
[o]Capital - Central world of the Imperium and seat of government since its founding. Situated in the center of the Imperium, Capital's astrographical position has proven of prime importance as a communications hub, a cultural center, and an industrial focus.

Under the divided Imperium, with no emperor officially proclaimed by action of the Moot, Capital is a head without a brain, and the separate domains of the Imperium have been forced to fend for themselves under the independent leadership of their local Grand Dukes. Once the current political turmoil has settled down and the Imperium is reunited, Capital will again take its place as the centerpiece of human civilization.
[o]Chronology of the Imperium -
YearEvent
2956Year 2005 of the old Terran calendar
5469Third Imperium Established
5519First Zhodani contact with Imperial traders.
5529Colonization of Spinward Marches begins
5545Pacification Campaigns begin
5683Solomani Hypothesis proposed
5689Pacification Campaigns end
5617Scouts recontact Darrians
5679Vargr Campaigns begin
5817Vargr Corridor campaigns end
5849Peace of Ftahair, Imperial-Aslan border established
5873First Shudusham Robotics Conference
5889First Survey of Imperium completed
5895Easter Concordat absorbed into Imperium
5930First Aslan contact with Zhodani
5944Empress Nicholle assassinated
5958Hive capital moved to Glea
5969Imperial explorations into Zhodani territory
6057Terra incorporated into Imperium
6058First Frontier War starts
6073First Frontier War ends. Beginning of Civil War.
6075Plankwell murders Empress Jacqueline I
6084Second Frontier War begins
6089Second Frontier War ends
6091End of Civil War
6093Xboat system established
6148Solomani power broken at court
6173Solomani Autonomous Region created
6187Xboat system covers entire Imperium
6219Seventh Zhodani core expedition
6278Crisis of '78
6279Psionics Suppressions begin
6305Psionics Suppressions end
6321Current Sword Worlds government established
6340Solomani Confederation established
6409Confederation friction with the Imperium
6419Solomani reintegrated in Imperium
6448Start of the Third Frontier War
6455End of the Third Frontier War
6459Solomani Rim War begins
6467Imperial advance to core of Solomani Sphere
6471Siege of Terra. End of the Solomani Rim War
6474Solomani Home Guard created
6509Destruction of Phoenix project begins
6514Destruction of Phoenix project ends
6534Second Survey of the Imperium completed
6551False War (Fourth Frontier War) begins
6553False War (Fourth Frontier War) ends
6564Start of the Black Moon campaign
6565Black Moon group escapes from prison
6568Black Moon group begins mission in the Zhodani Consulate
6569Stephron Assassinated and the Moot disolved

[o]Chronor Subsector - Subsector A of the Spinward Marches. The Chronor subsector lies at the extreme spinward reach of the Imperial frontier, and has long been a point of friction between the Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate. Chronor is the Imperial spelling for the subsector; the Zhodani corrupted spelling is Cronor.

Many worlds in the Chronor subsector remain nominally independent, although they are under Zhodani protection. Long term education and development programs are in progress to integrate these worlds into the Zhodani Consulate. Quar (0808 Spinward Marches B532720-B) is the site of an Imperial naval base. The world was originally settled by Imperials, but was pronounced independent as a result of the armistice after the Third Frontier War.
[o]Civil War (6073-6091) - Fought between various factions within the Imperium for control of the bureaucracy. It had its origin in the strain on communications within the Imperium caused by the long lag times dictated by the very size of the Imperium. To city one cause, however, would be simplistic. The diverse backgrounds of the many constituents of the Imperium had its effects, as did rivalry for power by major naval and military commanders and a lessening in the Imperium's expansionist tendencies.

The spark which started the Civil War came from the First Frontier War (6058-6073) in the Spinward Marches. Communications lags and a lack of preparedness forced the Marches to conduct most of the war on its own with little additional help or support from the Imperium. Grand Admiral of the Marches Olav hault-Plankwell forced the war to an end and found solid support for a new government. Marching on Capital with his war fleet, he forced an audience with Empress Jacqueline I, supposedly for recognition of his war effort. In the course of the meeting in 6075, he personally murdered the Empress, and then proclaimed himself Emperor by right of fleet control. The ensuing power struggle lasted through 18 years and 18 emperors.

The fighting in the Civil War was of two varieties: fringe battles for power bases, and central battles for power in the Core. The fringe battles were fought throughout the Imperium as rival factions recruited forces. Once any power block built up enough strength to make a victory seem possible, the forces were moved to the Core and used to either seize power or to wrest it away from someone else.

But there was also a cheaper, easier route open to many. The dynastic crisis of 5313 had produced a precedent for the assassination of the emperor if he or she overstepped the bounds of legitimate activity. The concept was introduced to legitimize the elimination of Cleon the Mad and was never intended for any other purpose. Nevertheless, in the turmoil of the Civil War, assassination was introduced and accepted, at least by those utilizing the technique, as a way of promoting a succession in government.

The line of Emperors during the Civil War came mostly from naval officers, and they are collectively called the Emperors of the Flag. Of these eighteen, seven were assassinated, ten were killed in battle, and one survived - Arbellatra.

During the course of the Civil War, the Outworld Coalition (of Zhodani and Vargr) saw that their defeat in the First Frontier War at the hands of Olav need not be permanent. They attacked again in the Second Frontier War (6084-6089). Their defeat in that war had greater effects than they would know. Grand Admiral Arbellatra managed the meager forces of the Imperium against the Coalition and managed to force a second defeat.

Arbellatra's strategy after the war was (like Olav) to march on the Capital and seize power. She, however, did not make the mistake of seizing the throne. Instead, she defeated the putative emperor and then took possession of power, holding it in trust for a rightful successor. She held the post of regent for seven years while a search for a member of Jacqueline's family could be found to take the throne.

In the stability that followed with her as regent, she made an impression of the Moot and succeeded in establishing a broad power base. Ultimately, the Moot approached her to take the throne herself, an end which was probably in her mind all along.

With the end of the two Frontier Wars and the Civil War, the Imperium entered a period of renewed expansion and consolidation. The express boat system was established to enhance government, commercial, and private communications; the Solomani influence in the Imperium was lessened and replaced with a more cosmopolitan policy; renewed efforts at interior development of existing Imperial territories provided a new focus for the nobles of the Moot.
[o]Confederation - Group of independent states, worlds, or systems united for specified purposes while generally retaining more freedom of action than the members of a federation. Also a league or alliance (especially of princes, nations, states, worlds, or systems).
[o]Corridor - Imperial sector containing 267 systems dramatically split by the Great Rift; 69 systems lie rimward of the Rift and 149 systems form the coreward third of the sector. Corridor is named for its role connecting old, well-established Vland Sector with the frontier sectors Deneb and the Spinward Marches. The name Corridor dates from about 5609 and has displaced the old Vilani name (Eneri, rough translation: "star salad") for the sector. Corridor today is disputed territory, which lies between the so-called Restored Vilani Empire and the loyal Domain of Deneb.
[o]Crisis of '78 - Albert Croale, in his book Almost Disaster, presents a hypothesis that the Third Frontier War (6448-6455) occurred two centuries too late. After reviewing the progress of events in the spinward reaches of the Imperium from the antebellum period to the mid 64th century, Croale then analyzes the rise of the Psionics Institutes, their growing public acceptance, and their spreading power. Finally, he presents that a straight projection of events would predict a resurgence of the Outworld Coalition, increased hostilities, and finally, a Third Frontier War.

Instead, his hypothesis as stated in his book indicates that the Psionics Suppressions (6279-6305 and beyond) were a massive manipulation of the population of the Imperium; a form of psychohistory, intended to eliminate the power of the Institutes. Preparations were ongoing for war, and the Imperium made representations of strength (in 6278) to the Coalition. It backed down.

But, the psychohistory project went wrong and resulted in widespread rejection of psionics as a whole within the Imperium to the point that even the government had difficulty in using the science of psionics for its official purposes.
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[o]Darrian Confederation - A group of worlds in the Darrian subsector settled by a minor human race from Darrian (0627 Spinward Marches) during the period 4332 to 4542. The current capital is Mire (0527 Spinward Marches).

Physiologically, Darrians sport a number of adaptations resulting from their homeworld's environment. However most are not apparent at a glance. The noticeable differences lie in their golden pigmentation, slight build, and pointed ears. Their biology remains closely enough linked to allow interbreeding with the Solomani. Ethnic Darrians usually display a stoic, tolerant air.

The Darrian Confederation is a loose organization of 18 worlds with close ties to the Domain of Deneb. Compositionally, the Confederation consists of a blend of races: 20% Solomani, 8% Aslan, 12% assorted human races, and 60% Darrian. Confederation inhabitants are known for their focus in scholastic and technological activities. Tourism also plays a significant role in their economy.

With a tech level of 16 (one higher than the Imperial standard), Darrian's greatest strength lies in its astrophysical sciences. Darrian scientists are reputed to be able to induce subnova flares in stars at will.
[o]Darrian Subsector - Subsector I of the Spinward Marches. The Darrian subsector contains the Darrian Confederation, a loose, interstellar community of about twenty worlds. Darrian is the oldest interstellar government in the Marches and boasts a higher technology level than any other world in the sector.

Spume (0727 Spinward Marches C140200-A) has been substantially improved by the Darrian government as a military base for defense against possible Sword World invasions.
[o]Deneb - Deneb: Imperial sector containing 385 systems lying beyond the Great Rift; named for the sector's brightest star, Deneb.

Deneb sector was fragmentarily settled by both Vilani and Vargr during the latter years of the First Imperium, but major development of the sector only took place after Third Imperium Scout Service explorations located major resource worlds in quantity. Industrial worlds that exploited those resources soon created trade routes and commercial ties that linked the Imperial core with the Spinward Marches.

Deneb sector is primarily Imperial. The Imperial border runs just within the coreward edge of the sector, and scattered Vargr systems (as well as non-aligned systems and client states) lie beyond the border.

Deneb is part of the Domain of Deneb, a region loyal to the Imperium under the leadership of Grand Duke Norris. The sector is on red alert on its coreward border and is ready to defend against alien insurgents from the Vargr Extents. Its trailing border abuts the so-called Restored Vilani Empire, a rebellious sector containing Vland; occasional hostilities have been reported.
[o]Directions, Galactic - North, south, east, and west are insufficient terms for referring to directions within the galaxy. Instead, the following conventions have achieved widespread acceptance when referring to direction: Toward the galactic core (toward Capital from Terra) is coreward; away from it, in the direction of the rim, is rimward. In the direction in which the galaxy is rotating (toward the Spinward Marches from Vland) is spinward, and the other direction is trailing.

These directions are in widespread use in describing Imperial features and businesses. For example, the Spinward Marches is a sector at the extreme spinward fringe of the Imperium; Rimward Lines is an important interstellar transport company. Finally, within the Imperium, the term coreward is also used to indicate the direction of Capital, the Imperial core. There is some potential for confusion if the term is accepted out of context.
[o]Domain - Group of four sectors within the Imperium under the general control and direction of a Grand Duke (usually referred to as an archduke).
[o]Droyne - Intelligent major race inhabiting scattered worlds within an area slightly larger than the region of the current Third Imperium. The Droyne are a small race derived from winged herbivorous gatherers. They vary in size depending on caste but generally stand one meter tall (large workers and warriors can be larger than humans). The history of their evolution remains a puzzle because their home world is not known with certainty.

Droyne society is divided into rigid castes determined when an individual reaches adolescence. The six castes of the Droyne all serve different functions within Droyne society. Although identical at the time of caste selection, caste members develop pronounced physical and mental differences by maturity. Different genetic programs are awakened by differences in diet and environment among the various castes. Young leaders, for instance, experience a nearly 30 percent increase in brain size in the first year after casting; drones develop sexual organs; and so on. The following are descriptions and definitions of the castes:

Worker: Manual labor and mundane ordinary activity are the province of the worker. Workers are not too smart and are temperamentally suited to contentment with ordinary labor and subservient tasks.

Warrior: Trained for combat and possessing comparatively well developed muscles and reflexes, the warrior is the security troop, the soldier, the marine, and the policeman of the Droyne culture. They are common in frontier bases, and less numerous in civilized areas.

Drone: Drones have a variety of purposes in Droyne society. They perform a reproductive role which makes them both fathers and mothers to Droyne young, and they have a role in the ceremonies which determine caste for maturing young. In addition, drones comprise a sort of middle management caste, which is responsible for many of the routine functions in business. trade, and administration.

Technician: This caste is the science-oriented portion of Droyne society and is concerned with both research and practical implementation of technology.

Sport: Although the caste system of the Droyne is rather rigid, the sport is the deliberately accepted exception to caste structure. Sports are special individuals who cross caste lines to become individual scouts, messengers, representatives, hunters, prospectors, and to take other occupations that require individual initiative or separation from Droyne society for long periods of time. A sport is the most encountered Droyne away from a Droyne world.
Leader: Leaders are required to manage and direct society. They are ultimately responsible for everything that the Droyne as a whole do.

Society: There is little individual freedom in Droyne society, and as a result, society and government join into one concept. Workers work. Leaders lead. All of society is dedicated to continuing the existence that provides all members with food, shelter, and the other amenities that make life enjoyable. In addition, there is little discord in Droyne society when things are running smoothly, as each member of society has his own function to perform. Only when disaster happens is the group forced to strain.

A typical Droyne group consist of a variety of Droyne from the different castes. There will be many workers, few drones and leaders, and technicians and warriors based on current needs. Each group will also have several sports, although they may not be present; instead they may be occupied with their own solitary tasks.

This is not to say that Droyne are mindless. Leaders are quite capable and responsible; warriors have strategic and tactical senses; technicians are inventive and clever. But all accept the central group as a part of their lives and work for its benefit above their own.
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[o]Emperors of the Flag - During the Civil War period (6073 to 6091), the Imperium was in the hands of a series of naval officers of flag (admiral) rank. These eighteen emperors achieved the throne through assassination, fleet action, political maneuvers, and general mayhem. The year 6088 particularly saw six emperors serve on the throne, none of them for more than three months.

The succession of Emperors of the Flag began with the seizure of the throne by Olav hault-Plankwell in 6073, which precipitated the Civil War. It ended with the naming of Arbellatra regent of the Imperium by the Moot in 6091.
[o]Empire - Group of independent states, duchies, nations, tribes, worlds, or systems under supreme rule of an emperor.
[o]Express Boats - Rapid communication ships which were designed to make optimum use of jump technology in communicating information within the Imperium. Because the Imperium was so large, ordinary communication had to depend on ships travelling along established trade routes, making Regina nearly 4 years out from the Imperial Core.

The express boat (abbreviated Xboat) system, established originally in 6093 and expanded to cover the entire Imperium by 6187, cut this communication time by nearly 75 percent. Selected locations along major trade routes were established as sites for express stations, which were orbital facilities which serviced and refueled the Xboats on their communications runs.

As an Xboat arrived in a system, it beamed its recorded data to the express station, which then retransmitted it to an Xboat standing by for a jump outsystem. Time between jumps was almost always less than four hours and had been recorded at under seven minutes, making the speed of communication nearly the speed of jump (since Xboats carry jump-4 drives, speeds near four parsecs per week). In practice, this speed was somewhat reduced by the fact that trade routes did not follow straight lines and that not all jumps were made at jump-4. Nonetheless, the system achieved approximately jump-2.6 per week.

With the advent of FTL communications, the Xboat system was no longer required to facilitate speedy communications to the far flung empire. However, the system still exists to deliver mail and government correspondence and packages, including low-level government employees whose job requires them to travel.
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[o]False War (6551-6553) - The short, fourth war in the series of Frontier Wars between the Third Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate.

See Fourth Frontier War
[o]Faster-Than-Light Communications - The Xboat system was the primary means of imperial communications from the time it went online in 6093 until the advent of FTL communications in the year 6482. FTL communications allow radio-like communications at speeds faster than light. When the technology was first implemented, the transmitting and receiving stations had to be well outside the gravity well of any celestial bodies, including the primary. Thus, the first system consisted of ships that would spends months in space well beyond the orbit of the furthest planets in the system.

The technology has improved tremendously since then to the point that FTL communicators can function within a system as long as they are not affected by a gravity well other than the primary. This, of couse, led to a plethora of communications satellites in solar orbits, These satellites relay data traffic (generally digital data packets) between the inhabited world(s) and the satellites for further transmission to other worlds.

Note that such means of communications are not instanteous. Such communications travel at about 1 parsec per hour which, though much faster than Xboat communications, still means that it takes 8 hours to send a message from Jewell to Regina, and another 8 hours to get an answer back (assuming they answer right away).
[o]Federation - Group of states, worlds, or systems, each internally independent, joined into a union to which has been surrendered certain rights and responsibilities, most generally to do with foreign affairs.