Zebulon's Guide to the Rim
The Rim CoalitionThe Government of the Rim is officially a loose confederation of sovereign planets bound together by treaty for mutual protection against the sathar. Every planet elects representatives to the Board of the Rim Coalition (referred to as The Board) based on population density. Worlds with heavy populations elect three representatives, while worlds with moderate populations elect two and worlds with light populations elect one. All told there are now thirteen worlds electing 28 representatives.
In addition, the home world of each race of the Rim races; ifshni, humma, and osakar, appoint an Adjudicator to represent their respective race. The role of the Adjudicators, in practice, is to review and rule on matters passed by the Board that may intrude on the sovereignty of member worlds. In practice the Adjudicators are a supreme court. The appointed Adjudicators give the racial home worlds inordinate influence in the Coalition government. They also decide which representatives sit on the military and on political commitees of the Board.
The military committee of the Board of the Rim Coalition is the civilian control, overseeing the Flight, the military arm of the Coalition. This committee meets much more frequently then the political committee. It has established command and control structures that provide the Flight with a unified command during time of war.
Due to clauses in the foundational treaty (the Osaka Accords) of the Rim Coalition, all of the races in the Rim have aggressively developed new real estate through exploration and terra-forming. <!--[if gte mso 9]>
While the de jure government of the Rim is the Board, the de facto power behind it, in many ways is the Capellan Free Merchants (CFM). The CFM has been, without a doubt, the driving force in the Rim economically, politically and militarily for decades before the organization of the Rim Coalition and is likely to continue to be so for a long time to come. Its most significant achievement in defense of the Rim was the standardization of parts and equipment among its member planets and their militaries.
Racial Agendas within the Rim Government
The humma desire to dominate the Rim by planet ownership and the ifshnit are seeking to dominate by business interests which leads the two to occasionally clash. Caught between them is the osakar. However, they are politically astute enough to manipulate the other races for the greater good. The osakar have little interest in humma expansion or ifshni profits. Their goal is to keep the humma in check and the ifshnits from monopolizing. Here then are the three parties of the coalition and their motives. The ifshni are fiscal conservatives, the humma are aggressive exploiters and the osakar are the peace makers.
The osakar wanted a constitution, while the humma see other forms of government not their own as ineffective or weak and the ifshnit preferred contracts for everything. In the end they got a representative government, settled with treaties and contracts from the humma and ifshnit. The Rim Coalition works today probably out of fear of the sathar more than for any other reason though the osakar are proving themselves to be the most astute diplomats in known space.
The Flight
The Flight evolved out of the Capellan Free Merchants, having adopted doctrine organization and ship designs. The CFM continues as a separate organization focused on its own economic pursuits while the Flight has taken up the banner of first line of defense in the Rim.The Flight's mandate is the protection of the Rim's signatory star systems but the treaties with the UPF allow for its deployment to UPF space in time of war. The Osak system, being the astrographic hub of the Rim, the capitol of coalition government, and a historic first line of attack for the sathar, made this system the logical location for the Flights headquarters. This system is the center of Flight logistics, ship building and is its largest single concentration of vessels.
The Kazak system is another major base for the Flight with extensive planetary and moon bases but only a small task force of ships is stationed there. Cryxia, being further outon the jump routes and younger lacks the military infrastructure of Kazak and thus has a large fleet stationed there. It's strategically located to watch over this important system and respond to sathar incursions in the outer Rim systems.
Capella and Fockrik have strong indigenous defense forces which permit the Flight to post smaller task forces there. With the large Flight presence one jump away at Osak it would seem that these systems are well enough covered against sathar attacks till the Flight can respond.
Fochrik Flight Works Springblade-class Patrol Combatant
The Flight began to chart its own course independent of the path set by the CFM. Recognizing that armed merchant/paramilitary designs were unsuitable for its purposes, they introduced the Springblade Class patrol combatant design. An inexpensive but capable ship design that could be built in planet based ship yards and still be launched into space, it quickly became a workhorse military vessel in the Rim.
The Flight began to chart its own course independent of the path set by the CFM. Recognizing that armed merchant/paramilitary designs were unsuitable for its purposes, they introduced the Springblade Class patrol combatant design. An inexpensive but capable ship design that could be built in planet based ship yards and still be launched into space, it quickly became a workhorse military vessel in the Rim.
Crew: 15
Weapons: PL(×4)*, LB, TT(×1) OR HARM(AR)(×5)
Weapons: PL(×4)*, LB, TT(×1) OR HARM(AR)(×5)
Defenses: RH, MS(x1)
Engines: 2 Atomic "A"
*All four PLs are forward firing and fire-linked for 2d10 damage.
The Springblade-class patrol combatant is the workhorse of the Flight and the various militias within the Rim. Though relatively fragile for its size, the vessel boasts an arsenal of weapons comparable to a Space Fleet frigate, with the same maneuverability and acceleration.
Rank Structure of the Flight
The officer ranks of the Flight reveal a clear influence from the ifshni and the CFM. With two of the worlds in the Capella system having large bodies of water, the ifshni have a strong maritime tradition which was carried on in their space services. Thus the Ifshna word for captain, shipmaster, has made its way into the vocabulary of all the Rim races.
The Flight, like the Capellan Free Merchants, favors officers from the Pilot and Astrogator career tracks for higher command. This is not to say that officers from the other career tracks cannot attain higher command, though it is less likely.
Enlisted Ranks
Spacer (3rd thru 1st rank), Sub Talon (3rd thru 1st rank), Chief Talon, Senior Talon, and Senior Talon of the Flight.
Officer Ranks
Pilot* Apprentice, Pilot*, Leading Pilot*, Pilot* Major, Shipmaster (2nd & 1st rank), Squadron Master, Group Master, Wing Master, and Flight Master. (* substitute Astrogator, Gunner and Engineer for Pilot as per those career tracks).
Rank Structure of the Flight
The officer ranks of the Flight reveal a clear influence from the ifshni and the CFM. With two of the worlds in the Capella system having large bodies of water, the ifshni have a strong maritime tradition which was carried on in their space services. Thus the Ifshna word for captain, shipmaster, has made its way into the vocabulary of all the Rim races.
The Flight, like the Capellan Free Merchants, favors officers from the Pilot and Astrogator career tracks for higher command. This is not to say that officers from the other career tracks cannot attain higher command, though it is less likely.
Enlisted Ranks
Spacer (3rd thru 1st rank), Sub Talon (3rd thru 1st rank), Chief Talon, Senior Talon, and Senior Talon of the Flight.
Officer Ranks
Pilot* Apprentice, Pilot*, Leading Pilot*, Pilot* Major, Shipmaster (2nd & 1st rank), Squadron Master, Group Master, Wing Master, and Flight Master. (* substitute Astrogator, Gunner and Engineer for Pilot as per those career tracks).
The Capellan Free Merchants
Headquarters: Red Island, Faire, CapellaChief Executives: The Council of Twelve, a revolving membership drawn from the Capellan elders who have been Free Merchants.
Subsidiaries: None
Note: The CFM does not follow the standard rules for mega-corps and avoids the Trans-Travel lobby because of a unique charter granted to them by the UPF, in gratitude for the aid given during the recovery from the First Sathar War.
This unusual conglomerate of retail outlets, distributors, manufacturers, and trading ships is much larger than most Frontiersman realize. The Capellan Free Merchants is a union of small companies that protects its members from mega-corps. It specializes in the sale of exotic items, which can usually be found nowhere else but in a CFM shop, and in rentals. This renting or leasing of equipment to its members (at a flat rate) and up to nonmembers (at the going rate plus 20% per month) is extremely lucrative and has been a thorn in other mega-corps' paws for years. Free Merchants also repair and maintain equipment, giving them added income on other mega-corps' products.
The most recognizable members of this conglomerate (although there are members of every known race in the CFM) are the ifshni from the Capella system. These tiny merchants organize hundreds of planet-hopping trading ships that ply the space ways with their wares. The Free Merchants have a clear understanding with Trans-Travel and will only transport their own materials and personnel on their ships. The Capellan Free Merchants usually do not open a shop under their name, but prefer the anonymity of a front organization. Because of their long domination of the Rim society they do not necessarily feel constrained by the niceties of law.
Any being can belong to the Free Merchants, but he must pass a five year apprenticeship program first. Entry into this program requires sponsorship by an already established Free Merchant. The Capellan Free Merchants have been known to venture beyond known space in search of new and exotic items.
History of the CFM
Organized by the first traders that reached for the stars, the Capella Free Merchants became the de facto system government for the Capella system. Its traditions and philosophies bear strong resemblance to the maritime trading tradition on Homeworld, Capella system.
In the beginning, the maritime trading houses dominated the economy of Homeworld but the CFM quickly monopolized the spaced trade and developed the other planets in the system. As the CFM grew in importance and power, the maritime based trade houses attempted to break the CFM's monopoly and banded together against it. This resuslted in a brief shooting war that lasted only two months. The end result was virtual economic and political control of the Capella system by the Capellan Free Merchants. The CFM is allowed to land goods on Homeworld but only at designated ports of entry and all surface trade is carried by the varrious surface based trade organizations.
After formallizing their control to the Capella system the CFM began a policy of exploration with a view to developing new colonies and markets as well as new resources. They immediately discovered the Osak, Fockrik and Kasak systems, openning communication between the three races of the Rim. The humma had only a rudimentary space presence while the osakar were a little further along into thier space age and into this situation the CFM became the interplanetary traders for all the inhabbited systems of the Rim. With the planet Stenmar they offered subsidies to encourage emmigration and colonization with provisions that only CFM vessels would supply the colony.
The humma began to push for increased technology transfers in an efforts to bootstrap themselves to the stars. Direct competition with the CFM and their own internal civil strife led to a brief shooting war between them and the CFM. The CFM warehouses and trading station on Larg was overrun and they responded with extreme punitive measures. If the CFM can be said to have one clear foreign policy it is an unambiguous and extreme response to the killing of any of its personnel.
The offending hummarin lineages and house lost all practical ability to wage war through well placed kinetic strikes by CFM vessels. Rival humma lineages and houses quickly took advantage of the situation and either wiped out or so crippled the offenders that they have never recovered. Thus this round of hummarin civil strife and the Ifshna-Hummarin War came to a quick and simultaneous end.
In the decade following the Ifshna-Hummarin War the CFM instituted a new policy of upgrading the military capabilities of its vessels with a view to handling any future unpleasentness with the humma. This process was 60% complete when the sathar first turned up in Rim space. While the CFM had made efforts toward militarizing the vessels of its trading captians it was by no means prepared to face down the sathar.
The sathar ravaged the Osak system before pursuing retreating CFM vessels to Capella. In Capella they land troops and attack monsters on Homeworld before the regrouped CFM could counter attack and wipe out the invading fleet. Even as the battle waged for Homeworld and the CFM turned its attention on the smaller sathar holding force in Osak the maritime trade houses clamoured for the heads of the Board of the CFM with charges of negligence over the sathar's attack of their planet. The CFM captains had bravely and self sacrificingly destroyed the sathar's fleet but attempts at breaking their monopoly on space trade persisted for years.
Realizing that they had an very dangerous enemy with an unkown home system, the CFM initiated efforts to unify the Rim systems in a defensive confederation. They also sent out explorers to find the origin of the sathar fleet. The osakar, having suffered equally from the sathar were in agreement concerning the need for a better organized defense but the humma refused to join viewing the other races as inferior and week.
The Capellan Free Merchants and the osakar signed an agreement called the Faire Contract, agreeing to a coordinated defense of their systems. Within another decade the sathar returned to the Osak system and sent a beseiging force onto Fockrik. The defense forces in Osak were forced to play hide and pounce with the invading sathar force seeking to defeat individual vessels or small patrol groups in issolation while the rest of the CFM vessels in Capella came to their aid. Once the unified fleets of Osak and Capella dealt with the main sathar fleet in Osak it was the sathar's turn to play hide an pounce forcing the CFM to devote significant resources to deal with them.
Eventually, the CFM and the osakar moved onto Fockrik in pursuit of the sathar and wiped out that force as well. In the aftermath of this sathar incursion the CFM used the osakar to negotiate the Osak Accords and forged a confederation of the three races known as the Rim Coalition or Confederation.
After the formation of the Flight, the CFM, not wanting to demilitarize its vessels, transformed its role into a reserve merchant force for the Flight. In time of war and emergency the CFM's vessels can be called on to support the Flight as armed fleet tenders or even as a last line of mobilization in defense of Rim star systems.
In the years since the formation of the Rim Coalition and the Flight the CFM has focused on exploration and developing the others colonies in the Rim as new markets for its ship captains and it has tracked the sathar to the Zebulon system. Due to the Flight's stealthed scout platforms in the Zebulon system the CFM was aware of the sathar dispatching a huge fleet to Truane's Star (as yet unknown to the CFM) while a similar fleet advanced on Osak. This conflict became known as the First Sathar War (the previous two incursions into the Rim have now been designated at Rim Wars 1 & 2). Because of the knowledge that sathar sent another force elsewhere the CFM deduced that another civilization must be struggling with the rapacious sathar. This led to the discovery of the Frontier and the emerging UPF.
Astrography of the Rim
Rim Star Systems| Star (Class) & Planet | PR | Pop | TR | Grav | Day | Sat | Moons | Uses |
| Capella (G6) | ||||||||
| Faire | If | Mod | B | 0.7 | 45 | DS | Astraa | A |
| Homeworld | If | Mod | A | 1.5 | 15 | TS | Flaund | - |
| Bigoo | I | |||||||
| Ifshna | If | Mod | BT | 0.6 | 22 | RRS | Haasan | - |
| Kleevor | M | |||||||
| Cryxia (K5) | ||||||||
| Pi'Ka'Nair | * | Hvy | A | 0.5 | 12 | - | Bu'd | - |
| T'zaan | * | Mod | A | 1.0 | 20 | TS | ||
| Fockrik (F9) | ||||||||
| Forge | Hu | Hvy | I | 0.8 | 40 | - | Anvil | M |
| Hum | Hu | Hvy | R | 0.9 | 30 | TS | Kran | C |
| Glak | M | |||||||
| Larg | Hu | Mod | RI | 1.1 | 35 | - | Clud | - |
| Kazak (G1) | ||||||||
| Stenmar | * | Mod | RA | 1.0 | 25 | DS,RRS | Brount | M |
| Bernt | M | |||||||
| Bilf | - | |||||||
| Brunmt | M | |||||||
| Klaeok (G8) | ||||||||
| Point Go | * | Lt | R | 1.6 | 90 | DS,TS | - | |
| Osak (G4) | ||||||||
| Fhloid | O | Out | M | 0.8 | 20 | - | - | |
| Osaka | O | Hvy | I | 1.1 | 25 | FSS,TS | Obladee | C |
| Ontair | R | |||||||
| Octon | B | |||||||
| Piscatien | O/If | Out | E | 1.0 | 35 | - | Onmar | - |
| Reanee | * | Mod | B | 1.0 | 20 | - | - | |
| Wonma | * | Lt | AT | 1.2 | 30 | ASS | Weskin | E |
| Weot | - |
Table Footnotes
PR (Primary Race): If= ifshnit, Hu= humma, O= osakar, * + mixture of races
Pop (Population)
Hvy-- Heavy population: The planet has numerous large cities and hundreds of smaller cities. Individual cities may be considered "maxi-cities" that cover thousands of square kilometers.
Mod-- Moderate population: The planet has several large cities and numerous small cities.
Lt-- Light population: The planet has only a few small cities.
Out-- Outpost: The planet has only a small outpost or colony. At most, it has only one small city and possibly some small settlements located nearby.
TR (Trade)
I-- Industry: Most of the planet's economy is based on manufacturing. Cities are built around factories, processing plants, or robo-plants, and most of the inhabitants work there. Raw materials may either be mined on the planet or shipped in from another planet.
R-- Resource Mining: The planet is rich in natural resources like metals, fossil fuels, gems, crystal, or radioactive materials. Most of these raw materials are shipped to industrial planets for processing.
A-- Agriculture: The planet's economy is based on farming, whether natural or synthetic. This includes grain farming, fruit or vegetable farming, livestock, fish, lumber, textiles, and other such businesses.
M-- Military: The planet is an ideal location for a huge military complex. This requires some industry and resource mining to be conducted on the planet and the planet is under the tightest security. Military planets are usually developed by a mega-corp that needs room for development, growth, and testing (like WarTech's Solar Major) or by a large planetary system that needs to heavily fortify a sector in space (like the UPF's development of Moonworld in the Lynchpin System).
E-- Education: The planet's chief industry is educational or scientific study.
B-- Business: The planet's chief product is mercantile operations. Such a planet usually has offices on it for middle sized companies and mega-corps along with massive showrooms and demonstration areas. Also in abundance are thousands of bazaars where one can find almost everything imaginable. Some planets, such as Minotaur, are tourist centers that make a large amount of their planetary income on vacation sites and amusement parks.
T-- High Tech Industry: The planet excels in research or development of, manufacturing of, or advanced use of highly advanced technology. Wonma, Osak is a great example of a high-tech center.
Grav (gravity): given in PanGal's "Sol standard"
Sat (artificial satellites): Only lists the major stations
FSS-- Fortified Space Station
ASS-- Armed Space Station
TS-- Trading Station: These "malls in space" are usually found in very secure space sectors. Trading stations have facilities for restocking spaceships.
RRS-- Rest & Relaxation Station: These space stations specialize in entertainment facilities such as holo-shows, live theatre, casinos, lounges and sporting events. They also cover recreation facilities such as zoos, adventure parks, and on some of the planets with more hostile environments, "outdoor" parks that offer hiking, biking, climbing, boating, etc. Usually there is a wide range of packages for onboard hotel facilities so it is possible for people to vacation there over extended periods of time.
DS-- Docking Station: These space stations provide facilities for repair, refurbishment, and complete overhaul of spaceships. Some are also shipyards where new spaceships are built. Every type of space station can handle light repairs on space ships, but only a docking station can handle seriously damaged ships.
Moons: Uses the same letter codes as TR with one addition.
C-- Colonization
Planetary Footnotes
Faire (Capella) is a water world with five large islands. Red Island is the headquarters of the Capellan Free Merchants and the de facto system capitol. Each island has a supervisor that oversees it as a mayor and traditionally has always been a member of the CFM. The overseer/mayor position is typically a stepping stone to future appointment on the Board of the CFM. The largest island is Bizarre and is especially noteworthy for its Minzii marketplace where it's said that if an item can't be found in Minzii then it doesn't exist.Fhloid (Osak), in the inner Osak system, is the secret weapons development site for the Flight. Established after a new weapon system turned up for sale in the Minzii market on the planet Faire, the orbital space of Fhoid is off limits to all by but specific Flight vessels.
Forge (Fochrik) would be uninhabitable due to its proximity to Fochrik except that it is tidally locked with one face always pointed toward the star. The habitable zone lies below the horizon shadow that never receives direct sunlight. Ships that ply the space lanes between Forge and Hum require extra heat shielding or they are very likely to take damage.
Homeworld (Capella) is the cradle of the ifshni civilization. Callith, its capitol, is the location of the Palace of the Stone and the sacred Mist Stone. Homeworld, though colder than Faire, sports 70% liquid water oceans. Sailing is the planetary passion even more so than on Faire. It is a leader in algae farming.
Hum (Fochrik) is the cradle of hummarin civilization. This planet is unique in known space as having the distinction of evolving two sapient races simultaneously; the humma and the boon'sheh. The boon'sheh race is nearly extinct on Hum and the humma have inherited the planet. The leading houses on Hum have their leaders chosen for the royal seats that control the government.
Osaka (Osak) is the cradle of the osakaran civilization, capitol of the system, seat of the Board of the Rim Coalition, and the headquarters of the Flight. Economically, it is as important as the Capella system sitting at the effective crossroad to Fochrik, Capella, the rest of the Rim. This planet is heavily defended with both a fortified space station and ground based defenses.
Pi'Ka'Nair (Cryxia), combined with its sister world T'zaan, is known as the "bread basket of the Rim." Its low gravity and favorable environment supports many varied agricultural exports. One of its native species, the cryxian roach, has managed to colonize several other planets in the Rim and proved to be invasive pest.
Stenmar (Kazak), discovered by the CFM, is a thoroughly mixed race colony. The economy is based equally on mining and agriculture but there is intense rivalry with the Cryxia system for the designation of Bread Basket of the Rim as well as resentment over the invasion of the cryxian roach. While most of its moons are military installations, its second moon, Bernt, is a major penal colony as well. The planet hosts the headquarters of the Flight's Talon Command (the Flight's marine force) and is the training center and supply depot for Talon Command.
Wonma (Osak) is an important research site with climate controlled domes simulating environments from around the Rim. The planet actively develops new agricultural products for the CFM. It has rapidly grown its the high tech exports as well.
Due to its rising importance in the Rim's economy the CFM has forced the Flight to build an armed space station in orbit. In reality, the station may not be needed for the planet's defense due to its distance from the system primary. Sathar ships jumping into the system will generally burn past Wonma before they can decelerate enough to raid the planet and by that time the Flight will have task groups on intercept. The Flight has negotiated with the CFM to turn this station over to their administration to re-divert funds to higher defensive priorities else where. The end result is that the CFM staffs the station but the Flight still pays for its upkeep.
Zebulon's Guide to the Ifshnit
"Pssst! Psssssssstt!"The yazirian walking through the Minzii marketplace slowed when he heard the hissing and glanced aroun. He as a dangerous looking type, possibly one of the newly arrived mercenaries brought in to settle a mega-corp dispute on the other side of the Bizarre. He located the source of the third "psst" and stooped down next to the stall selling Grothian crystals.
Standing underneath the crystal laden table was an ifshnit, black body hair carefully braided in the manner of a roving Capellan merchant. His tiny stature was wmphasized by the gun case he was leaning on; compared to his own diminutive theight it looked like a huge suitcase.
"Greeted well, simian warrior," said the hairy little being in the musical voice common to his race.
The enforcer had no liking for word games but knew ifshnit customs demanded that the potential customer recognize the merchant as an honorable tradesman. Searching his mind for the correct phrasing, the yazirian stammered, "Uh, recognized with respect and delight, esteemed shopkeepter. What might you have in the way of special items for a needy enforcer?"
The little face grinned, huge eyes glistening with delight. "Oh, nothing, surely, that a traveled, experienced personage such as yourself has not seen in his past wanderings. Only some trinkets and unusual weapons."
The last remark was meant to tantalize. It did. The warrior, feeling a fool for kneeling in the marketplace's dirt street and appearing as if he was talking to a table, began growling with irritation, "Show me anyway, distinguished barterer, that I may broaden my experience."
The ifshnit waved his ringed hand in the air, "No, no, I could not humiliate myself by revealing to your seasoned eyes my meager wares no matter how rare they may be."
"All right you little pirate," the yazirian snapped, temper flaring and teeth bared, "I have a few precious minutes before I bap to another part of your soggy planet. Do you have something to sell or not?"
Though ruffled by the yazirian's impatience, the ifshnit felt confident of a sale. Smiling enigmatically, he flipped open the weapon case and turned it toward the monkeyish face. Inside, the strangely shaped weapon gleamed, even in the shade of the table. Its muzzle was still sealed by the manufacturer's stamp, proving the weapon had never been used.
The yazirian's eyes narrowed, "Is that authentic?"
A slight nod from the merchant sent the warrior's eyes back to the beckoning weapon. Small jeweled hands snapped open compartments and removed insulating panels.
"A WarTech Omega Bolt with tooled krikhide holster. The belt holds six power clips."
The yazirian smiled slowly, licking his lips, "I think we can do business, esteemed one."
Ifshnits, Racial Description
Physical StructureIfshnits are bipedal, symetrical mammals that look like tiny humans in hair coats. All ifshnits have bald pates, moustaches, and long silky hair over the rest of their bodies. This body hair can be any color but is selfdom different shades on the same body. All males have long and ornate beards, usually of a different shade than the rest of the body hair. The body hair of both sexes is usually worn in intricate braids. Each ifshnit clan braids its hair differently.
Ifshnits hands and feet are covered with short hair, except for their palms and soles, which are bare and padded. This short hair is slightly darker than the rest of the body hair. Their hands have three fingers and an opposing thumb, while the feet have four toes. Because of their small size, ifshnits cannot use many large items, including normal rifles, without a size penalty.
Ifshnit females have three pairs of mamary glands and can birth up to six "puplets" at a time. Puplets are born hairless and tiny, but grow very fast and have their long hair within thirty days. They reach their full height by age nine and full maturiyt at age twelve.
Ifshnits are herbivores and the thought of eating another creature is utterly revolting to them. Because of their vegetarian diet they are constantly nibbling instead of eating meals.
Senses
Ifshnits have normal senses of hearing, touch, and taste. They have almost no sense of smell and have a hard time understanding the concept of scent. Their eyes are masterpieces of biological engineering. A fast closing nictitiating membrane closes instantly if exposed to bright light, preventing the ifshnit from being blinded. Their night sight is no better then a human's.
Speech
Ifshnits have a lilting, piping voice that is best described as cute. Their language is intricate, but is compatible with most race' linguistic abilities.
Ifshnit History
place holder textIfshnit Society and Customs
Ifshnits are a major race in the Rim hailling from the Capella system. They are best characterized as ardent capitalist.The strange, polite dickering of the ifshnit is known and welcome on most planets. Due to their origins, ifshnits are fiercely independent. They like neither mega-corps nor cadres. They live in small family clans and are governed by a committee that changes continually.
Ifshnits have a very specific bartering custom that has slowly become common knowledge among the Frontier core worlds. The sale begins with a lavish greeting by the ifshnits to honor the individual to put them at ease while that person must likewise return the greeting by recognizing the ifshnit's integrity. The merchant then down plays his wares while mentioning items that may be of interest to the individual. Once the individual expresses their interest, if any, the sale may continue.
Any ifshnit that is found to be of questionable integrity is cast out from ifshnit society until they have demonstrated a return to the ifshnit ideal of trustworthiness. Ifshnits believe that every bad sale and every ifshnit that demonstrates questionable ethics brings down the trust of the other races toward the ifshnit race as a whole.
A core belief is that this is the only corporeal existence. Their concept of an afterlife is one of pure thought mixed with gentler emotions. As a consequence of this belief they tend to ignore the sensual pleasures of life. Their favorite pastimes include games (they love competition), stroytelling, and bartering for goods. Ifshnits love gathering and will find every reason to gather friends and family together to celebrate any occasion, but particularly birth, deaths, and large volume sales.
These social conquerors have assimilated well into Frontier society, taking part in every aspect of life from street level bartering to administering government affairs, even taking an active role in the United Planetary Federation's military, usually to weed out sathar spies and protect trade and commerce in the galaxy.
Ifshnits do not typically wear full clothing as they already have hair covering their entire bodies. Instead, they wear open tunics reflecting the fine rare fabrics and exquisite designs typically provided by the Capellan Free Merchants. They are particullary fond of exotic accessories, often adding beads to their braids.
Typical Names: Alt, Dorim, Meez, Morget, Nister, Orma, Prin, Rindel, Rith, Steth, Tith, Zim.
Ifshnit Attitudes, Motivations, & Racial Abilities
AttitudesIfshnits are intelligent, brave, patient, and tolerant of other races, and members of most races like them instantly. However, despite their open, friendly dispositions, ifshnits perfer being alone with other members of their clan.
When an ifshnit demonstrates concern, you can be sure it is genuine, though they will gladly use the occasion to share any of their product that matches the circumstance, but their doing so is an earnest attempt to help. A person is wise to at least give them an ear in their offers, as you never know what wisdom may be expressed in their offer. They take every opportunity to make money to take care of themselves and their family, but never at the expense of the well being of others.
Though they value life more than the other races, they still see the need for repulsing would be usurpers by any means necessary and will come to the aid of the CFM whenever needed, even if it is not their employing company.
They harbor an intense hatred for the sathar and any who serve them. This is due to their past dealings with the sathar. Though the details are hard to get, apparently the sathar have plagued the ifshnits since their history began. This leads many historians to believe that the ifshnits (or a branch of that race) at one time inhabited sathar space. Ifshnits have been known to risk life and limb many times over to eliminate the sathar and their agents.
Despite the vrusk's dispassionate nature, ifshnits find them interesting becasue their commitment to their employer is similar to the ifshnit commitment to the CFM. They also love dralasites for their flexibility, humor, and congenial ways. Humans appreciate ifshnits for their genuineness and openness, as well as seemingly always having what they need.
Racial Reaction Modifiers Table
| Race | By Other | By Ifshnit |
| Dralasite | +0 | +15 |
| Human | +5 | +5 |
| Humma | -5 | -5 |
| Ifshnit | -- | +15 |
| Mechanon | +0 | -5 |
| Osakar | +0 | +5 |
| Sathar | -10 | -40 |
| Vrusk | +0 | +5 |
| Yazerian | +5 | +10 |
| Boon'sheh | -5 | +5 |
Motivations for Adventure
Ifshnits are not shy for travelling to exotic worlds to see otherworldly beauty or share their culture, their beliefs, and their goods. They love the stars and seek to bring order to the universe and will sometimes take an active roll in achieving that goal. Ifshnits adapt very well to living and working in space. Dorem Dasak, the famous dralasite philosopher and historian, has named them, "The race of the future, they who will inherit!"
Racial Abilities
Flash Resistance: Ifshnits cannot be blinded by any light, as their nictitating membranes snap shut instantly. They cannot see during the turn a light flashes brightly, but their eyesight will be normal the following turn.
Innate Skill: Because of their unique culture, which is heavily based on barter, ifshnits learn about trading at an early age. An ifshnit player is allowed to choose one of the following bonuses at no cost when it begins the game: +20% to Appraisal, Gemology, or Haggling.
| Ability | Modifier |
| STR/STA | -5 |
| DEX/RS | +0 |
| INT/LOG | +5 |
| PER/LDR | +0 |
Ships of the CFM, the Dawn Trader class light frieghter
CFMS Dawn Trader-class light freighter
Crew: 14
Weapons: LC, LB, HARM(RB)
Weapons: LC, LB, HARM(RB)
Defenses: RH, MS(x1)
Engines: 3 Atomic "B"
The first human CFM shipmaster, Maria Craig, owned a Dawn Trader named the Rules of Acquisition.
The Cappellan Free Merchants' stock light freighter, and its most common merchanter, is slightly smaller than the Frontier's Pacific-class, with comparable performance.
The Dawn Trader served briefly as the Flight's first warship, until its shortcomings forced the Flight to build the Springblade-class patrol combatant.
The first human CFM shipmaster, Maria Craig, owned a Dawn Trader named the Rules of Acquisition.
The Rules Of Acquisition primarily
travels along the Klaeok-Zebulon-Truane's Star-Dixon's Star-Cassidine
astrogation route, ostensibly running cargo and providing armed escort.
However, Star Law suspects the RoA and its captain of acts of piracy against Streel and PGC
transports plying the star lanes between Klaeok and Cassidine.
Also, a ship similar to the description for the RoA has
been spotted running weapons and interdicted tech to the Boon'Sheh on
Larg, and engaging Humma fighter craft on several occasions.
So far, however, these allegations remain unproven.
Ships of the CFM, Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter
CFMS Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter
Crew: 23
Weapons: LC(×2)*, EB, HARM(RB), TT(×2)
Weapons: LC(×2)*, EB, HARM(RB), TT(×2)
Defenses: RH, MS(x2)
Engines: 4 Atomic "B"
*LC are fire-linked for 4d10 damage
Like the Dawn Trader-class, the Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter serves as an auxiliary warship for the Flight, as well as a bulk cargo hauler, hence the relatively heavy armament. This class has also seen service as troop ship in the Rim and several are currently on station at Stenmar, Kazak system.
Ships of the CFM, other designs
place holder text.Cryxia System
Cryxia K5 star with a habitable zone approximately ranges between 0.1–0.4 to 0.3–1.3 AU from the star. Thus Pi'Ka'Nair is at 0.2 AU and T'Zaan is at 1.2 AU
Note: T'Zaan is almost identical to Gran Quivera- 20 hr day and 1.0g so this will be the focus of adventure for starting characters as its familiar to the default location in the Frontier and later the players can visit more exotic locales like Pi'Ka'Nair or Point Go after they get their feet.
Pi'Ka'Nair: Mix species Colony, Hvy Pop, Ag economy, Grav 0.5, 12 hr day, no major satellites, 1 unused moon called Bu'd. Pi'Ka'Nair is a warm, low-gravity world with a strong magnetic field, plants grow large and fast here and this is the origin of the Cryxian Roach.
T'Zaan: Mix species Colony, Med Pop, Ag economy, Grav 1.0, 20 hr day, a trade station, no moons. T'Zaan is a cooler world that at first glance would look barren but supports a flourishing agriculture economy that compliments the warm and almost sweltering greenhouse-like ag economy of Pi'Ka'Nair. Cryxian Roach is an invasive species but many plants and animals have been imported for the ag economy and the ecosystem is in great flux due to this.
Cryxia Trade Station orbits T'Zaan and is the clearing house for all cargoes in or out of Cryxia. Due to the invasive nature of the Cryxian roach all cargo, luggage, and passengers leaving either planet are strenuously screened by environmentalists before departing the planet and then yet again on Cryxia Trade Station.
All shuttles working in this system have sonic pest fields installed that are similar to the sonic screen but modulated to ward off the Cryxian Roach, the sonic hum is barely audible. Any ship, not so equipped and landing on either planet must go through a Phase 1 environmental scan requiring an hour per hull point and costing 500 Cr per hull point (haggling over the cost is possible). For this reason, few ships from out-system ever choose to land and prefer to just tranship cargo and passengers at Cryxia station.
Local laws and Regs: ships departing Cryxia station require an Environmental Inspection Certificate regardless of cargo. Arriving in another system after leaving Cryxia without a certificate can lead to red tape and possible fines. Note a ship that never docks with Cryxia station or lands on a planet is not strictly required to get an Envrionmental Inspection Certificate but its wise to contact System Control and pay the 100 Cr for them to radio ahead to that ships next destination a certification that the ship made no contact in Cryxia.
Local Customs: Businesses have a practice of advertising with a tile mosaic outside their door either on the sidewalk or in the wall next to the door. 