Available Contracts

 Available contracts currently* posted to the local database:

(note these are public contracts; private contracts may be available through one's known contacts around the station)

at Zubayr's Saloon

1. Tham Lang is looking for help in retrieving material from his claim in the Belt, to deliver to Cherryh Station’s holds. He is willing to pay 6 credits each for up to two hands to help him maneuver the ship and man guns in case of hostile prospectors. The trip through the Belt and back will last one week
2. 
   Morgan-Jeffrison Industries has blockaded the trojan asteroids of WD-1-iii (the gas giant), where its miners are striking; Ilsa Ilsndot is looking for three hands to assist her in running the blockade with vital supplies for the strikers. She is offering 30 credits to each hand she takes on, with a bonus of 10 extra credits hazard pay if the ship is boarded. This should be a two week venture

at Lost Horizons

1. Ytran Ysarri is looking for an assistant and up to three security personnel to investigate anomalous signals detected in system WD-1, reportedly in a horseshoe orbit opposite the gas giant WD-1-iii. Security is requested in case any mining-conglomerate thugs get the wrong idea about his vessel’s scientific mission. This is slated as a four-week contract, including one going out, two on-station, and one coming back. His grant can pay 16 total credits to each hired hand 
2. Zheng Han wants to venture to survey one of the next four stars on from WD-1, hoping to make it big with claims in a rich star system. Looking for no fewer than two but up to four competent crew to assist in the voyage (and man guns/help with surveying). Will be a minimum five week voyage. He can pay 2 credits per week (total 10 credits), plus a bonus according to any claim they make, plus payout from any cargo the ship can haul back in to Cherryh Station
3. Holt Rimr has a hold full of volatiles signed for the xenobiology station on the desert world WD-2-ii. Promised full payment of 64 credits, he is willing to pay 15 credits each for up to three hands to assist in his freight run—he needs people to man the guns and computer in case of piratical encounters. This should be a simple two week jump

Bloody Claws

1. Shakir-Rii, Mrrshan huntress, wishes to try her luck in a “safari” in the backwaters of Vana (Vanar iv). She will hire the shuttle down to the planet, and be attended by her attendant and a Sakkra guide. She is looking for additional hands—up to three—to act as her porters and extra muscle in case of trouble with the locals. She’ll pay 15 credits to each hand. The “safari” will last two weeks
2. Stevzie Zissou, famed planetologist, is headed to the ocean world of WD-3-iii (Sadak) to make an orbital survey of the planet for future continued study. He is looking for three hands—enough to double up the navigating crew of his own ship—to guarantee success in this venture. This is slated as a three week venture (one out, one there, one back), with pay of 35 credits each for at least two/no more than three hands—required one skilled in helm and one skilled in computer, an engineer the optional third.

the Warden Thoris herself

1. Ssrai, Sakkra colonial directress, has ordered a terraforming survey of WD-2 system (both planets), and requires human hands/watchers to corroborate findings and make sure she doesn't launch any prefab materiel for illicit colonies. This contract is for two hands to be watchers among Ssrai's crew, technically employed directly by Warden Thoris. Individuals will be paid 45 credits each, with the understanding that this includes hazard pay. The mission proposed by Ssrai is to last four weeks, one out, one at each potential planet, and one returning to Cherryh Station.

*at the moment, these contracts and the database are identical; as contracts are completed or fall away, the local database will be updated with new information, and a new/separate post will be presented--this post will fall away into the archives

Elsewhere in the Galaxy: After Action Report

[after-action report from a game of Armada played 12 February, following on the initial set-up ... I've been painting up 3D-printed Star Trek ships that are essentially at-scale with Armada's Star Destroyers, and finally got a chance to surprise my friends with them and some custom-written ship cards!] 

CAPTAIN'S LOG -- STARDATE 2892.5

Disaster!

Having passed through the interspatial anomaly at system Gamma Hydri, we encountered a distressed vessel requiring repairs, and made friendly contact with them. They appeared to be a cosmopolitan society, much in the nature of our own United Federation of Planets, a mix of species working together toward a greater goal.

Unfortunately, they are involved in some kind of interstellar war with an Empire not unlike the Klingon, Romulan, or Kzinti Empire. After repairs were completed on the Providence--a "battlecruiser" far larger than any vessel in any Alpha Quadrant fleet!--another task force of huge dreadnoughts warped into the system by unfamiliar propulsion and hailed us to surrender in the name of the "Galactic" Empire.

I explained to the representative of this Empire that we were a neutral party, and had only responded to a distress call as any spacefaring vessel is obliged to do. The other scoffed at this explanation, and goggled when I truthfully denied any knowledge of a "galaxy-wide" civil war. I know not how large the holdings of these polities are, but their vessels certainly are vast. Unfortunately, the imperial commander pronounced that any harboring or abetting "rebel scum" were as good as scum themselves and so we were to consider ourselves nothing more than slag--transmissions were then cut, and the now-enemy squadron moved to intercept us.

Hornet bottom right, Antigone next up, Argo approaching from top,
Zulfiqar partially obscured behind Rebel Providence

Our crews were stalwart in the face of these seemingly overwhelming odds. Red alert sounded, shields went up, enemies were scanned. Their weapons were massed batteries of laser-cannon, their shields similar in design to our own. Unfortunately, they deployed some technology unknown to us introducing gravitic fluctuations that slowed our vessels. Damnitall! Zulfiqar and Argo were hamstrung, and unable to stoke our to get into the fray early enough to even attempt to turn the tide. Hornet meanwhile leapt ahead, trusting her shields and the sure hands of their chief engineer Lt. Commander Sher'Kana.

As Hornet sped ahead and met the teeth of the imperial wolf--and vicious they proved to be--Antigone's captain wisely chose to turn aside and begin withdrawal, perhaps to turn and fight again, but mindful of the need to warn the Federation of the new presence of these violent aliens upon our border. As she turned away, she gave well with her torpedoes and phasers, but the massed batteries of the enemy dreadnought wreaked havoc on her shields.

Hornet passed between the enemy dreadnoughts and received fusillade after fusillade of fire. Her shields buckled, but not before delivering a full spread of torpedoes into the larger foe, collapsing that ship's shields and bloodying its nose.

Meanwhile, as Antigone did her best to keep speed despite the strange gravitic fluctuations produced by the ship with strange bulges along its length, Argo and Providence moved in to engage the enemy and block him from Antigone's escape route out of the system and back through the interspatial anomaly. I watched in helpless rage as the burning hulk of Hornet tumbled through space, far too distant for any transporter rescue of her gallant crew.

Argo and Providence turned their fire from the enemy flagship to attempt to destroy the ship producing the gravitic fluctuations that were playing such havoc with our ships' engines. Argo's captain flew straight in against the enemy, prow-to-prow, while Providence angled in behind, and then swung around for a devastating broadside.

As Antigone passed the enemy's fighing-shuttle group (with strange "wing" structures like parallel solar panels), the captain noted that they had no shields and in a stroke of intuition, dropped energy to phasers and shunted everything to the transporters instead. Two squadrons worth of these small fighting-crafts' pilots are even yet in her brig, to be interrogated on our return to the nearest Starfleet outpost for information regarding this belligerent Empire we have just faced.

Before she had passed out of range, the captain of Argo ordered her own crew to also transport to Antigone--all except the skeleton crew necessary for the continued maintenance of shields, weaponry, and tending the warp core. Nose to nose with the enemy, held in a grip of gravitic manipulation, phasers flaring and torpedoes flying, she and Providence buckled the shields of the enemy and scored her hull with rupture after rupture ...

But all to no avail. The combined firepower of the enemy ultimately shattered both ships. At this point, there was no way I could order my crew to continue into the fray. Damning the enemy's strange gravitic manipulations once again, I ordered Zulfiqar out of the system, to guard the rear of Antigone as we withdrew.

Providence wrecked, and USS Argo moments from the same fate;
Antigone (middle right top) and Zulfiqar (top right) withdraw for the anomaly

I am ashamed at my inability to bring my ship to bear to aid my comrades in their sacrifice. I only hope that this mission has proved not in vain, as news of this belligerence will help the Federation prepare for what may be terrible war.

~Captain Mehmet Elqataani, Captain of the USS Zulfiqar

Elsewhere in the Galaxy: the Setup

 [not related to the RPG I'm developing here, but this seemed a more relevant place for a sci-fi war game report than my D&D blog]

CAPTAIN'S LOG – STARDATE 2891.2

We have been ordered to investigate an interspacial anomaly in the uninhabited Gamma Hydri system. A working group has been assigned to my command to assist in the investigation, namely the USS Argo (Excelsior-class), the USS Antigone (Miranda-class), and the USS Hornet (Constitution-class). Reports have indicated sightings of strange ships of unknown origins in the vicinity of this anomaly and we are tasked with making first contact and establishing a rapport with any strange new civilization we may encounter.

Hornet (top), Argo (middle), Zulfiqar (left),
Antigone (bottom right)

CAPTAIN'S LOG – SUPPLEMENTAL

Our initial investigations revealed that the interspatial anomaly is some kind of breach in the local space-time fabric, perhaps leading to a galaxy far, far away, perhaps to another mirror universe entirely. On a close pass to gather better scans of the anomaly, Hornet was pulled through the anomaly, and I ordered the working group to follow through and effect recovery.

Passing through this anomaly—perhaps a wormhole of some kind—we arrived in a locale of stars and star-formations unknown to our databases. We were no longer in the Gamma Hydri system, but in some other star system entirely. Star type and initial planet surveys included in the detailed report.

Most importantly, other than the survival without incident of all ships of our working group, we discovered another starship in orbit of the major world, a ship that was clearly damaged and in distress. We established contact—the crew we observed was similar in composition to our own Federation crews, a mixed complement of apparent humans and a number of other hominid-type alien species. We offered aid and, despite vast differences in our technological apparatus, were able to assist in repairing their ship.

They proved gregarious and quite grateful for our aid, but we found ourselves unwittingly participants in some greater conflict wreaking havoc across this strange sector of space. It is uncertain at this point just how broad that conflict is, but before anything further could be negotiated (and the commanders of this ship emphatically desired that we should come into the conflict on their side), another task force entered star system and is approaching aggressively, with shields up and weapons armed.

The ships of these peoples are vast compared to our own, yet from the repairs we assisted with, it seems that they are far behind in various classes of technology—most specifically in using laser cannons, rather than something like our own phaser arrays or the disruptors of the Klingon Empire.

We are now hailing the incoming fleet in an attempt to establish peaceful relations, but my hopes are thin as the situation develops.

~Acting Commodore Mehmet Elqataani, Captain of the USS Zulfiqar

Survey II: The Border Stars

 A publicly available survey of the three "border" stars that lie within the Wilderness within one jump from Starbase Cherryh. These are the "jumping off" points for expeditions deeper into the Wilderness sector. Stars in the Wilderness sector are currently designated WD-x. This is subject to change according to the imperial interstellar surveyors, but holds for the moment. The three nearest stars therefore are designated WD-1, WD-2, and WD-3 (unsurprisingly).

WD-1
A white star. White stars don't always have planets, but when they do the planets tend to be inhospitable or irradiated or both, but high in mineral riches. WD-1 has four planets in orbit: an irradiated inner ball of rock, a barren world rich in the minerals, metals, and rare metals that drive high tech industries, a gas giant with rich moons and greek and trojan asteroids, and a distant terrestrial world of dim light and dimmer mineral prospects.

As its numbering might suggest, this has been the star most visited by early ventures into the Wilderness, and has produced decent mining-profits for those who have laid claims there. Unfortunately, as more people flock to Cherryh Station with high hopes, fewer and fewer valuable claims are to be had in WD-1 system, and so while some are looking to explore deeper into the territory for other unexploited sinks of resources, unscrupulous prospectors may have their eyes on their fellows' territories ...

WD-2
A red star. Red stars have no planets more often than not, though WD-2 is an exception to this. It is not an exception to the other generality that those planets that orbit red stars tend to be both minerally poor and inhospitable to Earth-type life.

WD-2 holds two small planets in its orbit, the outer world a far-flung ball of ice and rock perhaps the size and density of Earth's moon. The inner world is more interesting in that, though it is largely a desert world, it does possess enough gravity and atmosphere to have developed advanced life. Though no "Arrakis" to be possessed of immense treasure guarded by terrible dragons, still the arid world and its life are certainly of value to xenobiologists near and far.

WD-3 -- Sadak
An orange star, and thus both likely to have planets, and likely that at least some of those planets harbor conditions conducive to Earth-type life. WD-3 comes through in both regards, holding three worlds in its orbit, the third of which is a great ocean world, minerally poor (or perhaps only poorly investigated), but teeming with life--including a native and sapient species of pinniped-like creatures.

A major culture among these creatures (and the ones surveyors initially made contact with) call the world Sadak and themselves Saath. Most cultures are reported to be in an approximate bronze or iron-age, their civilizational development hampered by lack of material and lack of any need to centralize into cities or states. Anyone dealing with them should be cautioned that this does not mean that they're stupid or unclever, just unsophisticated in certain means of organization.

The empire has issued an interdict around the world Sadak until such time as the boule can reach a decision as to how to proceed with contact--but this far out from the imperial center, we all know how fictitious/theoretical that interdict really is.

There are two other inner worlds orbiting closer to their orange primary, and both are small, irradiated, and not possessed of any especially rich mineral deposits according to current survey data.

Further Destinations
There are seven stars within a distance of two jumps from these three "border" stars. Three within reach of WD-1, four within reach of WD-2, and two within reach of WD-3 (these numbers include overlaps). It is probable that others from the empire have at least ventured into the edges of some of these systems, but a lot of initial interest in the Wilderness has focused on the three closest "border" stars, and nothing is publicly known about the seven next-nearest neighbors.

Survey I: The Home System

 General information concerning the star system in which Starbase Cherryh orbits.

Vanar -- the Primary
A yellow star, Vanar is that which is generally recognized as most likely to be hospitable to Earth-type life, and so Vanar is. There are seven worlds in its orbit, one terran, four terrestrial and barren, and two gas giants. There is also a rich asteroid belt between the inner and outer planets, i.e. just beyond the terran world of Vana, the fourth out from its primary (two gas giants and one terrestrial world lie outside the belt).

Vanar IV -- Vana
Called such because of the vast forests that cover much of its continents, the world of Vana is quite Earth-like, though a little smaller. Its gravity is close enough to Earth normal to be comfortable for a variety of species, and its ecological richness makes it easy to sustain life throughout the system. It is not especially rich in minerals, but this is made up for with the richness of the asteroid belt.

Vana was colonized by Sakkra long before the coming of the empire and the building of Cherryh Station. Because of war and the vagaries of history, however, these colonists were cut off from high interstellar civilization for generations, and so have reverted to essentially medieval/early-modern standards. Only one nation, an island in a continental sea, maintains high industry and serves as the starport that connects the planetary culture to the high orbital culture.

The island and its city-state go by the same name, Vardans. Despite the high tech and high culture available there, most of the inhabitants are still actually early-modern in their outlooks, and the government of the city-state is an autocratic and theocratic priest-kingship--the priest-kings mediate relationships between the Outsiders who come down from high heaven and those who dwell on the world proper.

There is an interdict outlawing any contact between space-borne culture and the "backwards" tribes in the hinterlands of Vana, but we all know how impossible such interdicts are to maintain with limited resources. Just make sure you have plausible deniability if engaging in such illegal activities as smuggling heater-pistols to one medieval tribe over another ...

Starbase Cherryh
Built and orbiting at the trailing Lagrange point between Vana and its main satellite, Starbase Cherryh is a space station intended to serve as an outpost on the far fringes of the empire. It has facilities for the refuel, repair, and refit of dozens of starships, and bases a squadron of orbital-defense force gunboats in case of major incursion into imperial territory through its system.

These facilities for starship provisioning also, of course, serve to allow ships to venture out into the Wilderness beyond on exploration and trade voyages, and hence a large population of supporting persons have moved to station in a kind of analogy to an Earth-type mining boom-town. Much is available here, much is allowed, and the frontier beyond stands to be explored and exploited by those with the will to boldly go forth.

Because of the richness of the asteroids, there is also a fair possibility of the stardocks of Cherryh Station being able to construct starships ... but that possibility has not yet been tested.

The Belt
A rich asteroid belt provides plenty of gainful employment for prospectors willing to come to the border of the empire, but not bold enough to cross over chasing their own fortune and fate. The work is monomaniacal and boring, but decently lucrative--weeks spent chasing down just the right asteroid, mining out the needed minerals, and then coasting back to the station to offload a bellyful of raw materials, receive payment enough to refuel, reprovision, put a little away in savings, and then back out to repeat the whole mind-numbing process again. Such is the life of a Belter anywhere sufficient belts exist, and boring though it may be, it's a good life for those who value their independence.

Sometimes, Belters even need to offer contracts for ship hands to help them in their ventures, and those on Starbase Cherryh who need to make a few credits might find it worth their while to spend some weeks cooling their heels in the belt helping out, just to earn a bit of money.

What's the Idea Here?

 For this game, we'll be building on the rules presented as Night Tripper by Chris P Wolf, a light science fiction ruleset mostly resolved by rolling 2d6 (with an 8+ generally indicating success ... but you can read the rules, or learn as you play).

The Wilderness
The characters have come to the edge of the empire, to the far reaches on the boundary of a sector of space called "The Wilderness". The sector beyond is largely unexplored, except by certain scouts and prospectors jealous of their personal knowledge and successes. There is a vast opportunity in the opening up of this space--new planets to mine, new life to research, new civilizations to engage with and perhaps secure exclusive trade-deals. And of course, all of this comes with great danger--and the excitement therefrom. From whatever corner of the empire you've come, you're at Starbase Cherryh to try your damnedest to make a fortune out of this potential--or perhaps die trying!

Character Creation
See the rules here, but also look at a couple additional options I presented here.

Home Base
In the "old school" tradition of role playing that I've come to enjoy, Starbase Cherryh will be the home base of all the characters, a safe space to return to away from the adventures and excitement of the wilderness space beyond.

Sessions of play will begin at the station, from thence to venture out into the wild unknown in search of adventure and riches. Play will last for perhaps a couple of hours, and it is expected that players  will return to the safety of Starbase Cherryh at the end of the session. Exceptions to this are certainly possible--for instance, longer voyages relying on known safe-spaces previously identified in the great beyond--but that is the generally intended method of play.

Play can continue at the home base in another fashion, however. Characters who are not adventuring are expected to do something in the meantime, whether that be merely the drudgery of holding down a wage-job, or engaging in other productive downtime activities, in which we will be following Ben L.'s excellent framework of rules developed for D&D.

Time and the Calendar
Days and weeks in the game will advance at the same rate as in the real world. This will assist the Referee in keeping track of who's where when. The nearest stars in the wilderness beyond are a week away, meaning that extended expeditions into that area of space will actually take place over many weeks or perhaps months. Though such expeditions will be resolved in the course of a session of live play over a few hours, the Referee will note how many weeks those characters took on their journey, and such characters will be unavailable for further play until their date of return to the station.

Meanwhile, other characters on the station may continue to pursue their downtime activities, or whatever highjinks they wish to partake in while remaining at the station, perhaps taking up a job to venture into the unknown on a separate venture.

It may behoove players to develop a small "stable" of characters, so that even if one is away on an extended expedition, they may still take part in a different venture with another character. Such characters should not be played as if they are close friends, and their credits and possessions must be tracked separately and not be shared between them.

Contracts
Starting characters won't have enough credits or financial clout to purchase a starship of their own, or get a loan to purchase a ship, or even rent one. They'll have to find other means of traveling into the Wilderness to pursue opportunities there. Contracting with someone who has a ship and who's already going that way would be a good way to "get a piece of the action" in this case.

Contract notices will be posted at the Saloon and at the Lost Horizon bars (i.e. posted the blog), including the goal of the expedition, the expected length of time, the number of positions open, and the remuneration offered at the end of successful completion of the job. Once enough PCs have enlisted, the expedition will set forth and a session will be scheduled with those who signed on to resolve the expedition. Contracts that receive no interest from player-characters will eventually be dropped, either filled in by non-player-characters, or given up as a pipe dream by the proposer.

This will be an initial means by the Referee of getting player-characters from the station into adventure and live playing sessions. It is expected that as player-characters come into their own and recognize their own goals, and perhaps realize their own means of transportation, that they may eventually tend to ignore any but the highest-paying contracts, or perhaps recruit others with contracts of their own, all while pursuing their own goals without worrying about these contract-boards. But that's all in the future at the moment.

The Goal
Without experience points, the gameplay loop may be a little nebulous to some. What are we striving for and adventuring after? Is it really only to grub a few extra credits, to buy that starship, so that even more credits can be grubbed up?

Exploration and achievements are the goals that I envision, as the Referee setting up the initial milieu. The satisfaction of filling in the map ... "to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations--to boldly go where no man has gone before!" To be the one who explored system WD-12 first. To be the captain who negotiated a lucrative (and exclusive?) trade deal with the inhabitants of the Frith star system. To be the commodore who organized a devastating strike against the pirates of the Methi Nebula ...

Such goals must obviously be left up to the players to resolve, or discover on their own what they wish to do. The game is open ended, even more so than traditional D&D with its experience points and self-improvement through leveling. The player-characters will have to be self-made--and self-willed.

Welcome to Starbase Cherryh

 Or Cherryh Station, as some of the inhabitants call it--a starbase named after an ancient novelist of some repute.

Whatever brought you here, you stand at the crossroads of opportunity, friend.

You're at the far edge of the empire. In the stars beyond this station, the laws and norms of the empire don't exist, leaving everything open to opportunity and wild speculation. But there are laws out there--the laws of the locals, who may or may not like the nosy intrusion of imperial speculators horning in on their homes.

How can this be a frontier in the three-dimensions of open space? Imagine two cones projecting out from a single point. That point is where we are now--Cherryh Station. One of the cones projects back into the empire, and the nearest stars in that direction lie within its projection. The other projects into the unknown wilderness of space, the three nearest stars in that direction, and the sector of space beyond.

It must certainly be true that there are other avenues connecting the empire and this wilderness--and it's true that someone with enough supplies could skip Cherryh Station and just jump from the empire into unknown space--but at the moment, and with gatecores as they are right now, Starbase Cherryh stands at the only really viable path into the unknown, a veritable borderfort at the limes of the empire.

Three stars lie within easy reach from Cherryh, and from there the subsector of "The Wilderness" opens out before you, open for honest trade and exploration--or exploitation. You'll need a ship to get there, of course--that, or know someone who does. Fortunately for those who don't own their own ship, traders, smugglers, and explorers regularly pass through the Starbase's docks on their way into and out of the farther reaches, and offer contracts to those on the base who are willing to make a deal.

So, welcome again to Starbase Cherryh. Whatever brought you here, the ticket to the future is open--but it's up to you to figure out what to do from here!