The universe of the MERLOGH Imperium (locally just The Imperium) recently contacted by N'Ferra is based around the expansion of one variation of humanity from their home planet. The area of space containing containing the Imperium is rich in worlds containing human and humanoid varients which scientists of the Imperium believe to have been settled by the Precusors from the Imperium's planet of origin over 100,000 years ago.
The Imperium is a corrupt feudalistic government which maintains order by having the strongest military and maintaining a balance of power among the great houses (who control their own sectors). There are about a dozen great houses at the current time. Dominance tends to follow the dirtiest fighter as long as they aren't called to a public accounting. There is an imperial court (with telepaths to ensure truth), but it isn't paid much regard. The Imperium is corrupt, but not decadent.
The most unusual aspect of the culture is the universal need for ident disks to get anything done. Manufactured of gene-matching bioplastic the disks decay when separated from the skin of the owner for more than 10 minutes. A bioscan ensures that the geneprint of the ident disk matches the print of the user. Needless to say, the precautions can be gotten around.
Also of note is the fact that there are no interstellar powers other than the Imperium. There are a few independant worlds on the fringes, but there's nothing to seriously threaten the empire.
Divide standard GURPS prices and cost of living by 2.6 to get the prices of goods in the Imperium in N'Ferra $s. Do not divide the prices on this page.
The general technology of the Imperium is TL/10 with some items from TL/11+ available. Gravity Control is not available in any form, but Force Swords, Force Shields, and "primitive" Personal Deflectors are available. Antimatter Reactors, Deflector Fields, and Force Screens are available for vehicles. Forced-growth cloning and braintapes are not available, but general Bio-Tech is also at TL/10. Some computers are available in TL/11 versions, but they are both restricted and expensive. It's likely that the Imperial military and the Great Houses have access to TL/11 thrusters, but not certain.
Personal Deflectors:
Barrier: PD/6, $5,800, 7 lb., using 4 C cells.
Velocity: PD/2 vs meelee, PD/3 vs. missile, PD/4 vs. projectile, $3,500,
2 lb., using 1 C cell
Energy: PD/1 vs. missile, PD/3 vs. projectile, PD/4 vs. energy, $3,500,
2 lb., using 1 C cell
Absorption: PD/2, $3,500, 2 lb., using 1 C cell
Velocity, Energy, and Absorption shields are available for 1/2 price at
6.5 lb. weight (using 2 C cells).
Bjornis (Origin 32, 23, -32) is an interesting systems which often seems like a problem looking for a solution. Bjornis itself is a fairly typical F0V star. About 500M years old, it has 6.3 solar luminosities, 1.6 solar masses, and a suite of 8 planets and 1 planetoid belt. Its young age means that the system is much more cluttered than most people prefer with erratic planetoids and snowfalls filling the system. None of the worlds in the system is particularly rich in resources (class 0) and the local planetoid belt is almost devoid of useful material (-2). Bjornis is on the "border" of four great house sectors: Devon, Kashmere, Colos, and Khan, but is officially an Imperial World.
Samsax is the only inhabited body in the Bjornis system. With a day of 23.4 hours and an axial tilt of 27 degrees it seems fairly earthlike. However its large, tide-locked moons make for common 70' tides and massive storms and earthquakes. The atmosphere is thin (0.76 Atm.) and wild metazoa haven't progressed to the point of fully oxygenating it. Thus, it has low oxygen and large amounts of nitrogen compounds. The average planetary temperature is 261, making it cold but habitable, and its water oceans cover 72% of the surface. Samsax also sufferson from common meteor storms. Although not particularly dangerous, meteor activity is extremely high for an inhabited planet.
Bjornis was first explored some 100 years ago. Samsax was discovered to posess the beginnings of an oxygen atmosphere, and there was debate over whether the process was natural or progenitor induced. When the survey didn't turn up any valuables and emphasized the unpleasantness of the single planet, none of the areas major clans (including Devon, Colos, and Kashmere) cared to make a claim. Although there are numerous planets more pleasant or more valuable, the Imperium didn't wish to waste a potential colony, and Samsax was forcibly colonized using malcontents and criminals of various types. At first it was every man (or woman) for himself. 71 years ago, however, a coalition of various factions formed and managed to get the majority of the population to agree to a planetary constitution based on individual freedom. With a local government in place, the Imperium stopped dumping people on the world, and Samsax developed its own unique culture and economy. The local government (and citizen) has done itself proud, establishing a decent economy which includes interstellar trade and reducing local wars to almost nothing. Recently, the government has been looking into speeding up the current terraforming rate. Samsax is a slowly growing low population (Lo), nonindustrial (Ni) world. Major exports are organic products and chemicals (including fertilizer). Samsax is a poor and violent world, and many people born on the planet leave it to go elsewhere. Those who stay, stay because they love the planet and the chance to create something where there was nothing before.
Samsax currently has a population in the high thousands (PR 3), with a world government in the Corporate style. Limited trade and low technology leaves them with class III starport facilities. The local control rating is 0 (Anarchy), and local TL a high 7. The highest government office is the Seated Chair. The Seated Chair is the individual with the greatest personal number of shares of planetary stock. The Seated Chair is advised by the Councilors who are supposed appointed on the basis of their knowledge by the Planetary Legislature. The Seated Chair is commander in chief of the planetary militia and makes economic decisions, essentially enforcing and interpreting acts of legislature. The Councillors are there to advise him and may not overrule him, but may contact those in the Legislature who can. However, it has become customary for the Seated Chair to pass many of his instructions via the Councillors. The Legislature is a group who vote based on their personal shares and proxies in planetary stock. The Legislature creates acts of legislature, corresponding to legal acts. It is important to note that not everyone on the planet is a shareholder although a basic principal of the planetary constitution is that planetary stock should be made available to everyone. The Seated Chair is responsible for declaring stock splits when the price of planetary stock rises above what the average person can afford. While the people of Samsax do not like the Imperium, they aren't stupid enough to rebel against it.
Most of the planet is inhabited by family homesteads with fewer than a dozen inhabitants. Freedom, containing the starport, is the largest settlement on the planet and it has a population of less than 100. (The Legislature seldom meets in person, preferring to discuss things through communication links.) The low population and struggle against the hostile planet has created a Monolithic (-3) society. The society has a moderate (-1) toleration for foreign ideas. Though monolithic, the society is Egoistic (-3), stressing individual action and responsibility over collective goals. Within their own society, Samsaxians are moderately (-1) tractable. However, attempts to establish dominance from outside makes them Rebellious (-2). Their past history has made them a very Violent (+3) culture. Family and Clan feuds are common, and there is a strong deuling ethic. Everyone grows up with a great deal of weapons training. Pragmatism is moderate (0) and people are accepting of both empirical and mystical experiences. Innovation is also moderate (0), people do not accept change for the sake of change, but do seek improvements. The society takes a longer than average view (-1), but the tendancy isn't particularly strong.
Overall, the local technology is a high 7, although TL/10 goods are available from other worlds in the Imperium, and local goods tend to be at TL/5. Economically, TL/7 techniques are used in combination with highly skilled labor. Steel and aluminum are produced on world; more sophisticated materials are imported. Power is supplied through local hydroelectric and wind generators while organics are burned in other applications. Printing Devices are available, but most communication equipment is imported. Most travel is via steam-powered ocean vessels, with a few steam-powered crawlers provide inland transport. Weaponry is at full TL/9 values with more sophisticated weapons imported. While biological sciences are advanced to TL/8, medicine lingers at TL/7 levels. Environmental Science is a mishmash of techniques ranging from TL/5 to TL/9.
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