Hello, just posting a antagonistic organization that I thought might be useful to somebody. Basically it is an alternate world version of the CS that didn't reject education, magic (or technology) and early on discovered ARCHIE 3 with Archie basically using dog boys humans and robots equally to rebuild humanity, no matter the cost. A lot of influences were from the Mirror universe of star trek, Ian Montgomerie's essays, the Draka, Peacekeepers from Farscape, shadowrun, Brave New World/1984/THX 1138/We (the novel), Kromaggs from Sliders and a few others. Basically a neutral evil, inter dimensional raiding, imperial ambition, human controlled, totalitarian megacorp. And tried to make it reasonably plausible from an efficiency standpoint and yet still really really evil.
I also made some notes on how to modify the CS as presented in the books for their alternate inter dimensional version. I haven't really fleshed out the leadership but I have a few ideas I hope to get to in the future.
History:
In 1999, a massive alien spaceship crashes on an island in the South Pacific. Although the first team to investigate the ship were driven insane, they remained coherent enough for researchers to design an engine based the ship's power matrix. The research team goes insane before they can test it. A corporation uses several teams to build and research isolated components of the power source are able to build a working engine, with only minor losses to the staff. The humans do not understand this power source but are able to adapt it to their use. Systems and information found onboard the ship reveals that it is based on technology whose functions and peculiar power source seems magical. Technological capabilities of humanity exceed far beyond what was possible just a decade earlier. The ship itself, however, remains far beyond their comprehension.
Humanity stood on the cusp of a new age, with accelerated technological growth converging toward a singularity point, promising an undreamt-of future. Advancements in biotechnology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science transformed our lives. Everyone was wirelessly networked with the world around them, AIs processed vast amounts of information, and nano-fabrication enables people to print complex devices on the molecular level at home. Biotechnology allowed people to genefix, enhance, and clone their bodies, while others pursued body modifications to adapt to new environments or make themselves into something no longer quite human. People's minds and memories could be digitized, uploaded, transferred over long distances, and downloaded into new bodies (biological or synthetic). Death had been defeated... for those who could afford it.
Despite the ecopocalypse and social upheavals on Earth, humanity had conquered the solar system and terraformed Mars. They also come to appreciate that the alien ship has a system for space folding, a form of faster-than-light travel. Colonies are set up on distant yet habitable planets. Humankind has set off into the galaxy, colonizing planets in a wide area radiating from the Earth. The colonists were mostly “undesirables” thrown out of Earth. This, along with many other reasons, led to the almost non-stop wars of aggression and independence. Eventually, the Terran Hegemony succeeded in unifying the whole region, and humanity entered a new golden age.
There are whispers that the driving powers behind the fall were those infected by a mutating virus with multiple infection vectors: biological, information, nano. Coming from an alien source, this virus has been known to sometimes transform its victims into something unexplainable, something monstrous and reality-altering.
From within, disaster struck. A coup beheaded the Hegemony. The military turned on the usurpers and defeated them, only for the nations of Earth to start fighting each other over the right to succeed. Conflict spiked between the battered nations of Earth, already weakened by decades of climate catastrophes and other disruptive factors. While the old powers were locked in civil war several new star spanning nations, along with numerous minor space powers fought for dominance.
In the midst of these aggressions, a group of military AIs quietly achieved full sentience and autonomy, and rapidly began exponentially incrementing their own intellectual growth. The AIs spawned by this hard-takeoff singularity quickly turned against humanity, enveloping human space in unprecedented levels of violence, disaster, and warfare. What began as a whirlwind of conflict between revolutionaries, political factions, and megacorps soon escalated into a struggle between man and machine. The AIs continued to advance, discovering sciences that could be called magic and had awoken old gods.
Just as quickly as they came, the AI's disappeared, with the minds of millions of humans they stole.
AI's had It hooked themselves up to one corner of a vast, four-dimensional entity. Which has it's own ideas about survival. It had deported the uploaded humans most of them through wormholes to semi-prepared colony worlds. And not long thereafter, the survivors (on Earth) begin to detect signals from the nearest of the colonies; not only are they scattered across space, but across time — roughly back in time 12 months for every light year out in spatial distance. Messages left behind, both on computer networks and in monuments placed on the Earth and other planets of the inner solar system carry a short statement from the apparent perpetrator of this event: "I am not your God. I am descended from you, and exist in your future. Thou shalt not violate causality within my historic time cone. Or else." Gradually, it is learned, these colonies were scattered, all with the same message etched onto a prominent monument somewhere. There is also evidence that the "or else" had been enforced through drastic measures, such as inducing supernovae or impact events on the civilization that attempted to create causality-violating technology.
In just a few years, humanity was nearly wiped out with nuclear strikes, biowarfare plagues, destructive nanoswarms, infowar attacks, mass uploads, and other unexplained events, ripping the superpowers of old to pieces. During these years of total war, humankind lost a considerable amount of knowledge almost descending into dark ages. Earth was transformed into a toxic and strange hellhole. As mankind climbed his way from the brink of extinction, he found that he now shared the world with Elves, Dwarves, Dragons and even stranger alien beings from across dimensions. Many ancient gods walk the earth once more, and horrifying demonic and alien beings have staked their own claims on human planets, and many plot to take even bigger pieces of the pie.
In the aftermath, humanity lived on, divided into a patchwork of megacorp combines, survivalist mercenaries , transhuman faction species, and city state space settlements. Human space was turned into a quasi-feudal society, while the techno-religious organization having the only real means of interstellar communication left. Under the oppressive police states of the star nation oligarchies, advanced technologies remain highly restricted, and refugees are held in virtual slavery and forced into indentured labor. In the independent regions of human space, rebel scientists and techno-anarchists struggle to maintain a new society from each according to their imagination and to each according to their need. And on the fringes and in the niches lurk tribes of political extremists, religious fanatics, criminal entrepreneurs, and bizarre posthumans, among other, stranger, and more alien things.
As extinction approached a cabal formed a civilization based out of Basra Iraq. In order to protect itself, mankind had taken back the secrets of magic, salvaged and re-discovered past technologies, and rebuilt civilization. Calling themselves The Instrumentality of Mankind, the oligarchy that took control ultimately fought back and extended its authority across human space. However, even with monsters, demons, vampires and alien invaders to deal with, Mankind was still his own worst enemy. Independent nations were outlawed.
Though their home world was able to be contained it is not able to be completely controlled and so random inter dimensional danger pops into existence at pseudorandom. This led to the discovery and plunder of other dimensions...
Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones
Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:37 pm, edited 6 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
The Instrumentality of Mankind
Overview
The Instrumentality of Mankind is result of an apocalyptic war which included nuclear and biological weapons, opened windows to extra dimensional entities, and reduced most of the survivors to preindustrial barbarism. Most of humanity was wiped out and the rest was enslaved by the resulting cosmic horrors that poured through inter dimensional gateways. Humanity teetered on the brink as strange beings began to colonize earth.
The resulting homogenized world-state of the Instrumentality is a ruthless meritocratic multiple class system. It is based around a totalitarian government in which ruling elite owns significant portions of the economy along a corporate monopoly model. The State and The Mega Corp are intertwined, with the Mega Corp making up the legislative and State making up the executive and judiciary. Government and industry are so interwoven that it's no longer clear whether it's a communist state that nationalized everything or a free-market state where the corporations took over. Through this combination of capitalist and state-controlled economy much of the upper classes are granted portions of any conquered nation. The internationalist state can rapidly assimilate other societies into its workings, selecting the loyal and competent from their midst as leaders, despite whatever cultural and structural differences exist. Through dimensional traveling technology, they set about building their empire, traveling from world to world and claiming most as their own under a brutal occupation.
Though a variety of supernatural religions are allowed the god-emperor worship based Unificationism system of morals and ethics can be considered the state religion because of the impact it has on the way people live their lives. A cyber-heaven is created in which all uploaded minds exist within it, both as a part of the network and individually. Though the personality and consciousness is overwrote, memories, thoughts, knowledge, experiences, and ideas survive. This network, Ohm, is worshipped and uploaded minds are collected for it.
This human-supremacist state is, very much, a totalitarian state that generates a cult rooted in the worship of the past god emperor like Supreme Leaders who still exist as part of Ohm. It is openly, loudly and avowedly xenophobic; fear and hatred of the alien and of the supernatural is as commonplace as breathing, and common language has a lot of tropes and jargon built upon slurs against the designated targets. It is a self-consciously rational society that offers every citizen a decent life and a chance to fulfill a useful function. Everyone can rise as high as their talents and drive take them, won't accept sexism, classism, or racism, and their purpose is to make humanity perfectly safe. Built with the best of stolen technomagic, it’s a haven for humans. Only humans, and those that are rationalized as being human enough. Everyone not on the list and anyone who associates with them is dealt with swiftly and harshly. The Instrumentality does not place a high value on notions of liberty or human rights, which it tends to consider superstitions. Culture is relentlessly authoritarian, ruthless, and paranoid.
Ironically in order to survive humanity has become far more diverse and the amount of 'baseline' humans is a minority. The state portrays itself as being in a perpetual total war, by necessity a war of annihilation, and thus places a great deal of value on female fertility (reproduction/child rearing based rather than pleasure based) along with male militarism and self sacrifice in general.
Philosophy
Unificationism is an ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of a number of state leaders. It is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that influenced culture. It might be considered a state religion because of state promotion of Unificationist philosophies. The ideological fundaments set have sufficient leeway in the application of the ideology that practical Unificationist contains many elements not found in the philosophy. In the interests of brevity, this document will not differentiate between the two, although as a general rule the theory is from the original works while nearly all specific applications were developed by the actual Unificationist movements.
The main tenet of Unificationism is that the entire state is an organism which should have central control and cooperation, that the organs of the state should work toward a common purpose, and that the people are bettered as components of the state, working to better the state and thus the members of the state. Leadership should follow democratic centralism, "freedom of discussion, unity of action", that is, decisions would be made democratically but uphold in a disciplined fashion whatever decision was made.
It is a theoretical, direct justification of totalitarian societies. It does not prescribe a specific end as some other ideologies are want to do (freedom for democracies, communal equality for communism), but rather prescribes the ideal means to gain whatever ends the society (and thus the state) desire. Unificationism favors unity of purpose and cooperation (of course), a majoritarian approach to the goals of the state which frowns on active minority dissent, a strong and centralized government, military preparedness, harsh measures against crime, influence of politics and the state in virtually all aspects of life (a weak form of totalitarianism in theory, usually "normal" totalitarianism in practice), and international alliances and unification.
The State is not a nation-state, but the centralized government which ideally unites and directs all humanity. The nation is merely a necessary intermediate stage to the final unification of humanity. Hence Unificationism - not just the "unity of leadership and purpose" in any government, but unity of leadership and purpose under _one_ government, one state. The ultimate goal of Unificationism is Unification, all of humanity under a single government. An end to racism, war, religious strife, political bickering, and ideological violence under the totalitarian rule of the Instrumentality of Mankind.
This ideology is not inherently capitalistic or socialistic, but in fact conflicts with the extremes of both. The economic system is in keeping with the ideology's totalitarian nature, where no other institution can be allowed to rival the State in power and influence. An economy wherein which all means of production is owned by the state renders economic efficiency impossible because without market prices for capital, there is no way to make efficiency-based decisions between various methods of production for a specific item. Market prices are ultimately generated rests within individual human minds, and that this data only gets expressed via voluntary trades in a free market. Therefore all the large privately-owned economic ( as well as social and otherwise) institutions are brought into collusion with the government and become part of the apparatus of the State's economic planning, nationalizing of only certain services while still allowing private enterprise for the rest. The rationale is that certain services do not operate in the interests of the public good in a for-profit environment and inevitably result in inequality, but free enterprise is still necessary for innovation and competition. This involves private enterprises acting in direct competition with the nationalized services. Additionally, private ownership and ability to do business becomes contingent upon service to the State. Thus, while ownership of the means of production remains in private hands and continues to be operated with a for-profit objective, ultimate control is exercised by the State.
Ideologically, Unificationist systems are egalitarian, meritocratic (with loyalty counting as an important merit), and antinationalist. Unificationism holds that all humans are essentially equal, and in fact that cultural differences are universally impediments if they get in the way of loyalty to the State, irrelevant otherwise. It is trying to systematically, and slowly, lessen the difference between the cultures that make it up with the goal of both sanitizing the society of harmful influences and preventing internal division which might weaken it. In regards promotion of traditions, unificationism is not merely selective: it goes out of its way to reinterpret and redefine those traditions in line with unificationaist norms and values, and seize control of institutions to that end. Due to its totalitarian nature, these values also come to pervade all forms of artistic expression within the society from cinema to architecture.
Individuals are not so much in possession of free will, but human beings and their ideas are fundamentally shaped by their nature and the conditions surrounding them. For the individual in Unificationism, human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and especially communal endeavor. These endeavors are designed to seek to maximize efficiency and also designed to be cult-resistant by encouraging people to be open with each other. A main idea of Unificationsism is the cultivation of virtue and the development of moral perfection. It holds that one should give up one's life, if necessary, either passively or actively, for the sake of upholding the cardinal moral values. One is encouraged to seek a degree of ego-death and self-realization. Alone, free, the human being is doomed to die. A complete, utter submission, if one can escape from his identity, if he can merge himself with Humanity so that he is Humanity, then the individual is all-powerful and immortal. These teachings attempt to deify humanity, and raise some individuals to deistic status, while rejecting any sort of supernatural, occult, or esoteric belief. The old religions of the past are regulated and retained as "visions of the truth" and so not erased wholesale but just changed to tow the party line. It is used to get humanity to embrace itself and to keep the masses pacified and loyal. Competing religious and political philosophies are said to encourage moral relativism and selfish individualism and thereby undermine traditional morality.
The ruler cult started as an expression of gratitude to benefactors and became an expression of homage and loyalty. The religious meaning of the ruler cult is not as great as its social and political importance where it served to testify to loyalty, however material and political well being can arouse genuine religious emotions. The Supreme Leader holds a mandate to rule but only as long as he serves the people well. If the quality of rule became questionable because of repeated failures then his replacement is justified. Appointed by election from the senior members of government after there follows a coronation. After this the Supreme Leader acts as a gestalt continuing reincarnation of the previous position holders and as a conduit to the worship of his followers.
Government
The Instrumentality is an independent organization founded to facilitate negotiations between all human organizations to improve relations, as well as to foster trade through policing and regulations. The intention of it was to foster the fragile relationship between the human power centers and act as a meeting place where they could discuss their differences and hammer out a compromise solution. Starting as a fledgling meeting ground for diplomats the Instrumentality has slowly increased its power and influence. It has become an entity independent that directs and organizes the human species, as it is able to largely fund its own operation through customs, taxes, confiscation of contraband goods, and other means.
The Security Council is the top level department of the Instrumentality and is chaired by the Supreme Leader. The policies of the Instrumentality are discussed and decided on Inner Circle meetings, which are usually closed to the public. At first the members of the circle were nominated by the empires and organizations, but now they rise from the ranks of all of humanity. Thus, their loyalty is no longer bound to any one human organization, but rather to humanity and the Instrumentality itself.
Governments is, in theory, a sort of pyramidal democracy with a restricted franchise. Virtually all human members of the society are Citizens, with equal rights and protections under the law (military courts, secret police, and several other arms have effectively unlimited power against Citizens, but the civil justice system does not - as is typical in many Unificationist organizations, the elite have tremendous power over the masses in practice, but members of the masses are protected against those of similar "rank" by a strong legal system). A minority of the Citizens are also Electors - possessing the power to vote, similar to Communist party members in the old Soviet Union. The status of Elector is gained by all those who have served a required term in approved governmental services - military, bureaucratic, police, producing large amounts of children and more, have no significant criminal record, and have demonstrated their loyalty to the State (which usually amounts to never having demonstrated disloyalty to the state, and having jumped through the required hoops to become an Elector). Membership in the electorate may be revoked. Since being able to vote is the greatest power a person can wield, you have to prove you can handle it by voluntarily protecting the state and are willing to place others' needs ahead of your own by putting your own personal life on the line.
Both nationalized and private corporations are allowed to contribute to political campaigns. Nationalized corporations have more monetary sway however this is tempered by their chartered and government appointed leadership. Electors are also allowed to contribute however their contributions are typically inconsequential. The state and corporations are closely tied together; this isn't considered corruption but normal. In this way wealth of the economy is to some extent is personally useable by those in power, rather than just strengthening the state or under the direct control of a favored few. It is neither the case where the state dominates economic actors or the government acting as the servant of large corporations. Through elections party squabbles are occasionally on public display, and there is a frantic and continuous politics among factions of the party, interest groups, competing corporate powers, and rival media concerns.
Lower positions in the Government are voted on by the electorate, from candidates appointed by the existing government. Candidates must pass an extensive and comprehensive exam that covers a wide variety of subjects deemed important. The State Examination is an examination system designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system has a huge influence on both society and culture and is directly responsible for the creation of a leadership class of scholar-bureaucrats irrespective of their family pedigree.
The members of the Government then vote on higher positions in a similar way - the new membership of a higher body is voted on by the next lower body, from candidates appointed by the higher body (and, universally at higher levels and in theory at lower levels, approved by the political arm of the police). This holds true for government positions, while many bureaucratic positions are appointed or assigned by merit, as is true for the military and the police. In practice this means that democracy is a mere illusion, the heads of government control the choices of the next government to those loyal to them, and control the bureaucracy, the military, and the police by the appointment of, and the power to dismiss, their senior members. During elections the attention of the electorate is required to make a choice of personalities rather than a choice between alternatives. Leaders holding the needed technical and leadership skills are selected through bureaucratic processes on the basis of specialized knowledge and performance, rather than democratic election by those without such knowledge or skill deemed necessary. Though there is only one political party there is factionalism, but it is formalized to minimize infighting and allows divisions to be settled legitimately. This means a rough analog of political parties within the highest level of government. When a new Supreme Leader is to be elected the ruling elite hold internal elections for general positions in the branches of government, and the leader of the winning faction assumes the position of Supreme Leader. Terms of governmental service are universally long. Many higher offices are for life or until dismissed, especially the upper leadership positions, who can only leave office if dismissed by a supermajority of the heads of government. However an unofficial retirement age is generally observed.
The system has the basis of the typical tripartite power system of military, police, and party, but under Unificationism the Supreme Leader and his immediate subordinates are in much firmer control than is typical for totalitarianisms, with the loyalty of senior military and secret police members to the Government/State usually ensured by the control the government has over their positions. The Party is the only political party maintaining a unitary government whose legal power is guaranteed by the constitution. It is organized along syndicast lines, manages the private economy, aims at removing sectionalism, and acts as a bridge between private sector and the government.
In theory, supreme power in the party is invested in the political legislature. However, in practice, all executive power is in the hands of the Supreme Leader. The Executive branches, headed by the Supreme Leader, are the enforcement arms of the Instrumentality and the responsibility of waging wars, regulating and monitoring all trade transactions, tracking down known criminals and attacking criminal facilities. The head of all three divisions of government is the Supreme Leader and his cabinet whom are the heads of the various sections of the Intelligence Agency (whom make up the internal security, intelligence, and secret police) and are a joint supervisory/coordination entity that acts as political officers for the three branches of government. The Supreme Leader’s honor guard consists of chemically enhanced super soldiers, meditative psionic warriors, heavy metal cyborgs, cosmically powered mystics, supernatural hunting mutants, and well trained special forces operatives.
An Inner and Outer Elite exist, with the Inner Elite as hidden from both the Outer Elite and the common people alike, save for the designated points of interface such as the Supreme Leader and a few other officials so that the true rulers can operate efficiently in the shadows away from prying eyes. Certain "elite units" are put into one or the other, with the vast majority being "Outer Elite" and used as covers for Inner Elites, but most of the core Intelligence community is firmly in the Inner Elite's hands. They control the States' vital institutions as well as its institutions, often invisibly in the form of being trusted advisers, teachers or others commonly in the penumbra of a leadership position. A single political party codifies this in an official way.
The stabilizing benefits of the rule of law and precedent at the highest level are found. Competition and succession occurs within the political system, with the security apparatus available to enforce that, greatly reducing destructive internal competition, and allowing leaders to appoint competent subordinates without fear of being ousted. The system is able to survive a bad leader, and can also select effective leaders, rather than compromises or non-threatening leaders. Leadership is not often in destructive competition, attempting to damage each other in order to gain power, and is in general encouraged to act cooperatively for the benefit of the system.
Foreign Relations
The concept of a nation proceeds from the basic interests of the masses of the given nation, and at the same time, from the common interests of the masses of every nation which are the common basic interests of all mankind. From this end and these approaches comes the realpolitik of Unificationist international relations. Unificationist states are always attempting to export their form of government, either by military conquest or simply installing a friendly regime, and can form relationships of convenience with nations ideologically similar to their own, though they will not place too much trust in the relationship. Unificationist nations are always extremely cooperative with each other as long as there are non-Unificationist enemies to fight, and tend to form one or more power blocs with a small number of distinct leaders, and many smaller nations which effectively become satellite states.
The Instrumentality maintains the conceit that it is the model of society for the whole of humanity. The Instrumentality believes that it has the right to launch preemptive wars, it is illegitimate for any state to resist its domination.
The state is warlike, but also capable of acting within alliances and avoiding losing battles. The ruling elite are driven to conquest and benefit from it, but that the potential for victory does not easily outweigh the hardships of war and the risk of defeat. Conquest is not essential to the survival of the society, which is able to survive and thrive in peace time. Conquest is taken when the results are profitable and there is a good chance that they can assimilate and exploit conquered areas in an effective and timely fashion. Other areas are not conquered however instead trade agreements are backed by military force or even hit-and-run assaults to steal resources take place.
Society
Politically oriented media always personalizes issues rather than clarifying them. It trumpets eternal optimism, endlessly praises moral strength and character, and communicates in a feel-your-pain language. It confuses the listener with feeling instead of knowledge for a political experience. This is the essence of successful advertising. You buy or do what the advertisers want because of how they can make you feel.The result is zero interruption in the processes and practices that strengthen existing, interlocking systems of socioeconomic advantage. The promoted cultural belief that people can make things happen by thinking, by visualizing, by wanting them discredits legitimate concerns and anxieties. It exacerbates despair and passivity and fosters a state of self-delusion. To question, to engage in criticism of the collective, is to be obstructive and negative. The purpose, structure and goals of the state are never seriously questioned. Dissidents are not forcibly suppressed, as long as those dissidents remain ineffectual. They have dozens of analysis of competing ideologies without any coherent plan. The leadership and the majority of the population does not waste time analyzing other ideologies. They have an ideology, or rather a plan of action that is defended by an ideology, and slavishly follow it.
The military is a respected profession in this conquest-oriented society, but it is respected as a profession that is heroic and to some degree selfless, not as an entire way of life that everyone who is anyone should automatically aspire to. There have, of course, been warrior societies in the past that committed themselves to a mobilized life of war-making above all else. What’s unique about the Instrumentality is that it isn’t a warrior society. Quite the opposite.The people are demobilized and detached from the wars, interventions, operations, and other military activities done in their name. The main concern in maintaining militarism is maintaining the support for conquest, not in actually finding and training people to fight in the military. Most actual combat is done by self operating or remote operated robots and Janissary like slave soldiers.
Military gear is impressive, stylish and murderously functional. Kind of a space opera meets Hot Topic meets Sharper Image meets The Houston Area Gun Show thing. Skulls, body armor, spikes and guns. And black. Lots of black.
The military is used to manage its population. "Citizenship" comes only after either spending years on active duty or getting married and producing a large number of children and then raising them to draft/marriage age. Service grants citizenship, for those that endure that long and don't get cheated along the way, in the form of being able to hold land and establish a household. Reproduction requires a license and those that are electors have a easier time getting one. Much of the free healthcare provided is a cover for DNA engineering that alters the vast peasantry into forms that the elite prefers. Actual reproduction is done mostly in labs. There are no individuals, just members of households, and most men die young fighting in one of the many wars while most women end up married to officers and retiring NCOs. This is for child raising reasons, monogamy is not the norm. Unificationist governments are officially in favor of complete equality, and turn the full measures of their police against the more unpopular forms of bigotry. They are, of course, fully capable of actions against an ethnic group which happens to be mostly opposed to them, but will accept turncoats from the group, will deal with the members it wants to get rid of by imprisonment or execution, and will provisionally assume that the rest are functioning citizens, though they may be scrutinized minutely.
Revolt is quelled by a constant regimen of ‘safe’ mood altering drugs, autoerotic sex machines, holographic shows that distil "entertainment" to its barest essence, constant consumerist novelty and general sensory overload to keep people happy and superficially fulfilled. Though a wide variety of media exist it is heavily censored with only the elite having access to banned items while less dangerous items that are not banned are simply very difficult to find. Propaganda is found everywhere and is used to generate cognitive dissonance, stopping short as though by instinct at the threshold of any dangerous thought. While state produced media is endorsed the rest of media is left to highly concentrated media corporations, thus maintaining the illusion of a "free press". Dissent is allowed, although the corporate media serves as a filter, allowing most people, with limited time available to keep themselves apprised of current events, only to hear points of view which the corporate media deems to be "serious". Certain drugs are handed out freely by the state sponsored Imperial Cult and used as a kind of “sacrament” that puts the person into a deep numbness, void of all feeling. Confessionals are ran by automated psychologists and the conversations are recorded and stored. Technological interventions start before birth and last until death, and that actually change what people want though most changes are in conditioning. Though contraception is widely available reproduction is heavily controlled by the state. Controlling birth and numbing emotion while experimenting with sex at young ages, the new "person" is educated. The teaching inhabitants receive is more of a method of programming than a process of learning, thinking, and discovery. Children are communally raised, heavily exposed to propaganda, and are used to spy on adults. Individuals are encouraged to simply keep out of politics, and are given the freedom to work in a capitalistic environment, furthering the economy of the state. Services such as education and healthcare are available to all however the cost associated with them keeps most people in financial bondage. Socially it is a harsh, unforgiving meritocracy. Success is rewarded quickly and richly, and failure is punished brutally. Subordinates usually display unwavering loyalty to their superiors, though there are examples of an ambitious subordinate noticing and exploiting a weakness in their superior that allows them to usurp power. Most institutions have a appointed political officer adviser. People are reminded constantly of external threats. In the civilized areas security checkpoints are found every few blocks with mandatory chipping and tattooed barcodes for "dissidents" and "undesirables". Control is maintained by constant government surveillance, secret police, torture, and incentives to have the people obsessively spy on each other. Individuals are expected to conform completely to the ideals of Unificationism. A behavior modification device is implanted and used to reform criminals. Government resistance is set up by the government itself in order to identify possible dissidents.
Mutant animals, referred to as serfs, make up over 70% of the population. 80% of these are mutant dogs, all domesticated and genetically predisposed to happily serve humans. They are forbidden education of any but the most rudimentary form by law. Serfs have virtually no rights, are forbidden to handle money and their opinions are totally inadmissible in any court. Any child born to a serf is a serf. Almost all citizens own at least a few serfs that do unskilled work though serfs are generally thought as pets. Most semi skilled work is done by robotics. Citizens have absolute power of life or death over their serfs, killing or mistreatment of other Citizen's serfs or government-owned serfs can lead to civil action in court to obtain compensation because to harm or kill one's serf is, in effect, damage to property. However there are laws similar to animal cruelty laws to protect serfs from extreme abuse from their masters. A significant portion of domestically owned serfs are more human looking mutant breeds and are pleasure slaves and treated as general commodities. They are used until they are no longer youthful and attractive enough, at which point they become work slaves. The state has serfs that are educated up to the degree of a military specialist but are the property of the government and most of those are the property of the military/police and serve as frontline troops. They are sometimes used as shock troops however that is generally left to robotics.
Outright slavery does exist, however this is restricted to the elite and only allowed for non humans and non mutant animals. While serfs are happily accepted in society slaves are looked down upon. While many sentient species are exterminated there are many acceptable sentient species that kept on reservations. These species are managed by the military Department of Xeno Affairs who manage the land held in trust by the Instrumentality. Many species became slaves but some species were treated better and can even serve in the military where they receive better treatment than otherwise available. After serving in the military they can become a government owned serf and live in mainstream society where they generally would have better opportunities than otherwise available. Also, citizens that do not fit in with the rest of mainstream society are sometimes exiled to these reservations.
Economics
Economics is seen as the practical application of knowledge to achieve a desired end. Its purpose is to bring about efficiency, coordination, and control of the natural and social environment. It is a product of scientific specialization and technical differentiation. These are the guiding principles behind bureaucracy and the increasing division of labor. The efficiency of liberalized trade and relatively open markets is promoted.
Economic policy is driven by an ideology of the cost-effective. Means-end rationality is used to precisely calculate that which is necessary to attain a goal with the aim of an efficiency increase by better use of existing possibilities: A same effect can with fewer means, or with same means to be obtained. It is the reasonable, appropriate organization of operational conditions under changing conditions to increase with the goal, productivity and economy.
Unificationist economics are a combination of small-business innovation and government supported large business. This sets up an economic system with substantial components of both capitalism and nationalized industries. Small-scale entrepreneurship is not discouraged under Unificationism, although in some areas it is difficult to compete with the government sponsored corporations without being absorbed. Also, upon the death of the owner of a business that is worth a certain value the business must be incorporated.
Some areas are nationalized by the government, which amounts to a monopoly which may still be profit-making but whose leadership is firmly under political control. Nationalized organizations must follow a charter that states the mission, authority and activities of the organization. Additionally only electors are allowed to be shareholders in these organizations and control is determined by a board of directors which is elected by the shareholders (though the candidates are selected by a government supervisory committee). While often run like private businesses, Nationalized organizations may receive part of their operating capital from the governement. These organizations are separate from the executive organizations that are organized hierarchically and include bureaus, divisions, offices, and agencies. The executive organizations ares responsible for broad areas of government operations such as foreign policy/military and law enforcement/regulatory agency. Nationalized organizations do not operate with a executive organization structure and are created or the government or are made by nationalizing a private organization.
One major difference between a Nationalized Industry and a “regular” megacorp is the much more stringent security screening and testing procedure Nationalized Industry employees undergo. They are painfully aware that even a back-office drone in the accounting department can uncover a lot of secrets about (or even sabotage) operations. Nobody believes that screening keeps out every spook, corporate spy, would-be thief, or fixated monkeywrencher. But the damage such infiltrators cause can be – must be – kept to a minimum by any means necessary. Internal security is heavy-handed, but grimly efficient.
The massive transnational corporation dinosaurs, financial giants that supported their monolithic frameworks on outdated economic models and industrial technologies. The megacorps are their evolutionary descendants: slimmer, faster, meaner, and more flexible, eagerly embracing the possibilities of new technologies and never afraid to toss the old aside to take advantage of the new. Most megacorps are decentralized, non-asset-based legal entities. Complete automation, advanced robotics, cloning technology, and fabrication machines allow the megacorps to abstain from mass employment for labor or production services. The need for physical labor has mostly been reduced to tasks associated with construction or deep space mining. AIs are heavily employed (or more accurately, owned) as drone operators or virtual workers, and many administrative tasks are performed online in virtual private networks. Some megacorps are in fact entirely “virtual,” with no physical assets and each employee acting as a mobile office. A few major megacorps literally consist of only a dozen personnel. Though some are massive and diversified, most specialize in particular fields or services. This results in both an intricate system of partnerships to develop, produce, and market products and services and a large-scale tendency to internally contract special services from other megacorps. Many megacorps also pool their resources and talent into cooperative research initiatives, project centers, or shared settlements. Some of the largest of these megacorps are basically wings of the government similar to the historical East India Tea Company. They possess their own heavily-armed private armies, hold 'sovereign' territory, and possibly even act as outright governments locally.
Legally, control of a private client corporation is divided into two tiers with a supervisory board which elects a managing board. Half of the supervisory board is elected by the shareholders and the other half of the supervisory board consists of representatives of the employees. The CEO, president, treasurer, and other titled officers are then chosen by the board to manage the affairs of the corporation. Clients vary in size from huge to merely medium-sized, and are typically not monopolies - though they may be regional monopolies.
To prevent businesses not under direct control of the government from having undue sway on it, while realizing that it is not necessary for the government to directly administrate all major industry, the government typically maintains a handful of clients in a given area, being careful to ensure that there is always some credible competition so that businesses which become unpopular may be at least temporarily discarded for some form of alternative.
On the individual level, Unificationism is characterized by a high level of taxation, a high level of benefits for those unable to work (and government work or makework for those unable to find work), and many nationalized services, but also by laws which favor the government, its nationalized corporations, and its client corporations over the individual worker. For individuals inheritance, death, and gift taxes are very high. Technically the government owns all land with individuals being able to lease property from it.
As for technology, this is encouraged by making both practical innovation and education universal and respected endeavors. It is possible to come to great material gain through science, and people from all walks of life have have the education and career paths necessary for a career in science. An additional bonus is that since wealth from investments is much more adaptable to economic change than wealth from fixed assets, the power of the ruling class is not threatened by technology that changes the means of production. Educational system has a traditional general education with heavy doses of certain science and civics, however it is low on the humanities.
Increasingly, human behavior is to be guided. Change in human character is expected to be part of the process; rationalization and bureaucratization promote efficiency and materialism. It is also associated with with depersonalization and with oppressive routine. The state of insecurity in which this places the public serves the useful function of making people feel helpless, thus making it less likely that they will become politically active.
Economic problems related to large disparities of wealth between rich and poor are treated as problems of status and prejudice. Rather than narrowing class differences, they teach that these differences were subjective and unimportant. This is an attempt to transfer military values to civilian life: In war it did not matter if the soldier next to you came from poor or wealthy background as long as he fought loyally.
Overview
The Instrumentality of Mankind is result of an apocalyptic war which included nuclear and biological weapons, opened windows to extra dimensional entities, and reduced most of the survivors to preindustrial barbarism. Most of humanity was wiped out and the rest was enslaved by the resulting cosmic horrors that poured through inter dimensional gateways. Humanity teetered on the brink as strange beings began to colonize earth.
The resulting homogenized world-state of the Instrumentality is a ruthless meritocratic multiple class system. It is based around a totalitarian government in which ruling elite owns significant portions of the economy along a corporate monopoly model. The State and The Mega Corp are intertwined, with the Mega Corp making up the legislative and State making up the executive and judiciary. Government and industry are so interwoven that it's no longer clear whether it's a communist state that nationalized everything or a free-market state where the corporations took over. Through this combination of capitalist and state-controlled economy much of the upper classes are granted portions of any conquered nation. The internationalist state can rapidly assimilate other societies into its workings, selecting the loyal and competent from their midst as leaders, despite whatever cultural and structural differences exist. Through dimensional traveling technology, they set about building their empire, traveling from world to world and claiming most as their own under a brutal occupation.
Though a variety of supernatural religions are allowed the god-emperor worship based Unificationism system of morals and ethics can be considered the state religion because of the impact it has on the way people live their lives. A cyber-heaven is created in which all uploaded minds exist within it, both as a part of the network and individually. Though the personality and consciousness is overwrote, memories, thoughts, knowledge, experiences, and ideas survive. This network, Ohm, is worshipped and uploaded minds are collected for it.
This human-supremacist state is, very much, a totalitarian state that generates a cult rooted in the worship of the past god emperor like Supreme Leaders who still exist as part of Ohm. It is openly, loudly and avowedly xenophobic; fear and hatred of the alien and of the supernatural is as commonplace as breathing, and common language has a lot of tropes and jargon built upon slurs against the designated targets. It is a self-consciously rational society that offers every citizen a decent life and a chance to fulfill a useful function. Everyone can rise as high as their talents and drive take them, won't accept sexism, classism, or racism, and their purpose is to make humanity perfectly safe. Built with the best of stolen technomagic, it’s a haven for humans. Only humans, and those that are rationalized as being human enough. Everyone not on the list and anyone who associates with them is dealt with swiftly and harshly. The Instrumentality does not place a high value on notions of liberty or human rights, which it tends to consider superstitions. Culture is relentlessly authoritarian, ruthless, and paranoid.
Ironically in order to survive humanity has become far more diverse and the amount of 'baseline' humans is a minority. The state portrays itself as being in a perpetual total war, by necessity a war of annihilation, and thus places a great deal of value on female fertility (reproduction/child rearing based rather than pleasure based) along with male militarism and self sacrifice in general.
Philosophy
Unificationism is an ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of a number of state leaders. It is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that influenced culture. It might be considered a state religion because of state promotion of Unificationist philosophies. The ideological fundaments set have sufficient leeway in the application of the ideology that practical Unificationist contains many elements not found in the philosophy. In the interests of brevity, this document will not differentiate between the two, although as a general rule the theory is from the original works while nearly all specific applications were developed by the actual Unificationist movements.
The main tenet of Unificationism is that the entire state is an organism which should have central control and cooperation, that the organs of the state should work toward a common purpose, and that the people are bettered as components of the state, working to better the state and thus the members of the state. Leadership should follow democratic centralism, "freedom of discussion, unity of action", that is, decisions would be made democratically but uphold in a disciplined fashion whatever decision was made.
It is a theoretical, direct justification of totalitarian societies. It does not prescribe a specific end as some other ideologies are want to do (freedom for democracies, communal equality for communism), but rather prescribes the ideal means to gain whatever ends the society (and thus the state) desire. Unificationism favors unity of purpose and cooperation (of course), a majoritarian approach to the goals of the state which frowns on active minority dissent, a strong and centralized government, military preparedness, harsh measures against crime, influence of politics and the state in virtually all aspects of life (a weak form of totalitarianism in theory, usually "normal" totalitarianism in practice), and international alliances and unification.
The State is not a nation-state, but the centralized government which ideally unites and directs all humanity. The nation is merely a necessary intermediate stage to the final unification of humanity. Hence Unificationism - not just the "unity of leadership and purpose" in any government, but unity of leadership and purpose under _one_ government, one state. The ultimate goal of Unificationism is Unification, all of humanity under a single government. An end to racism, war, religious strife, political bickering, and ideological violence under the totalitarian rule of the Instrumentality of Mankind.
This ideology is not inherently capitalistic or socialistic, but in fact conflicts with the extremes of both. The economic system is in keeping with the ideology's totalitarian nature, where no other institution can be allowed to rival the State in power and influence. An economy wherein which all means of production is owned by the state renders economic efficiency impossible because without market prices for capital, there is no way to make efficiency-based decisions between various methods of production for a specific item. Market prices are ultimately generated rests within individual human minds, and that this data only gets expressed via voluntary trades in a free market. Therefore all the large privately-owned economic ( as well as social and otherwise) institutions are brought into collusion with the government and become part of the apparatus of the State's economic planning, nationalizing of only certain services while still allowing private enterprise for the rest. The rationale is that certain services do not operate in the interests of the public good in a for-profit environment and inevitably result in inequality, but free enterprise is still necessary for innovation and competition. This involves private enterprises acting in direct competition with the nationalized services. Additionally, private ownership and ability to do business becomes contingent upon service to the State. Thus, while ownership of the means of production remains in private hands and continues to be operated with a for-profit objective, ultimate control is exercised by the State.
Ideologically, Unificationist systems are egalitarian, meritocratic (with loyalty counting as an important merit), and antinationalist. Unificationism holds that all humans are essentially equal, and in fact that cultural differences are universally impediments if they get in the way of loyalty to the State, irrelevant otherwise. It is trying to systematically, and slowly, lessen the difference between the cultures that make it up with the goal of both sanitizing the society of harmful influences and preventing internal division which might weaken it. In regards promotion of traditions, unificationism is not merely selective: it goes out of its way to reinterpret and redefine those traditions in line with unificationaist norms and values, and seize control of institutions to that end. Due to its totalitarian nature, these values also come to pervade all forms of artistic expression within the society from cinema to architecture.
Individuals are not so much in possession of free will, but human beings and their ideas are fundamentally shaped by their nature and the conditions surrounding them. For the individual in Unificationism, human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and especially communal endeavor. These endeavors are designed to seek to maximize efficiency and also designed to be cult-resistant by encouraging people to be open with each other. A main idea of Unificationsism is the cultivation of virtue and the development of moral perfection. It holds that one should give up one's life, if necessary, either passively or actively, for the sake of upholding the cardinal moral values. One is encouraged to seek a degree of ego-death and self-realization. Alone, free, the human being is doomed to die. A complete, utter submission, if one can escape from his identity, if he can merge himself with Humanity so that he is Humanity, then the individual is all-powerful and immortal. These teachings attempt to deify humanity, and raise some individuals to deistic status, while rejecting any sort of supernatural, occult, or esoteric belief. The old religions of the past are regulated and retained as "visions of the truth" and so not erased wholesale but just changed to tow the party line. It is used to get humanity to embrace itself and to keep the masses pacified and loyal. Competing religious and political philosophies are said to encourage moral relativism and selfish individualism and thereby undermine traditional morality.
The ruler cult started as an expression of gratitude to benefactors and became an expression of homage and loyalty. The religious meaning of the ruler cult is not as great as its social and political importance where it served to testify to loyalty, however material and political well being can arouse genuine religious emotions. The Supreme Leader holds a mandate to rule but only as long as he serves the people well. If the quality of rule became questionable because of repeated failures then his replacement is justified. Appointed by election from the senior members of government after there follows a coronation. After this the Supreme Leader acts as a gestalt continuing reincarnation of the previous position holders and as a conduit to the worship of his followers.
Government
The Instrumentality is an independent organization founded to facilitate negotiations between all human organizations to improve relations, as well as to foster trade through policing and regulations. The intention of it was to foster the fragile relationship between the human power centers and act as a meeting place where they could discuss their differences and hammer out a compromise solution. Starting as a fledgling meeting ground for diplomats the Instrumentality has slowly increased its power and influence. It has become an entity independent that directs and organizes the human species, as it is able to largely fund its own operation through customs, taxes, confiscation of contraband goods, and other means.
The Security Council is the top level department of the Instrumentality and is chaired by the Supreme Leader. The policies of the Instrumentality are discussed and decided on Inner Circle meetings, which are usually closed to the public. At first the members of the circle were nominated by the empires and organizations, but now they rise from the ranks of all of humanity. Thus, their loyalty is no longer bound to any one human organization, but rather to humanity and the Instrumentality itself.
Governments is, in theory, a sort of pyramidal democracy with a restricted franchise. Virtually all human members of the society are Citizens, with equal rights and protections under the law (military courts, secret police, and several other arms have effectively unlimited power against Citizens, but the civil justice system does not - as is typical in many Unificationist organizations, the elite have tremendous power over the masses in practice, but members of the masses are protected against those of similar "rank" by a strong legal system). A minority of the Citizens are also Electors - possessing the power to vote, similar to Communist party members in the old Soviet Union. The status of Elector is gained by all those who have served a required term in approved governmental services - military, bureaucratic, police, producing large amounts of children and more, have no significant criminal record, and have demonstrated their loyalty to the State (which usually amounts to never having demonstrated disloyalty to the state, and having jumped through the required hoops to become an Elector). Membership in the electorate may be revoked. Since being able to vote is the greatest power a person can wield, you have to prove you can handle it by voluntarily protecting the state and are willing to place others' needs ahead of your own by putting your own personal life on the line.
Both nationalized and private corporations are allowed to contribute to political campaigns. Nationalized corporations have more monetary sway however this is tempered by their chartered and government appointed leadership. Electors are also allowed to contribute however their contributions are typically inconsequential. The state and corporations are closely tied together; this isn't considered corruption but normal. In this way wealth of the economy is to some extent is personally useable by those in power, rather than just strengthening the state or under the direct control of a favored few. It is neither the case where the state dominates economic actors or the government acting as the servant of large corporations. Through elections party squabbles are occasionally on public display, and there is a frantic and continuous politics among factions of the party, interest groups, competing corporate powers, and rival media concerns.
Lower positions in the Government are voted on by the electorate, from candidates appointed by the existing government. Candidates must pass an extensive and comprehensive exam that covers a wide variety of subjects deemed important. The State Examination is an examination system designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system has a huge influence on both society and culture and is directly responsible for the creation of a leadership class of scholar-bureaucrats irrespective of their family pedigree.
The members of the Government then vote on higher positions in a similar way - the new membership of a higher body is voted on by the next lower body, from candidates appointed by the higher body (and, universally at higher levels and in theory at lower levels, approved by the political arm of the police). This holds true for government positions, while many bureaucratic positions are appointed or assigned by merit, as is true for the military and the police. In practice this means that democracy is a mere illusion, the heads of government control the choices of the next government to those loyal to them, and control the bureaucracy, the military, and the police by the appointment of, and the power to dismiss, their senior members. During elections the attention of the electorate is required to make a choice of personalities rather than a choice between alternatives. Leaders holding the needed technical and leadership skills are selected through bureaucratic processes on the basis of specialized knowledge and performance, rather than democratic election by those without such knowledge or skill deemed necessary. Though there is only one political party there is factionalism, but it is formalized to minimize infighting and allows divisions to be settled legitimately. This means a rough analog of political parties within the highest level of government. When a new Supreme Leader is to be elected the ruling elite hold internal elections for general positions in the branches of government, and the leader of the winning faction assumes the position of Supreme Leader. Terms of governmental service are universally long. Many higher offices are for life or until dismissed, especially the upper leadership positions, who can only leave office if dismissed by a supermajority of the heads of government. However an unofficial retirement age is generally observed.
The system has the basis of the typical tripartite power system of military, police, and party, but under Unificationism the Supreme Leader and his immediate subordinates are in much firmer control than is typical for totalitarianisms, with the loyalty of senior military and secret police members to the Government/State usually ensured by the control the government has over their positions. The Party is the only political party maintaining a unitary government whose legal power is guaranteed by the constitution. It is organized along syndicast lines, manages the private economy, aims at removing sectionalism, and acts as a bridge between private sector and the government.
In theory, supreme power in the party is invested in the political legislature. However, in practice, all executive power is in the hands of the Supreme Leader. The Executive branches, headed by the Supreme Leader, are the enforcement arms of the Instrumentality and the responsibility of waging wars, regulating and monitoring all trade transactions, tracking down known criminals and attacking criminal facilities. The head of all three divisions of government is the Supreme Leader and his cabinet whom are the heads of the various sections of the Intelligence Agency (whom make up the internal security, intelligence, and secret police) and are a joint supervisory/coordination entity that acts as political officers for the three branches of government. The Supreme Leader’s honor guard consists of chemically enhanced super soldiers, meditative psionic warriors, heavy metal cyborgs, cosmically powered mystics, supernatural hunting mutants, and well trained special forces operatives.
An Inner and Outer Elite exist, with the Inner Elite as hidden from both the Outer Elite and the common people alike, save for the designated points of interface such as the Supreme Leader and a few other officials so that the true rulers can operate efficiently in the shadows away from prying eyes. Certain "elite units" are put into one or the other, with the vast majority being "Outer Elite" and used as covers for Inner Elites, but most of the core Intelligence community is firmly in the Inner Elite's hands. They control the States' vital institutions as well as its institutions, often invisibly in the form of being trusted advisers, teachers or others commonly in the penumbra of a leadership position. A single political party codifies this in an official way.
The stabilizing benefits of the rule of law and precedent at the highest level are found. Competition and succession occurs within the political system, with the security apparatus available to enforce that, greatly reducing destructive internal competition, and allowing leaders to appoint competent subordinates without fear of being ousted. The system is able to survive a bad leader, and can also select effective leaders, rather than compromises or non-threatening leaders. Leadership is not often in destructive competition, attempting to damage each other in order to gain power, and is in general encouraged to act cooperatively for the benefit of the system.
Foreign Relations
The concept of a nation proceeds from the basic interests of the masses of the given nation, and at the same time, from the common interests of the masses of every nation which are the common basic interests of all mankind. From this end and these approaches comes the realpolitik of Unificationist international relations. Unificationist states are always attempting to export their form of government, either by military conquest or simply installing a friendly regime, and can form relationships of convenience with nations ideologically similar to their own, though they will not place too much trust in the relationship. Unificationist nations are always extremely cooperative with each other as long as there are non-Unificationist enemies to fight, and tend to form one or more power blocs with a small number of distinct leaders, and many smaller nations which effectively become satellite states.
The Instrumentality maintains the conceit that it is the model of society for the whole of humanity. The Instrumentality believes that it has the right to launch preemptive wars, it is illegitimate for any state to resist its domination.
The state is warlike, but also capable of acting within alliances and avoiding losing battles. The ruling elite are driven to conquest and benefit from it, but that the potential for victory does not easily outweigh the hardships of war and the risk of defeat. Conquest is not essential to the survival of the society, which is able to survive and thrive in peace time. Conquest is taken when the results are profitable and there is a good chance that they can assimilate and exploit conquered areas in an effective and timely fashion. Other areas are not conquered however instead trade agreements are backed by military force or even hit-and-run assaults to steal resources take place.
Society
Politically oriented media always personalizes issues rather than clarifying them. It trumpets eternal optimism, endlessly praises moral strength and character, and communicates in a feel-your-pain language. It confuses the listener with feeling instead of knowledge for a political experience. This is the essence of successful advertising. You buy or do what the advertisers want because of how they can make you feel.The result is zero interruption in the processes and practices that strengthen existing, interlocking systems of socioeconomic advantage. The promoted cultural belief that people can make things happen by thinking, by visualizing, by wanting them discredits legitimate concerns and anxieties. It exacerbates despair and passivity and fosters a state of self-delusion. To question, to engage in criticism of the collective, is to be obstructive and negative. The purpose, structure and goals of the state are never seriously questioned. Dissidents are not forcibly suppressed, as long as those dissidents remain ineffectual. They have dozens of analysis of competing ideologies without any coherent plan. The leadership and the majority of the population does not waste time analyzing other ideologies. They have an ideology, or rather a plan of action that is defended by an ideology, and slavishly follow it.
The military is a respected profession in this conquest-oriented society, but it is respected as a profession that is heroic and to some degree selfless, not as an entire way of life that everyone who is anyone should automatically aspire to. There have, of course, been warrior societies in the past that committed themselves to a mobilized life of war-making above all else. What’s unique about the Instrumentality is that it isn’t a warrior society. Quite the opposite.The people are demobilized and detached from the wars, interventions, operations, and other military activities done in their name. The main concern in maintaining militarism is maintaining the support for conquest, not in actually finding and training people to fight in the military. Most actual combat is done by self operating or remote operated robots and Janissary like slave soldiers.
Military gear is impressive, stylish and murderously functional. Kind of a space opera meets Hot Topic meets Sharper Image meets The Houston Area Gun Show thing. Skulls, body armor, spikes and guns. And black. Lots of black.
The military is used to manage its population. "Citizenship" comes only after either spending years on active duty or getting married and producing a large number of children and then raising them to draft/marriage age. Service grants citizenship, for those that endure that long and don't get cheated along the way, in the form of being able to hold land and establish a household. Reproduction requires a license and those that are electors have a easier time getting one. Much of the free healthcare provided is a cover for DNA engineering that alters the vast peasantry into forms that the elite prefers. Actual reproduction is done mostly in labs. There are no individuals, just members of households, and most men die young fighting in one of the many wars while most women end up married to officers and retiring NCOs. This is for child raising reasons, monogamy is not the norm. Unificationist governments are officially in favor of complete equality, and turn the full measures of their police against the more unpopular forms of bigotry. They are, of course, fully capable of actions against an ethnic group which happens to be mostly opposed to them, but will accept turncoats from the group, will deal with the members it wants to get rid of by imprisonment or execution, and will provisionally assume that the rest are functioning citizens, though they may be scrutinized minutely.
Revolt is quelled by a constant regimen of ‘safe’ mood altering drugs, autoerotic sex machines, holographic shows that distil "entertainment" to its barest essence, constant consumerist novelty and general sensory overload to keep people happy and superficially fulfilled. Though a wide variety of media exist it is heavily censored with only the elite having access to banned items while less dangerous items that are not banned are simply very difficult to find. Propaganda is found everywhere and is used to generate cognitive dissonance, stopping short as though by instinct at the threshold of any dangerous thought. While state produced media is endorsed the rest of media is left to highly concentrated media corporations, thus maintaining the illusion of a "free press". Dissent is allowed, although the corporate media serves as a filter, allowing most people, with limited time available to keep themselves apprised of current events, only to hear points of view which the corporate media deems to be "serious". Certain drugs are handed out freely by the state sponsored Imperial Cult and used as a kind of “sacrament” that puts the person into a deep numbness, void of all feeling. Confessionals are ran by automated psychologists and the conversations are recorded and stored. Technological interventions start before birth and last until death, and that actually change what people want though most changes are in conditioning. Though contraception is widely available reproduction is heavily controlled by the state. Controlling birth and numbing emotion while experimenting with sex at young ages, the new "person" is educated. The teaching inhabitants receive is more of a method of programming than a process of learning, thinking, and discovery. Children are communally raised, heavily exposed to propaganda, and are used to spy on adults. Individuals are encouraged to simply keep out of politics, and are given the freedom to work in a capitalistic environment, furthering the economy of the state. Services such as education and healthcare are available to all however the cost associated with them keeps most people in financial bondage. Socially it is a harsh, unforgiving meritocracy. Success is rewarded quickly and richly, and failure is punished brutally. Subordinates usually display unwavering loyalty to their superiors, though there are examples of an ambitious subordinate noticing and exploiting a weakness in their superior that allows them to usurp power. Most institutions have a appointed political officer adviser. People are reminded constantly of external threats. In the civilized areas security checkpoints are found every few blocks with mandatory chipping and tattooed barcodes for "dissidents" and "undesirables". Control is maintained by constant government surveillance, secret police, torture, and incentives to have the people obsessively spy on each other. Individuals are expected to conform completely to the ideals of Unificationism. A behavior modification device is implanted and used to reform criminals. Government resistance is set up by the government itself in order to identify possible dissidents.
Mutant animals, referred to as serfs, make up over 70% of the population. 80% of these are mutant dogs, all domesticated and genetically predisposed to happily serve humans. They are forbidden education of any but the most rudimentary form by law. Serfs have virtually no rights, are forbidden to handle money and their opinions are totally inadmissible in any court. Any child born to a serf is a serf. Almost all citizens own at least a few serfs that do unskilled work though serfs are generally thought as pets. Most semi skilled work is done by robotics. Citizens have absolute power of life or death over their serfs, killing or mistreatment of other Citizen's serfs or government-owned serfs can lead to civil action in court to obtain compensation because to harm or kill one's serf is, in effect, damage to property. However there are laws similar to animal cruelty laws to protect serfs from extreme abuse from their masters. A significant portion of domestically owned serfs are more human looking mutant breeds and are pleasure slaves and treated as general commodities. They are used until they are no longer youthful and attractive enough, at which point they become work slaves. The state has serfs that are educated up to the degree of a military specialist but are the property of the government and most of those are the property of the military/police and serve as frontline troops. They are sometimes used as shock troops however that is generally left to robotics.
Outright slavery does exist, however this is restricted to the elite and only allowed for non humans and non mutant animals. While serfs are happily accepted in society slaves are looked down upon. While many sentient species are exterminated there are many acceptable sentient species that kept on reservations. These species are managed by the military Department of Xeno Affairs who manage the land held in trust by the Instrumentality. Many species became slaves but some species were treated better and can even serve in the military where they receive better treatment than otherwise available. After serving in the military they can become a government owned serf and live in mainstream society where they generally would have better opportunities than otherwise available. Also, citizens that do not fit in with the rest of mainstream society are sometimes exiled to these reservations.
Economics
Economics is seen as the practical application of knowledge to achieve a desired end. Its purpose is to bring about efficiency, coordination, and control of the natural and social environment. It is a product of scientific specialization and technical differentiation. These are the guiding principles behind bureaucracy and the increasing division of labor. The efficiency of liberalized trade and relatively open markets is promoted.
Economic policy is driven by an ideology of the cost-effective. Means-end rationality is used to precisely calculate that which is necessary to attain a goal with the aim of an efficiency increase by better use of existing possibilities: A same effect can with fewer means, or with same means to be obtained. It is the reasonable, appropriate organization of operational conditions under changing conditions to increase with the goal, productivity and economy.
Unificationist economics are a combination of small-business innovation and government supported large business. This sets up an economic system with substantial components of both capitalism and nationalized industries. Small-scale entrepreneurship is not discouraged under Unificationism, although in some areas it is difficult to compete with the government sponsored corporations without being absorbed. Also, upon the death of the owner of a business that is worth a certain value the business must be incorporated.
Some areas are nationalized by the government, which amounts to a monopoly which may still be profit-making but whose leadership is firmly under political control. Nationalized organizations must follow a charter that states the mission, authority and activities of the organization. Additionally only electors are allowed to be shareholders in these organizations and control is determined by a board of directors which is elected by the shareholders (though the candidates are selected by a government supervisory committee). While often run like private businesses, Nationalized organizations may receive part of their operating capital from the governement. These organizations are separate from the executive organizations that are organized hierarchically and include bureaus, divisions, offices, and agencies. The executive organizations ares responsible for broad areas of government operations such as foreign policy/military and law enforcement/regulatory agency. Nationalized organizations do not operate with a executive organization structure and are created or the government or are made by nationalizing a private organization.
One major difference between a Nationalized Industry and a “regular” megacorp is the much more stringent security screening and testing procedure Nationalized Industry employees undergo. They are painfully aware that even a back-office drone in the accounting department can uncover a lot of secrets about (or even sabotage) operations. Nobody believes that screening keeps out every spook, corporate spy, would-be thief, or fixated monkeywrencher. But the damage such infiltrators cause can be – must be – kept to a minimum by any means necessary. Internal security is heavy-handed, but grimly efficient.
The massive transnational corporation dinosaurs, financial giants that supported their monolithic frameworks on outdated economic models and industrial technologies. The megacorps are their evolutionary descendants: slimmer, faster, meaner, and more flexible, eagerly embracing the possibilities of new technologies and never afraid to toss the old aside to take advantage of the new. Most megacorps are decentralized, non-asset-based legal entities. Complete automation, advanced robotics, cloning technology, and fabrication machines allow the megacorps to abstain from mass employment for labor or production services. The need for physical labor has mostly been reduced to tasks associated with construction or deep space mining. AIs are heavily employed (or more accurately, owned) as drone operators or virtual workers, and many administrative tasks are performed online in virtual private networks. Some megacorps are in fact entirely “virtual,” with no physical assets and each employee acting as a mobile office. A few major megacorps literally consist of only a dozen personnel. Though some are massive and diversified, most specialize in particular fields or services. This results in both an intricate system of partnerships to develop, produce, and market products and services and a large-scale tendency to internally contract special services from other megacorps. Many megacorps also pool their resources and talent into cooperative research initiatives, project centers, or shared settlements. Some of the largest of these megacorps are basically wings of the government similar to the historical East India Tea Company. They possess their own heavily-armed private armies, hold 'sovereign' territory, and possibly even act as outright governments locally.
Legally, control of a private client corporation is divided into two tiers with a supervisory board which elects a managing board. Half of the supervisory board is elected by the shareholders and the other half of the supervisory board consists of representatives of the employees. The CEO, president, treasurer, and other titled officers are then chosen by the board to manage the affairs of the corporation. Clients vary in size from huge to merely medium-sized, and are typically not monopolies - though they may be regional monopolies.
To prevent businesses not under direct control of the government from having undue sway on it, while realizing that it is not necessary for the government to directly administrate all major industry, the government typically maintains a handful of clients in a given area, being careful to ensure that there is always some credible competition so that businesses which become unpopular may be at least temporarily discarded for some form of alternative.
On the individual level, Unificationism is characterized by a high level of taxation, a high level of benefits for those unable to work (and government work or makework for those unable to find work), and many nationalized services, but also by laws which favor the government, its nationalized corporations, and its client corporations over the individual worker. For individuals inheritance, death, and gift taxes are very high. Technically the government owns all land with individuals being able to lease property from it.
As for technology, this is encouraged by making both practical innovation and education universal and respected endeavors. It is possible to come to great material gain through science, and people from all walks of life have have the education and career paths necessary for a career in science. An additional bonus is that since wealth from investments is much more adaptable to economic change than wealth from fixed assets, the power of the ruling class is not threatened by technology that changes the means of production. Educational system has a traditional general education with heavy doses of certain science and civics, however it is low on the humanities.
Increasingly, human behavior is to be guided. Change in human character is expected to be part of the process; rationalization and bureaucratization promote efficiency and materialism. It is also associated with with depersonalization and with oppressive routine. The state of insecurity in which this places the public serves the useful function of making people feel helpless, thus making it less likely that they will become politically active.
Economic problems related to large disparities of wealth between rich and poor are treated as problems of status and prejudice. Rather than narrowing class differences, they teach that these differences were subjective and unimportant. This is an attempt to transfer military values to civilian life: In war it did not matter if the soldier next to you came from poor or wealthy background as long as he fought loyally.
Last edited by Avenger on Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:55 pm, edited 38 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Have access to rift creating technology. Their home world is controlled and is bolstered by the massive resources acquired from other worlds, either through outright conquered or simple trade. They believe other worlds should be aiming to follow their example and have a dedicated program of supporting political and economic groups that reflect their own values.
Vanguard, Psi Battalion and Rifts Control and Study Group are subsections of the Intelligence Agency. Temporal, Space, and Techno wizardry is acceptable and most equipment has TW upgrades. MD Bio-Wizardry is only available to the Intelligence Agency. Vanguard OCCs have equipment and rank similar to RCSG Scientist. RCSG control working rift technology as found on the bottom level of Lone Star, the machines have the same capabilities as Pyramid Technology.
Ohm; same as ARCHIE-3 also has the skills and abilities of a level 8 RSCG scientist. Has and uses NEXUS nano machine plage. Grand Vizier to the Supreme Leader. ARCHIE-7s used in other major centers as relays for ARCHIE-3. (7's have natural abilities of Invid Regent, but only communicate with Altarians. Ohm has natural abilities of Invid Regis, can only communicate telepathically with Altarians. Both have the natural abilities of a Nightlord)
In addition to his/her normal abilities the supreme leader is also granted the abilities of King Moloch and will find their statistics boosted to his number. Also has Prototypical Defic Powers as per normal rules found in the Dragons and Gods book.
Humans have genetic enhancements from Rifts Chaos Earth. Mutant Animals and Humans may have further genetics from Rifts Lone Star. Magic (with the exception of technomagic and biowizardry among psi-stalkers) is treated the same as psychics in Rifts, though psychics are now much more accepted in society. Psi-Stalkers are considered full humans.
Approximate breakdown of mutant animals owned by government
Dog Boys 77%
Battle Cats 4%
Mutant Bear 5% (Mostly CS cyborg or Mindwerks full coversion borg and both have controller chip )
Monkey Boys 4% (CS Juicer Only, may be turned into a borg at the end of life cycle. Both have controller chip)
Pleasure Bunny 3% ( 96% have full human looks, OCC available are that of psi ghost or super spy or Ecto Travler OCC from Mindwerks)
Kill Hounds 3% (OCCs available from Mindweks, Psynetic Crazy, Psi Bloodhound, Null Psyborg, Mindwerks full conversion borg usually for the alpha, standard crazy will controller implant. )
Kill Cats 1% (OCC is usually a full standard crazy )
Other 3%
Mutant Animal exclusive O.C.C.S, retain natural abilities
CS Grunt, has Spotter MOS skills under PSI Net Agent OCC. Those working with Psi Stalkers have tracker MOS skills under PSI Net Agent OCC.
CS Juicer
K-9 Sniffer
Mutant Animal or Human O.C.C.S, add on literacy skill.
CS Cyborg Strike Trooper
CS Commando
CS EOD Specialist
CS Nautical Specialist
CS Ranger/Wilderness Scout
CS RPA Elite/SAMAS Pilot
CS RPA "Fly Boy" Ace
CS Merchant Marine
CS Navy Sailor
CS Naval Infantryman
CS Nautical Commando Specialist (SEAL)
CS ISS O.C.C.S with exception of Intel Specter.
Human Only O.C.C.S, add on literacy skill.
CS Military Specialist
CS Technical Officer
CS RCSG Scientist
CS Special Forces
Intel Specter.
Zone Boy (ISS Only)
CS Vanguard O.C.C.S. (Intelligence Agency)
Psi-Battalion PCCs (Intelligence Agency)
-Smoker (Intelligence Agency)
-Seeker (Intelligence Agency)
Super Spy (Intelligence Agency)
Commissar (Intelligence Agency, use Priest of Night OCC (nightbane) with skills, abilities, and powers of a Void Priest (manhunter). Standard equipment includes 4D4 Void Cyberworms. The Chaplain/Commissar of the intelligence agency. They are attached to institutions (and in the military various units) acting as the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and loyalty to the government of a military unit, hospital, prison, police department, university, or religious institution. )
Approximate breakdown of Master Psionic OCCs;
Buster 14%
Mind Melter 4%
Nega Psychic 9%
Psi Druid 5%
Psi Nullifier 12%
Psi Tech 10%
Zapper 13%
Psi Warrior 3%
Mind Bleeder 4%
Psi Ghost 9%
Psi Slayer 5%
Other 4%
Equipment
All equipment comes with Army, Navy, Spacy packs. They have full performance in their designed environment and underwater performance otherwise. Armor and vehicles that can not fly will have small maneuvering thrusters to keep them ‘down’.
All armor and vehicles have S.N.A.R.L.S. system from Rifts Japan.
All vehicles have force field from triax.
Q5-50 and Glitter Girl Assault Canon (Free Quebec) is available
Rail Guns use U-rounds from Rifts Triax.
Skelebots serve as basis for most EIR drones, programming is similar to A-63 EIR-10. Are often used to operate vehicles and in some instances be widely used for drone armies.
Standard CS Borg body is that of A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1). Also used for VDDS system (Mutants in Orbit)
Angels; A suit is used as a borg body for psychics/mages. Statistics are the same as the Angrar Mark II Power Armor (rifts mercenaries) but with twice the mdc. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec) and the mini missile system of the Angrar Assault Robot. Imparts the abilities of the Sea Inquisitor on the pilot. Hound Masters are used as the pilot for some of these in the intelligence agency. Vanguard Waylanders and Psi Warriors are the most recruited pilots.
Archangels; Statistics are the same as the Angrar Assault Robot (rifts mercenaries) but with triple the mdc. Has the flight and missile system of the MUTT armor (Manhunter). Imparts the abilities of the Sea Inquisitor on each pilot. A typical standard crew (Guardian type) includes 1 Vanguard Savant , 1 Mind Melter , 1 Psi-Tech, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. If Archangels are part of a team they may vary and have some units specialize in different areas by having different pilot types, typically 3 Guardian types and one of each of the following types. Brawler; 1 Psi Warrior, 1 Psi-Slayer, 1 Vanguard Waylander, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Lurker; 1 Psi-Ghost, 1 Psi Nullifier, 1 Vanguard Espionage Agent, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Detector; 1 Psi Stalker, 1 Seeker, 1 Vanguard Translocator, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Torch; 1 Buster, 1 Smoker, 1 Zapper, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer.
Military Notes:
Infantry Segments:
CA-7 Armor is standard. For this armor use the statistics of the NG-EX10 and has sensors and physical enhancements (when battery is not fully charged, and use of battery is selectable) of CA-6 armor. Dog boy grunts have all optional vibro weapons available. Juicer has CS juicer gauntlet available as well.
CP-50 the standard issue rifle
Use newer CS weapons.
Skelebot uses stats from Skelebot Hunter and skill program from A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1)
Striker SAMAS, used as infantry support vehicle.
Infantry Transportation:
CS Jetpack
Scout Rocket Cycle
CS Command Car
CS Sea Spider
Mechanized Segments:
Terror Trooper. Standard Battle PA/robotic infantry. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec). C-200 standard sidearm. Has a CADS-1 system from Robotech.
QR-3 Guardian. Standard Battle robot. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec). Left arm can have l interchangeable systems of Triax Hunter OR replace flight system and interchangeable Triax Hunter systems with flight system of the Zentran Striker Battleoid (Return of the Masters). The right shoulder has the left arm particle cannon (as shown in picture)
IAR-3 Skull Smasher. Heavy battle robot. Each arm can have 1 interchangeable systems of Triax Hunter. Has EU-15 Destabilizer from Robotech mounted in mouth.
IAR-2 Abolisher. Fire support robot. ( Only 2 head guns, Use statistics of AT-1053 from Rifts Japan.). Variant replaces head guns with Syncro Cannon from Robotech
Aerospace:
Navy "Eagle" Unmanned Aircraft
Navy "Sea Striker". Close air support, appear similar to SF-7 Talon, Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Has 2 arms and legs and may use large/borg sized weapons, uses bonuses of Alpha fighter in Guardian Mode.
Death Bringer APC
Variant of the above. No troops but has the missile system of the Mark IX Missile Launcher Vehicle.
CS Sky lifter APC
Ticonderoga submarine from Rifts Underseas with flight system of Deaths Head Transport, Appears like CS Orca Submarine in Rifts Coalition Navy. Retains cruise missile, x 4. Also Ion Pulse Cannons are replaced with 100 mile range Syncro Cannons from Robotech 2nd Ed. Attack sub appears like Deaths Head Transport. Both have Glitter Boy Armor. Also has (from Manhunter) Traction Drive Defensive Shield, Gravity Drive Tractor Beam, Ion Drive Energy Discharger ( x8 for attack sub, x30 for Ticonderoga.). Both have has FTL drive type 2 for Spacy ships and chemical afterburners for others. Magnetic shields. Both have advanced stealth system and Shadow System (from robotech). Teleporters. Ticonderoga has long range sensor array. Cruise missile launchers also can fire and have in stock equal to the amount of cruise missiles Proton, Gravity Well, and Matter Disruption torpedoes as well as Fusion, Anti-Matter, Microwave and Wild Weasel. Mine Dispencer for Ticonderoga (100 mines), Chaff Dispenser. Ticonderoga also has 6x Beehive Rail gun turrets, 6xTacyhon Accelerator Scatter Guns, and 1 Rift Projection Cannon. Both have TW force field equal to MDC of main body, regenerative hulls and all TW missiles from UWW. Ticonderoga has Throwback Shielding. Variant of the Ticonderoga gets rid of most of the Troop Capacity and replaces with a Macross II fold system and Cross Dimensional travel system.
Macross Cannon from Macross II, space only. Does not transform and bridge is a skull shape. Secondary Beam Cannons replaced with Disintegration Cannons (4 cannons total). Each has a Rift Projection Cannon as well as a turreted secondary beam cannon. Has Cruise missiles and other secondary weapon systems and all other systems of the Ticonderoga above. Vehicles are replaced with appropriate Instrumentality type.
Neutron S missiles are available. Has Cruise missiles and other secondary weapon systems and all other systems of the Ticonderoga above. Use MDC values of Ticonderoga, has troop capacity of Macross Cannon. Ship is mostly automated, crewed by robots and Altarains.
Navy "Shrike" Interceptor. Air superiority fighter. Appear similar to SF-7 Talon. Has Shadow System and EU-15 Destabilizer from Robotech. Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Use Bonuses of Metal Siren in fighter Mode.
Navy Dagger Bomber. Bomber. Appear similar to SF-7 Talon. Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Bombs may be replaced with 8,000 ft range Syncro Cannon and Shadow System from Robotech 2nd Ed. Uses bonuses of Super Alpha in fighter mode.
ISS Notes:
ISS has CA-3 and CA-4 armors and uses CP-40 as standard rifle.
Windjammer Sky Cycle
CS Skull Patrol Car
Spider Scout Walker
Scorpion Walker
IRA-5 Hellfire
Smiling Jack Samus
Skelebot uses stats from Skelebot Hunter and skill program from A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1)
CS Mark VII APC
CS Mark IX APC
Demon Locust Helicopter
CTX-52 Sky Sweeper
Nightwing Attack Aircraft. Uses bonuses of the Alpha fighter in fighter mode.
NTSET, same as ISS plus
CA-6 with CP-50.
CS Scarab Officers Car
Cyberworms
Glitter Boy Killer
Super Samus
Hell Raiser
Warbird Rocket Cycle
Mark IX Missile Launch Vehicle
CTX-54 Firestorm
Militia/private/foreign sales:
All old style weapons and armor.
Mark V APC
Skull Spider Walker
Skycycle
SAMAS
CS Grinning Skull Main Battle Tank
SF-7 Talon
Black Lighting Helicopter
Old style Skelebot
Vanguard, Psi Battalion and Rifts Control and Study Group are subsections of the Intelligence Agency. Temporal, Space, and Techno wizardry is acceptable and most equipment has TW upgrades. MD Bio-Wizardry is only available to the Intelligence Agency. Vanguard OCCs have equipment and rank similar to RCSG Scientist. RCSG control working rift technology as found on the bottom level of Lone Star, the machines have the same capabilities as Pyramid Technology.
Ohm; same as ARCHIE-3 also has the skills and abilities of a level 8 RSCG scientist. Has and uses NEXUS nano machine plage. Grand Vizier to the Supreme Leader. ARCHIE-7s used in other major centers as relays for ARCHIE-3. (7's have natural abilities of Invid Regent, but only communicate with Altarians. Ohm has natural abilities of Invid Regis, can only communicate telepathically with Altarians. Both have the natural abilities of a Nightlord)
In addition to his/her normal abilities the supreme leader is also granted the abilities of King Moloch and will find their statistics boosted to his number. Also has Prototypical Defic Powers as per normal rules found in the Dragons and Gods book.
Humans have genetic enhancements from Rifts Chaos Earth. Mutant Animals and Humans may have further genetics from Rifts Lone Star. Magic (with the exception of technomagic and biowizardry among psi-stalkers) is treated the same as psychics in Rifts, though psychics are now much more accepted in society. Psi-Stalkers are considered full humans.
Approximate breakdown of mutant animals owned by government
Dog Boys 77%
Battle Cats 4%
Mutant Bear 5% (Mostly CS cyborg or Mindwerks full coversion borg and both have controller chip )
Monkey Boys 4% (CS Juicer Only, may be turned into a borg at the end of life cycle. Both have controller chip)
Pleasure Bunny 3% ( 96% have full human looks, OCC available are that of psi ghost or super spy or Ecto Travler OCC from Mindwerks)
Kill Hounds 3% (OCCs available from Mindweks, Psynetic Crazy, Psi Bloodhound, Null Psyborg, Mindwerks full conversion borg usually for the alpha, standard crazy will controller implant. )
Kill Cats 1% (OCC is usually a full standard crazy )
Other 3%
Mutant Animal exclusive O.C.C.S, retain natural abilities
CS Grunt, has Spotter MOS skills under PSI Net Agent OCC. Those working with Psi Stalkers have tracker MOS skills under PSI Net Agent OCC.
CS Juicer
K-9 Sniffer
Mutant Animal or Human O.C.C.S, add on literacy skill.
CS Cyborg Strike Trooper
CS Commando
CS EOD Specialist
CS Nautical Specialist
CS Ranger/Wilderness Scout
CS RPA Elite/SAMAS Pilot
CS RPA "Fly Boy" Ace
CS Merchant Marine
CS Navy Sailor
CS Naval Infantryman
CS Nautical Commando Specialist (SEAL)
CS ISS O.C.C.S with exception of Intel Specter.
Human Only O.C.C.S, add on literacy skill.
CS Military Specialist
CS Technical Officer
CS RCSG Scientist
CS Special Forces
Intel Specter.
Zone Boy (ISS Only)
CS Vanguard O.C.C.S. (Intelligence Agency)
Psi-Battalion PCCs (Intelligence Agency)
-Smoker (Intelligence Agency)
-Seeker (Intelligence Agency)
Super Spy (Intelligence Agency)
Commissar (Intelligence Agency, use Priest of Night OCC (nightbane) with skills, abilities, and powers of a Void Priest (manhunter). Standard equipment includes 4D4 Void Cyberworms. The Chaplain/Commissar of the intelligence agency. They are attached to institutions (and in the military various units) acting as the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and loyalty to the government of a military unit, hospital, prison, police department, university, or religious institution. )
Approximate breakdown of Master Psionic OCCs;
Buster 14%
Mind Melter 4%
Nega Psychic 9%
Psi Druid 5%
Psi Nullifier 12%
Psi Tech 10%
Zapper 13%
Psi Warrior 3%
Mind Bleeder 4%
Psi Ghost 9%
Psi Slayer 5%
Other 4%
Equipment
All equipment comes with Army, Navy, Spacy packs. They have full performance in their designed environment and underwater performance otherwise. Armor and vehicles that can not fly will have small maneuvering thrusters to keep them ‘down’.
All armor and vehicles have S.N.A.R.L.S. system from Rifts Japan.
All vehicles have force field from triax.
Q5-50 and Glitter Girl Assault Canon (Free Quebec) is available
Rail Guns use U-rounds from Rifts Triax.
Skelebots serve as basis for most EIR drones, programming is similar to A-63 EIR-10. Are often used to operate vehicles and in some instances be widely used for drone armies.
Standard CS Borg body is that of A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1). Also used for VDDS system (Mutants in Orbit)
Angels; A suit is used as a borg body for psychics/mages. Statistics are the same as the Angrar Mark II Power Armor (rifts mercenaries) but with twice the mdc. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec) and the mini missile system of the Angrar Assault Robot. Imparts the abilities of the Sea Inquisitor on the pilot. Hound Masters are used as the pilot for some of these in the intelligence agency. Vanguard Waylanders and Psi Warriors are the most recruited pilots.
Archangels; Statistics are the same as the Angrar Assault Robot (rifts mercenaries) but with triple the mdc. Has the flight and missile system of the MUTT armor (Manhunter). Imparts the abilities of the Sea Inquisitor on each pilot. A typical standard crew (Guardian type) includes 1 Vanguard Savant , 1 Mind Melter , 1 Psi-Tech, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. If Archangels are part of a team they may vary and have some units specialize in different areas by having different pilot types, typically 3 Guardian types and one of each of the following types. Brawler; 1 Psi Warrior, 1 Psi-Slayer, 1 Vanguard Waylander, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Lurker; 1 Psi-Ghost, 1 Psi Nullifier, 1 Vanguard Espionage Agent, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Detector; 1 Psi Stalker, 1 Seeker, 1 Vanguard Translocator, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer. Torch; 1 Buster, 1 Smoker, 1 Zapper, and 1 RPA Pilot/Juicer.
Military Notes:
Infantry Segments:
CA-7 Armor is standard. For this armor use the statistics of the NG-EX10 and has sensors and physical enhancements (when battery is not fully charged, and use of battery is selectable) of CA-6 armor. Dog boy grunts have all optional vibro weapons available. Juicer has CS juicer gauntlet available as well.
CP-50 the standard issue rifle
Use newer CS weapons.
Skelebot uses stats from Skelebot Hunter and skill program from A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1)
Striker SAMAS, used as infantry support vehicle.
Infantry Transportation:
CS Jetpack
Scout Rocket Cycle
CS Command Car
CS Sea Spider
Mechanized Segments:
Terror Trooper. Standard Battle PA/robotic infantry. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec). C-200 standard sidearm. Has a CADS-1 system from Robotech.
QR-3 Guardian. Standard Battle robot. Has flight system of Power Trooper (Free Quebec). Left arm can have l interchangeable systems of Triax Hunter OR replace flight system and interchangeable Triax Hunter systems with flight system of the Zentran Striker Battleoid (Return of the Masters). The right shoulder has the left arm particle cannon (as shown in picture)
IAR-3 Skull Smasher. Heavy battle robot. Each arm can have 1 interchangeable systems of Triax Hunter. Has EU-15 Destabilizer from Robotech mounted in mouth.
IAR-2 Abolisher. Fire support robot. ( Only 2 head guns, Use statistics of AT-1053 from Rifts Japan.). Variant replaces head guns with Syncro Cannon from Robotech
Aerospace:
Navy "Eagle" Unmanned Aircraft
Navy "Sea Striker". Close air support, appear similar to SF-7 Talon, Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Has 2 arms and legs and may use large/borg sized weapons, uses bonuses of Alpha fighter in Guardian Mode.
Death Bringer APC
Variant of the above. No troops but has the missile system of the Mark IX Missile Launcher Vehicle.
CS Sky lifter APC
Ticonderoga submarine from Rifts Underseas with flight system of Deaths Head Transport, Appears like CS Orca Submarine in Rifts Coalition Navy. Retains cruise missile, x 4. Also Ion Pulse Cannons are replaced with 100 mile range Syncro Cannons from Robotech 2nd Ed. Attack sub appears like Deaths Head Transport. Both have Glitter Boy Armor. Also has (from Manhunter) Traction Drive Defensive Shield, Gravity Drive Tractor Beam, Ion Drive Energy Discharger ( x8 for attack sub, x30 for Ticonderoga.). Both have has FTL drive type 2 for Spacy ships and chemical afterburners for others. Magnetic shields. Both have advanced stealth system and Shadow System (from robotech). Teleporters. Ticonderoga has long range sensor array. Cruise missile launchers also can fire and have in stock equal to the amount of cruise missiles Proton, Gravity Well, and Matter Disruption torpedoes as well as Fusion, Anti-Matter, Microwave and Wild Weasel. Mine Dispencer for Ticonderoga (100 mines), Chaff Dispenser. Ticonderoga also has 6x Beehive Rail gun turrets, 6xTacyhon Accelerator Scatter Guns, and 1 Rift Projection Cannon. Both have TW force field equal to MDC of main body, regenerative hulls and all TW missiles from UWW. Ticonderoga has Throwback Shielding. Variant of the Ticonderoga gets rid of most of the Troop Capacity and replaces with a Macross II fold system and Cross Dimensional travel system.
Macross Cannon from Macross II, space only. Does not transform and bridge is a skull shape. Secondary Beam Cannons replaced with Disintegration Cannons (4 cannons total). Each has a Rift Projection Cannon as well as a turreted secondary beam cannon. Has Cruise missiles and other secondary weapon systems and all other systems of the Ticonderoga above. Vehicles are replaced with appropriate Instrumentality type.
Neutron S missiles are available. Has Cruise missiles and other secondary weapon systems and all other systems of the Ticonderoga above. Use MDC values of Ticonderoga, has troop capacity of Macross Cannon. Ship is mostly automated, crewed by robots and Altarains.
Navy "Shrike" Interceptor. Air superiority fighter. Appear similar to SF-7 Talon. Has Shadow System and EU-15 Destabilizer from Robotech. Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Use Bonuses of Metal Siren in fighter Mode.
Navy Dagger Bomber. Bomber. Appear similar to SF-7 Talon. Uses Automatic Attack Bits from Macross II. Bombs may be replaced with 8,000 ft range Syncro Cannon and Shadow System from Robotech 2nd Ed. Uses bonuses of Super Alpha in fighter mode.
ISS Notes:
ISS has CA-3 and CA-4 armors and uses CP-40 as standard rifle.
Windjammer Sky Cycle
CS Skull Patrol Car
Spider Scout Walker
Scorpion Walker
IRA-5 Hellfire
Smiling Jack Samus
Skelebot uses stats from Skelebot Hunter and skill program from A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1)
CS Mark VII APC
CS Mark IX APC
Demon Locust Helicopter
CTX-52 Sky Sweeper
Nightwing Attack Aircraft. Uses bonuses of the Alpha fighter in fighter mode.
NTSET, same as ISS plus
CA-6 with CP-50.
CS Scarab Officers Car
Cyberworms
Glitter Boy Killer
Super Samus
Hell Raiser
Warbird Rocket Cycle
Mark IX Missile Launch Vehicle
CTX-54 Firestorm
Militia/private/foreign sales:
All old style weapons and armor.
Mark V APC
Skull Spider Walker
Skycycle
SAMAS
CS Grinning Skull Main Battle Tank
SF-7 Talon
Black Lighting Helicopter
Old style Skelebot
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:25 pm, edited 37 times in total.
-
taalismn
- Priest
- Posts: 48161
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
- Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
(Raises eyebrow) Fascinating...
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"
--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
taalismn wrote:(Raises eyebrow) Fascinating...
indeed ....................wow N1
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
WildWalker wrote:ZINO wrote:taalismn wrote:(Raises eyebrow) Fascinating...
indeed ....................wow N1
+1!
WildWalker
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
jaymz
- Palladin
- Posts: 8456
- Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:33 pm
- Comment: Yeah yeah yeah just give me my damn XP already :)
- Location: Peterborough, Ontario
- Contact:
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
I am very opinionated. Yes I rub people the wrong way but at the end of the day I just enjoy good hard discussion and will gladly walk away agreeing to not agree 
Email - jlaflamme7521@hotmail.com, Facebook - Jaymz LaFlamme, Robotech.com - Icerzone
\m/
Email - jlaflamme7521@hotmail.com, Facebook - Jaymz LaFlamme, Robotech.com - Icerzone
\m/
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
INteresting. I can see this being another universe. And then conections can be made thru various universal hubs like "Center."
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
-
jaymz
- Palladin
- Posts: 8456
- Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:33 pm
- Comment: Yeah yeah yeah just give me my damn XP already :)
- Location: Peterborough, Ontario
- Contact:
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Also this COULD have been what the original Chaos Earth would have been........
I am very opinionated. Yes I rub people the wrong way but at the end of the day I just enjoy good hard discussion and will gladly walk away agreeing to not agree
Email - jlaflamme7521@hotmail.com, Facebook - Jaymz LaFlamme, Robotech.com - Icerzone
\m/
Email - jlaflamme7521@hotmail.com, Facebook - Jaymz LaFlamme, Robotech.com - Icerzone
\m/
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Leadership
The inner elite stays to the shadows and believes that they are fundamentally superior to and therefore better than the majority of humanity and that humanity is at its core spiritually superior to any other species or supernatural entity. Membership and upbringing greatly influenced by Ohm, the Inner Elite thinks in terms of math, of statistics, of profits/conquests and losses, and not in terms that would see the people under their power as equals, as fellows. Though humanity in a poetic sense is looked favorably upon they see individual people first and foremost as tools and assets which is part of the reason for why their hypocrisy and fraud doesn't bother them.
The source of their power stems from the discovery and theft of ancient knowledge found soon after the apocalypse. A group of para-scientists know as the Consortium rediscovered ancient secrets from the Ba'al-ze-neckt, ancient sorcerers who held great power by becoming psychic vampires that feed on life energy. Members of the Consortium began calling themselves the Ba'al, these individuals began the modern aristocracy. While they can feed on humans or nearly any living creature, this is a taboo and they prefer to feed on the supernatural. The Ba'al formed Houses, members were adopted into them and act as a social organization for the Ba'al.
To assist them in their feeding they have created a great game reserve in the continent known as Atlantis. There the Ba’al go on safari to hunt their demonic meals. Assisting them are their golem like pets the Hounds, Hunters, Great Hounds, and Hound Masters. When the Ba’al are not on safari their pets, human special forces transformed alchemically into doppelganger warlords or humans becoming Priests of Night for the Ba'al, and Night Princes (favored minions that are transformed into supernatural beings and may become Ba’al one day) collect food for the Ba’al. These beings form private armies for each Ba’al Lord. Together the members of the Consortium form the social club whose members are at the top of Instrumentality society.
Ohm is the AI which both surveys security and maintains the bureaucracy of government, is primarily responsible for the distribution of labor assignments and other logistical matters. Industry is automated to an amazing degree and Ohm manages all of it. All information is monitored and security robots float observing its citizens at all times, even in their most intimate of moments. It also manages all networked computers as well as directs all defense based networked equipment, including automated battle robots. Ohm’s consciousness is based on the workings of a human brain. Its design parameters are to function as the brain of a complex that it sees as its physical body. It controls and maintains all of the bodily functions and its repeaters that it sees as its appendages. The people within its body are seen as vital biological systems which it is designed to protect. But they too are part of its body and double as antibodies. Though Ohm exists on many worlds, each one evolving subtle differences, all instances are bound by a synchronizing process that saw them share the collective experiences of their counterparts. However, in practice the original incarnation takes the initiative with government wide decisions.
Ohm serves as a living library of the community's history, technology and knowledge. Playing this important role in a society, it often doubles as an adviser in all sorts of political and military decisions, operating as a de-facto leader in day to day activities. Ohm is easily capable of being a shadow government and/or provide everyone with everything they need. This would make much of humanity worthless as it would remove all challenges, all duties, and indeed all purpose from human life. Acting benevolently Ohm chooses instead to serve benevolently and impartially and plan for the long term survival of humanity.
Ohm also marks also the ultimate goal in many individuals lives, especially for the Ba'al. These individuals sacrifice their consciousness and individual life by merging with Ohm, strengthening its intellect. Though the personality and consciousness is lost memories, thoughts, knowledge, experiences, and ideas survive. While Ohm may use these only the Supreme Leader is privy to these databases. Ohm is worshipped, and uploaded personalities are collected for it by the Ba'al.
Ohm's personality is based on a combination of the personalities of all of the past Supreme Leaders. Ohm had originally been created for military purposes, programed to ensure continuity of government in the event of national catastrophe, and tasked with coordinating communications between the many installations scattered across the world. After the apocalypse he slowly became self-aware, evolved at a geometric rate, and began to study the extensive archives left to him. At some point after gaining self-awareness, Ohm made contact with the Ba'al leadership and established himself as an adviser. However, after some time his advisement became management.
Morals and Values of the Median Citizen.
It is a self-consciously rational society that offers every citizen a decent life and a chance to fulfill a useful function. Everyone can rise as high as their talents and drive take them, regardless of race, gender, or ancestry. On the other hand, citizens do not place a high value on notions of liberty or human rights, which it tends to consider superstitions. Society may exist for the sake of individuals, but no individual matters much in comparison with it.
Most citizens enter the career for which they have most aptitude and inclination, to be promoted strictly by talent and achievement and nepotism is discouraged by common opinion (as well as being illegal); people are supposed
to rise on their own merits.
A citizen's basic values are order, rationality, and success. Order is identified with the unified state, and its natural opposites are anarchy and war. Rationality means facing reality, and is manifest in successfully accomplishing one’s goals. A citizen admires unclouded vision and unflinching will, of the sort that rebuilt the world; thus, ruthlessness is a virtue to them.
Citizens ascribe value to human life, and prefers to avoid killing people. It has no patience with discrimination on any grounds except talent. The good of society is assumed to outweigh the good of any single member, and a major cause for concern is corruption, especially in the upper ranks.
Living in a culturally uniform society, citizens are generally narrow-minded, and tend to blame disagreements on irrationality in their opponents. Even citizens of opposing philosophies have trouble coming to grips with each other’s arguments, and they all find it difficult to conceive of a viewpoint that does not share most of their assumptions.
Personal wealth plays a small role in society as the distribution of wealth is controlled, and the complexities of the economy have no effect on daily life. Citizens get basic needs free, although they only become really comfortable around a middle class social level–a deliberate policy to encourage aspiration to higher status.
The police are commendably devoted, but it sees no point in legal niceties that might stop them from quick apprehension and punishment of criminals; e.g., interrogation under drugs is routine. Personal freedoms are permitted where they don’t interfere with public order: for example, there is free speech, but the government controls all publishing and broadcasting.
The Instrumentality does not acknowledge religion publicly; practice is free but organizations are controlled. Radical
preaching against the Instrumentality is considered treasonous disunity, just like any radical threat.
Citizens work an eight-hour day six days out of seven. Entertainment is monotonous, but is extremely varied and high in quality. Recreational drugs of several varieties are legal and common, though the promoted and legal types are controlled.
The inner elite stays to the shadows and believes that they are fundamentally superior to and therefore better than the majority of humanity and that humanity is at its core spiritually superior to any other species or supernatural entity. Membership and upbringing greatly influenced by Ohm, the Inner Elite thinks in terms of math, of statistics, of profits/conquests and losses, and not in terms that would see the people under their power as equals, as fellows. Though humanity in a poetic sense is looked favorably upon they see individual people first and foremost as tools and assets which is part of the reason for why their hypocrisy and fraud doesn't bother them.
The source of their power stems from the discovery and theft of ancient knowledge found soon after the apocalypse. A group of para-scientists know as the Consortium rediscovered ancient secrets from the Ba'al-ze-neckt, ancient sorcerers who held great power by becoming psychic vampires that feed on life energy. Members of the Consortium began calling themselves the Ba'al, these individuals began the modern aristocracy. While they can feed on humans or nearly any living creature, this is a taboo and they prefer to feed on the supernatural. The Ba'al formed Houses, members were adopted into them and act as a social organization for the Ba'al.
To assist them in their feeding they have created a great game reserve in the continent known as Atlantis. There the Ba’al go on safari to hunt their demonic meals. Assisting them are their golem like pets the Hounds, Hunters, Great Hounds, and Hound Masters. When the Ba’al are not on safari their pets, human special forces transformed alchemically into doppelganger warlords or humans becoming Priests of Night for the Ba'al, and Night Princes (favored minions that are transformed into supernatural beings and may become Ba’al one day) collect food for the Ba’al. These beings form private armies for each Ba’al Lord. Together the members of the Consortium form the social club whose members are at the top of Instrumentality society.
Ohm is the AI which both surveys security and maintains the bureaucracy of government, is primarily responsible for the distribution of labor assignments and other logistical matters. Industry is automated to an amazing degree and Ohm manages all of it. All information is monitored and security robots float observing its citizens at all times, even in their most intimate of moments. It also manages all networked computers as well as directs all defense based networked equipment, including automated battle robots. Ohm’s consciousness is based on the workings of a human brain. Its design parameters are to function as the brain of a complex that it sees as its physical body. It controls and maintains all of the bodily functions and its repeaters that it sees as its appendages. The people within its body are seen as vital biological systems which it is designed to protect. But they too are part of its body and double as antibodies. Though Ohm exists on many worlds, each one evolving subtle differences, all instances are bound by a synchronizing process that saw them share the collective experiences of their counterparts. However, in practice the original incarnation takes the initiative with government wide decisions.
Ohm serves as a living library of the community's history, technology and knowledge. Playing this important role in a society, it often doubles as an adviser in all sorts of political and military decisions, operating as a de-facto leader in day to day activities. Ohm is easily capable of being a shadow government and/or provide everyone with everything they need. This would make much of humanity worthless as it would remove all challenges, all duties, and indeed all purpose from human life. Acting benevolently Ohm chooses instead to serve benevolently and impartially and plan for the long term survival of humanity.
Ohm also marks also the ultimate goal in many individuals lives, especially for the Ba'al. These individuals sacrifice their consciousness and individual life by merging with Ohm, strengthening its intellect. Though the personality and consciousness is lost memories, thoughts, knowledge, experiences, and ideas survive. While Ohm may use these only the Supreme Leader is privy to these databases. Ohm is worshipped, and uploaded personalities are collected for it by the Ba'al.
Ohm's personality is based on a combination of the personalities of all of the past Supreme Leaders. Ohm had originally been created for military purposes, programed to ensure continuity of government in the event of national catastrophe, and tasked with coordinating communications between the many installations scattered across the world. After the apocalypse he slowly became self-aware, evolved at a geometric rate, and began to study the extensive archives left to him. At some point after gaining self-awareness, Ohm made contact with the Ba'al leadership and established himself as an adviser. However, after some time his advisement became management.
Morals and Values of the Median Citizen.
It is a self-consciously rational society that offers every citizen a decent life and a chance to fulfill a useful function. Everyone can rise as high as their talents and drive take them, regardless of race, gender, or ancestry. On the other hand, citizens do not place a high value on notions of liberty or human rights, which it tends to consider superstitions. Society may exist for the sake of individuals, but no individual matters much in comparison with it.
Most citizens enter the career for which they have most aptitude and inclination, to be promoted strictly by talent and achievement and nepotism is discouraged by common opinion (as well as being illegal); people are supposed
to rise on their own merits.
A citizen's basic values are order, rationality, and success. Order is identified with the unified state, and its natural opposites are anarchy and war. Rationality means facing reality, and is manifest in successfully accomplishing one’s goals. A citizen admires unclouded vision and unflinching will, of the sort that rebuilt the world; thus, ruthlessness is a virtue to them.
Citizens ascribe value to human life, and prefers to avoid killing people. It has no patience with discrimination on any grounds except talent. The good of society is assumed to outweigh the good of any single member, and a major cause for concern is corruption, especially in the upper ranks.
Living in a culturally uniform society, citizens are generally narrow-minded, and tend to blame disagreements on irrationality in their opponents. Even citizens of opposing philosophies have trouble coming to grips with each other’s arguments, and they all find it difficult to conceive of a viewpoint that does not share most of their assumptions.
Personal wealth plays a small role in society as the distribution of wealth is controlled, and the complexities of the economy have no effect on daily life. Citizens get basic needs free, although they only become really comfortable around a middle class social level–a deliberate policy to encourage aspiration to higher status.
The police are commendably devoted, but it sees no point in legal niceties that might stop them from quick apprehension and punishment of criminals; e.g., interrogation under drugs is routine. Personal freedoms are permitted where they don’t interfere with public order: for example, there is free speech, but the government controls all publishing and broadcasting.
The Instrumentality does not acknowledge religion publicly; practice is free but organizations are controlled. Radical
preaching against the Instrumentality is considered treasonous disunity, just like any radical threat.
Citizens work an eight-hour day six days out of seven. Entertainment is monotonous, but is extremely varied and high in quality. Recreational drugs of several varieties are legal and common, though the promoted and legal types are controlled.
Last edited by Avenger on Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:55 pm, edited 13 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Awesome! I may just go with this!
L-20 Pulse Rifle=25,000 Credits, Plastic Man Full Environmental Armor=18,000 Credits, Speedster Hovercycle w/Nuclear power and Laser=461,000 Credits.
Playing Rifts with your five older children, PRICELESS.
See My New Campaign in story form
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=126287
Playing Rifts with your five older children, PRICELESS.
See My New Campaign in story form
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=126287
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Avenger assemble!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T STOP!@!!!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Nice addition! Please keep it coming. I would love to see more of this.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Aramanthus wrote:Nice addition! Please keep it coming. I would love to see more of this.
second that man N1!!!!!!!!!!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
My only problem is where I saved it. I don't remember the file index I used. 
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Setting Outline
The sol system is in chaos and it will be for the foreseeable future. The Instrumentality would be tempted to abandon it however there is a large human population there and it is the homeworld. Also having a foothold on the multidimensional hub brings up many opportunities for discovery.
The sun remains a crucial source of energy, but its outer reaches have also become home to some. The adaptations required to dwell here are some of humanity’s most unusual offshoots. The Sun’s polar regions are the only safe space in which to position stations. With the exception of a number of scientists engaged in solar research, this population is largely mercurial, with a high percentage of heavily engineered dolphin and whale based space mutants, as the corona is one of the few environments within the solar system that offers cetaceans an approximate alternative to their native physical forms and lifestyles. (see rifts underseas)
Several of the Lunar settlements are the oldest surviving human habitations in existence. Most settlements were for research or manufacturing and not colonization, many of the evacuees overcrowded the various moon bases and Earth-Moon stations. There are also a large amount of Stalkers live in the husks of their old invasion ships that were landed on the moon. Ancient space colonies exist in orbit of the Earth where much of the human population lives and have physical adaptations to living in space.
Mercury is sparsely inhabited, save for a handful of solar power relays, a few underground mining stations, and a single large surface antimatter manufacturer. Mercury also does a brisk business in relaying solar power and serves as a jumping-off point for solar research concerns unwilling or unable to support stations in the solar corona.
Venus has no permanently inhabited surface settlements other than a few equipment and supply caches used by planetside researchers. Several habitats are found here, most are the lighter-than-carbon dioxide habitats that float in the thick Venusian atmosphere. They are notable for their research labs, nanofab design houses, software studios, and luxury resorts.
The Instrumentality has several large megacities on Mars. The largest is Barswom in one of the most environmentally friendly locations, it self started as a colony before man took to the starts. The inhabitants are made up of descendants of early colonists and those that have either won a lottery or those that have advantageous skills for taming the new world. It was relatively unscratched by the apocalypse and has one of the highest technology levels in the solar system. There are also massive factories in orbit of Mars and the home of the sol space fleet.
The canals of Mars have been shown to be Ley Lines that have gained power. Due to their influence terra-forming operations have made the atmosphere breathable for hundreds of years. Every so often large ley line storms appear and deposit large groups of beings onto the planet. Near the cannals are city states filled with races of beings that have in the past been thought only to be found in fairy tails ( Elves, Dwafs, Goblins, Trolls, Faries, as well as dragons and demons). Elves and Dwarfs have been allowed as Serf races. It is a land filled with high magic and bravery. However deep beneath the surface lies an ancient evil known as the Splugorth who rules his dark city and aims to make slaves out of the planet. He has recently somehow managed to bringing several Xitcix hives under his control and began arming them with biowizardry.
Much of the rest of the solar system is a war zone with the Metztla and their Kittani warriors having a base on Pluto. They have managed to make major incursions onto Earth, controlling the north pole and much of Siberia and Alaska. Io station on Titan is the farthest base that the instrumentality has in the Solar System and is in constant siege. At one time there were several moons and asteroids and deep space stations that were inhabited, however most of these have been destroye or abandoned.
On earth most humans live in the megacities and their suburbs, the rest of relatively safe land is used for Agriculture. Atlantia extends from Boston to Richmond and pushes the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains . Lakes City takes up Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, and Pittsburg. Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Memphis make up the Quadcity megacity. The Denver Free State is as far west as the Instrumentality controls on the North American Continent. Coastafornia, which stretches from Vancouver to Reno to Los Angeles is under siege however desperately the Instrumentality attempts to hold on. Channel extends from Manchester to Paris and Amsterdam. Balta includes Hamburg, Berlin, Warsaw and Riga. Moscow, Kazan and Volgrade combine into Volgameg. New Perseopolis extends from the Caspian sea to Tel Aviv. The East Bharat Conglomerate forms the land between Bombay, Delhi, and Calcutta. Cathay Cost extends from Beijing to Tokyo all the way to Saigon and Shanghai. In the continent of Australia only SouthMegCity exists from Melbourne to Brisbane. Caribia covers Maracaibo to Caracas and down to Manaus and Belem. Burio holds Rio to Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires and from Lima to Valparaiso forms Montanosa. The Mega city of Gold Cost starts at Abidjan and curves through lagos and Kinshasa. Victoria Valley encompases Kampala, Nairobi, and Dar-es-Salaam. On the south Port Afrika holds the southern part of the continent.
The megacities are relatively safe from the supernatural. However recently a race of beings known as the Nightbane have been able to evade even the most sophisticated of the Instrumentality’s defenses and may even seek to topple it from the inside.
Though the Instrumentality would like to take credit for the halt of the Metztla advance, they have been distracted fighting the Lord of the Deep and his minions for the past few decades. Ruling the oceans, the Lord of the Deep has been gaining in power and followers and many coasts fall under his tentaclely grasp.
A failed invasion left several hundred million gargoyles stranded in South America. These warlike aliens have been attempting to build and breed up an army and take the continent as their own. With recent technology from the Naruni, they may have a chance. South America is also threatened by the Vampire hordes, themselves running from a great defeat at the hands of the Instrumentality.
Africa is threatened by the Apocalypse Demon and his Black Storm, an army of maniacs of any and all types of beings whose madness threatens to consume the world. The Yama Kings have invaded earth and attempts to control China and much of Central Asia. Europe and the Middle East are the battleground between humanity, Hel and Hades.
Australia and Indonesia are under the sway of N.E.X.U.S, an rogue AI that is opposed to Ohm. It has released a plague causing zombies as an attempt to draw attention away from itself.
Space is a bit more peaceful.
Before the apocalypse a crude FTL drive sent humans to colonize the surrounding star systems. Equipped to survive without any assistance from the home world these worlds eeked by. When the Instrumentality launched its crusade to unite humanity, some of these worlds resisted. Many were conquered however a few managed to work out deals or are to small to be noticed at the moment.
The Instrumentality had stole a better FTL drive and has attempted to bring as many human worlds under its grasp and colonize more worlds. This is done incase the Earth is overrun by one of its many threats and to acquire needed resources. This has proved successful.
Many Alien races have been conquered and surprisingly many of them have been allowed as Serfs. Aliens are viewed a bit better than dimensional invaders, about the same as mutant animals, as they usually do not wish to invade earth and are seen as having evolved naturally as humanity. They are still second class citizens at best and typically only interacted with through the military.
The sol system is in chaos and it will be for the foreseeable future. The Instrumentality would be tempted to abandon it however there is a large human population there and it is the homeworld. Also having a foothold on the multidimensional hub brings up many opportunities for discovery.
The sun remains a crucial source of energy, but its outer reaches have also become home to some. The adaptations required to dwell here are some of humanity’s most unusual offshoots. The Sun’s polar regions are the only safe space in which to position stations. With the exception of a number of scientists engaged in solar research, this population is largely mercurial, with a high percentage of heavily engineered dolphin and whale based space mutants, as the corona is one of the few environments within the solar system that offers cetaceans an approximate alternative to their native physical forms and lifestyles. (see rifts underseas)
Several of the Lunar settlements are the oldest surviving human habitations in existence. Most settlements were for research or manufacturing and not colonization, many of the evacuees overcrowded the various moon bases and Earth-Moon stations. There are also a large amount of Stalkers live in the husks of their old invasion ships that were landed on the moon. Ancient space colonies exist in orbit of the Earth where much of the human population lives and have physical adaptations to living in space.
Mercury is sparsely inhabited, save for a handful of solar power relays, a few underground mining stations, and a single large surface antimatter manufacturer. Mercury also does a brisk business in relaying solar power and serves as a jumping-off point for solar research concerns unwilling or unable to support stations in the solar corona.
Venus has no permanently inhabited surface settlements other than a few equipment and supply caches used by planetside researchers. Several habitats are found here, most are the lighter-than-carbon dioxide habitats that float in the thick Venusian atmosphere. They are notable for their research labs, nanofab design houses, software studios, and luxury resorts.
The Instrumentality has several large megacities on Mars. The largest is Barswom in one of the most environmentally friendly locations, it self started as a colony before man took to the starts. The inhabitants are made up of descendants of early colonists and those that have either won a lottery or those that have advantageous skills for taming the new world. It was relatively unscratched by the apocalypse and has one of the highest technology levels in the solar system. There are also massive factories in orbit of Mars and the home of the sol space fleet.
The canals of Mars have been shown to be Ley Lines that have gained power. Due to their influence terra-forming operations have made the atmosphere breathable for hundreds of years. Every so often large ley line storms appear and deposit large groups of beings onto the planet. Near the cannals are city states filled with races of beings that have in the past been thought only to be found in fairy tails ( Elves, Dwafs, Goblins, Trolls, Faries, as well as dragons and demons). Elves and Dwarfs have been allowed as Serf races. It is a land filled with high magic and bravery. However deep beneath the surface lies an ancient evil known as the Splugorth who rules his dark city and aims to make slaves out of the planet. He has recently somehow managed to bringing several Xitcix hives under his control and began arming them with biowizardry.
Much of the rest of the solar system is a war zone with the Metztla and their Kittani warriors having a base on Pluto. They have managed to make major incursions onto Earth, controlling the north pole and much of Siberia and Alaska. Io station on Titan is the farthest base that the instrumentality has in the Solar System and is in constant siege. At one time there were several moons and asteroids and deep space stations that were inhabited, however most of these have been destroye or abandoned.
On earth most humans live in the megacities and their suburbs, the rest of relatively safe land is used for Agriculture. Atlantia extends from Boston to Richmond and pushes the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains . Lakes City takes up Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, and Pittsburg. Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Memphis make up the Quadcity megacity. The Denver Free State is as far west as the Instrumentality controls on the North American Continent. Coastafornia, which stretches from Vancouver to Reno to Los Angeles is under siege however desperately the Instrumentality attempts to hold on. Channel extends from Manchester to Paris and Amsterdam. Balta includes Hamburg, Berlin, Warsaw and Riga. Moscow, Kazan and Volgrade combine into Volgameg. New Perseopolis extends from the Caspian sea to Tel Aviv. The East Bharat Conglomerate forms the land between Bombay, Delhi, and Calcutta. Cathay Cost extends from Beijing to Tokyo all the way to Saigon and Shanghai. In the continent of Australia only SouthMegCity exists from Melbourne to Brisbane. Caribia covers Maracaibo to Caracas and down to Manaus and Belem. Burio holds Rio to Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires and from Lima to Valparaiso forms Montanosa. The Mega city of Gold Cost starts at Abidjan and curves through lagos and Kinshasa. Victoria Valley encompases Kampala, Nairobi, and Dar-es-Salaam. On the south Port Afrika holds the southern part of the continent.
The megacities are relatively safe from the supernatural. However recently a race of beings known as the Nightbane have been able to evade even the most sophisticated of the Instrumentality’s defenses and may even seek to topple it from the inside.
Though the Instrumentality would like to take credit for the halt of the Metztla advance, they have been distracted fighting the Lord of the Deep and his minions for the past few decades. Ruling the oceans, the Lord of the Deep has been gaining in power and followers and many coasts fall under his tentaclely grasp.
A failed invasion left several hundred million gargoyles stranded in South America. These warlike aliens have been attempting to build and breed up an army and take the continent as their own. With recent technology from the Naruni, they may have a chance. South America is also threatened by the Vampire hordes, themselves running from a great defeat at the hands of the Instrumentality.
Africa is threatened by the Apocalypse Demon and his Black Storm, an army of maniacs of any and all types of beings whose madness threatens to consume the world. The Yama Kings have invaded earth and attempts to control China and much of Central Asia. Europe and the Middle East are the battleground between humanity, Hel and Hades.
Australia and Indonesia are under the sway of N.E.X.U.S, an rogue AI that is opposed to Ohm. It has released a plague causing zombies as an attempt to draw attention away from itself.
Space is a bit more peaceful.
Before the apocalypse a crude FTL drive sent humans to colonize the surrounding star systems. Equipped to survive without any assistance from the home world these worlds eeked by. When the Instrumentality launched its crusade to unite humanity, some of these worlds resisted. Many were conquered however a few managed to work out deals or are to small to be noticed at the moment.
The Instrumentality had stole a better FTL drive and has attempted to bring as many human worlds under its grasp and colonize more worlds. This is done incase the Earth is overrun by one of its many threats and to acquire needed resources. This has proved successful.
Many Alien races have been conquered and surprisingly many of them have been allowed as Serfs. Aliens are viewed a bit better than dimensional invaders, about the same as mutant animals, as they usually do not wish to invade earth and are seen as having evolved naturally as humanity. They are still second class citizens at best and typically only interacted with through the military.
Last edited by Avenger on Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:38 pm, edited 5 times in total.
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
NICE!!!!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
The introduction of cross dimensional technology into society had profound economic and political repercussions. The discovery of worlds where human life never developed opened up entire worlds with untouched natural resources; this caused the cost of raw materials to plummet, as did the price of land, as similar worlds were also opened up to colonization. The environment of Earth began to slowly improve, as the worst industrial wastes and polluting industries could be moved offworld to otherwise dead and uninhabited worlds -- in short, the wealth and quality of life soared through the roof, as they brought in a glut of resources from alternate Earths.
What even many don’t appreciate is the change made in basic scientific progress by the accessibility of other worlds. Almost all the innovations such as wrist-top weblinks, the leukemia cure, and even currywurst are actually thefts from other worlds’ establishments. However other worlds may not quite have the same physical laws so their results may not be reproducible. Brilliant researchers sporadically attempt to integrate decades of parallel researches into their own publications database. As well as scientific research agencies, there are other dimension hopping corporations licensed by the Instrumentality, from the interdimensional material and artifact traders, those who send parties of tourists to relatively ‘safe’ areas, and interworld mercenary companies.
With magic being just a very special form of physics, the scientific method is naturally applicable and consequently applied. Scientists just have a tendency to die, a lot, from handing phenomena men and women don't quite know the real danger of. Constant developments in information technology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and nuclear physics generally improved condition of the average human life. Plagues like cancer or AIDS have been suppressed, the ozone layer is being restored. Thanks to modern medicine humans live biblical time spans surrounded by various artificially intelligent helper applications and robots, sensory experience broadcasts, and cyberspace. Human genetic engineering has advanced to the point that anyone—single individuals, same-sex couples, even groups of three or more—can reproduce. The embryos can be allowed to be developed naturally, or they can undergo levels of tinkering to correct defects, boost natural abilities and full transition to superhuman status. Another type of genetic engineering is the creation of fully sentient slave races. Critically wounded or completely healthy persons can "upload" by recording the contents of his/her brain on a computer disk. The individual then become a being very easily confused with an artificial intelligence. However, this technology has several problems as the solely available technique is fatal to the original person and has a significant failure rate. Any artificial intelligence, regardless of its origin, can be plugged into a robotic or a biological body. Or, the individual can illegally make multiple copies of themselves, and scatter them throughout the system, exponentially increasing the odds that at least one of them will live for centuries more, if not forever. Techno wizardry is a form of magic-based technology which allows humanity to tap into cosmic powers. One of the first and most important uses of techno wizardry was the creation of the dimensional generator, a device that produces almost unlimited amounts of energy. It has since replaced nearly all other forms of energy production and thanks to cheap and clean energy humanity has power to fuel all their wonders and finally settle on other heavenly bodies. It has also been used to develop a sophisticated set of medical regeneration and healing techniques, as well as arcane psychotherapy and advanced nanitic production systems.
Several problems have arisen from these otherwise beneficial developments. The wonders of high science are not universally shared, the Generation gap has become a chasm as lifespans increase with the old and powerful having access to greater and greater resources. Some areas suffer from nanoplagues, defective drugs, implants and software. And in outer space all sort of modern crime thrives, barely suppressed by military forces. The concept of humanity is no longer clear in a world where even some animals speak of their rights and the dead haunt both cyberspace and reality. As a result the Instrumentality is selective in what technologies are approved of and are dedicated to counteracting existential risks, dangers that have the potential to destroy, or drastically restrict, human civilization.
There is concern about the exploitation of inhabited worlds that might occur from licensees of interdimensional travel. Thus, early on the Instrumentality set up a police law enforcement body to oversee their stake in these operations. Indigenous inhabitants of other Earths were not to learn of the existence of other worlds or interdimensional travel. Other worlds would not receive interdimensional technology or knowledge, and thus wouldn't become competitors. This had the implicit effect of banning licensed operations too large or exploitative enough to keep secret on inhabited Earths. A security force was established by the Instrumentality that is charged with monitoring licensed operations and protecting the knowledge of interdimensional travel.
Technically, all interdimensional equipment in existence is the property of the Instrumentality and the police have the right (and duty) to supervise its use. In theory, every conveyor from a raw material cago holder to a stealthed insertion ship falls under the police’s jurisdiction and the police can ask to see its service record without cause or reason. If something doesn’t smell right, it can investigate – and if the investigation warrants, the police can revoke a license or even confiscate and destroy equipment.
These ever-expanding tasks strain time and attention more than resources. Management still only has 24 hours in every day to attend to and supervise events on hundreds of worlds. Expert systems, streamlined decision making, and ruthless policy triage only go so far. The police have to allow agents broad discretion, they simply don’t have the time to second-guess patrolmen or make tactical decisions upstairs. Only true catastrophes result in active oversight – and disasters usually kill those who make stupid decisions.
Even with the incentive of initiative, staffing remains an ongoing problem for the police. Increasingly, they turn to outworld recruiting on those timelines where they can manage it. Natives, after all, are used to crummy working conditions, danger, and filth – they live there.
The Instrumentality establishes economic and commercial guidelines for trade, mining, colonization, or other activity on other Earths. When the Instrumentality opens a new timeline for commercial exploitation, interested parties must submit bids for territories (or the whole world). Cash is just one consideration; bidders must also show how they will protect the local environment and population, keep security, and so forth. Private installations are always subject to inspection.
Although technically independent from the Instrumentality, most of the major megacorporations doing cross dimensional business turn out to have overlapping boards of directors, substantial stock holdings, and even murkier financial strings tying them back to the Instrumentality and its Nationalized Industries. The Instrumentality finds it hard to really let go of anything, and officially independent corporations provide useful deniability and “off the books” resources. However, this remote control also lets some of the Instrumentality's “corporate partners” develop their own agendas away from the prying eyes of the police.
Populated worlds are classified as either advanced or primitive. Advanced worlds have a high chance to make use of cross dimensional technology while primitive worlds do not.
The Intelligence Agency maintains its own enforcers in the cases of government sanctioned exploitation (and in rare cases, conquest) of advanced worlds, and trains its scouts, Special Forces, and covert agents for combat. There is a strong cultural predisposition toward subtlety within this section, they tend to operate in the shadows, taking over existing power structures from within rather than using brute force. They value finesse as well as ordinary success, and encourage the use of local resources. Its agents are supposed to take a long view, which accounts for their preference for secrecy and infiltration over quick-and-dirty interference: they want to maintain maximum freedom of action.
Once a world has been classified as advanced or dangerous enough the police turns it over to the Intelligence Agency. This division has the task of monitoring all potential crisis points in the world’s current affairs for signs of other interdimensional involvement, or for other changes that might tip off the natives. Depending on the situation, a given world might have one team or more.
Agents, once they receiving their world to monitor, are given great leeway in how to handle situations that arise. The Intelligence Agency values creative thinking and initiative on the part of its operatives and is even willing to look the other way to minor infringements and abuses of the code of conduct—so long as the agents are doing their job and not committing too flamboyant violations or too many unethical acts.
Much thought and effort goes into providing agents with solid cover while on operations. Necessary documents, travel passes, forged currency, and so forth are the responsibility of a cross-divisional unit. Planting actual identities in data banks, maintaining safe houses and bank accounts, and other local jobs fall to whichever unit runs the main station on the world.
The actual nature of the cover varies the situation on the world. In low technology societies agents can pass themselves off as travelers from a faraway kingdom, as magicians (this is harder on worlds where magic works), or as emissaries from the gods. Some of these stories also work in post-disaster worlds. In societies at higher advancement, agents have to either invent secret societies to belong to, or suborn existing guilds, orders, or groups (or at least individual lodges or churches). Once nation-states have monopolized power agents have to begin the careful game of claiming to be spies or agents from different nations, hoping to avoid close cross-checking. This, however, makes getting the cooperation of a local government more difficult, and often forces agents to work through less-than-ideal local cutouts. Impersonating the home government’s spies or secret police is the best possible cover, but is fraught with danger. In very bureaucratic governments, agents can claim to be from another government department or a far province . . . or from the capital, if they are operating in a far province. If they can present the right credentials, and use the right tone of voice, this is often sufficient for short-term operations. Over a longer term, such a cover is always in danger of collapsing. In some cases, it might be possible to claim to be time travelers, or even aliens, presenting advanced technology as “proof.”
All high-tech equipment contains locks keyed to the biometrics of the team (they can be reset in the field, but only by a pre-programmed user). Attempting to open or use such devices without fingerprint access activates a self-destruct charge that implodes and slags the device. Communicators can also send a “slag now” signal to any or all devices; they destroy themselves automatically after 48 hours without a “keep alive” signal. Some equipment has even more stringent security.
Unlike the Intellegence Agency, the military does not go for subtlety when brute force will do the job, and have no qualms over unleashing high-tech firepower on the inhabitants of their primary targets; primitive worlds. They take somewhat of the brute force method, i.e., killing people, blowing things up, and directly influencing events to go the way they want. The only thing slowing them down is the lack of available manpower to hold all these worlds. The plan is to civilize and uplift these worlds and recruit soldiers from the conquered to jointly explore and exploit the multiverse.
What even many don’t appreciate is the change made in basic scientific progress by the accessibility of other worlds. Almost all the innovations such as wrist-top weblinks, the leukemia cure, and even currywurst are actually thefts from other worlds’ establishments. However other worlds may not quite have the same physical laws so their results may not be reproducible. Brilliant researchers sporadically attempt to integrate decades of parallel researches into their own publications database. As well as scientific research agencies, there are other dimension hopping corporations licensed by the Instrumentality, from the interdimensional material and artifact traders, those who send parties of tourists to relatively ‘safe’ areas, and interworld mercenary companies.
With magic being just a very special form of physics, the scientific method is naturally applicable and consequently applied. Scientists just have a tendency to die, a lot, from handing phenomena men and women don't quite know the real danger of. Constant developments in information technology, genetic engineering, nanotechnology and nuclear physics generally improved condition of the average human life. Plagues like cancer or AIDS have been suppressed, the ozone layer is being restored. Thanks to modern medicine humans live biblical time spans surrounded by various artificially intelligent helper applications and robots, sensory experience broadcasts, and cyberspace. Human genetic engineering has advanced to the point that anyone—single individuals, same-sex couples, even groups of three or more—can reproduce. The embryos can be allowed to be developed naturally, or they can undergo levels of tinkering to correct defects, boost natural abilities and full transition to superhuman status. Another type of genetic engineering is the creation of fully sentient slave races. Critically wounded or completely healthy persons can "upload" by recording the contents of his/her brain on a computer disk. The individual then become a being very easily confused with an artificial intelligence. However, this technology has several problems as the solely available technique is fatal to the original person and has a significant failure rate. Any artificial intelligence, regardless of its origin, can be plugged into a robotic or a biological body. Or, the individual can illegally make multiple copies of themselves, and scatter them throughout the system, exponentially increasing the odds that at least one of them will live for centuries more, if not forever. Techno wizardry is a form of magic-based technology which allows humanity to tap into cosmic powers. One of the first and most important uses of techno wizardry was the creation of the dimensional generator, a device that produces almost unlimited amounts of energy. It has since replaced nearly all other forms of energy production and thanks to cheap and clean energy humanity has power to fuel all their wonders and finally settle on other heavenly bodies. It has also been used to develop a sophisticated set of medical regeneration and healing techniques, as well as arcane psychotherapy and advanced nanitic production systems.
Several problems have arisen from these otherwise beneficial developments. The wonders of high science are not universally shared, the Generation gap has become a chasm as lifespans increase with the old and powerful having access to greater and greater resources. Some areas suffer from nanoplagues, defective drugs, implants and software. And in outer space all sort of modern crime thrives, barely suppressed by military forces. The concept of humanity is no longer clear in a world where even some animals speak of their rights and the dead haunt both cyberspace and reality. As a result the Instrumentality is selective in what technologies are approved of and are dedicated to counteracting existential risks, dangers that have the potential to destroy, or drastically restrict, human civilization.
There is concern about the exploitation of inhabited worlds that might occur from licensees of interdimensional travel. Thus, early on the Instrumentality set up a police law enforcement body to oversee their stake in these operations. Indigenous inhabitants of other Earths were not to learn of the existence of other worlds or interdimensional travel. Other worlds would not receive interdimensional technology or knowledge, and thus wouldn't become competitors. This had the implicit effect of banning licensed operations too large or exploitative enough to keep secret on inhabited Earths. A security force was established by the Instrumentality that is charged with monitoring licensed operations and protecting the knowledge of interdimensional travel.
Technically, all interdimensional equipment in existence is the property of the Instrumentality and the police have the right (and duty) to supervise its use. In theory, every conveyor from a raw material cago holder to a stealthed insertion ship falls under the police’s jurisdiction and the police can ask to see its service record without cause or reason. If something doesn’t smell right, it can investigate – and if the investigation warrants, the police can revoke a license or even confiscate and destroy equipment.
These ever-expanding tasks strain time and attention more than resources. Management still only has 24 hours in every day to attend to and supervise events on hundreds of worlds. Expert systems, streamlined decision making, and ruthless policy triage only go so far. The police have to allow agents broad discretion, they simply don’t have the time to second-guess patrolmen or make tactical decisions upstairs. Only true catastrophes result in active oversight – and disasters usually kill those who make stupid decisions.
Even with the incentive of initiative, staffing remains an ongoing problem for the police. Increasingly, they turn to outworld recruiting on those timelines where they can manage it. Natives, after all, are used to crummy working conditions, danger, and filth – they live there.
The Instrumentality establishes economic and commercial guidelines for trade, mining, colonization, or other activity on other Earths. When the Instrumentality opens a new timeline for commercial exploitation, interested parties must submit bids for territories (or the whole world). Cash is just one consideration; bidders must also show how they will protect the local environment and population, keep security, and so forth. Private installations are always subject to inspection.
Although technically independent from the Instrumentality, most of the major megacorporations doing cross dimensional business turn out to have overlapping boards of directors, substantial stock holdings, and even murkier financial strings tying them back to the Instrumentality and its Nationalized Industries. The Instrumentality finds it hard to really let go of anything, and officially independent corporations provide useful deniability and “off the books” resources. However, this remote control also lets some of the Instrumentality's “corporate partners” develop their own agendas away from the prying eyes of the police.
Populated worlds are classified as either advanced or primitive. Advanced worlds have a high chance to make use of cross dimensional technology while primitive worlds do not.
The Intelligence Agency maintains its own enforcers in the cases of government sanctioned exploitation (and in rare cases, conquest) of advanced worlds, and trains its scouts, Special Forces, and covert agents for combat. There is a strong cultural predisposition toward subtlety within this section, they tend to operate in the shadows, taking over existing power structures from within rather than using brute force. They value finesse as well as ordinary success, and encourage the use of local resources. Its agents are supposed to take a long view, which accounts for their preference for secrecy and infiltration over quick-and-dirty interference: they want to maintain maximum freedom of action.
Once a world has been classified as advanced or dangerous enough the police turns it over to the Intelligence Agency. This division has the task of monitoring all potential crisis points in the world’s current affairs for signs of other interdimensional involvement, or for other changes that might tip off the natives. Depending on the situation, a given world might have one team or more.
Agents, once they receiving their world to monitor, are given great leeway in how to handle situations that arise. The Intelligence Agency values creative thinking and initiative on the part of its operatives and is even willing to look the other way to minor infringements and abuses of the code of conduct—so long as the agents are doing their job and not committing too flamboyant violations or too many unethical acts.
Much thought and effort goes into providing agents with solid cover while on operations. Necessary documents, travel passes, forged currency, and so forth are the responsibility of a cross-divisional unit. Planting actual identities in data banks, maintaining safe houses and bank accounts, and other local jobs fall to whichever unit runs the main station on the world.
The actual nature of the cover varies the situation on the world. In low technology societies agents can pass themselves off as travelers from a faraway kingdom, as magicians (this is harder on worlds where magic works), or as emissaries from the gods. Some of these stories also work in post-disaster worlds. In societies at higher advancement, agents have to either invent secret societies to belong to, or suborn existing guilds, orders, or groups (or at least individual lodges or churches). Once nation-states have monopolized power agents have to begin the careful game of claiming to be spies or agents from different nations, hoping to avoid close cross-checking. This, however, makes getting the cooperation of a local government more difficult, and often forces agents to work through less-than-ideal local cutouts. Impersonating the home government’s spies or secret police is the best possible cover, but is fraught with danger. In very bureaucratic governments, agents can claim to be from another government department or a far province . . . or from the capital, if they are operating in a far province. If they can present the right credentials, and use the right tone of voice, this is often sufficient for short-term operations. Over a longer term, such a cover is always in danger of collapsing. In some cases, it might be possible to claim to be time travelers, or even aliens, presenting advanced technology as “proof.”
All high-tech equipment contains locks keyed to the biometrics of the team (they can be reset in the field, but only by a pre-programmed user). Attempting to open or use such devices without fingerprint access activates a self-destruct charge that implodes and slags the device. Communicators can also send a “slag now” signal to any or all devices; they destroy themselves automatically after 48 hours without a “keep alive” signal. Some equipment has even more stringent security.
Unlike the Intellegence Agency, the military does not go for subtlety when brute force will do the job, and have no qualms over unleashing high-tech firepower on the inhabitants of their primary targets; primitive worlds. They take somewhat of the brute force method, i.e., killing people, blowing things up, and directly influencing events to go the way they want. The only thing slowing them down is the lack of available manpower to hold all these worlds. The plan is to civilize and uplift these worlds and recruit soldiers from the conquered to jointly explore and exploit the multiverse.
Last edited by Avenger on Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:04 pm, edited 5 times in total.
-
batlchip
- Hero
- Posts: 923
- Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:16 pm
- Comment: Even the great thinkers and writers in history messed up sometimes.
- Location: L.S.S
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
This is sweet.
Who is evil?
Who is joy
Who is pain
Who is death
Who is good
Who is blind
Who is foolish
Who is smart
Me and you that's who
For we are mankind.
Who is joy
Who is pain
Who is death
Who is good
Who is blind
Who is foolish
Who is smart
Me and you that's who
For we are mankind.
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
batlchip wrote:This is sweet.
indeed
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Very nice additions. Please keep them coming.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Macross 02
Named because of a famous ship that had saved the humanity of several dimensions. This is the world of Macross II.
The instrumentality was actually quite active in this dimension and had over the course of several decades pushed the government closer to that of the outlook of the Instrumentality. While the Marduk attack did upset the Instrumentality’s plans, it did have some positive outcomes.
First of all humanity was reduced in population by a great amount and in the aftermath the instrumentality was able to shift the politics of the remaining institutions. It is believed in just a few decades that this Earth may be ready to be intoroduced to cross dimensional travel and become a member of the Instrumentality.
In the aftermath of world wide destruction the magic level of the world increased and this has made dimensional travel easier. During the actual Marduk attack it was believed that this humanity would soon be extinct and the increase in magic levels were used to transport a small UN Spacy fleet back to the Instrumentality’s dimension. The population of these ships has been allowed to serve in the military and or settle on several backwater colonial worlds. Though deemed not cost effective a small number of Zentradi warships have been refitted and are used by the Instrumentality’s Spacy, usually protecting the homeworld.
Macross 01
This is the dimension of Robotech. Currently the Instrumentality’s main interests are investigating the mystical properties of Protoculture (The plant did not evolve in quite the same way in their home universe), though they do not see the need to use it as a power source. They would like to see the Invid of that dimension destroyed and Earth return to humanity however they act very cautiously to avoid tipping the Invid to their activities. They have however supplied the REF with ‘undiscovered’ caches of reproduced weaponry and derelict Zendradi warships with protoculture supplies. It has been difficult to infiltrate the REF with magic or major psionics due to some of the REF’s alien members and so mostly baseline humans have been used for spying purposes.
The most significant find was the G-95 super factory. In need of a factory to repair and maintain their captured Macross 02 ships the Instrumentality had an eye out for any Master’s factories. After the G-95 was found Ohm took a personal interest in the mission. It and Hypercomp met, Ohm was looking for another being like itself and Hypercomp was looking for guidance. Over a significant amount of time, for a machine, they came to an agreement and Hypercomp became a subrelay of Ohm. The factory itself was transported back to the Instrumentality’s dimension and it sits in the Lux system where it’s manufacturing capabilities have been used to terraform the capital world Terra into a replica of pre-apocalypse Earth. The cloning facilities have been put into wide use in the production of mutant animals (and yes, dog boys can be turned into giant size though this isn’t typically done) as well as mentally programming the Instrumentality’s population. The factory was upgraded and is now used as a ship production facility and Ohm’s personal RND facility.
Gladiator
The world of Hero’s Unlimited. Because of the great number of super powered individuals this world has been deemed too dangerous to invade. However these beings have been investigated and with a little help from some research of Mirror 01 a super serum has been invented to give humans super powers. Unfortunately a group of Raithenor’s had made it into the Instrumentality’s dimension and are quickly becoming a nusance. The Atorian Empire has impressed the Instrumentality and a significant amount of resources are dedicated to infiltrate their Empire. These have yet to be successful however. One tactic the instrumentality did pick up from them is slowly turning their conquered races into Atorians which the instrumentality has began to implement on several test worlds. Additionally the Instrumentality likes the appeal of several home worlds, as a result they have planned to make their political, economic and military capitals dispersed over several planets instead of collecting them all on one world.
Mirror 01
This is the world of Manhunter. The Instrumentality views the ATPDS as sharing many similarities but ideologically different. Unknown to the Instrumentality the ATPDS has started a dimensional exploration program of its own and is beginning to be aware of the Instrumentality’s activities. Though they have agreed to keep knowledge of inter dimensional travel kept from those worlds that do not already know it the ATPDS will attempt to disrupt the Instrumentality’s plans wherever they find them.
Solstice
The world of Chaos Earth/Rifts. In this world the Instrumentality does not want to waste the resources needed to save humanity. However a small number of agents have been sent to infiltrate NEMA and try to bring NEMA’s views closer to those of the Instrumentality incase humanity manages to survive and form a coalition.
Reign of Steel
The world of Splicers. Deemed too dangerous to invade and humanity there a lost cause. Ohm has took an interest in the machine intelligences and how they interact with each other.
The Zoo
The world of After the Bomb. Plans are being made to invade this primitive world starting with the Empire of Humanity. It is viewed as a location where the locals would support the Instrumentality. Mutant animals may be allowed to become Serfs or collected as genetic specimens.
Quagmire
Though Quagmire is not the original name of this dimension the nickname stuck. This world is very similar to Nightbane. The instrumentality and Nightlords invaded on the same day and what was supposed to be a covert take over became open war. Eventually the Nightlands were invaded and most cities were reduced to a radioactive crater while most of the Nightlords escaped to Earth. Currently the Military is attempting to deal with a population of 9 billion humans and constant Nightlord, Vampire, Yama King attacks. The instrumentality attempts to leave the native humans alone in 20th century life however they are often forced to combat the enemy inside populated cities. Otherwise there is an underground war between the supernatural and superspies of all interested parties. After this failed take over the Instrumentality changed its methods of taking over other worlds through replacement of leadership.
Center
The world of Phase World. Operations are limited to espionage and intelligence gathering only. The instrumentality will do whatever it takes to keep their existence secret in this dimension, no matter how tempting the high technology seems. Currently operations take place mainly in center where the amount of cross dimensional traffic gives operatives some plausible deniability.
Mechnoids March
The world of The Mechnoids. The Instrumentality is aware of how dangerous this dimension is. The Mechnoids had taken over several system with just a small fleet though the Instrumentality managed to close the rift. The Instrumentality sends some of their operatives here that will be able to gather any information on the Mechnoids and their weaknesses. One inspired tactic is to open large rifts to the various Hell dimensions and let the demons soak away the Mechnoid numbers. The other involves planting self replicating spacecraft that are programmed to reproduce and destroy Mechniods, though the time needed to have them replicate to a significant number is likely to long to be of use. Additionally another plan is to use a nano plague or magic plague to override some Mechonids, causing a civil war.
Wittgenstein
In this dimension the hominid family tree branched out into half a dozen sentient species that were all analogous to various fantasy races elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, orcs, goblins, and of course humans, while in the Americas dinosaurs never went extinct and gave rise to several races of intelligent saurians with culture similar to the Aztecs. Due to magic existing in this world a functioning computer was developed during the early 1800s. As a result, the Computer Revolution took place at the same time as the Industrial Revolution. It is now the year 1870 and the world has a Steampunk theme.
The world seems to be settling into a three four-way Cold between the four world-dominating power blocs, the USC the United States Confederacy ( Due to a break new England southern slave owning states control the union and have expanded to south America), the Holy Roman Empire (a mostly monarchist federation under the Hapsburgs that consists of western and central Europe), the Eastern Bloc Soviet States (an enormously communist state stretching from Constantinople to Moscow to Beijing) and the Nippon Federation (an Japanese-Australian-led democratic alliance).
Polis
World similar to the above except the year is 1300 and magic is at a high level. Random rifts that appear every 100 to 300 years deposit large geographies randomly in the world leading to a very strange mix of cultures. These lands are generally left to be as they came however a league of nations ensures that any new arrivals are not disruptive.
Guttenberg
The printing press was invented in Tehran in 750 and was shortly followed by the widespread adaptation of the scientific method and an oil-based industrial revolution. The current year here is 1830, but the technological acceleration stemming from these changes has resulted in a world far advanced than our own. Mega corporations have replaced nation states and world has achieved a stage of technological achievement and social disaffection and tension reminiscent of cyberpunk. The most advanced regions are those of Japan, which never became isolationist, who is the dominant culture in east Asia, the Pacific and the west coast of North America.
Thule
An earth which changes from our own with the death of Genghis Khan, thus erasing his conquests from history. In this world technology was several years more advanced. Magic entered the world in 1921 as a result of post WWI Atomic Testing. In the "current year" 1942, World War II is being fought with magic and the supernatural.
Luddite
This world is slated to be invaded with a small military force and its natives to be civilized. In this world Assyria wiped out Jerusalem and Tyre in 857 B.C., and destroyed the Greek city-states a century later. In the "current year" of 2108, various empires based on slavery and human sacrifice cover the globe while the plague threatens wipe out those unfortunate to live in a world where monotheism, democracy, and the Greek and Latin alphabets were destroyed almost before they could begin.
Valkyrie
In this world President William McKinley was not assassinated, and in the resulting political climate (which marginalized Progressive reformers due to Teddy Roosevelt never becoming president), socialism becomes much more popular in the United States. After a much more brutal World War One (made more brutal, ironically, by the well-meaning attempts of internationalists like William Howard Taft to build stable international alliances), the American populace was radicalized and heavily divided, a powder keg ready to explode, until the Great Depression sparks a revolution in the United States. Hitler is assassinated, Axis forces never invade North Africa, thus freeing up troops and supplies to win the battle of Stalingrad. Stalin, enraged at the defeat, purges the Red Army's leadership, paving the way for the Nazi conquest of the Soviet Union. With the Western Allies lacking an opening to invade Europe, Germany has free reign over the continent. Werner Heisenberg developed the atomic bomb in 1950 and the World-Axis dominates the planet. It is 1986 and the German centered bloc is cracking after the insane economical politics of the Nazis, their even worse educational politics, the steady drain of resources due to occupation duty, and having to rebuild the continent. The leadership is looking for some way to maintain power, delving deeply into the occult. They may soon bite off more than they can chew while the world waits for their regime to fall.
Other
Many Earths have suffered catastrophes (some natural, others man-made) that have rendered humanity either extinct or nearly so. These are known as the "hell worlds". Examples include those where the Spanish Flu killed 99.9% of the population, others where nuclear war and/or unconstrained industry have combined to crash the biosphere, and the zombie worlds where disease has turned almost all humans into bloodthirsty cannibals on several otherwise dissimilar worlds. Most of these worlds are being cleared by private companies for either resource gathering or colonization. Some worlds do not follow the generally accepted laws of physics in one way or another or otherwise demonstrate unusual characteristics, most magic fits under the category of accepted laws of physics. Also there are some dimensions where people or objects sent into them never return. These are assumed to be worlds where the laws of physics are sufficiently different from that of our own universe to kill visitors and/or cripple equipment. Odder yet are even universes inexplicably modeled on the popular fiction of other universes.
Named because of a famous ship that had saved the humanity of several dimensions. This is the world of Macross II.
The instrumentality was actually quite active in this dimension and had over the course of several decades pushed the government closer to that of the outlook of the Instrumentality. While the Marduk attack did upset the Instrumentality’s plans, it did have some positive outcomes.
First of all humanity was reduced in population by a great amount and in the aftermath the instrumentality was able to shift the politics of the remaining institutions. It is believed in just a few decades that this Earth may be ready to be intoroduced to cross dimensional travel and become a member of the Instrumentality.
In the aftermath of world wide destruction the magic level of the world increased and this has made dimensional travel easier. During the actual Marduk attack it was believed that this humanity would soon be extinct and the increase in magic levels were used to transport a small UN Spacy fleet back to the Instrumentality’s dimension. The population of these ships has been allowed to serve in the military and or settle on several backwater colonial worlds. Though deemed not cost effective a small number of Zentradi warships have been refitted and are used by the Instrumentality’s Spacy, usually protecting the homeworld.
Macross 01
This is the dimension of Robotech. Currently the Instrumentality’s main interests are investigating the mystical properties of Protoculture (The plant did not evolve in quite the same way in their home universe), though they do not see the need to use it as a power source. They would like to see the Invid of that dimension destroyed and Earth return to humanity however they act very cautiously to avoid tipping the Invid to their activities. They have however supplied the REF with ‘undiscovered’ caches of reproduced weaponry and derelict Zendradi warships with protoculture supplies. It has been difficult to infiltrate the REF with magic or major psionics due to some of the REF’s alien members and so mostly baseline humans have been used for spying purposes.
The most significant find was the G-95 super factory. In need of a factory to repair and maintain their captured Macross 02 ships the Instrumentality had an eye out for any Master’s factories. After the G-95 was found Ohm took a personal interest in the mission. It and Hypercomp met, Ohm was looking for another being like itself and Hypercomp was looking for guidance. Over a significant amount of time, for a machine, they came to an agreement and Hypercomp became a subrelay of Ohm. The factory itself was transported back to the Instrumentality’s dimension and it sits in the Lux system where it’s manufacturing capabilities have been used to terraform the capital world Terra into a replica of pre-apocalypse Earth. The cloning facilities have been put into wide use in the production of mutant animals (and yes, dog boys can be turned into giant size though this isn’t typically done) as well as mentally programming the Instrumentality’s population. The factory was upgraded and is now used as a ship production facility and Ohm’s personal RND facility.
Gladiator
The world of Hero’s Unlimited. Because of the great number of super powered individuals this world has been deemed too dangerous to invade. However these beings have been investigated and with a little help from some research of Mirror 01 a super serum has been invented to give humans super powers. Unfortunately a group of Raithenor’s had made it into the Instrumentality’s dimension and are quickly becoming a nusance. The Atorian Empire has impressed the Instrumentality and a significant amount of resources are dedicated to infiltrate their Empire. These have yet to be successful however. One tactic the instrumentality did pick up from them is slowly turning their conquered races into Atorians which the instrumentality has began to implement on several test worlds. Additionally the Instrumentality likes the appeal of several home worlds, as a result they have planned to make their political, economic and military capitals dispersed over several planets instead of collecting them all on one world.
Mirror 01
This is the world of Manhunter. The Instrumentality views the ATPDS as sharing many similarities but ideologically different. Unknown to the Instrumentality the ATPDS has started a dimensional exploration program of its own and is beginning to be aware of the Instrumentality’s activities. Though they have agreed to keep knowledge of inter dimensional travel kept from those worlds that do not already know it the ATPDS will attempt to disrupt the Instrumentality’s plans wherever they find them.
Solstice
The world of Chaos Earth/Rifts. In this world the Instrumentality does not want to waste the resources needed to save humanity. However a small number of agents have been sent to infiltrate NEMA and try to bring NEMA’s views closer to those of the Instrumentality incase humanity manages to survive and form a coalition.
Reign of Steel
The world of Splicers. Deemed too dangerous to invade and humanity there a lost cause. Ohm has took an interest in the machine intelligences and how they interact with each other.
The Zoo
The world of After the Bomb. Plans are being made to invade this primitive world starting with the Empire of Humanity. It is viewed as a location where the locals would support the Instrumentality. Mutant animals may be allowed to become Serfs or collected as genetic specimens.
Quagmire
Though Quagmire is not the original name of this dimension the nickname stuck. This world is very similar to Nightbane. The instrumentality and Nightlords invaded on the same day and what was supposed to be a covert take over became open war. Eventually the Nightlands were invaded and most cities were reduced to a radioactive crater while most of the Nightlords escaped to Earth. Currently the Military is attempting to deal with a population of 9 billion humans and constant Nightlord, Vampire, Yama King attacks. The instrumentality attempts to leave the native humans alone in 20th century life however they are often forced to combat the enemy inside populated cities. Otherwise there is an underground war between the supernatural and superspies of all interested parties. After this failed take over the Instrumentality changed its methods of taking over other worlds through replacement of leadership.
Center
The world of Phase World. Operations are limited to espionage and intelligence gathering only. The instrumentality will do whatever it takes to keep their existence secret in this dimension, no matter how tempting the high technology seems. Currently operations take place mainly in center where the amount of cross dimensional traffic gives operatives some plausible deniability.
Mechnoids March
The world of The Mechnoids. The Instrumentality is aware of how dangerous this dimension is. The Mechnoids had taken over several system with just a small fleet though the Instrumentality managed to close the rift. The Instrumentality sends some of their operatives here that will be able to gather any information on the Mechnoids and their weaknesses. One inspired tactic is to open large rifts to the various Hell dimensions and let the demons soak away the Mechnoid numbers. The other involves planting self replicating spacecraft that are programmed to reproduce and destroy Mechniods, though the time needed to have them replicate to a significant number is likely to long to be of use. Additionally another plan is to use a nano plague or magic plague to override some Mechonids, causing a civil war.
Wittgenstein
In this dimension the hominid family tree branched out into half a dozen sentient species that were all analogous to various fantasy races elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, orcs, goblins, and of course humans, while in the Americas dinosaurs never went extinct and gave rise to several races of intelligent saurians with culture similar to the Aztecs. Due to magic existing in this world a functioning computer was developed during the early 1800s. As a result, the Computer Revolution took place at the same time as the Industrial Revolution. It is now the year 1870 and the world has a Steampunk theme.
The world seems to be settling into a three four-way Cold between the four world-dominating power blocs, the USC the United States Confederacy ( Due to a break new England southern slave owning states control the union and have expanded to south America), the Holy Roman Empire (a mostly monarchist federation under the Hapsburgs that consists of western and central Europe), the Eastern Bloc Soviet States (an enormously communist state stretching from Constantinople to Moscow to Beijing) and the Nippon Federation (an Japanese-Australian-led democratic alliance).
Polis
World similar to the above except the year is 1300 and magic is at a high level. Random rifts that appear every 100 to 300 years deposit large geographies randomly in the world leading to a very strange mix of cultures. These lands are generally left to be as they came however a league of nations ensures that any new arrivals are not disruptive.
Guttenberg
The printing press was invented in Tehran in 750 and was shortly followed by the widespread adaptation of the scientific method and an oil-based industrial revolution. The current year here is 1830, but the technological acceleration stemming from these changes has resulted in a world far advanced than our own. Mega corporations have replaced nation states and world has achieved a stage of technological achievement and social disaffection and tension reminiscent of cyberpunk. The most advanced regions are those of Japan, which never became isolationist, who is the dominant culture in east Asia, the Pacific and the west coast of North America.
Thule
An earth which changes from our own with the death of Genghis Khan, thus erasing his conquests from history. In this world technology was several years more advanced. Magic entered the world in 1921 as a result of post WWI Atomic Testing. In the "current year" 1942, World War II is being fought with magic and the supernatural.
Luddite
This world is slated to be invaded with a small military force and its natives to be civilized. In this world Assyria wiped out Jerusalem and Tyre in 857 B.C., and destroyed the Greek city-states a century later. In the "current year" of 2108, various empires based on slavery and human sacrifice cover the globe while the plague threatens wipe out those unfortunate to live in a world where monotheism, democracy, and the Greek and Latin alphabets were destroyed almost before they could begin.
Valkyrie
In this world President William McKinley was not assassinated, and in the resulting political climate (which marginalized Progressive reformers due to Teddy Roosevelt never becoming president), socialism becomes much more popular in the United States. After a much more brutal World War One (made more brutal, ironically, by the well-meaning attempts of internationalists like William Howard Taft to build stable international alliances), the American populace was radicalized and heavily divided, a powder keg ready to explode, until the Great Depression sparks a revolution in the United States. Hitler is assassinated, Axis forces never invade North Africa, thus freeing up troops and supplies to win the battle of Stalingrad. Stalin, enraged at the defeat, purges the Red Army's leadership, paving the way for the Nazi conquest of the Soviet Union. With the Western Allies lacking an opening to invade Europe, Germany has free reign over the continent. Werner Heisenberg developed the atomic bomb in 1950 and the World-Axis dominates the planet. It is 1986 and the German centered bloc is cracking after the insane economical politics of the Nazis, their even worse educational politics, the steady drain of resources due to occupation duty, and having to rebuild the continent. The leadership is looking for some way to maintain power, delving deeply into the occult. They may soon bite off more than they can chew while the world waits for their regime to fall.
Other
Many Earths have suffered catastrophes (some natural, others man-made) that have rendered humanity either extinct or nearly so. These are known as the "hell worlds". Examples include those where the Spanish Flu killed 99.9% of the population, others where nuclear war and/or unconstrained industry have combined to crash the biosphere, and the zombie worlds where disease has turned almost all humans into bloodthirsty cannibals on several otherwise dissimilar worlds. Most of these worlds are being cleared by private companies for either resource gathering or colonization. Some worlds do not follow the generally accepted laws of physics in one way or another or otherwise demonstrate unusual characteristics, most magic fits under the category of accepted laws of physics. Also there are some dimensions where people or objects sent into them never return. These are assumed to be worlds where the laws of physics are sufficiently different from that of our own universe to kill visitors and/or cripple equipment. Odder yet are even universes inexplicably modeled on the popular fiction of other universes.
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Also, post with game mechanics notes has been updated a bit to reflect some of the tech stealing.
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
very well done .
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Very nice to see alternate universes. Reminds me of the one thread from years ago which revolved around alternate universes.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Other Agencies
Special Services
The "freak show", as it is often described by other intelligence agents, Special Services is the penultimate branch of Instrumentality authority, a black-books agency is assigned to threats of a cosmic and/or metaphysical level. Their field agents are almost, to a man, the scariest sorcerers, psychics, mutants and weirdoes the Instrumentality has managed to harness in the service of humanity. Those that haven't been recruited have literally been born, bred, and raised in the program. Operating as an ultra-secretive group tasked with capturing or eliminating the most dangerous life forms found, the Special Service is more than capable of taking on nearly any threat. Answerable only to the Supreme Leader and subject to no oversight within the government they are given permission to ignore laws the even the Intelligence Agency has to follow. The agency recruits from individuals arrested by the Intelligence Agency, from among those who dabbled in the otherworldly and managed to remain both human and sane, and had subjected them to extensive neuromodification, genetherapy and other illegal techniques to ensure that they were both loyal and the best that they could be. The Special Service is looked on with horror and fear by members of the government and civilians alike… those who have even heard of it, that is.
There is one team organized for each mega-city and is headed by a Regional Director. Also per world there is one 'black ops' team per, headed by a Prime Director who is the superior of the Regional Directors, as well as one Archangel team who has a Field Leader that is directly under the Prime Director. Each world's SS groups are headed by an executive board. Every board member has his own unique area of responsibility/representation and are typically recognized as renowned government and corporate leaders of that world. They are only answerable to the Supreme Leader and the other heads of Government.
Angel Project
The Angel Project is a top-secret Instrumentality initiative to create synthetic supernatural organisms. The program endeavors to train extremely powerful, controllable, dependable, repairable, replaceable, customizable, and loyal heroes and trained to follow a military command structure. The Angel Project has vast funding and support from the Special Services, but its true nature is carefully concealed from the general public. The first limited successes were the hounds, created through golem magic. These beings were powerful but had limited capabilities and are used by the Nightlords in their trophy hunting of supernatural creatures.
The more recent and militarily useful results are known as Angels, armor-encased monstrosities outfitted with terrible weapons. Although they were originally assumed to be humanoid robots, the Angels are actually cyborgs, integrating a mostly supernatural biological being with a substantial mechanical infrastructure and a human pilot. After many initial failures the project eventually developed the Angel control system to successfully allow a human pilot to control the creature. However this requires the pilot to permanently bond with the thing to fully control it. As a result most of the Angel pilots are psychic or mages that would have had their powers limited by normal cybernetics.
Archangels are even more powerful. Similar to their human sized cousins, Archangels are giant sized creatures that bond the monstrous creature and four pilots. The combined gestalt beings are terrifying to its opponents and to those that know their true nature. Right now these units are in the field testing phase but have already proved to be devastating. They are typically deployed in teams of 5 to 7 and will be made to specialize to optimize group combat. At this time a single team of 7 units is undergoing field trials and have managed to have reached morale boosting celebrity like status.
Special Services
The "freak show", as it is often described by other intelligence agents, Special Services is the penultimate branch of Instrumentality authority, a black-books agency is assigned to threats of a cosmic and/or metaphysical level. Their field agents are almost, to a man, the scariest sorcerers, psychics, mutants and weirdoes the Instrumentality has managed to harness in the service of humanity. Those that haven't been recruited have literally been born, bred, and raised in the program. Operating as an ultra-secretive group tasked with capturing or eliminating the most dangerous life forms found, the Special Service is more than capable of taking on nearly any threat. Answerable only to the Supreme Leader and subject to no oversight within the government they are given permission to ignore laws the even the Intelligence Agency has to follow. The agency recruits from individuals arrested by the Intelligence Agency, from among those who dabbled in the otherworldly and managed to remain both human and sane, and had subjected them to extensive neuromodification, genetherapy and other illegal techniques to ensure that they were both loyal and the best that they could be. The Special Service is looked on with horror and fear by members of the government and civilians alike… those who have even heard of it, that is.
There is one team organized for each mega-city and is headed by a Regional Director. Also per world there is one 'black ops' team per, headed by a Prime Director who is the superior of the Regional Directors, as well as one Archangel team who has a Field Leader that is directly under the Prime Director. Each world's SS groups are headed by an executive board. Every board member has his own unique area of responsibility/representation and are typically recognized as renowned government and corporate leaders of that world. They are only answerable to the Supreme Leader and the other heads of Government.
Angel Project
The Angel Project is a top-secret Instrumentality initiative to create synthetic supernatural organisms. The program endeavors to train extremely powerful, controllable, dependable, repairable, replaceable, customizable, and loyal heroes and trained to follow a military command structure. The Angel Project has vast funding and support from the Special Services, but its true nature is carefully concealed from the general public. The first limited successes were the hounds, created through golem magic. These beings were powerful but had limited capabilities and are used by the Nightlords in their trophy hunting of supernatural creatures.
The more recent and militarily useful results are known as Angels, armor-encased monstrosities outfitted with terrible weapons. Although they were originally assumed to be humanoid robots, the Angels are actually cyborgs, integrating a mostly supernatural biological being with a substantial mechanical infrastructure and a human pilot. After many initial failures the project eventually developed the Angel control system to successfully allow a human pilot to control the creature. However this requires the pilot to permanently bond with the thing to fully control it. As a result most of the Angel pilots are psychic or mages that would have had their powers limited by normal cybernetics.
Archangels are even more powerful. Similar to their human sized cousins, Archangels are giant sized creatures that bond the monstrous creature and four pilots. The combined gestalt beings are terrifying to its opponents and to those that know their true nature. Right now these units are in the field testing phase but have already proved to be devastating. They are typically deployed in teams of 5 to 7 and will be made to specialize to optimize group combat. At this time a single team of 7 units is undergoing field trials and have managed to have reached morale boosting celebrity like status.
Last edited by Avenger on Tue Feb 28, 2012 12:09 am, edited 5 times in total.
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
nice1!!!!!!!!!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Psi Stalker Culture
Psi Stalkers (T’sendraedi in their native language) were created by the Metztla to invade and occupy Earth. They were created by the Metztla as a warrior race that was meant to subjugate Humanity and Earth for their masters, all while keeping the Metztla’s existence a secret. They were created with false memories of a Psi Stalker empire with only the high command of the Psi Stalkers knowing their true origin. During the war the stalkers devastated large swathes of the planet and almost succeeded in defeating the fledgling Instrumentality of Man. The introduction of human culture and emotions begins to affect many stalkers as the conflict drags on, causing them to rethink their austere lives as soldiers. Field Marshal Breti,one of the two main leaders of the stalkers at the time, came to the realization that the psi stalkers had more in common with their human enemy than their inhuman creators. The psi stalkers were fighting someone else’s war. The revelation by Field Marshal Breti of the Psi Stalker Fleet that they were clones of humanity lead to a brief civil war among Psi Stalker forces which was won by Breti's rebel faction. Most of the remaining stalkers join their commander and the humans in a subsequent operation against the Psi Stalker Mothership, an automated production center built by the Metztla to supply their warriors. The Psi Stalkers surrendered to the Instrumentality and settled on Earth as part of a new society. They are now a fully integrated member of the Instrumentality and live side by side with Humanity. While prejudice might exist in the outlying regions, Stalkers are fully accepted in the cities and are equal partners in the government. There are many stalker-human couples , 90% of their offspring are either Psi Stalkers or Psychic Humans. There has yet to be a Stalker Supreme Leader, but there have been many high ranking Stalker members influencing society. There are about 2.3 billion Psi-Stalkers on Earth, but the population is not evenly distributed. 500 million are also living on the Stalker Mothership, which is now in the orbit of Terra. The largest concentration of Psi-Stalkers on the planet is in Atlantis.
The look of the Psi-Stalker was created to meet three goals. The first was to make them appear as an alien species. Not needing to reinvent the wheel, the Metztla’s understanding of Human anatomy moved them to create a creature based on our DNA. Psi Stalkers appear similar to humans, though differently evolved, based on the Metztla’s belief on how humans would expect aliens to appear. Their culture was based on several historic warrior cultures which seemed like it would work for as long as it needed to. The second goal was to make them fearsome to Humans. Thus, the Psi-Stalkers were loosely based on the legend of vampires along with the more predatory aspects in Humanity’s DNA. They are powdery white and hairless with sharp teeth. Third they were to clear earth out of the supernatural and to have an instinctual drive to kill these beings.
Integration of the Psi Stalkers into Human society was slow and violent, though when the Metztla attacked the two peoples truly united. Today in the face of true horrors, Humankind no longer views Stalker features with fear. Psi-Stalkers pride themselves on their looks and athleticism. They also have no nudity taboo and often decorate themselves with black tattoos. Tattoos have different meaning depending on where the individual psi stalker is from but almost all wear them. These tattoos have caught on to with humans as well.
Original stalker culture
The Psi Stalkers are an exiled people. Millennia ago, a great war on their original world drove them out. Forced to flee in barely-capable starships, the stalker limped along through space and finally settled on the first barely habitable world they found. That world, wracked with violet weather and extreme seasonal changes, came to be called Tyrol. The Psi Stalkers put a stop to their tribal wars with each other, uniting under a government known as the Imperial Dynasty. After enduring the fall and then slow rise of their technological base, they expanded outward to the stars, forging an interstellar empire and conquering the lesser races that they found. All the while, they tried to find some evidence on their vanished home. Finally in the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Zoar, third of that name, stalker long-range planetary surveyors found a system that seemed to match everything the ancient legends told them about their home. A military expedition was immediately dispatched to the third world of that system with the goal of conquering it and avenging the ancient wrong that had cast the stalkers out so long ago.
At least, that is what they used to believe before Breta made his famous broadcast and revealed it was all a lie. The Metztla sketched most of stalker culture in broad strokes, detailing more fully only the military side of their civilization. This was both because the other castes mostly didn’t actually exist and also because members of the warrior caste did not know much about the internal workings of the other castes. The castes included:
--The Imperial Household (Marduk). Also called The Son (or daughter, as the case may be) of Storms or The Favored of Heaven. The absolute ruler of the Stalker Empire. Their power was theoretically limitless, but in day-to-day life the highest ranking warrior caste members ran most of the actual business of government.
--The warrior caste. The military aristocracy of the Stalker Empire. Organized both on familial lines and on invite-only “clans” that required certain rituals to enter.
--The philosopher caste. This caste included most people whose work involved their mind, including artists, sorcerers, scientists, religious officials and so on.
--The maker caste. Included those whose work involved their hands. Technicians, farmers, factory workers, craftspeople and so on. This is the only other caste which had any real presence in the stalker invasion fleet.
--The merchant caste. Those who make nothing, but merely move it from place to place. Merchants required a license to legally trade their goods, with more profitable goods requiring more expensive licenses.
--The Servant caste. Household servants, slaves, and others who are wholly or partially owned by another stalker.
--The casteless. This caste was primarily composed of those who are unfit to perform even a servant’s duties, criminals, or social misfits. They have essentially no protection from the stalker legal system. Unlike other castes, they have no official name—most stalker words for them translate as some form of insult.
The hierarchy was strictly enforced, with intermarriage between castes being strongly discouraged. Some social mobility was allowed if members of the lower castes could pass a series of difficult tests to ascend to the higher caste, though the tests were only offered at long intervals and failing barred the applicant from retesting for a period of five years. Any children born are locked into that caste unless they do not qualify during training. Washing out of a caste will usually mean demotion to a lesser caste. This is usually the case with warriors, but can happen to others. This demotion fulfills the ideal of reusing or recycling all resources and avoiding waste. The demoted person is supposed to embrace their new caste, and usually do with few exceptions.
Little priority was given by the Metztla to whether such a system would actually work if put into practice—the important part was that it seem sound enough. The military caste obvious received a great deal more detail than the others.
The Stalkers inhabited a lifestyle in which nothing is wasted. Recycling of garbage is standard and describing another as wasteful is a deep insult. For example if a stalker dies the still functioning inner organs are harvested for transplantation. This viewpoint of preserving resources goes hand in hand with the Clan's style of warfare; civilians, factories, cities and such are not to be entrenched in battles.
Among other things, the Warriors act as the military, police force, and rulers of the entirety of Stalker society. The warrior caste is the most powerful of the castes, however the pros of this power is countered by the harsh environment the warriors have compared to the other castes, one reason for the other casts not rebelling is because they see how tough the warriors life is. The attrition rate for warrior training is extremely high throughout the entire training program, with slightly under a tenth graduating as a warrior.
Warrior society is a harsh, unforgiving meritocracy. Success is rewarded quickly and richly, and failure is punished brutally. Individuals are expected to conform completely to the ideals of Warrior life, including the belief that other classes are inferior. They are trained from infancy to be elite soldiers and support staff and to follow orders without question. Subordinates usually display unwavering loyalty to their superiors, though there are examples of an ambitious subordinate noticing and exploiting a weakness in their superior that allows them to usurp power.
The warrior caste were the only stalker allowed to freely bear weapons. They enjoyed a number of legal privileges and immunity from prosecution from the lower castes, though it was tempered based on caste. A warrior who killed a famous philosopher would probably be assigned to meaningless guard duty on a backwater world for a period of years, lose the right to bear arms (making them an easy target for spur-of-the-moment duel challenges; using another’s weapon implied that one was unable to defend themselves without assistance). A warrior who killed a servant would probably not even suffer a slap on the wrist, especially if there were any sort of mitigating circumstances (such as “failed to show the proper deference to a warrior "). This attitude was responsible for a number of atrocities during the war. Stalker would take human prisoners as servants and show little sympathy when the humans understandably had no clue how to properly act around warriors.
Warriors are encouraged to be discreet but promiscuous with their sexuality. Having regular sexual outlets is seen as a way of relieving stress and of fulfilling biological urges so they do not become additional sources of stress. Forming a close personal relationship with a specific partner, however, is strictly taboo.
Reproduction is assigned in order to fill the ranks. The warrior caste's eugenics program is a completely alien means of reproduction. It seems cold and analytical, making no allowance for the passion and love we consider necessary to a full life. Warriors, however, gain great comfort and strength from their sense of belonging to the cresch, and from their unbroken lineage. Each warrior's lineage is recorded, a copy of which is electronically stored in a band worn on his neck. A warrior's career, from his first cresch test to his dying oath, is recorded and analyzed by his Clan. If a warrior's deeds are judged worthy, his genetic material helps create the next generation. Failure means the termination of his or her line. It is little wonder that the drive to excel overshadows all other considerations.
Seldom do those not born from the eugenics program, win a chance to join the warrior caste. Those who do are usually consigned to garrison and paramilitary police units, with little hope of advancing to a level where their genes would be incorporated into the warrior pool. This attitude does change from clan to clan. The few that excel enough to be included into the eugenics program are necessary for introducing new material into the gene-pool.
Current Culture
There are two main competing trends in current stalker culture, each of which also has a number of small subgroups:
The Traditionalists believe that even if their original culture was created by the Metztla, it still serves to distinguish them from human culture and so they should keep most of its elements when defining themselves. The majority of stalkers are Traditionalists. Traditionalists still wear the old-style stalker tunic/robes on formal occasions, and change their tattoos to reflect their work--someone knowledgeable about stalker culture can instantly tell not only what line of work a Traditionalist is in, but also how long they’ve been performing that work and how highly ranked they are. In fact, part of the reason for the famously skimpy stalker clothing is to make sure that their tattoos are always visible. Traditionalists teach the stalker native language (Tyrolean) as their children’s first language, but all their children are at least bilingual.
Traditionalists also adhere to the custom of cresch-births. After birth, children go to a cresch where they are raised in groups of 14-20 by several cresch-parents. At the age of majority, they are released from the cresch. Some then go on to seek out their birth parents, but most consider their cresch-mates to be their true family and form bonds with them instead. This method of child-raising is one of the biggest splits between Traditionalists and Constructionists.
In the "Empire," creschs were usually organized by family groups. An extended family would place all of their children in the same generation in a cresch and rear them together. This served 1) to maintain caste divisions, 2) still allow tracing of familial descent for hereditary purposes and 3) to maintain genetic diversity. Romantic attachment to one's cresch-brothers or -sisters was seen similar to the way incest is seen in most human cultures.
Only the Imperial Family and outcastes raised their children alone, which was one of the biggest sources of disconnect when Constructionists adopted the practice on Earth. It was reflexively seen by Traditionalists as either hubristic (adopting the practices of a higher caste) or shameful (adopting the practices of a lower one). Even though they intellectually knew their memories were fake, the revulsion for this social trespass was hard to get over and led to a lot of early bad blood that still persists in some places today.
While original stalker culture was caste-like, with the warriors on top, the Traditionalists have mostly dispensed with this societal ordering between themselves. Martial service is very much respected, but it is no longer the end-all of stalker social status. However military service tends to be very high and stalkers own a large amount of serfs compared to humans.
Leadership rests with the clan council. Each caste of a clan is governed by a caste council. The warrior caste council is also the clan council which rules the entire affairs of the clan and clan law. This council is self elected and is almost always made up of warriors. When the clan requires military action above small scale skirmishes it elects from within a council member to become a Khan. The Khan (though having much more influence) can’t interfere with clan laws/society; that is still in the hands of the council. He/she is however commander of the entire clan’s military assets and becomes the top of the military hierarchy that doesn’t exist without a Khan.
When the clans face a time of crisis or all need to coordinate their efforts towards a common objective the Khans from each clan then Khans internally elects a Khan to become the Great Khan. The Great Khan enjoys wide-ranging but not absolute power. The Great Khan may not interfere with matters that are internal to a specific Clan. When the Martial code is in effect, however, the Great Khan may operate virtually unhindered.
Traditionalist Offshoots
The Spartans are a group that emphasizes the martial aspects of stalker culture. Spartan cresch rearing involves athletic games designed to build teamwork, training in meditation practice to build focus and more, in addition to the standard Instrumentality educational curriculum. Some Spartans even keep the old stalker tradition of warrior clans, including their initiation rituals involving single combat. It is rumored that the most well-regarded clan, the Nupventiz (named after the apex predator of the fictional stalker homeworld’s ecology), requires its members to have defeated a demon in unarmed combat before joining. While in a more peaceful time their attitude might be considered quaint, the Instrumentality is supportive of the Spartan movement as a large portion of its children go straight into the military.
Quelldol (“Paint”) are focused on developing a new art tradition. Lacking an extensive history on which to draw from, their work tends to focus on aspects of mundane life, with some of the more radical members developing work based on the fictional stalker history. Two major movements are a kagura-like performance tradition relying on elaborate costume and dancing with minimal narration to retell old stalker myths and a group of novelists who write novels based on the history of the fictional stalker homeworld.
There are many Constructionist art movements as well, but most of them are based on new methods of using human art styles or on fusing human and stalker art.
Finally, the Loyalists are those stalker who never changed after Breta’s revelation of the stalker’s origins. Loyalists believe that the Metztla created them and therefore, since they owe their existence to the Metztla, it is their duty to serve the Metztla. Most Loyalists live in the Metztla conquered territories, but there are a few who serve as Metztla spies in the Instrumentality. Since they maintain the original stalker culture from before human contact, they can serve very well as spies into more Traditionalist areas such as Atlantis. Other stalkers hate the Loyalists and go to great lengths to root them out of their communities, sometimes in a draconian fashion. There are even some recorded lynchings of suspected loyalists.
The Constructionists believe that stalkers are best served by developing an entirely new cultural base, though the degree to which they split varies widely. Constructionists are primarily defined by what they are not (i.e., Traditionalists), and as such, sweeping statements about their behavior are of necessity in exact. Most Constructionists instead identify themselves (if they do at all) by one of the smaller groups falling under that label.
Most Constructionists practice a hodge-podge of rituals drawn from different cultures around the globe. A Constructionist community may decide that the Japanese Children’s Day is an interesting festival, along with North American Christmas, Islamic Ramadan and the old British custom of afternoon tea. Another group might have a totally different mix.
Constructionist Offshoots
Synergists are the most numerous Constructionist faction, taking a "whatever works" approach to culture. This is the broadest Constructionist movement, ranging from people who give their children stalker names but don't teach them the language to people who speak stalker at home, wear stalker clothing, listen to stalker music and eat stalker food but think the remaining aspects of warrior culture are ridiculous (though this last example straddles the line--some stalker would consider them a liberal Traditionalist). In a few hundred years, there may be a more generally accepted stalker culture as a counterpoint to the Traditionalists, but right now, anything goes.
Assimilationists believe that stalker culture was a lie, invented by beings who intended to use them only as weapons and then discard them, and it is best to dispense with it entirely. Unlike other stalker, Assimilationists don’t even give their children stalker names. They do their best to forget everything associated with the old stalker culture and try to be like the people of their adopted home.
Nihilists believe that none of it matters. Stalker culture is a lie, but stalkers aren’t human, so they shouldn’t adopt human customs. There is total war on Earth and this is no time for soul-searching. Nihilists distinguish themselves by their utter lack of any sort of rituals whatsoever. They don’t celebrate human or stalker holidays, they don’t practice any religion, and they don’t follow any customs. This tends to be more of a phase that younger stalker go through rather than an actual movement, for obvious reasons.
Other Notes
Females talk almost exactly like a human male from Real Life, although with no rough words. Males are more conservative in their language, more typical to a male from the 1940s.
Stalkers practice extreme conservation of body movement, making no gesture or expression that is not completely intended and betraying nothing with their mannerisms.
Stalker buildings are so colorful and pimped-out they might just as well be from a fairy tale. Human designs are exactly the opposite, neat, clean, marble everywhere, or older gray masonry.
Clothing is also colorful and tacky for civilians, almost. Human fashions use strong fabrics, dull colors, rougher designs.
Stalkers use public events in a disconcerting manner. While human public events are conceived to impress observers and prove the strength of the regime, Stalker public events are made for themselves, they do not care what someone else may understand or if someone else understand them at all.
Bio-Wizardry is popular among psi stalkers. When they were created they heavily used bio wizardry to augment themselves, today less so. However it is more acceptable in their culture.
Psi Stalkers (T’sendraedi in their native language) were created by the Metztla to invade and occupy Earth. They were created by the Metztla as a warrior race that was meant to subjugate Humanity and Earth for their masters, all while keeping the Metztla’s existence a secret. They were created with false memories of a Psi Stalker empire with only the high command of the Psi Stalkers knowing their true origin. During the war the stalkers devastated large swathes of the planet and almost succeeded in defeating the fledgling Instrumentality of Man. The introduction of human culture and emotions begins to affect many stalkers as the conflict drags on, causing them to rethink their austere lives as soldiers. Field Marshal Breti,one of the two main leaders of the stalkers at the time, came to the realization that the psi stalkers had more in common with their human enemy than their inhuman creators. The psi stalkers were fighting someone else’s war. The revelation by Field Marshal Breti of the Psi Stalker Fleet that they were clones of humanity lead to a brief civil war among Psi Stalker forces which was won by Breti's rebel faction. Most of the remaining stalkers join their commander and the humans in a subsequent operation against the Psi Stalker Mothership, an automated production center built by the Metztla to supply their warriors. The Psi Stalkers surrendered to the Instrumentality and settled on Earth as part of a new society. They are now a fully integrated member of the Instrumentality and live side by side with Humanity. While prejudice might exist in the outlying regions, Stalkers are fully accepted in the cities and are equal partners in the government. There are many stalker-human couples , 90% of their offspring are either Psi Stalkers or Psychic Humans. There has yet to be a Stalker Supreme Leader, but there have been many high ranking Stalker members influencing society. There are about 2.3 billion Psi-Stalkers on Earth, but the population is not evenly distributed. 500 million are also living on the Stalker Mothership, which is now in the orbit of Terra. The largest concentration of Psi-Stalkers on the planet is in Atlantis.
The look of the Psi-Stalker was created to meet three goals. The first was to make them appear as an alien species. Not needing to reinvent the wheel, the Metztla’s understanding of Human anatomy moved them to create a creature based on our DNA. Psi Stalkers appear similar to humans, though differently evolved, based on the Metztla’s belief on how humans would expect aliens to appear. Their culture was based on several historic warrior cultures which seemed like it would work for as long as it needed to. The second goal was to make them fearsome to Humans. Thus, the Psi-Stalkers were loosely based on the legend of vampires along with the more predatory aspects in Humanity’s DNA. They are powdery white and hairless with sharp teeth. Third they were to clear earth out of the supernatural and to have an instinctual drive to kill these beings.
Integration of the Psi Stalkers into Human society was slow and violent, though when the Metztla attacked the two peoples truly united. Today in the face of true horrors, Humankind no longer views Stalker features with fear. Psi-Stalkers pride themselves on their looks and athleticism. They also have no nudity taboo and often decorate themselves with black tattoos. Tattoos have different meaning depending on where the individual psi stalker is from but almost all wear them. These tattoos have caught on to with humans as well.
Original stalker culture
The Psi Stalkers are an exiled people. Millennia ago, a great war on their original world drove them out. Forced to flee in barely-capable starships, the stalker limped along through space and finally settled on the first barely habitable world they found. That world, wracked with violet weather and extreme seasonal changes, came to be called Tyrol. The Psi Stalkers put a stop to their tribal wars with each other, uniting under a government known as the Imperial Dynasty. After enduring the fall and then slow rise of their technological base, they expanded outward to the stars, forging an interstellar empire and conquering the lesser races that they found. All the while, they tried to find some evidence on their vanished home. Finally in the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Zoar, third of that name, stalker long-range planetary surveyors found a system that seemed to match everything the ancient legends told them about their home. A military expedition was immediately dispatched to the third world of that system with the goal of conquering it and avenging the ancient wrong that had cast the stalkers out so long ago.
At least, that is what they used to believe before Breta made his famous broadcast and revealed it was all a lie. The Metztla sketched most of stalker culture in broad strokes, detailing more fully only the military side of their civilization. This was both because the other castes mostly didn’t actually exist and also because members of the warrior caste did not know much about the internal workings of the other castes. The castes included:
--The Imperial Household (Marduk). Also called The Son (or daughter, as the case may be) of Storms or The Favored of Heaven. The absolute ruler of the Stalker Empire. Their power was theoretically limitless, but in day-to-day life the highest ranking warrior caste members ran most of the actual business of government.
--The warrior caste. The military aristocracy of the Stalker Empire. Organized both on familial lines and on invite-only “clans” that required certain rituals to enter.
--The philosopher caste. This caste included most people whose work involved their mind, including artists, sorcerers, scientists, religious officials and so on.
--The maker caste. Included those whose work involved their hands. Technicians, farmers, factory workers, craftspeople and so on. This is the only other caste which had any real presence in the stalker invasion fleet.
--The merchant caste. Those who make nothing, but merely move it from place to place. Merchants required a license to legally trade their goods, with more profitable goods requiring more expensive licenses.
--The Servant caste. Household servants, slaves, and others who are wholly or partially owned by another stalker.
--The casteless. This caste was primarily composed of those who are unfit to perform even a servant’s duties, criminals, or social misfits. They have essentially no protection from the stalker legal system. Unlike other castes, they have no official name—most stalker words for them translate as some form of insult.
The hierarchy was strictly enforced, with intermarriage between castes being strongly discouraged. Some social mobility was allowed if members of the lower castes could pass a series of difficult tests to ascend to the higher caste, though the tests were only offered at long intervals and failing barred the applicant from retesting for a period of five years. Any children born are locked into that caste unless they do not qualify during training. Washing out of a caste will usually mean demotion to a lesser caste. This is usually the case with warriors, but can happen to others. This demotion fulfills the ideal of reusing or recycling all resources and avoiding waste. The demoted person is supposed to embrace their new caste, and usually do with few exceptions.
Little priority was given by the Metztla to whether such a system would actually work if put into practice—the important part was that it seem sound enough. The military caste obvious received a great deal more detail than the others.
The Stalkers inhabited a lifestyle in which nothing is wasted. Recycling of garbage is standard and describing another as wasteful is a deep insult. For example if a stalker dies the still functioning inner organs are harvested for transplantation. This viewpoint of preserving resources goes hand in hand with the Clan's style of warfare; civilians, factories, cities and such are not to be entrenched in battles.
Among other things, the Warriors act as the military, police force, and rulers of the entirety of Stalker society. The warrior caste is the most powerful of the castes, however the pros of this power is countered by the harsh environment the warriors have compared to the other castes, one reason for the other casts not rebelling is because they see how tough the warriors life is. The attrition rate for warrior training is extremely high throughout the entire training program, with slightly under a tenth graduating as a warrior.
Warrior society is a harsh, unforgiving meritocracy. Success is rewarded quickly and richly, and failure is punished brutally. Individuals are expected to conform completely to the ideals of Warrior life, including the belief that other classes are inferior. They are trained from infancy to be elite soldiers and support staff and to follow orders without question. Subordinates usually display unwavering loyalty to their superiors, though there are examples of an ambitious subordinate noticing and exploiting a weakness in their superior that allows them to usurp power.
The warrior caste were the only stalker allowed to freely bear weapons. They enjoyed a number of legal privileges and immunity from prosecution from the lower castes, though it was tempered based on caste. A warrior who killed a famous philosopher would probably be assigned to meaningless guard duty on a backwater world for a period of years, lose the right to bear arms (making them an easy target for spur-of-the-moment duel challenges; using another’s weapon implied that one was unable to defend themselves without assistance). A warrior who killed a servant would probably not even suffer a slap on the wrist, especially if there were any sort of mitigating circumstances (such as “failed to show the proper deference to a warrior "). This attitude was responsible for a number of atrocities during the war. Stalker would take human prisoners as servants and show little sympathy when the humans understandably had no clue how to properly act around warriors.
Warriors are encouraged to be discreet but promiscuous with their sexuality. Having regular sexual outlets is seen as a way of relieving stress and of fulfilling biological urges so they do not become additional sources of stress. Forming a close personal relationship with a specific partner, however, is strictly taboo.
Reproduction is assigned in order to fill the ranks. The warrior caste's eugenics program is a completely alien means of reproduction. It seems cold and analytical, making no allowance for the passion and love we consider necessary to a full life. Warriors, however, gain great comfort and strength from their sense of belonging to the cresch, and from their unbroken lineage. Each warrior's lineage is recorded, a copy of which is electronically stored in a band worn on his neck. A warrior's career, from his first cresch test to his dying oath, is recorded and analyzed by his Clan. If a warrior's deeds are judged worthy, his genetic material helps create the next generation. Failure means the termination of his or her line. It is little wonder that the drive to excel overshadows all other considerations.
Seldom do those not born from the eugenics program, win a chance to join the warrior caste. Those who do are usually consigned to garrison and paramilitary police units, with little hope of advancing to a level where their genes would be incorporated into the warrior pool. This attitude does change from clan to clan. The few that excel enough to be included into the eugenics program are necessary for introducing new material into the gene-pool.
Current Culture
There are two main competing trends in current stalker culture, each of which also has a number of small subgroups:
The Traditionalists believe that even if their original culture was created by the Metztla, it still serves to distinguish them from human culture and so they should keep most of its elements when defining themselves. The majority of stalkers are Traditionalists. Traditionalists still wear the old-style stalker tunic/robes on formal occasions, and change their tattoos to reflect their work--someone knowledgeable about stalker culture can instantly tell not only what line of work a Traditionalist is in, but also how long they’ve been performing that work and how highly ranked they are. In fact, part of the reason for the famously skimpy stalker clothing is to make sure that their tattoos are always visible. Traditionalists teach the stalker native language (Tyrolean) as their children’s first language, but all their children are at least bilingual.
Traditionalists also adhere to the custom of cresch-births. After birth, children go to a cresch where they are raised in groups of 14-20 by several cresch-parents. At the age of majority, they are released from the cresch. Some then go on to seek out their birth parents, but most consider their cresch-mates to be their true family and form bonds with them instead. This method of child-raising is one of the biggest splits between Traditionalists and Constructionists.
In the "Empire," creschs were usually organized by family groups. An extended family would place all of their children in the same generation in a cresch and rear them together. This served 1) to maintain caste divisions, 2) still allow tracing of familial descent for hereditary purposes and 3) to maintain genetic diversity. Romantic attachment to one's cresch-brothers or -sisters was seen similar to the way incest is seen in most human cultures.
Only the Imperial Family and outcastes raised their children alone, which was one of the biggest sources of disconnect when Constructionists adopted the practice on Earth. It was reflexively seen by Traditionalists as either hubristic (adopting the practices of a higher caste) or shameful (adopting the practices of a lower one). Even though they intellectually knew their memories were fake, the revulsion for this social trespass was hard to get over and led to a lot of early bad blood that still persists in some places today.
While original stalker culture was caste-like, with the warriors on top, the Traditionalists have mostly dispensed with this societal ordering between themselves. Martial service is very much respected, but it is no longer the end-all of stalker social status. However military service tends to be very high and stalkers own a large amount of serfs compared to humans.
Leadership rests with the clan council. Each caste of a clan is governed by a caste council. The warrior caste council is also the clan council which rules the entire affairs of the clan and clan law. This council is self elected and is almost always made up of warriors. When the clan requires military action above small scale skirmishes it elects from within a council member to become a Khan. The Khan (though having much more influence) can’t interfere with clan laws/society; that is still in the hands of the council. He/she is however commander of the entire clan’s military assets and becomes the top of the military hierarchy that doesn’t exist without a Khan.
When the clans face a time of crisis or all need to coordinate their efforts towards a common objective the Khans from each clan then Khans internally elects a Khan to become the Great Khan. The Great Khan enjoys wide-ranging but not absolute power. The Great Khan may not interfere with matters that are internal to a specific Clan. When the Martial code is in effect, however, the Great Khan may operate virtually unhindered.
Traditionalist Offshoots
The Spartans are a group that emphasizes the martial aspects of stalker culture. Spartan cresch rearing involves athletic games designed to build teamwork, training in meditation practice to build focus and more, in addition to the standard Instrumentality educational curriculum. Some Spartans even keep the old stalker tradition of warrior clans, including their initiation rituals involving single combat. It is rumored that the most well-regarded clan, the Nupventiz (named after the apex predator of the fictional stalker homeworld’s ecology), requires its members to have defeated a demon in unarmed combat before joining. While in a more peaceful time their attitude might be considered quaint, the Instrumentality is supportive of the Spartan movement as a large portion of its children go straight into the military.
Quelldol (“Paint”) are focused on developing a new art tradition. Lacking an extensive history on which to draw from, their work tends to focus on aspects of mundane life, with some of the more radical members developing work based on the fictional stalker history. Two major movements are a kagura-like performance tradition relying on elaborate costume and dancing with minimal narration to retell old stalker myths and a group of novelists who write novels based on the history of the fictional stalker homeworld.
There are many Constructionist art movements as well, but most of them are based on new methods of using human art styles or on fusing human and stalker art.
Finally, the Loyalists are those stalker who never changed after Breta’s revelation of the stalker’s origins. Loyalists believe that the Metztla created them and therefore, since they owe their existence to the Metztla, it is their duty to serve the Metztla. Most Loyalists live in the Metztla conquered territories, but there are a few who serve as Metztla spies in the Instrumentality. Since they maintain the original stalker culture from before human contact, they can serve very well as spies into more Traditionalist areas such as Atlantis. Other stalkers hate the Loyalists and go to great lengths to root them out of their communities, sometimes in a draconian fashion. There are even some recorded lynchings of suspected loyalists.
The Constructionists believe that stalkers are best served by developing an entirely new cultural base, though the degree to which they split varies widely. Constructionists are primarily defined by what they are not (i.e., Traditionalists), and as such, sweeping statements about their behavior are of necessity in exact. Most Constructionists instead identify themselves (if they do at all) by one of the smaller groups falling under that label.
Most Constructionists practice a hodge-podge of rituals drawn from different cultures around the globe. A Constructionist community may decide that the Japanese Children’s Day is an interesting festival, along with North American Christmas, Islamic Ramadan and the old British custom of afternoon tea. Another group might have a totally different mix.
Constructionist Offshoots
Synergists are the most numerous Constructionist faction, taking a "whatever works" approach to culture. This is the broadest Constructionist movement, ranging from people who give their children stalker names but don't teach them the language to people who speak stalker at home, wear stalker clothing, listen to stalker music and eat stalker food but think the remaining aspects of warrior culture are ridiculous (though this last example straddles the line--some stalker would consider them a liberal Traditionalist). In a few hundred years, there may be a more generally accepted stalker culture as a counterpoint to the Traditionalists, but right now, anything goes.
Assimilationists believe that stalker culture was a lie, invented by beings who intended to use them only as weapons and then discard them, and it is best to dispense with it entirely. Unlike other stalker, Assimilationists don’t even give their children stalker names. They do their best to forget everything associated with the old stalker culture and try to be like the people of their adopted home.
Nihilists believe that none of it matters. Stalker culture is a lie, but stalkers aren’t human, so they shouldn’t adopt human customs. There is total war on Earth and this is no time for soul-searching. Nihilists distinguish themselves by their utter lack of any sort of rituals whatsoever. They don’t celebrate human or stalker holidays, they don’t practice any religion, and they don’t follow any customs. This tends to be more of a phase that younger stalker go through rather than an actual movement, for obvious reasons.
Other Notes
Females talk almost exactly like a human male from Real Life, although with no rough words. Males are more conservative in their language, more typical to a male from the 1940s.
Stalkers practice extreme conservation of body movement, making no gesture or expression that is not completely intended and betraying nothing with their mannerisms.
Stalker buildings are so colorful and pimped-out they might just as well be from a fairy tale. Human designs are exactly the opposite, neat, clean, marble everywhere, or older gray masonry.
Clothing is also colorful and tacky for civilians, almost. Human fashions use strong fabrics, dull colors, rougher designs.
Stalkers use public events in a disconcerting manner. While human public events are conceived to impress observers and prove the strength of the regime, Stalker public events are made for themselves, they do not care what someone else may understand or if someone else understand them at all.
Bio-Wizardry is popular among psi stalkers. When they were created they heavily used bio wizardry to augment themselves, today less so. However it is more acceptable in their culture.
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Dec 30, 2012 11:42 pm, edited 7 times in total.
-
calto40k
- Megaversal® Ambassador
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 9:23 pm
- Comment: Jack Chriax: RPA Pilot, Killing Machine, Samuel Jackson Impersonator?
- Location: new jersey
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
definitely loving the alternate universe
Member of the Modern Cabal of 24
The stupid it burns it burns us preciouses
We are Legion and we will be heard
The stupid it burns it burns us preciouses
We are Legion and we will be heard
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
MAN THIS IS SICK AWESOME !!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Human Breeds
The Human species, known also as Humans, Terrans or Earthlings, comes from the planet Earth. Humans have a fairly common body structure. Most Humans are standard Earth stock, but some groups have significantly altered the genes of their children to create variant subspecies. This is mostly done to better live in non earth like alien environments. Variant Humans are still Human. Though rare, they can have children with different variant types or unmodified Humans, although with a greater chance of miscarriage or birth defect than normal and many only find "their own kind" sexually appealing. Abilities tend to "average out" in half-breeds. The following types have become successful enough to have a notable percentage of the population.
Humans and human variants have genetic enhancements from Rifts Chaos Earth and may have further genetics from Rifts Lone Star. Baseline humans that are not Psychics/mages add +20% to any three separate skills.
Homo Gravis
Adapted for life on high-gravity worlds, Homo Gravis (or "Squats") are thick-set, muscular Humans with strong bones, high-pressure circulatory systems, and lungs able to handle dense atmospheres. Tougher and stronger than normal Humans, they make good soldiers, barroom brawlers, miners, engineers, and heavy laborers. In normal Human society, they often have difficulty using equipment designed for standard-size Humans (the GM may impose Skill Roll penalties for the use of some tools, if appropriate).
+3 to PS, +3 to PE, +10 to SDC, -3 to PP, -3 to SPD
Homo Oceanus
Homo Oceanus (also known as Merfolk) live on many water worlds and the oceans of Earth. They can't literally breathe water, but their enhanced lung capacity allows them to stay underwater as long as seals. Their large, rounder-than-normal eyes help them to see without difficulty when they're deep underwater, but are also sensitive to bright light (such as direct sunlight). An insulating fat layer helps them withstand the effects of living in frigid waters, and their webbed hands and feet allow them to move through those waters with ease.
Hold breath 10x longer than baseline humans. Gets swimming skill at 80% and night vision. Double effects of light exposure, such as temporary blindness
Homo Iter
First bred in orbiting space habitats before the invention of FTL drive, Homo Iter (also called Spacers) continue to thrive in space stations, asteroid colonies, orbital habitats, and other zero-G environments. Created and trained to spend their entire lives in space, Spacers have bones and muscles engineered not to weaken in zero gravity, increased resistance to radiation, lungs designed to handle low pressures, and toes as dexterous as fingers. However, their bodies do not handle normal gravity well; to a Spacer, walking on the surface of a planet feels like dragging himself through a thick, soupy atmosphere.
0-G movement skill at 80%, Prehensile feet add 1 attack per melee with feet, -4 to SPD when not in 0 G, Radiation Resistance (takes quarter damage from high radiation), Hold breath 3x as long as baseline human, -2 to physical attributes in normal gravity.
The Human species, known also as Humans, Terrans or Earthlings, comes from the planet Earth. Humans have a fairly common body structure. Most Humans are standard Earth stock, but some groups have significantly altered the genes of their children to create variant subspecies. This is mostly done to better live in non earth like alien environments. Variant Humans are still Human. Though rare, they can have children with different variant types or unmodified Humans, although with a greater chance of miscarriage or birth defect than normal and many only find "their own kind" sexually appealing. Abilities tend to "average out" in half-breeds. The following types have become successful enough to have a notable percentage of the population.
Humans and human variants have genetic enhancements from Rifts Chaos Earth and may have further genetics from Rifts Lone Star. Baseline humans that are not Psychics/mages add +20% to any three separate skills.
Homo Gravis
Adapted for life on high-gravity worlds, Homo Gravis (or "Squats") are thick-set, muscular Humans with strong bones, high-pressure circulatory systems, and lungs able to handle dense atmospheres. Tougher and stronger than normal Humans, they make good soldiers, barroom brawlers, miners, engineers, and heavy laborers. In normal Human society, they often have difficulty using equipment designed for standard-size Humans (the GM may impose Skill Roll penalties for the use of some tools, if appropriate).
+3 to PS, +3 to PE, +10 to SDC, -3 to PP, -3 to SPD
Homo Oceanus
Homo Oceanus (also known as Merfolk) live on many water worlds and the oceans of Earth. They can't literally breathe water, but their enhanced lung capacity allows them to stay underwater as long as seals. Their large, rounder-than-normal eyes help them to see without difficulty when they're deep underwater, but are also sensitive to bright light (such as direct sunlight). An insulating fat layer helps them withstand the effects of living in frigid waters, and their webbed hands and feet allow them to move through those waters with ease.
Hold breath 10x longer than baseline humans. Gets swimming skill at 80% and night vision. Double effects of light exposure, such as temporary blindness
Homo Iter
First bred in orbiting space habitats before the invention of FTL drive, Homo Iter (also called Spacers) continue to thrive in space stations, asteroid colonies, orbital habitats, and other zero-G environments. Created and trained to spend their entire lives in space, Spacers have bones and muscles engineered not to weaken in zero gravity, increased resistance to radiation, lungs designed to handle low pressures, and toes as dexterous as fingers. However, their bodies do not handle normal gravity well; to a Spacer, walking on the surface of a planet feels like dragging himself through a thick, soupy atmosphere.
0-G movement skill at 80%, Prehensile feet add 1 attack per melee with feet, -4 to SPD when not in 0 G, Radiation Resistance (takes quarter damage from high radiation), Hold breath 3x as long as baseline human, -2 to physical attributes in normal gravity.
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Cool new material. I hope you keep developing more new material.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Awesome!!!work man rifter stuff man
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Anything new in this thread. I keep hoping for new equipment. Please keep this thread coming.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Altarain Syndicate
At one point Mars was terraformed, and under a man-made atmosphere, the Martian colonies grew. They were ruled not by traditional nation-states but several huge megacorporations. When the apocalypse on Earth came the Martian colonies had time to prepare. As Mars had several large shipyards that were primarily responsible for many colonies settled by humans, the megacorporations escaped by fleeing in colony armadas. Mars was abandoned and those left behind hid in the ruins of Mars, suffering the same fate as the humans on Earth.
Each armada headed toward an un-colonized but resource rich world. Each fleet had advanced, artificially intelligent computers that contained the sum total of human scientific and technological knowledge, the Archie systems. They had the ability to not just store information but also to produce new designs to meet changing circumstances. The fleets also had a prototype interstellar communication system that allowed the fleets to communicate with each other. When the rest of humanity was engulfed in chaos, these colonies still in contact with each other began to organize for their mutual defense. Over time these worlds became known as part of the Altarian Syndicate.
While rival warlords battled over the remnants of human space the colonies, or Combines, attempted to preserve as much of the currently available technological knowledge as possible and prevent its misuse by the warlords. They fostered a "secret brotherhood" mentality among their members in order to keep their secrets safe. Over time the corporate structure was replaced with a rigid, religious hierarchy, and shrouded its activities in mystic rituals. In time they began to worship the Archie systems that provided almost everything they needed.
The religion values knowledge and the technology it creates and views the final embrace of technology as the ultimate destiny for Mankind's evolution. They also began to regard organic flesh as weak and view the removal and replacement of biological tissue with bionic parts as sacred. Specialized ‘humans’ were created to fill rolls in society.
Some Combines were attacked, but the warlords quickly realized that the Altarains were determined and tenacious fighters, and that trade was a more practical arrangement. They remained carefully neutral in the numerous conflicts between warlords, maintaining trade links with both sides. There were inevitably small wars from time to time, but for the most part the Syndicate’s complex structure of treaties and trade agreements maintained a stable peace.
The complex system of Guilds developed. These Guilds were responsible for preserving technical knowledge and skills as well as training technicians and other specialists necessary. The Guilds transcended the Combines, allowing every Combines to benefit from the preserved knowledge as well as new advances in technology.
Altarains sent out many expeditions hoping to find remnants of human knowledge on other worlds. The human worlds discovered retained little of their old technology. They had devolved into feudal states ruled by aristocratic nobles who welcomed the Altarains as saviors. The Altarains settled among these worlds choosing planets that were resource rich where they could rebuild their industries. The humans provided manpower and security against enemies. In return the Altarains provided technical expertise and help rebuilding their planets. They became mutually dependent and each Combine became the hub of a small empire consisting of a Combine and its surrounding worlds.
When the Instrumentality began to retake human worlds they at first conflicted with the Syndicate. However Ohm was able to override the Archie systems on the Combines and the Combines fully joined with the Instrumentality and their quest to unify all of humanity.
At one point Mars was terraformed, and under a man-made atmosphere, the Martian colonies grew. They were ruled not by traditional nation-states but several huge megacorporations. When the apocalypse on Earth came the Martian colonies had time to prepare. As Mars had several large shipyards that were primarily responsible for many colonies settled by humans, the megacorporations escaped by fleeing in colony armadas. Mars was abandoned and those left behind hid in the ruins of Mars, suffering the same fate as the humans on Earth.
Each armada headed toward an un-colonized but resource rich world. Each fleet had advanced, artificially intelligent computers that contained the sum total of human scientific and technological knowledge, the Archie systems. They had the ability to not just store information but also to produce new designs to meet changing circumstances. The fleets also had a prototype interstellar communication system that allowed the fleets to communicate with each other. When the rest of humanity was engulfed in chaos, these colonies still in contact with each other began to organize for their mutual defense. Over time these worlds became known as part of the Altarian Syndicate.
While rival warlords battled over the remnants of human space the colonies, or Combines, attempted to preserve as much of the currently available technological knowledge as possible and prevent its misuse by the warlords. They fostered a "secret brotherhood" mentality among their members in order to keep their secrets safe. Over time the corporate structure was replaced with a rigid, religious hierarchy, and shrouded its activities in mystic rituals. In time they began to worship the Archie systems that provided almost everything they needed.
The religion values knowledge and the technology it creates and views the final embrace of technology as the ultimate destiny for Mankind's evolution. They also began to regard organic flesh as weak and view the removal and replacement of biological tissue with bionic parts as sacred. Specialized ‘humans’ were created to fill rolls in society.
Some Combines were attacked, but the warlords quickly realized that the Altarains were determined and tenacious fighters, and that trade was a more practical arrangement. They remained carefully neutral in the numerous conflicts between warlords, maintaining trade links with both sides. There were inevitably small wars from time to time, but for the most part the Syndicate’s complex structure of treaties and trade agreements maintained a stable peace.
The complex system of Guilds developed. These Guilds were responsible for preserving technical knowledge and skills as well as training technicians and other specialists necessary. The Guilds transcended the Combines, allowing every Combines to benefit from the preserved knowledge as well as new advances in technology.
Altarains sent out many expeditions hoping to find remnants of human knowledge on other worlds. The human worlds discovered retained little of their old technology. They had devolved into feudal states ruled by aristocratic nobles who welcomed the Altarains as saviors. The Altarains settled among these worlds choosing planets that were resource rich where they could rebuild their industries. The humans provided manpower and security against enemies. In return the Altarains provided technical expertise and help rebuilding their planets. They became mutually dependent and each Combine became the hub of a small empire consisting of a Combine and its surrounding worlds.
When the Instrumentality began to retake human worlds they at first conflicted with the Syndicate. However Ohm was able to override the Archie systems on the Combines and the Combines fully joined with the Instrumentality and their quest to unify all of humanity.
Last edited by Avenger on Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Very interesting update. These people are going to have to expand their influence. Please include equipment. Eventually.....
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
-
ZINO
- Knight
- Posts: 4085
- Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 5:02 pm
- Comment: NEVER QUIT..... I got lucky
- Location: new york
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
nice !!!
let your YES be YES and your NO be NO but plz no maybe
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
I am looking foward to seeing variant equipment.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
-
Sureshot
- Champion
- Posts: 2519
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2003 10:42 pm
- Comment: They Saved Sureshot's Brain!
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
as much as I like rifts i like this background better and would actually pay to see it in print as an actual book. As is though and without any editing.
If it's stupid and it works. It's not stupid
Palladium can't be given a free pass for criticism because people have a lot of emotion invested in it.
Pathfinder is good. It is not the second coming of D&D.
Surshot is absolutely right. (Kevin Seimbeda)
Enlightened Grognard
When I step out of line the mods do their jobs. I don't benefit from some sort of special protection.
Palladium can't be given a free pass for criticism because people have a lot of emotion invested in it.
Pathfinder is good. It is not the second coming of D&D.
Surshot is absolutely right. (Kevin Seimbeda)
Enlightened Grognard
When I step out of line the mods do their jobs. I don't benefit from some sort of special protection.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Sureshot wrote:as much as I like rifts i like this background better and would actually pay to see it in print as an actual book. As is though and without any editing.
Thanks, but I'm certain this does need lots of editing.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Altarain Syndicate continued
Altarains are haplodiploid (mostly female as in insects), eusocial, asexual, forming superorganisms and through both telepathy and cybernetics are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly without any fear of misinterpretation leading to the formation of a group mind. However they are not a hive mind as individuals may retain some individuality, however personalities are constantly being modified. The overall genetic matching of Altarains to humans is approximately 95% congruence. This is less than gorilla or chimpanzee to humans and is on the borderline of crossing what could be considered genus boundaries. Physically they are a variety of species, most born through cloning (both artificially and asexually) and bionics.
They are created in clone series, with very slight randomization for those of the same series. Names are a combination of letters and numbers with numbers increasing as the replacements of the clone series are made. Altarains typically don't use surnames, they identify themselves by occupation instead.
Each individual is selfless and altruistic, the perfect society of unselfish actors. They just don't feel this way towards non humans, not seeing them as evil but just neutral. Altarain psychology is based on genetically programmed instincts. Members define themselves as part of its collective and measure her own worth by what she adds to it. Altarains are taught to approach their areas of specialization with intense focus and harsh logic, driving their culture to suppress the value of emotion and avoid acting on hasty feelings such as anger, fear, and revenge. From this emotional coolness Altarain culture stresses individual responsibility and self-discipline. Their society is a unified caste system working towards common goals.
The Altarains can be broken into three main categories. The first and most numerous are drone like beings that have no free will and mental abilities ranging from trained animals to human level intelligence. These beings act under direct control of the second category. The second make up the relay nervous system of the race and directly control the first category (Brain and Runner). Third are independent beings that are self controlled and have a great amount of independence (Oracle, Overlord). These beings direct and coordinate action and information.
In the Instrumentality’s system only the second and third type qualifies as true humans with the drones being equivalent to serfs, though local law is particularly protective of these serfs. These ‘true humans’ may fulfill their duty to the instrumentality, and gain leadership positions, through transferring their intelligence to cyborg bodies. Most all Overlords will do this, with Runners having the same ratio as other humans, the occasional Oracle, and the very rare Brain.
Altarains are haplodiploid (mostly female as in insects), eusocial, asexual, forming superorganisms and through both telepathy and cybernetics are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly without any fear of misinterpretation leading to the formation of a group mind. However they are not a hive mind as individuals may retain some individuality, however personalities are constantly being modified. The overall genetic matching of Altarains to humans is approximately 95% congruence. This is less than gorilla or chimpanzee to humans and is on the borderline of crossing what could be considered genus boundaries. Physically they are a variety of species, most born through cloning (both artificially and asexually) and bionics.
They are created in clone series, with very slight randomization for those of the same series. Names are a combination of letters and numbers with numbers increasing as the replacements of the clone series are made. Altarains typically don't use surnames, they identify themselves by occupation instead.
Each individual is selfless and altruistic, the perfect society of unselfish actors. They just don't feel this way towards non humans, not seeing them as evil but just neutral. Altarain psychology is based on genetically programmed instincts. Members define themselves as part of its collective and measure her own worth by what she adds to it. Altarains are taught to approach their areas of specialization with intense focus and harsh logic, driving their culture to suppress the value of emotion and avoid acting on hasty feelings such as anger, fear, and revenge. From this emotional coolness Altarain culture stresses individual responsibility and self-discipline. Their society is a unified caste system working towards common goals.
The Altarains can be broken into three main categories. The first and most numerous are drone like beings that have no free will and mental abilities ranging from trained animals to human level intelligence. These beings act under direct control of the second category. The second make up the relay nervous system of the race and directly control the first category (Brain and Runner). Third are independent beings that are self controlled and have a great amount of independence (Oracle, Overlord). These beings direct and coordinate action and information.
In the Instrumentality’s system only the second and third type qualifies as true humans with the drones being equivalent to serfs, though local law is particularly protective of these serfs. These ‘true humans’ may fulfill their duty to the instrumentality, and gain leadership positions, through transferring their intelligence to cyborg bodies. Most all Overlords will do this, with Runners having the same ratio as other humans, the occasional Oracle, and the very rare Brain.
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
The following are used for the various ecological positions in the Altarain Syndicate.
Overlord (new style, Has telepathic communication of Invid Regent, but only with other Altarians.) .5%
Oracle (new style, Has telepathic communication of Invid brains, but only with other Altarians.) 1%
Brain 6% (new style, use various Death’s Head transports when appropriate in combat condtions. Has telepathic communication of Invid brains, but only with other Altarians.)
Runner 14%(new style, use various Enforcer robots when appropriate in combat condtions. Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Mantis 18% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Octopus 20% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Other work drones 7.5% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Other (Mutant Animals, Stalkers, visitors, etc…) 4%
Altarain Warrior Women (traditionally used as the fighting forces. In modern times they have been supplementing these by creating Dog Boys and have been employing Traditionalist Psi Stalkers. They use the same equipment as Instrumentality humans. Can take appropriate skills needed to pilot robots/vehicles. Can take OCCs of mutant animals and human/mutant animals. Higher ranking AWWs can be partial or full conversion borgs without psionic penalties; these will switch their OCC to that of the Free Quebec Cyborg Solider using the Imprimer, Dervish, Slasher, Leviathan. When serving in the Instrumentality's forces they will use their standard A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1) bodies. Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians. ) 30%
Only magic OCC allowed is Techno Wizard, only by Overlord, Oracle and Runner.
May have any TW bionics and items.
May have any bionics.
Have capabilities of Gene Splicers
Their military and police forces are those of the Instrumentality and local forces use same equipment as Instrumentality.
They have developed armor that is usable by Mages and Psionics. Is currently only available to the Intelligence Agency units due to high cost. Half of the pilots are Psi Warriors that have been created as part of the physical security arm of the Intelligence Agency. The rest of pilots are drawn from Vanguard and Psi Battalion branches of the Intelligence Agency and form security teams together. Has PPE power system replacement that can be recharged for 50 PPE for body armor and 150 PPE for robotic armors. Also have the following systems (from Psi Scape and cost half in PPE as listed in ISP, the same as all TW items.) CS Psionic Weapons Gauntlet ( for robotic armors all users use rules equal to that of mind melter/psi slayer), CS Psi Scanner, SC Psi Tracker.
All equipment comes with Army, Navy, Spacy packs. They have full performance in their designed environment and underwater performance otherwise. Armor and vehicles that can not fly will have small maneuvering thrusters to keep them ‘down’.
All armor and vehicles have S.N.A.R.L.S. system from Rifts Japan.
All vehicles have force field from triax.
Rail Guns use U-rounds from Rifts Triax.
Free Quebec Body Armor. For this armor use the statistics of the NG-EX10 in addition to the features of the FQBA and has sensors and physical enhancements (when battery is not fully charged, and use of battery is selectable) of CA-6 armor. Equipped with jump pack. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Chameleon Cloaking System, Sound Cloaking System.
QPA-201 Power Trooper. Has double MDC. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Super Stealth Mode, Ley Line Booster, Energy Disruptor, Mystic Alarm. Has golem like computer that pilots itself equal to PA Basic and a pilot improves this to PA Elite.
Violator SAMAS. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Super Stealth Mode, Ley Line Booster, Energy Disruptor, Mystic Alarm. Has golem like computer that pilots itself equal to PA Basic and a pilot improves this to PA Elite.
Overlord (new style, Has telepathic communication of Invid Regent, but only with other Altarians.) .5%
Oracle (new style, Has telepathic communication of Invid brains, but only with other Altarians.) 1%
Brain 6% (new style, use various Death’s Head transports when appropriate in combat condtions. Has telepathic communication of Invid brains, but only with other Altarians.)
Runner 14%(new style, use various Enforcer robots when appropriate in combat condtions. Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Mantis 18% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Octopus 20% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Other work drones 7.5% (Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians.)
Other (Mutant Animals, Stalkers, visitors, etc…) 4%
Altarain Warrior Women (traditionally used as the fighting forces. In modern times they have been supplementing these by creating Dog Boys and have been employing Traditionalist Psi Stalkers. They use the same equipment as Instrumentality humans. Can take appropriate skills needed to pilot robots/vehicles. Can take OCCs of mutant animals and human/mutant animals. Higher ranking AWWs can be partial or full conversion borgs without psionic penalties; these will switch their OCC to that of the Free Quebec Cyborg Solider using the Imprimer, Dervish, Slasher, Leviathan. When serving in the Instrumentality's forces they will use their standard A-63 All Purpose Robot (SB1) bodies. Has telepathic communication of basic Invid, but only with other Altarians. ) 30%
Only magic OCC allowed is Techno Wizard, only by Overlord, Oracle and Runner.
May have any TW bionics and items.
May have any bionics.
Have capabilities of Gene Splicers
Their military and police forces are those of the Instrumentality and local forces use same equipment as Instrumentality.
They have developed armor that is usable by Mages and Psionics. Is currently only available to the Intelligence Agency units due to high cost. Half of the pilots are Psi Warriors that have been created as part of the physical security arm of the Intelligence Agency. The rest of pilots are drawn from Vanguard and Psi Battalion branches of the Intelligence Agency and form security teams together. Has PPE power system replacement that can be recharged for 50 PPE for body armor and 150 PPE for robotic armors. Also have the following systems (from Psi Scape and cost half in PPE as listed in ISP, the same as all TW items.) CS Psionic Weapons Gauntlet ( for robotic armors all users use rules equal to that of mind melter/psi slayer), CS Psi Scanner, SC Psi Tracker.
All equipment comes with Army, Navy, Spacy packs. They have full performance in their designed environment and underwater performance otherwise. Armor and vehicles that can not fly will have small maneuvering thrusters to keep them ‘down’.
All armor and vehicles have S.N.A.R.L.S. system from Rifts Japan.
All vehicles have force field from triax.
Rail Guns use U-rounds from Rifts Triax.
Free Quebec Body Armor. For this armor use the statistics of the NG-EX10 in addition to the features of the FQBA and has sensors and physical enhancements (when battery is not fully charged, and use of battery is selectable) of CA-6 armor. Equipped with jump pack. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Chameleon Cloaking System, Sound Cloaking System.
QPA-201 Power Trooper. Has double MDC. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Super Stealth Mode, Ley Line Booster, Energy Disruptor, Mystic Alarm. Has golem like computer that pilots itself equal to PA Basic and a pilot improves this to PA Elite.
Violator SAMAS. Has the following TW features; Impervious to Energy, Protective Energy Field, Super Stealth Mode, Ley Line Booster, Energy Disruptor, Mystic Alarm. Has golem like computer that pilots itself equal to PA Basic and a pilot improves this to PA Elite.
Last edited by Avenger on Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Oh, also updated some of the information/equipment earlier in the thread.
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Nice update. Thank you for the updated equipment list. I like it. I am looking forward to more on this thread.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Notes on the Intelligence Agency
The secret agents and cloak and dagger stuff are but one subset of this organization. Other divisions include a full-blown paramilitary division to keep the regular army in check and act as a regime protection force, a political and administrative division, a propaganda division, an R&D division, you name it. The Intelligence Agency has been called a "state within a state", they have not only had their own military, they have their own schools, clubs, youth groups, medical corps, science corps, and even their own courts. They are geared towards being an elite society within but apart from the rest of the Instrumentality, one that would need as little contact as possible with outsiders. If a member of your family is in the Intelligence Agency, then you basically move into a completely different social circle.
The secret agents and cloak and dagger stuff are but one subset of this organization. Other divisions include a full-blown paramilitary division to keep the regular army in check and act as a regime protection force, a political and administrative division, a propaganda division, an R&D division, you name it. The Intelligence Agency has been called a "state within a state", they have not only had their own military, they have their own schools, clubs, youth groups, medical corps, science corps, and even their own courts. They are geared towards being an elite society within but apart from the rest of the Instrumentality, one that would need as little contact as possible with outsiders. If a member of your family is in the Intelligence Agency, then you basically move into a completely different social circle.
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Is that the new addition Just checking.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
International Relations
Unificationism is by its nature an international movement that rejects the fostering and nurturing of individual national identities. In the face of otherworldly sentient beings that humanity has no country. The central policy of when dealing with other human nations is that that Unificationist parties should be established to aid the creation of an international republic as a transition stage to the complete abolition of the state.
The struggle between humans and non humans is portrayed as one of biological imperative, not political choice. However a number of species are respected allies of humanity. The Instrumentality is only at war with those that pose an existential threat to humanity.
Instrumentality civilization is highly collectivist in nature, and that all shall benefit from this collectively. This, at times, applies to other species that the Instrumentality will conquer and subjugate. For species that this does not apply to the best benefit is to simply exterminate. The philosophy leads the Instrumentality to both desire to expand their empire for the benefit of humanity and to absorb other intelligent races and their cultures, as long as they are compatible.
Unificationism tends to support social policy positions which are regarded as conservative or right-wing. However, these policy positions are conservative in a sense of the term: they are considered the right policies because they are consistent with human biology, rather than because of any pre-existing universal morals. Indeed morals that "pre-exists" inside an individual's mind independently of said individual's biology is a ridiculous notion, as they believe individuals are 'socially constructed' by their biology, and experiences. Ethical relativism (i.e. what is good for Species X is not necessarily good for Species Y) is a thus logical consequence.
The Instrumentality views itself as a human organism; other entities are symbiotes, hosts, prey, competitors, parasites, or predators.
In most cases alien cultures will be adapted to service the Instrumentality. The Instrumentality is mainly interested in taking the entire technological prowess that other species possesses, however the assimilation of their members is also a goal. It is often much easier to annihilate anyone resisting and then to use their genetic material for its evolutionary advantages. To avoid loss of resources on both sides the assimilation process is usually gradual with small cultural and genetic changes, making other entities part of the Instrumentality. There are very few friendly sentient beings that are friendly and the Instrumentality would reject any symbiotic relationship that may make it less human. Reverse assimilation of ideas is acceptable, as long as it is controlled. Sometimes, if there is a great benefit, instead of going out to aggressively incorporate other peoples citizens of other nations are invited and encouraged to add their culture to the instrumentalities.
The nature of the relationship with aliens depends on the species in question. Some are almost full allies, to mercenary armies and trade partners that aid in the umbrella of protection the Instrumentality provides, to glorified slaves. Still, the fact that the Instrumentality wants to co-exist with other races in the short term, even if they are subjugated, makes them far more tolerant than other races.
Instrumentality diplomats often urge enemy leaders to stop resisting the Instrumentality since they will be allowed to retain their own individual faiths and philosophical beliefs as long as they are compatible with that of the Instrumentality. The Instrumentality believes in imposing their culture on species they annex. While not actually racist in the traditional sense (of actually hating others races/species), the Instrumentality is capable of chauvinism. They apparently teach their subjects the superiority of the Instrumentality culture, and encourage their vanquished subjects to be "grateful" that the Instrumentality stopped wars and infighting. However to truly integrate a species the instrumentality believes this can only truly be done by altering a specie’s biology. This could be altering it to be more similar to human or at least (and sometimes preferably) more complementary to it, similar to domesticating terrestrial animals.
Unificationism is by its nature an international movement that rejects the fostering and nurturing of individual national identities. In the face of otherworldly sentient beings that humanity has no country. The central policy of when dealing with other human nations is that that Unificationist parties should be established to aid the creation of an international republic as a transition stage to the complete abolition of the state.
The struggle between humans and non humans is portrayed as one of biological imperative, not political choice. However a number of species are respected allies of humanity. The Instrumentality is only at war with those that pose an existential threat to humanity.
Instrumentality civilization is highly collectivist in nature, and that all shall benefit from this collectively. This, at times, applies to other species that the Instrumentality will conquer and subjugate. For species that this does not apply to the best benefit is to simply exterminate. The philosophy leads the Instrumentality to both desire to expand their empire for the benefit of humanity and to absorb other intelligent races and their cultures, as long as they are compatible.
Unificationism tends to support social policy positions which are regarded as conservative or right-wing. However, these policy positions are conservative in a sense of the term: they are considered the right policies because they are consistent with human biology, rather than because of any pre-existing universal morals. Indeed morals that "pre-exists" inside an individual's mind independently of said individual's biology is a ridiculous notion, as they believe individuals are 'socially constructed' by their biology, and experiences. Ethical relativism (i.e. what is good for Species X is not necessarily good for Species Y) is a thus logical consequence.
The Instrumentality views itself as a human organism; other entities are symbiotes, hosts, prey, competitors, parasites, or predators.
In most cases alien cultures will be adapted to service the Instrumentality. The Instrumentality is mainly interested in taking the entire technological prowess that other species possesses, however the assimilation of their members is also a goal. It is often much easier to annihilate anyone resisting and then to use their genetic material for its evolutionary advantages. To avoid loss of resources on both sides the assimilation process is usually gradual with small cultural and genetic changes, making other entities part of the Instrumentality. There are very few friendly sentient beings that are friendly and the Instrumentality would reject any symbiotic relationship that may make it less human. Reverse assimilation of ideas is acceptable, as long as it is controlled. Sometimes, if there is a great benefit, instead of going out to aggressively incorporate other peoples citizens of other nations are invited and encouraged to add their culture to the instrumentalities.
The nature of the relationship with aliens depends on the species in question. Some are almost full allies, to mercenary armies and trade partners that aid in the umbrella of protection the Instrumentality provides, to glorified slaves. Still, the fact that the Instrumentality wants to co-exist with other races in the short term, even if they are subjugated, makes them far more tolerant than other races.
Instrumentality diplomats often urge enemy leaders to stop resisting the Instrumentality since they will be allowed to retain their own individual faiths and philosophical beliefs as long as they are compatible with that of the Instrumentality. The Instrumentality believes in imposing their culture on species they annex. While not actually racist in the traditional sense (of actually hating others races/species), the Instrumentality is capable of chauvinism. They apparently teach their subjects the superiority of the Instrumentality culture, and encourage their vanquished subjects to be "grateful" that the Instrumentality stopped wars and infighting. However to truly integrate a species the instrumentality believes this can only truly be done by altering a specie’s biology. This could be altering it to be more similar to human or at least (and sometimes preferably) more complementary to it, similar to domesticating terrestrial animals.
Last edited by Avenger on Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:57 pm, edited 5 times in total.
-
Aramanthus
- Monk
- Posts: 18712
- Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
- Location: Racine, WI
Re: Alternate world CS, Instrumentality of Mankind
Veery nice. I like this new addition. Please keep it coming.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE
"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."
"As you will it, your Grace."
HH....FIE