Alright, I should have posted this earlier, or hinted about it or something, but I've not used my blog in a while. So here goes.
I'm adapting the rules present in Tales of Future Past and making it a Space Western. Why? Because I love them and I wanted one in my life. I'll be writing rules, clarifications, narrowing it down, etc., in due time. Check here for updates. They will be sporadic at best.
Right now, here's a quick overview of the setting. Enjoy.
By the mid-2400s, most of Earth's natural resources were gone. Forests had been reduced to nothingness, oceans running, once-fertile land fallow and dry. Humanity had gone beyond it's means. Humans don't give up that easily, and technology was sufficiently advanced that terraforming was a possibility. This technology was not feasible on a Terra-sized planet, and so a sequence of probes was sent out to scan for planets of an acceptable size using current technology. These planets, about the size of a large country in total landmass, would be settled by a colony from Earth. Over 2000 planets returned a result, small planets and moons, the systems within feasible traveling distance of Earth. Though light-speed travel is impossible, with the technology present, the first ships could reach the first planets in 60 years, if all went well. The transports were built, as big as cities, or countries, and on March 14th, 2441, the first 10,000 ships sent out, carrying approximately 1,000,000,000 people in total. This day would be known as Expedition Day, and is recognized galaxy-wide. 9 more fleets went out, once every year on the same day, and on March 14 2450, the last humans left Earth.
The first ships landed in 2521 on 117 planets in Ain System. Most of the first ships had been destroyed, or otherwise been removed from service, and only 800 ships made it to their destinations. This was the average along the 9 other systems (Bie, Kae, Die, Fie, Vie, Zie, Rie, Lei, and Iei), and while the lost ships were mourned, the systems were terraformed. The terraforming process was a strange one, creating environments based on landmass and gravity, not on preference. Most planets came out relatively Earth-like, but there were some inconsistencies. The first terraformed planet was called Prime in the Ain system, and consisted mostly of raging ocean and mountains. One a side note, each planet first terraformed in a system is called Prime (system name), these planets together called the Prime Cluster. Other planets scattered among systems are endless deserts, perpetual tundra, and jagged mountain ranges. But this was not the worst of humanity's problems.
As the settling of Rie system began in 2631, some 67 planets were found settled. These places had survivable atmospheres, and were usually very Earth-like in their environments. Exploration teams were sent out from the smartest and most physically fit of the settlers, and 40 planets were examined. Every settled planet had 2 pre-existing species, with very little difference between planets. The first creatures found were dull, and seemed to be controlled remotely. After some probing, the exploration teams eventually found what seemed to be the brain behind the structures they'd seen on the planets. The creatures they met had cephalopodic features, and seemed confined to large machines that kept them alive. For years, these away teams were kept hostage on these worlds, studied by their captors. It seemed that while these creatures could not speak to the humans, they could somehow read their thoughts. By projecting thoughts and recieving them, a constant dialogue was reached: These creatures called themselves the Bruch, and ruled the dull creatures. They had been living in their palaces for generations, merely passing on their kingdom to the next in line. The slaves, they said, were only sentient under their sway. Without it, the generations of breeding mind-puppets had turned them into so much walking meat. The away teams requested a few of the slaves, and returned to their respective ships. Within days, a serum had been concocted to resist the mind-powers of the Bruch. When given to the slaves, they fell down, ceasing to breathe, and died in minutes. A council of the ships in the Rie system, communicating with the previously-established Prime Cluster, decided that death was better than enslavement. On the previously examined planets, the serum was spread through an airborne virus, killing the slave creatures on the planets. Most of the Bruch, with no one to tend to their live-giving machines, wasted away in days. On later expeditions to retrieve any surviving Bruch, sacs containing fist-sized eggs were found scattered throughout the palaces. These eggs produced squirming Bruch larvae, most of whom have sinced either reintegrated or passed on, leaving a young legacy on Earth worlds. The Bruch are considered second-class citizens at best, filthy mongrels at worst. However, the Bruch are contributing to the livelihood of all systems they occupy.
On the civilized worlds, order had to be established. Once colonized, a planet's government, economy, and general well-being was up to its citizens. The Prime Cluster held a series of meetings to discuss the well-being of the systems. The largest problem they discussed was simply that of sustainability. As Earth moved forward in technology, our lifestyle began to take more of a toll on the world around us. Rivers would run dry powering a single city. Smog filled the air above ports. The lifestyle of Earth in that day was too frivolous. While the Cluster realized that there were more Earths to drain, they did realize that these Earths were tiny, about the size of a country each. These Earths could last a few decades at the most, and that wouldn't do. To solve the problem, a new intersystemic bill was drawn: The Sustaining Charter. This charter ranked all current technology on how much environmental backlash it caused, and outlawed all tech above a certain level. Using Newtech, as it would be called, would be punishable by imprisonment or death. Within decades of the Charter passing, societies regressed. Sprawling metropolises became sparse frontier towns. Space trips between planets took days, intersystem trips took months or years. The hover car and fusion engine was replaced by a horse and buggy, or a motorcycle. Life became simpler, quiter. The Sustaining Charter had worked, or so it seemed. Unrest is starting to form in the colonies. Who knows where it might lead?
The year is 2750 CE. Humans inhabit 10 star systems, aliens walk among us, and most everyone lives in the New Old West. What sotries will you tell, in the Future Past?
Send me a reply on Twitter? Let me know what you think. OR, send me an email (fetfet50@gmail.com) or DM if you want in on this.
I'm adapting the rules present in Tales of Future Past and making it a Space Western. Why? Because I love them and I wanted one in my life. I'll be writing rules, clarifications, narrowing it down, etc., in due time. Check here for updates. They will be sporadic at best.
Right now, here's a quick overview of the setting. Enjoy.
By the mid-2400s, most of Earth's natural resources were gone. Forests had been reduced to nothingness, oceans running, once-fertile land fallow and dry. Humanity had gone beyond it's means. Humans don't give up that easily, and technology was sufficiently advanced that terraforming was a possibility. This technology was not feasible on a Terra-sized planet, and so a sequence of probes was sent out to scan for planets of an acceptable size using current technology. These planets, about the size of a large country in total landmass, would be settled by a colony from Earth. Over 2000 planets returned a result, small planets and moons, the systems within feasible traveling distance of Earth. Though light-speed travel is impossible, with the technology present, the first ships could reach the first planets in 60 years, if all went well. The transports were built, as big as cities, or countries, and on March 14th, 2441, the first 10,000 ships sent out, carrying approximately 1,000,000,000 people in total. This day would be known as Expedition Day, and is recognized galaxy-wide. 9 more fleets went out, once every year on the same day, and on March 14 2450, the last humans left Earth.
The first ships landed in 2521 on 117 planets in Ain System. Most of the first ships had been destroyed, or otherwise been removed from service, and only 800 ships made it to their destinations. This was the average along the 9 other systems (Bie, Kae, Die, Fie, Vie, Zie, Rie, Lei, and Iei), and while the lost ships were mourned, the systems were terraformed. The terraforming process was a strange one, creating environments based on landmass and gravity, not on preference. Most planets came out relatively Earth-like, but there were some inconsistencies. The first terraformed planet was called Prime in the Ain system, and consisted mostly of raging ocean and mountains. One a side note, each planet first terraformed in a system is called Prime (system name), these planets together called the Prime Cluster. Other planets scattered among systems are endless deserts, perpetual tundra, and jagged mountain ranges. But this was not the worst of humanity's problems.
As the settling of Rie system began in 2631, some 67 planets were found settled. These places had survivable atmospheres, and were usually very Earth-like in their environments. Exploration teams were sent out from the smartest and most physically fit of the settlers, and 40 planets were examined. Every settled planet had 2 pre-existing species, with very little difference between planets. The first creatures found were dull, and seemed to be controlled remotely. After some probing, the exploration teams eventually found what seemed to be the brain behind the structures they'd seen on the planets. The creatures they met had cephalopodic features, and seemed confined to large machines that kept them alive. For years, these away teams were kept hostage on these worlds, studied by their captors. It seemed that while these creatures could not speak to the humans, they could somehow read their thoughts. By projecting thoughts and recieving them, a constant dialogue was reached: These creatures called themselves the Bruch, and ruled the dull creatures. They had been living in their palaces for generations, merely passing on their kingdom to the next in line. The slaves, they said, were only sentient under their sway. Without it, the generations of breeding mind-puppets had turned them into so much walking meat. The away teams requested a few of the slaves, and returned to their respective ships. Within days, a serum had been concocted to resist the mind-powers of the Bruch. When given to the slaves, they fell down, ceasing to breathe, and died in minutes. A council of the ships in the Rie system, communicating with the previously-established Prime Cluster, decided that death was better than enslavement. On the previously examined planets, the serum was spread through an airborne virus, killing the slave creatures on the planets. Most of the Bruch, with no one to tend to their live-giving machines, wasted away in days. On later expeditions to retrieve any surviving Bruch, sacs containing fist-sized eggs were found scattered throughout the palaces. These eggs produced squirming Bruch larvae, most of whom have sinced either reintegrated or passed on, leaving a young legacy on Earth worlds. The Bruch are considered second-class citizens at best, filthy mongrels at worst. However, the Bruch are contributing to the livelihood of all systems they occupy.
On the civilized worlds, order had to be established. Once colonized, a planet's government, economy, and general well-being was up to its citizens. The Prime Cluster held a series of meetings to discuss the well-being of the systems. The largest problem they discussed was simply that of sustainability. As Earth moved forward in technology, our lifestyle began to take more of a toll on the world around us. Rivers would run dry powering a single city. Smog filled the air above ports. The lifestyle of Earth in that day was too frivolous. While the Cluster realized that there were more Earths to drain, they did realize that these Earths were tiny, about the size of a country each. These Earths could last a few decades at the most, and that wouldn't do. To solve the problem, a new intersystemic bill was drawn: The Sustaining Charter. This charter ranked all current technology on how much environmental backlash it caused, and outlawed all tech above a certain level. Using Newtech, as it would be called, would be punishable by imprisonment or death. Within decades of the Charter passing, societies regressed. Sprawling metropolises became sparse frontier towns. Space trips between planets took days, intersystem trips took months or years. The hover car and fusion engine was replaced by a horse and buggy, or a motorcycle. Life became simpler, quiter. The Sustaining Charter had worked, or so it seemed. Unrest is starting to form in the colonies. Who knows where it might lead?
The year is 2750 CE. Humans inhabit 10 star systems, aliens walk among us, and most everyone lives in the New Old West. What sotries will you tell, in the Future Past?
Send me a reply on Twitter? Let me know what you think. OR, send me an email (fetfet50@gmail.com) or DM if you want in on this.
