by Liam Devlin
Dowson (0304) B355331-A Ni 403 Na M1V M0D
Dowson had been an "non-industrial" planet before the war, having profitable
lanthanum deposits, radioactive ores, and other rare earths. It was balkanized
along corporate lines with separate governments formed from Ling Standard
Products and Sternmetal Horizons, as well as Vilani Corporations, like Naasirka
& Makhidakhrun. The War reduced the system's ability to produce starships
(never anything larger than 600 dtons), but the "countries" remained fairly
cooperative, managing a TL-13 economy & infrastructure, selling Space Ftrs
and SDB's(TL-13) to anyone willing to pay for them. Unfortunately, the high
level of automation meant a vast amount of infected systems and destruction when
AI Virus arrived in 1129, courtesy of Dulinor's remaining Coronation Fleet
elements running amok on their way back to Ilelish.
Dowson in the New Era has only a fraction of its former six-million inhabitants,
barely forty-four hundred dwell there today, but their diversity of old has
forged a new coalition of survivors, including the AI Virus running the
Starport, Shipyard, and planetary defenses. Dowson's humans represent only ten
percent of the total population, some 40,000 self-aware robots, numerous robotic
vehicles, & the major data systems are also part of this "new Society", and
actively participate in local politics (Think like the Vampire Fleets
(GDW) planet Promise, only organized in a Representative Democracy).
Unlike other planets where Virus has enslaved the organic population, the humans
here and the "Congress of Sentients" get along well. Most of the Humans are
descended from the Starport Technicians/Mechanics & Fusion/Gas & Water
Maintenance unions. The Congress of Sentients realized early on, after the last
of the Suiciders died off, that without power of any sort, their minions would
run down and leave them prey to vengeful humans with tools that could dismantle
them at ease.
The Technicians & Repair men's union's bargained hard for a peaceful
coexistence and a voice in planetary affairs, as far as the Starport &
remaining fusion power plants were concerned, leaving matters of defense up
to the Sentient Congress. They were aided in their quest by the 3 benevolent
Hobbyist-Strains (Power Plants number 02, 03 & 09, or "Popa's-2, -3, &
-9") & the worshipful (of humaniti anyways) Prophet-Strain run Starport
Light/Gas & Water data system "St'LiGaWer" & the Naturalist-strain run
INSAT data system, "Horizon-Net". The latter swayed the less friendly data
systems of "PADCom" (God-strain/Warlike/Brave), "LiSP"
(God-strain/Wise/Ruthless), "Naasirkan" (Parent-strain/Loving/Honorable),
"DownPort" (Alliance builder-Strain/Charismatic/Just).
The humans have harnessed local fauna for agriculture use, as it is considered a
crime to harness a machine for such menial duty, using something akin to a
terran oxen (genetically engineered for the thin atmosphere) for plow animals,
called Gruuts. The Farming class of humans have no votes and exist at late TL-4
standards, only those who have Hi-tech jobs have suffrage (about 2200 of them).
| Military Strength | 12,000 robotic forms/ 1,400 humans |
| Wet Navy (5%) | 501 robots + 169 humans (1 Small combatant, an automated PADM submersible, w/ 4 launchers). |
| ACC (20% x 1.5) | 3,609 sentient robots, 9 AI-robotic AFVs, & 402 humans (36 Automated CAC [3 TL-15,9 TL-13, 24 TL-10 piloted by robots]), and 12 PAD batteries (1 Meson Gun-14's, 3 TL-13 PAD batteries, 8 TL-10 batteries -- 4 launchers each). |
| Ground Forces | 7,398 robotic forms (246 AFV's + 7,152 security bots into 14 BE's) & 977 humans (9 companies of 108 personnel) |
| Space Force (8% x .5) | 481 sentient robots, 2 AI robotic AFV's (TL-13, 600dtons, 5G's) Drakaran SDB's, and 53 humans. |
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Government | Representative Democracy |
| Talent | High |
| Corruption | Low |
| Cruelty | Low |
| Aggression | Medium |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Medium |
| Administration | High |
| Intrigue | High |
| Diplomacy | |
| Military Strategies | High |
| Military Tactics | Low |
| Leadership | High |
Hione (0402) C756422-B Ni 600 Na K2V:
Hione's C-class port and 60,000 inhabitants are the survivors of the former
naval base support personnel. Lying two parsecs coreward from Dowson,
they have been spared Vampire ship raiders simply by the lack of a gas giant
in system. They also have formidable defenses left to them by their forebears.
The port welcomes Free traders as well as Guild ships, provided no one starts
trouble. The Hionians believe anyone starting "trouble" will find they have the
means to finish it.
| Military Strength | 15,000 |
| Wet Navy (6%) | 900 personnel (2 SC's) |
| ACC (20% x 1.5) | 4,500 personnel (11 CAC [1 TL-15 Spacehawk Ftr, 3 TL-13 Kestrel class Interface Ftrs, 7 Termagant class Ftrs] & 5 AD batteries [1 meson gun (TL-15), 2 batteries TL-13 PADMs, 2 TL-11 PADMs]). |
| Ground Forces | 8,500 personnel (17 BE's [2 TL-15, 6 TL-13, 9 TL-11]) |
| Space Force (6%) | 1,000 personnel (4 SC's, [1 TL-15 Persistence class SDB, 2 TL-13 Drakaran class SDB, 1 500dton Highlander class merchant (J-2/1G)]). |
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Government | Participating Democracy |
| Talent | High |
| Corruption | Medium |
| Cruelty | Low |
| Aggression | Medium |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Low |
| Administration | High |
| Intrigue | High |
| Diplomacy | |
| Military Strategies | Medium |
| Military Tactics | Medium |
| Leadership | Medium |
Ogien (0406) C68877A-8 904 Wi K7V:
Ogien's self-perpetuating oligarchy has evolved into a "techno-priest" mystic
dictatorship, although they have eschewed all automation and banned all robotic
technology that could be virally infected. The law level has decreased from
extreme High law(15) to Moderate High law (10) on this rich world. What the
Techno Priests do not know is that their leader, the Arch Vicar of
Knowledge, is a TL-16 Naasirka, LIC made pseudo-biological android named
"Stefan Stepanovich", who was employed at the Ogien capital Data library during
the war when his master "abandoned him".
Stefan is actually an Emperor Strephon double in android form. He was "cut
loose" in 1127 from Gushmege by the real Strephon. The vessel carrying him &
data on Jumpstart locations was attacked and Stefan downloaded the data within
himself to preserve it. He abandoned ship in a lifepod and landed here. Stefan
has succeeded his predecessor to the "throne" upon his death twelve years ago,
through election by the other data-Vicars.
Stefan has advanced anti-viral technology, and has sent "missionaries" out via
free traders into the subsector. Their success at Jargo has raised that
planet's tech level & prosperity immensely, which is a source of pride for
the Arch Vicar. He is challenged however in the latent xeno- & technophobia
brought about by the first three Arch Vicars, and so has proceeded with caution.
| Military Strength (2.5%) | 2.25 million personnel (TL-8) |
| Wet Navy (8%) | 180,000 personnel (60 MC's, and 180 SCs). |
| ACC (20%) | 450,000 personnel (1,125 CAC, & 450 AD batteries) |
| Ground Forces | 1,552,500x personnel (77 DE's) |
| Space Force (6% x .5) | 67,500 personnel (22 MC's, 66 SC's [all non-jump]). |
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Government | Mystic Dictatorship |
| Talent | Medium |
| Corruption | Low |
| Cruelty | Medium |
| Aggression | Low |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Medium |
| Administration | High |
| Intrigue | Medium |
| Diplomacy | |
| Military Strategies | Low |
| Military Tactics | High |
| Leadership | Low |
Dugemaa (0503) E68599C-6 D:2 Hi B204 Wi K2V M0D:
Dugemaa's pre-stellar technology and lack of strategic importance kept it from
being targeted by either Lucan's or Dulinor's navies during the war. Virus, if
anything, made things a bit quieter around there. Besides Jargo (0708),
this is the only planet to have have had a population increase. But the Collapse
did bring about another problem the planet didn't have beforehand --
balkanization. No less than five "nations" now speckle the planet where there
had been only one. Each a mystic aAutocracy (2 Psionic Humaniti (Dugaa, &
Gudemaa), 2 Droyne Psionic states (Uyuyuss, & Oynoss), and 1 Techno-Priest
Religious Autocracy: "Gemaad").
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Nation | Gemaad | Uyuyuss | Dugaa | Gudemaa | Oynoss |
| Government | All are Mystic Autocracies | ||||
| Talent | High | High | Medium | Low | Low |
| Corruption | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Cruelty | Medium | Low | Low | High | High |
| Aggression | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Medium | High | Medium | High | Medium |
| Administration | High | High | High | Low | Low |
| Intrigue | High | High | High | Low | High |
| Military Strategies | Low | Low | Low | High | High |
| Military Tactics | Low | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
| Leadership | Medium | High | Medium | High | Low |
| Tech Level | All are 6 | ||||
| Starport | E | X | E | X | E |
| Population | 1 billion | 200 million | 300 million | 300 million | 200 million |