by Liam Devlin
Savon (2216): This world, along with Goroth (2217)
and De Ellerton (2318), formed a small polity in 1125. The polity
collapsed in late 1129 in economic wrangling over food production demands and
high tech trade inequities. De Ellerton's people perished in the Collapse, and
the lesson of intolerance was learned the hard way by the Savonese.
The current ruling nobility greeted the 1143 Vampire fleets as saviours, not
destroyers. They have courted the Cerberus Pack's favor since, and enjoy cordial
relations. They offer minor repairs and salvaged parts instead of humans for
"crews". Cerberus-Prime has dispatched his allies from Goroth here, to keep the
passage safe, and warring Vampires out. There are no less than two Vampire SDB's
per gas giant to keep watch. They occasionally put into port for repairs
themselves. These are Drakaran class boats (TL-13/11, 600dtns, 5G). Each
has boarding crew of "The Chosen", as the Savonese call the humans who serve
aboard them, from Goroth. The Savonese themselves have barely 20,000 men in
their armed services, and these are all policemen.
Lying in the habitable 8th orbit, Savon's nearest gas giant lies at orbit 11
(LGG, 3 rings, & seven moons). The other three are at orbit 13 (LGG, 1 ring,
& six moons), orbit 14 (LGG, 2 rings, 1 small moon), and orbit 17 (LGG, 3
rings, five moons).
Goroth (2217): This was a reserve Naval base, the one from which the Old
Expanses fleets, summoned by Lucan, launched their 1118 drive to liberate and
lift the siege of Depot/Boynton from. In the
withdrawal back to Core, it was deemed unessential to Black War strike, being
only a B-class facility.
In 1125 it opened talks that led to the formation of a polity with
Savon and De Ellerton for their mutual defense and
trade. De Ellerton had lost her Naval base to Dulinor's forces early in the war,
but had managed to only decline slightly as Hard Times set in. The collapse of
the polity was a result of the food compensation demands of the weak sister of
the three, Savon, who felt cheated in the deal and witheld her support and food
shipments stubbronly. Goroth was about to intervene militarily on behalf of De
Ellerton when the Collapse struck. Goroth's personnel managed to stave off total
loss of their orbital port and naval base, but De Ellerton perished utterly.
They were surprised by the size of the Cerberus Pack fleet in 1143, and greeted
them like long lost brothers, until they discovered who and what they were.
Goroth's TL-13 relic fleet lost the lopsided battle and was absorbed by the
Pack. Cerberus' ally was created from this, and named "Prometheus", after the
immortal who stole fire and gave it to man in ancient Greek mythology.
Prometheus, however, is unlike the Pack's more aggressive anti-organic members.
Prometheus is a "Captain" strain puppeteer, and wants the best crews for his
ships. Prometheus demands rigorous training for his ships/bodies, and the Goroth
Navy strives to do just that. Unlike Savon which utterly caved to the Pack's
ships, the Goroth folk serve willingly to what was, after all, their fleet.
Parts of Prometheus guard the Savon system's gas giants (eight SDB's).
As Goroth is necessary to its maintenace, Prometheus allows his biologics free
rein on their own governance. His ships, however, have suffered for a lack of
parts. Most are only capable of J-1, so he is "confined" to the main here. His
fleet consists of 4 major combatants and 9 Smaller ones (not including the 8
SDBs dispatched to Savon). The largest of these, a Crusader class CA
(TL-13/10, 50ktn, J-1*/5G), two Talos class EDs (TL-14/10, 10ktns,
J-1*/5G), and a Fleet Tender (TL-13, 500ktns, J-1*/3G). 3 Hawker class
patrol Frigates (TL-13, 990dtns, J-1*/4G), and six armed merchant craft of 600
dtns each (J-1*/1G).
Current clack: Of the three Vampire client states, this one is the most
progressive towards organics, allowing them to sustain and maintain their
planetary tech of TL-10. What will happen when the Prometheus Fleet is repaired
fully, and able to leave the main to conduct whatever instructions from
Cerberus' master(s) in Core, remains to be seen.
Sorsha (2313): This world has survived the Collapse and actually seen a
small increase in her population. Infrequent visits from brave free traders out
of Libuka into the Jhena-Gowerd Main have made her a
stopover before moving rimwards towards Ashida (2415). The
Planetary Bureau D'Affaires government collapsed in the chaos of the AI-Virus,
but a military coup saved the world from its rigid slow responses. Since then
the world has seen some prosperity and even more personal freedoms (see law
level decrease). Today, the heir apparent of the 1131 coup, General Leoneev
Herschaim, leads his world into the New Era. But as with most dictatorships, it
is hampered by cronyism and corruption.
Sorsha sits in the 3rd orbit with two moons. The nearest of three gas giants
sits in orbit 2 (SGG, 1 ring, & three small moons). The next lies at orbit 7
(SGG, three small moons). The far gas giant is at orbit 9 (LGG, three rings,
& four moons). Orbits 0, 6, & 8 are empty. The Sorsha system has a
captured planet, at orbit 4.6. This world, and the one at orbit 4, are
marginally habitable (Y-743000--0 & Y-542000-0). The huge planet at orbit 5
(Y-9B9000-0) is likewise uninhabited.
| Armed Forces (25%) | 50,000 personnel |
| Wet Navy (4%) | 250 personnel (1 SC) |
| ACC/SAD (20%) | 10,000 personnel (25 CAC arranged in 5 squadrons & 10 PAD batteries [4 launchers each] organized as two regiments.) |
| Ground Forces | 39,500 personnel organized into 10 brigades (1 at TL-10 (armored & TL-7 small arms equipped/experienced). The remaining at TL-7/Trained). |
| Space Forces (4%) | 250 personnel (1 SC, an armed Far Ranger class Slow Liner [TL-8, 400dtns, 1G] with 2 Little Renegade class Space planes [20 dtns each, TL-8]. This vessel is armed with two TL-9 Laser turrets, and two TL-7 missile turrets. The SNS Gypsy Moth is the last of 4 such STL ships Sorsha possessed at the collapse. The remaining 3 are utilized as spare parts.) |
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Government | Charismatic Dictatorship |
| Talent | High |
| Corruption | High |
| Cruelty | Medium |
| Aggression | Low |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Low |
| Administration | Medium |
| Intrigue | Medium |
| Diplomacy | High |
| Military Strategy | High |
| Military Tactics | Medium |
| Leadership | Low |
Current clack: Sorsha has been warned of the Vampire fleet traffic to
rimward by Free Traders and Guildsmen from Libuka subsector. General Herschaim's
armed forces are concerned how to prepare for an eventual raid, but have not
yet informed the public of this imminent threat for fear of causing a panic.
Ashida (2415): Ashida was a non-industrial, agricultural (Aquacultural
actually) world in pre-war days, and remains so today. It's a small
"breadbasket" world for the higher populated worlds of the Jhena-Gowerd main.
Ashida's democracy ended with the advent of Virus. The military and powerful
business interests joined hands in a repressive manner, staving off the Collapse
effects for a time, holding on by fingernails to TL-8. The orbital port was
abandoned and the starport declined from D-class to E-class in 1150. The threat
of Vampires has increased (due to the Cerberus Pack's raids for ships and relic
technology through the subsector) and trade is drying up. Ashida today is barely
maintaining its current level of technology, thanks in part to two brave free
traders that venture beyond Sorsha to here. The Vilani ideals of
obedience to elders, and conformity to traditions runs throughout the regime,
despite being "abandoned" by Makhidkarun LIC in 1119-20.
This tiny world resides in orbit 0 around its K3V primary. The K1V companion
star resides at orbit 6. Her two gas giants reside at orbit 4 (SGG, 3 rings, 3
moons) and orbit 11 (SGG, 2 moons). Her one planetoid belt rests in the 2nd
orbit. Orbits 3, 5, & 7 are empty.
| Armed Forces (25%) | 125,000 personnel |
| Wet Navy | 73,750 personnel (24 MC's & 75 SC's, built at TL8, now sustained at TL7.) |
| ACC/SAD (20%) | 25,000 personnel (62 CAC [6 at TL9, 18 at TL8, 38 at TL7] & 25 PAD batteries [4 launchers each. 2 at TL9, 6 at TL8, 17 at TL7]) |
| Ground Forces (20%) | 25,000 personnel (10 brigades [1 at TL9, 3 at TL8, 6 at TL7]). |
| Space Forces (2% x .5) | 1,250 personnel (5 SC's with 250 personnel each. These being 2 armed (missiles only) Far Ranger STL's (TL-8/7, 400dtns, 1G) with 2 Tourbillon Space planes (TL-7, 20dtns), 2 armed Aries* class Slow Merchants (TL-8/7, 200dtns, 1G) with one Little Renegade space plane (TL-8/7, 20dtns) each, and one armed (missiles) Roughneck class Frontier Fuel harvester (TL-8/7, 220dtns, 1G). |
* These two ships now conform to the Danson-class TL-7 slow merchant ship of MT
(RS Dean list) thanks to technological downgrading on planet.
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Government | Totalitarian Oligarchy |
| Talent | Medium |
| Corruption | Low |
| Cruelty | High |
| Aggression | High (Low to the two Free traders who still pay visits every three months or so) |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Medium (High towards vampire ships) |
| Administration | High |
| Intrigue | High |
| Diplomacy | Low |
| Military Strategy | Medium |
| Military Tactics | High |
| Leadership | Low |
Current clack: The Vilani regime here is fresh out of ideas and is
steadily preparing for a Vampire raid of large proportions. Currently the
Cerberus pack has avoided the inner system, breezing through with wilderness
refuelling at the 11th orbit's GG. Ashida's General of Space Forces, Klaas
Gemiisha, has had his people establish a series of outposts, from orbital
Bulwark & Bastion class missile bases (not on line, unmanned
as yet. TL-8/7, 200dtn) for the planet's defense, to several watchposts in the
belt (orbit 2) and near gas giant (orbit 4). His request for trained "Space
missile troops" however, has fallen upon deaf ears in the halls of government.
Ashida does maintain a refuelling station (built at TL-8) around the 4th gas
giant for the FFH's, of which they only have one remaining. Should the Cerberus
Pack come here in force, the end is not in doubt, only how badly can they be
damaged before resistance on planet must ensue.
Custancia (2419): Custancia is the only T-prime world in the subsector
(though there are several of similar size, this is the only one with Terran
standard gravity, atmosphere, and hydrosphere ironically enough). It is also the
sole Hi-Pop world, (and that by default) in Jhena subsector in TNE.
Some 1.2 billion inhabitants reside here on 4 major continents, balkanized by
the Collapse as each struggled to maintain control over surviving technology.
Civil service bureaucracies predominate the planet, though almost as many are
TEDs and petty dictators. Technology is primarily at TL-7, mainly on the
smallest continent and nation-state of Custan. Many of the poorer nations have
slipped to as low as TL-5 or 6.
Custan maintains a D-class starport and what remains of a space force here,
defending the planet from visits from the Cerberus pack, even nations with which
it is not friendly to. The past 70 years have seen the Custan Federal Republic
slowly forge alliances with likeminded nations. Fortunately for Custancia,
enough relic technology remains to keep the Cerberus Pack's fleets at a
distance, for now.
Custancia resides in the habitable 8th orbit about her K5 III primary.
Custancia's gas giants lie at orbits 10 (SGG, no satellites), 11 (SGG, 2 moons),
14 (SGG 2 rings, & 2 moons), & 15 (SGG, no satellites).
Path of Tears Government Characteristics Table
| Nations | Custan | Brabeeri | Magellan | Corvine | Newbmark | Aashanti |
| Population (millions) | 300 | 200 | 83 | 85 | 80 | 80 |
| Government | CSB | CD | TO | CSB | CSB | TED |
| Talent | High | Medium | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Corruption | Low | Medium | High | Low | High | High |
| Cruelty | Low | High | High | Low | Low | High |
| Aggression | High | High | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Paranoia/Xenophobia | Low | High | High | Medium | Medium | High |
| Diplomacy | Medium | Medium | Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Intrigue | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
| Military Strategy | Medium | Low | High | Low | Low | Medium |
| Military Tactics | High | High | Low | Low | Medium | High |
| Leadership | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Tech Level | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
There are another 12 smaller states, whose average TL is 7. Six of these are CSB governed, the remaining states are governed by two TEDs, one mystic dictatorship, one self-perpetuating oligarchy, one charismatic dictator, and one participatory democracy.