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Options Add Contact Invite a friend Give Google Mail to: Send Invite 99 left Preview Invite > < ArchiveReport SpamDelete More Actions Refresh 1 - 12 of 12 Select: All, None, Read, Unread, Starred, Unstarred James Bowe › CURS CURS 24 hour - Information? - Hello all, I understand my last e-mail left several people off the e-mail list. I appologise for … 17:46 James, me, Douglas (4) › CURS GMs meeting? - Right, in leui of a better plan: GMs meeting: Date: Tomorrow (Thursday) Time: 7pm Place: My place … 16:26 James .. me, Douglas (61) » CURS Curs GMs? - Don't ask me. Ask my resident sound genius. Louise, You have itunes, and we have winamp … [banner.jpg] 09:42 James, me, Douglas (3) › CURS 24 Hour? - Yes, I think we want more potential people. Particular ones happy to arrive at 8am on the … 00:00 James Bowe › CURS State of the Hutt? - Guys, I'm afraid I've been hit by a rather nasty migrane, it ate the Sunday I meant to … 17 Jun Chloe Demir » BabyAiden You're invited to view my photos!? - you're invited to view my photos! Click to View My Album Aydin June 2008 52 photos Chloe says … 16 Jun Douglas, me (2) » CURS Crazy Eddie & Info Dumps? - Cool. It shall be so. 2008/6/15 Douglas Reay : > We've … 15 Jun James, Douglas, me (4) › CURS Re: Maps? - Vitenka's chase plot requires the players to be heading back through a linear system (that is … [map-key.txt,map10.jpg,map4.jpg] 14 Jun James Bowe › CURS CURS 24 Hour - 20 to 21st of June? - Hi all, On behalf of the 24 hour GMs I'd like to announce that the CURS 24 hour will be held … 11 Jun Douglas, me (8) » CURS Re: Douglas' House, 1pm? - Couldn't resist this one. Probably Eddie's favourite. On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 3:22 PM … [1-09 Confrontation.mp3,1-08 Come to Me.mp3,1-16 Red and Black.mp3,1-17 Do You Hear The People Sing_.mp3,1-16 Red and Black.mp3,1-15 Eddie.mp3] 9 Jun Douglas Reay » CURS Crazy Eddie? - music attached. First thought of "stars" but the others are nice too. resending in … [1-13 Stars.mp3] 9 Jun Douglas Reay » CURS Dark night of my soul? - Music attached [02 Dark Night of my Soul.mp3] 9 Jun Select: All, None, Read, Unread, Starred, Unstarred ArchiveReport SpamDelete More Actions Refresh 1 - 12 of 12 « Back to Inbox ArchiveReport SpamDelete More Actions ‹ Newer 8 of 12 Older › Re: Maps Inbox X CURS X Reply to all Forward Reply by chat Filter messages like this Print Add to Contacts list Delete this message Report phishing Report not phishing Show original Show in fixed width font Show in variable width font Message text garbled? Why is this spam/non-spam? James Bowe My time got eaten this week I fear. Make up your own star names, just don't u... 14 Jun (4 days ago) James BoweLoading... 14 Jun (4 days ago) James Bowe to Douglas, keeper, me show details 14 Jun (4 days ago) Reply My time got eaten this week I fear. Make up your own star names, just don't use existing ones. I figured 20 or so planets origionally known, another 20 to be revealed with the edges of maps being uncertain. An origional network of a few hundred stars hinted at but no way and I drawing all of those. Edith Douglas Reay wrote: Yay, how did the maps go? I didn't hear back about system names, so I waited. On Thu, Jun 12, 2008 at 1:55 AM, Douglas Reay wrote: You wrote on the Wiki: I can come up with these maps by the weekend.--Edith 23:48, 9 June 2008 (UTC) Brilliant. I'm really looking forward to seeing them. How are you doing the labelling of solar system names? Will it be easiest for me to make names up, or for me to wait until the map is ready and then grab the names from it? I'd also like to base my estimates of numbers of ships, star density, population, travel speed, etc from the map. (It makes a difference to the political makeup of the Phoenix Empire if it has 3 or 300 planets in it - though at the moment I was thinking of a geezer back near quadrant who claims to be an emperor, an organisation more like the united nations that solar systems who want a talking shop send representatives to, one or two nascent organisations that have taken on the flag of the new empire to give themselves legitimacy but who are not yet very strong or effective, and some pretty damn strong guilds and cartels and financial markets who in specialized areas are very powerful), a few mini multi solar systems alliances (2-5 solarsystems), and some rough groupings, such as "core planets that have been reconnected for 200 years or more" vs "fringe planets who only reconnected in the last 20 years but who are sick of being picked on in trade by the core guys who charge too much, and don't give up their jump keys") Reply Reply to all Forward Reply by chat to James Douglas Reay I found a few name generators: http://direpress.bin.sh/tools/sf_name.html htt... 14 Jun (4 days ago) Douglas ReayLoading... 14 Jun (4 days ago) Douglas Reay to James, keeper, me show details 14 Jun (4 days ago) Reply On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 12:41 PM, James Bowe wrote: > > Make up your own star names I found a few name generators: http://direpress.bin.sh/tools/sf_name.html http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=evilnamer http://www.thescriptvault.com/res.html Here are some I've generated, or picked from existing lists: Names for Solar Systems ======================= 7475 Vespae Axxon 7115 Shravishtha He-Xian-Gu 7627 Jyeshtha Astarte Iahamu 9056 Mali 3972 Cancri Meti Libuscha Darri 1683 Bi Xiu Vorcia Beletseri Muspelheim Slani Koschei 6444 Noctae 8043 Serpentis Tona 3756 Velorum Andvari Sulat 8714 Felis 2126 Scuti Renenet Tresor Balme Shan Chang-Er Amenhotep 3030 Piscium 3446 Lyrae Zalkal Liluri 4425 Chitra Vilth Hati 8768 Persei Droming Apep 2331 Shatabhisha Atargatis Methund Tronoth Zeralf 1578 Bhadrapada Danru Voidor 6948 Shatabhisha Despoena 6764 Orionis 5322 Tarandi 8066 Mali Holle Vini Saga 6797 Gui Xiu Zabrah 8084 Maenali 4123 Phoenicis 6803 Pushya Lebim 7665 Leporis 5175 Galli Nish 9808 Antliae Kherty 2430 Liu Xiu Names for Planets ================= New Mercury Taelan VI Handrom Almaren VII 1846 Magha II 9443 Persei II New Japan Bandulat Lana III Nessa N'Arenid New Earth 1707 Scuti III Apep Uruk New Venus Velolan New Europe Amenhotep VII 9910 Canum VII X'Vini Drib Igemat New Terra 1500 Jordani IV Gladshiem V'Goni Hyrokkin He-Xian-Gu Mezavirs 5647 Ashiesha V Aristeas IV 1808 Caeli IV New Alexandria 5612 Geminorum VI Lytir Zhi-Nu V Noduosal Ao-Shun III Earendil Str'Turanob New Thyoph Kheanathor New Australia New Amasia New Titania Utumno III New Sahara Menhit Apep Ishan Prime Tellekad 8058 Persei II New Xena Alkonost Fork Yingourquan Shoggul VI Electra 4905 Xing Xiu Prime 9696 Antini III Lifthrasir New Queensland I'Centh New Sahara 2239 Bi Xiu VII Alecto Vasontil Smei-Gorynich New Neith New Queensland Xarath III New Charon Irkennru Vant Wardash VI New Sedna Renyarra D'Heanarill 6375 Coronae II 8384 Librae VI New Japan Kothar III S'Gigont Tai-Yi Cybol VI Astarte Tanos II Denokti Diforac Qetesh Calliope Prime Frontier Worlds =============== * Alligator, Mississippi * Bates Motel, Ontario, Oregon * Big Bone Lick, Kentucky * Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania * Black Lick, Pennsylvania * Blue, Oklahoma * Blue Balls, Arkansas * Boring, Oregon * Booger Hollow, Arkansas * Booger Hollow, North Carolina * Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska * Christmas, Michigan * Coffeeville, Kansas * Coon Hunter, Pennsylvania * Dry Prong, Louisiana * Dildo, Newfoundland, Canada * Donner and Blitzen River, Frenchglen, Oregon * Erect, North Carolina * French Lick, Indiana * Frog Jump, Tennessee * Home, Kansas * Hot Coffee, Mississippi * Hurt, Virginia * Ice, Oklahoma * Jackass Flats, Virginia * Joe, Montana * Jump Off Joe Lake, Washington * Knob Lick, Missouri * Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg, * Lickdale, Pennsylvania * Maggie's Nipples, Wyoming * Mary D, Pennsylvania * Monkey Eyebrow, Kentucky * Panther Burn, Mississippi * Pie Town, New Mexico * Pink, Oklahoma * Possumneck, Mississippi * Possum Trot, Kentucky * Puseyville, Pennsylvania * Rooster's Poot, Arkansas * Rough and Ready, California * Seven Devils, North Carolina * Shickshinny, Pennsylvania * Shivers, Mississippi * Skookumchuck River, Washington * Shoot, Texas * Skullbone, Tennessee * Snow, Oklahoma * SoSo, Mississippi * Speedway, Indiana * Spot, Alabama * Time, Illinois * Tum Tum, Washington * Wapwallopen, Pennsylvania * Walla Walla, Washington * Welcome, North Carolina * Whorehouse Meadows, Oregon * Wing, Alabama - Pronounced like "wang," as in pass me some more of them chikin wangs. * Why Not, Mississippi * Y, Alaska * Chicken, Deadhorse or Eek (Alaska) * Burnt Corn, Intercourse, Muck City, Rooster (Alabama) * Fannie, Greasy Corner, Grubbs, Hooker, Okay, Possum Grape, Smackover, Toad Suck, Turkey Scratch, Weiner, Yellville (Arkansas) * Blunt, Bummerville, Deadwood, Doghouse Junction, Frying Pan, Hellhole Palms, Hells Kitchen, Hooker, Last Chance, Mormon Bar, Needles, Ono, Prunedale, Rescue, Relief, Scarface, Squabbletown, Sucker Flat, Timbuctoo, Toad Town, Volcano, Weedpatch, Wimp, You Bet, Yreka Zzyzx (California) * Climax, Last Chance, No Name, Parachute, Purgatory (Colorado) * Giants Neck, Mianus, Moosup (Connecticut) * Howey-in-the-Hills, Kissimmee, Okahumpka, Sopchoppy, Two Egg, Weeki Wachee, Yeehaw Junction (Florida) Needles, California Needles, California, December, 2004, Kathy Weiser * Between, Chickasawhatchee, Climax, Enigma, Hopeulikit, Talking Rock (Georgia) * Good Grief, Beer Bottle Crossing (Idaho) * Bald Knob, Devil's Backbone, Grand Detour, Kickapoo, Paw Paw, Roachtown (Illinois) * French Lick, Gnaw Bone, Loogootee, Naked City, Roachdale, Toad Hop (Indiana) * Diagonal, Gravity, What Cheer (Iowa) * Perdition, Ransom (Kansas) * Beaver Lick, Bugtussle, Chicken Gizzard, Crummies, Do Stop, Monkeys Elbow, Mousie, Mud Lick, Oddville, Ogle, Spring Lick, Rabbit Hash, Typo (Kentucky) * Belcher, Cut-Off, Fort Necessity, Grosse Tete, Mudville, Tickfaw, Waterproof (Louisana) * Bald Head, Dickey, Beans Corner Bingo (Maine) * Accident, Assawoman Bay, Boring, Crapo, Cockeysville (Maryland) * Belchertown, Cow Yard, Mashpee, Sandwich, Swampscott (Massachusetts) * Bad Axe, Climax, Hell, Jugville, Kalamazoo, Podunk, Slapneck (Michigan) * Climax, Embarass, Nimrod, Nowthen, Savage, Sleepy Eye (Minnesota) * Bobo, Chunky, Dragon, Possumneck, Sanatorium, Soso, Yazoo (Mississippi) * Conception, Cooter, Enough, Frankenstein, Licking, Peculiar, Roach, Sleeper, Tightwad (Missouri) * Bitter Root, Elmo, Hungry Horse, Rocky Boy, Square Butt, Two-Dot, Yaak (Montana) * Colon, Fort Crook, Road, Wahoo, Weeping Water, Worms (Nebraska) * Bunkerville, Incline Village, Lovelock, Owyhee, Pahrump, Searchlight, Verdi-Mogul, Weed Heights, Winnemucca (Nevada) * Bungy, Contoocook, Hell Hollow, Lost Nation, Sandwich Landing (New Hampshire) * Bivalve, Brick, Ho-Ho Kus, Little Egg Harbor, Love Ladies, Succasuna (New Jersey) * Elephant Butte, Tingle, Truth or Consequences (New Mexico) * Cat Elbow Corner, Climax, Coxsackie, Hicksville, Horseheads, Peekskill, Neversink, Yaphank Yonkers (New York) * Climax, Gum Neck, Horneytown, Lizard Lick, Meat Camp, Tick Bite, Toast, Whynot (North Carolina) * Concrete, Hoople, Voltaire, Zap ( North Dakota) * Blue Ball, Climax, Fly, Knockemstiff, Three Legs Town (Ohio) * Bowlegs, Frogville, Hooker, Okay, Pumpkin Center, Slapout, Slaughterville (Oklahoma) Truth or Consequences, New Mexico Heading into Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Kathy Weiser, February, 2008. * Boring, Drain, Halfcom, Idiotville, Zig Zag (Oregon) * Balltown, Bird-in-Hand, Blue Ball, Climax, Drab, Experiment, Fear Not, Gobbler's Knob, Hempfield, Intercourse, Loyalsockville, Panic, Porkey, Scalp Level, Uno, Virginville (Pennsylvania) * Mooseup Valley, Quidnick, Quonochontaug, Woonsocket (Rhode Island) * Coward, Due West, Ninetimes, Sugar Tit (South Carolina) * Bath, Igloo, Lemmon, Peever, Red Shirt (South Dakota) * Bugscuffle, Bucksnort, Defeated, Difficult, Duck Town, Finger, Nameless, Only, Smartt, Sweet Lips, Static, Yum Yum (Tennessee) * Cut-n-Shoot, Dime Box, Ding Dong, Frognot, Gun Barrel City, Hoop and Holler, Leaky, Loco, Looneyville, Muleshoe, Notrees, Pointblank, Possum Kingdom, Run and Shoot, Tarzan, Trophy Club, Turkey, Twitty, Uncertain, (Texas) * Bald Knob, Hurricane, Lovelock, Orderville (Utah) * Bread Loaf, Mosquitoville, Notown, Satans Kingdom (Vermont) * Bumpass, Croaker, Frogtown, Goochland, Goosepimple Junction, Mutt, Nuttsville, Ordinary (Virginia) * Enumclaw, Humptulips, Klickitat, Kooskooskie, Tumtum, Tumwater (Washington) * Big Ugly, Crum, HooHoo, Looneyville, Lost City, Nitro, Odd, Paw, Pinch, War (West Virginia) * Embarrass, Footville, Imalone, Spread Eagle, Ubet, Wanderoos (Wisconsin) * Bill, Camel Hump, Meeteetse, Muddy Gap (Wyoming) Reply Reply to all Forward Reply by chat to Douglas Douglas Reay Just to give myself an idea of geography and connectivity, I've sketched myse... 14 Jun (4 days ago) [map-key.txt,map10.jpg,map4.jpg] Douglas ReayLoading... 14 Jun (4 days ago) [map-key.txt,map10.jpg,map4.jpg] Douglas Reay to James, keeper, me show details 14 Jun (4 days ago) [map-key.txt,map10.jpg,map4.jpg] Reply On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 12:41 PM, James Bowe wrote: > My time got eaten this week I fear. Make up your own star names, just don't > use existing ones. I figured 20 or so planets origionally known, another 20 > to be revealed with the edges of maps being uncertain. An origional network > of a few hundred stars hinted at but no way and I drawing all of those. Just to give myself an idea of geography and connectivity, I've sketched myself something to base plot on, so I can keep names and distances consistent. It is not a beautiful underground type map, and it only covers one quadrant in detail. I'm thinking of starting the players off at 22, with Vitenka's chase probably starting from 21. (which the players might get to from 15) red star is the system containing the quadrant gate pink stars are military green stars are civilian blue lines are the jump routes (dark civil, light mil) the squares indicate which jump key is needed the concentric circles indicate core or fringe. The worlds in the green circle received the Crazy Eddie message in the first 150 years, the yellow area received it between 150-300 years after. the second map indicates in which direction, relative to the quadrant map the other quadrants are. 1 - Shan 2 - Velorum 3 - Astarte 4 - Nish 5 - Toad Lick Creek 6 - Axxon 7 - Liu Xiu 8 - Bi Xiu 9 - Muspelheim 10 - Scuti 11 - Iahamu 12 - Xian Gu 13 - Jackass 14 - Last Chance 15 - Shickshinny 16 - Nowhere 17 - Renenet 18 - Amenhotep 19 - Leporis 20 - Hermit's Eyebrow 21 - Despoena 22 - Serpentis 23 - Zeralf's Cain 24 - 4425 Chitra 25 - 7627 Jyeshtha 3 attachments — Download all attachments View all images map10.jpg 96K View Download map4.jpg 182K View Download map-key.txt 1K Open as a Google document View Download Reply Reply to all Forward Reply by chat to Douglas Vitenka to Douglas, James, keeper show details 15 Jun (3 days ago) Reply Vitenka's chase plot requires the players to be heading back through a linear system (that is, two edges to that node) that they've previously passed through before. No other requirements. 2008/6/14 Douglas Reay : - Show quoted text - > On Sat, Jun 14, 2008 at 12:41 PM, James Bowe wrote: >> My time got eaten this week I fear. Make up your own star names, just don't >> use existing ones. I figured 20 or so planets origionally known, another 20 >> to be revealed with the edges of maps being uncertain. An origional network >> of a few hundred stars hinted at but no way and I drawing all of those. > > Just to give myself an idea of geography and connectivity, I've sketched myself > something to base plot on, so I can keep names and distances consistent. > It is not a beautiful underground type map, and it only covers one quadrant > in detail. > > I'm thinking of starting the players off at 22, with Vitenka's chase probably > starting from 21. (which the players might get to from 15) > > red star is the system containing the quadrant gate > pink stars are military > green stars are civilian > blue lines are the jump routes (dark civil, light mil) > the squares indicate which jump key is needed > the concentric circles indicate core or fringe. The worlds > in the green circle received the Crazy Eddie message in the first 150 years, > the yellow area received it between 150-300 years after. > > the second map indicates in which direction, relative to the quadrant map > the other quadrants are. > > Ideas listed at Douglas' house. Ones that have been claimed for modules are marked with a * drill into a ship (and then disguise yourself as them, to flee or infiltrate) scene from the film "silent running" scene set on ship, but outside the hull (what's look and feel of space ships. schooner style masts?) garbage scow slingshot orbit send a probe through a gate a signal, of obvious artificial origin, coming from a star with no known history have ever having been part of any jump gate network a large gas cloud two races in a system, fighting binary system, ritual war every 5 years to see who controls gates political negotiations find or steal a new technology make money explore an unconnected world (test pilot) setup or join a multi-system talking shop get past a barricade of a gate ringworld * crimeworld * steampunk * corrupt aristocracy * neo-Elizabethan * trial by combat * surveillance society * asteroid belt isolationists * VR games * reputation economy communism in the style of Procustes (enhance the weak, cut down the strong) * rich man's play island - genetically engineered zoos A planet famed for its weapon rainbow worlds - toxic, junkyards - lots to loot spine of the cosmos - twisted crystal circuitry, heavy with legend pirates using a ship distress beacon as a decoy ghosts on board (ties in with the onboard holo projectors) slavery, phophet, fugitive - stowaway isolationist planet in denial that other planets actually exist pick up a disease that requires visiting a jungle planet for a cure automated defence systems (HUB !) sub-light generation colony ship (great random encounter or news item) the guys who blew up their own moon (cautionary tale vs tech) [Main Page] Pallando/OldEmpire From 24HourWiki < Pallando Main Page | Recent changes | Edit this page | Page history | Log out | Printable version | Disclaimers | Privacy policy [edit] Almanac Entry on the Old Empire and notable star systems Size: * 2000 light years in diameter * 1000 solar systems * 8 clusters (markets) of between 50 and 200 solar systems * 4 'quadrant' gates in a tetrahedron * a parallel military jump gate network in diamond lattice form * Highest system population = 50,000,000,000. Lowest = 3 * Number of jump gate routes = 2000 * Number of amphictyonies (routes openable by the same key): 100 * At a speed of 1000c (1 ly per 8.8 hours), takes 2 year to cross the Empire * Average distance from nearest quadrant gate is 3 months travel * Quadrant gates connect at nearly 100,000c and take from 5 days to a week. Planets: * Hub - the gate technology development world o Does design improvements, software upgrades, maintenance, key signing, etc o Links to all 4 quadrants o Links direct to the imperial throne world o Links direct to milnet o Very very energetic sun and near dyson sphere levels of solar cell farms * Charon - binary system with 2 neutron stars o Used for industrial scale production of the strange matter required for keys and jump gates. * Delta Uruk 'C&C' o milnet node connected to Hub o garrison for deployment to thone world to stop coups o command and control for the military * Koschei - milnet node o fleet storage, repairs & technical development o small dwarf star, very little gravitational fluctuations, no asteroids * Blue Balls - milnet node o remote system with bluish primary & three earth habitable systems o used for training (think 'west point') * Galax Prime o Contains Imperius - the Throne World Politics: In an area containing 1 trillion people, with travel times measured in years, what does it take for one man to rule? Why does he retain control, and how? * Why? Because he can. Why do others support his rule? Because the alternative is chaos, and in a society where war could mean planets smashed apart by mass drives not many want that. * How? By keeping an imperial monopoly on the development of jump technology and centralised control over key signing authority, the imperium can reward or punish by granting or withholding control over trade routes (and thus the ability to tax them) * And when someone goes isolationist and works to break the monopoly? Then there's the military. Ultimately, there's always the military. (Although more subtle means, such as asking local amphictyonies to deal with it, spying, assassination, etc may be tried first.) The base unit of the empire was the amphictyony - a political unit defined by the route they may sign keys for. The internal organisation of this unit may be anything from an egalitarian democracy to a tyrranous suzerainity over neighbouring vassal states. The Empire doesn't care and doesn't want to know and won't intefere, even if you enslave or kill half your own population. The Empire cares only about three things: 1. That you do keep control (ie that you can prevent your member solar systems from breaking the Imperial Fiats) 2. That you don't wage interstellar war. If you try fighting fleet battles over jump gate control, you'll lose permissions on your nice shiny jump gates. They are expensive and the Emperor doesn't want them scratched up by your nasty lasers, thank you very much. (This is, of course, the moral argument the empire uses as to WHY it should retain centralised signing control) 3. That you play your part in the next level of organisation up... The next level of organisation above the amphictyony is the market. Think of it as a stock exchange that issues its own currency, standardises on weights and measures used for listing commodities, rules on legal liabilities when settling debts between members on the exchange and has certain audit requirements for companies that are allowed to be listed on the exchange. Except in this case the 'companies' are amphictyonies, the audits include not just gross domestic product and imperial taxes paid, but also things like gross domestic happiness, population turnover, net aesthetic capital (ie how pretty the place is, and how much art you produce to make it prettier). The size of markets are limited by travel time (beyond about 6 months away from the nearest market, and there is less it can do for you). Amphictyonies that piss off their local market by decreasing the value of their stock (by, for example, trying to steal the goods of merchants that pass through them or not keeping up their end of trade deals) find they get charged higher rates of interest on loans, don't get invited into trade agreement organisations and cartels. And, worst case, stop being traded with because insurers require too high premiums from anyone who wants to take the risk of doing so. Above the market is quadrant. Each quadrant controls its section of the ansible and information storage network. Quadrant is the level where most imperial bureaucrats work, Quadrant employs combat philosophers to shape online discussions. Quadrant employs forensic linguists to keep data indexes in shape. Quadrant employs judicial geographers to make recommendations to the emperor about node topology, expansion, new planet exploration, etc. Quadrant employs 'stock pickers' to see which amphictyonies are going to rise in their market, and which should have their node network pruned by the emperor. Quadrant runs the spy network that sends actual people out to check on the quality of information being provided and whether imperial fiats are being broken. Quadrant is a twisty, turny, technical place and you either love it or hate it. And finally, at the top, there is the Emperor. He has Hub (whose mission is to enforce the Imperial Fiat by maintaining the Imperial Monopoly on jump gate tech), Uruk (to be a loyal informer and enforcer, and so keep Hub and the Quadrants from straying if they ever get tempted) and Galax Prime. The Emperor doesn't always spend his time at Galax. Galax is just the place he nominally rules from. The business of Galax is actually making myths - building up a central core of belief in the Emperor. This is closer to the Bene Gesserit than it is to your average corporate public relations. Part of that myth is the Imperial Lobby, where representatives may be sent from any type of organisation, from ones claiming to speak on behalf of 5 very very rich people to ones claiming to speak on behalf of every woman in the empire. Different chambers of the lobby have different rules. One you have to bid in auction to buy slots in the queue of the upcoming speakers. One is gladatorial. One is admission by highest score on a test of wits and wisdom. One requires you give up your life after you make your speach. One is by lottery. One is by geographic criteria, and another by population density. Every speaker, what ever their lobby, after their speach or participation in a debate, they (or their heirs) receives a certificate saying that the Emperor Has Heard. And the Emperor does hear them. Or at least a precis filtered by an expert system, a second precis filtered by trained statistician poets, a random sampling, and whatever else he feels like listening to (there is a school that makes much money teaching lobbyists how to be funny in ways that the Emperor is reputed to enjoy - and the Emperor actually enjoys starting false rumours of such, just to see which lobbyists will then turn up wearing bright red clown wigs). He will occasionally send a memo back to quadrant to check up on something, or even to hire someone who had a bright idea (if they didn't kill themselves). However that is generally superflous, as quadrant gets a direct feed of everything said in the Lobby, and pays far more attention to it than the Emperor. The actually politics (not that the Fiat every changes, but implementation details do) are the conversations between the technician kings of the quadrants and the trader princes of the markets, and they happen over the ansible as anyone seriously powerful is far too busy to actually meet in person. They do however have holographic representations of themselves and their debates in the Lobby, so there are plenty of people of real power for Lobbyists to actually influence (though they go through the formality of making it appear that it is the Emperor direct who they address, kind of like the Speaker in the house of commons). Important lobbysists who are themselves powerful or who have the ear of someone who is do of course then accumulate their own set of lobbyists trying to talk to them. This is handled in a number of ways, including Athenian public debate fora, cutthroat cocktail parties, and aristocratic decadent social circle of parties hunts and events, smoky rooms and large payments, and every other conceivable human interaction. Brothels and media outlets love Galax, but are constrained (or wholly owned) by the imperial myth makers to not let too many of the dirty secrets become public. Fiat: * The key to progress and happiness is a measured amount of stability * To this end, if you are a citizen be aware that tech that can destabilise the Empire belongs to the Emperor until such time as he certifies it safe for public use. All jump tech falls in this category. If in doubt, report your find via ansible to Quadrant. * To this end, if you are an amphictyony, ensure your people make only responsible use of jump technology, and be a good participant in your Market * To this end, if you are a market, reward amphictyonies that strive to increase their value in your eyes and Quadrant may increase your bandwidth, connectivity and net access trust rating. (This Fiat does of course get translated into many languages and for many cultures. There is no one true wording, although many like the version prepared by the Harmonic Poets of Lyranth VII) From the old alphabet the quadrants are: * alp quadrant * bayt quadrant * gaml quadrant * dalt quadrant * ?asir (meaning "court") is the 'fifth' quadrant - hub. [edit] The Eternity Service Just as important to maintaining control of the Empire as controlling the jump network was controlling other disruptive technologies. And that means that, in the eyes of the Empire, a solar system that hides its data where the Empire can't read it is one that might be plotting or developing who knows what? This is WHY the ansible service was set up in such a way that local caching was not a part of it. The Eternity service guaranteed anonymity, multiple redundancy, trust metrics, imperial anti spam measures (you don't want quadrant throttling your access) and provided it all free. Information was posted by citizens and stored on the hard drives of other citizens in a fashion similar to The Eternity Service and Freenet. What was centralised were the access keys, because the logical reference system (similar to dns) then de-referenced to the actual physical lookup via a mutably timed authentication system that was nominally load dependant, but as a side effect mean the quadrants could lock out the access of people they wanted to lock out. The service has micro-jump gates (coke can size) that connected to the faster mil net as its backbone network, ensuring that while ships might take years to cross the galaxy, information could travel instantaneously (or the nearest thing to it). Retrieved from "http://james-bowe.co.uk/24hourwiki/index.php?title=Pallando/OldEmpire" This page has been accessed 13 times. This page was last modified 00:24, 16 June 2008. Edit this page | Watch this page | Discuss this page | Page history | What links here | Related changes Delete this page | Protect this page | Move this page This page has been accessed 13 times. This page was last modified 00:24, 16 June 2008. Main Page | About 24HourWiki |