Space Opera

Into The Unknown Campaign

This is the home page for a Space Opera PBeM. This is a new campaign, although the old one is/will be archived here.
The Setting/Set-up

Welcome to Greateth! A hundred or so years ago, the aliens landed. The planet greeted them with trepidation and then excitement. Their technology offered great promise and the stars beckoned.

The stars beckon still, with a bitter irony. The Greatethans know the stars are within reach but denied to them. The aliens, for reasons never stated, never articulated, established a single small enclave and then have refused all but the most meager contact. Further, they have forbidden the planet all space travel beyond the orbits of the outer of the two moons. The stars can be seen, but not touched.

Greateth is a Type 8: Hot Jungle Planet with an 85% Hydrographic rating and a surface gravity of 2.1 G. Tech level is 7 (I think, I may tweak it-GM), although the isolated population doesn't know the terminology. Global population is around 20 million. Population is concentrated in the polar reaches. The typical organization is at the hamlet/village level, with each village running by it's own rules and contributing to the overall government by something like a representative democracy/confederacy, although individual 'steadings' select their delegates however they choose. The planet is an agricultural powerhouse, with a great pharmaceutical industry, and a wide variety of food and animal products. Metal's hard to get at under all the jungle and water, but it can be done. Mining of the two moons is helping a lot.

The industry is heavily concentrated at the poles, in two large urban areas of roughly two million each. The government moves between them annually, although there is very little seasonality on the planet. The military is based at the poles, with space stations and moonbases on the two moons.

Steadings range in size from family groupings up to 100K or so, often located on an individual island in the high latitudes. No one likes the equatorial zone although it is technically habitable.

Naturally, there is a strong sea-going naval tradition. Atmospheric flight is difficult due to weather, but daredevils do it for fun. Most air travel goes sub-orbital if possible.

The Local Star Cluster and Beyond

Our Heroes

The Story
Space Opera PBeM Home
Jeff Berry, nexus (AT) panix.com
Hosted by avigne.org
Last updated: 7 December 2009