Otherworlds: A Titansgrave Campaign

[TaemaNai]

R.G.'s Guide for Freelancers: Don't Panic

Hello Terran! You my friend are about to embark on the wild and dangerous journey of a Freelancer. I usually go by my handle R.G. although some prefer Robin. I have the distinct honor of being your helpful host in these travels. If at any point you find yourself to be out of your depth, unduly threatened, or simply unhappy along the way then but think of this as a daydream. It won't save you but I'm told some humans like their delusions. Everyone should have a last request!

What's a Freelancer?

Freelancers are those who've struck out on their own, or maybe in a cadre. Most of the galaxy gets by just fine on politicians, megacorporations, and working nine-to-five jobs with a desk and a placard. For keeping civilization running, that's great. Out on the Verge, that's a quick trip to a shallow grave. Freelancers are the adventurers, the explores, the enforcers, and the innovators that fill in all the little cracks. Most of them spend their careers in the Neutral Zone between Otherworlds and Terran Space. Some opt for the more dangerous opportunities in the Verge. The very best (or the very stupidest if you ask me) try their hand back home against the status quo. It takes a certain mix of anti-socialism, savoir flair, and sheer grit to make it as a Freelancer. Also a big weapons collection helps. Basically if you need a job done, any kind of job, without invoking the powers that be then you need a Freelancer. Finding a Freelancer varies depending on where you are. If you're lucky enough to know a guy that knows a guy, you can hire that way. Some Freelancers go independent and advertise their services publicly. Some of the smarter Freelancers figured out there's strength in numbers so they founded various private security firms across the known worlds. Others will sign on with just about any sort of cutthroat mercenary outfit or even join a pirate crew. Wherever you find them, just remember that Freelancers are generally used to being begged for help then stiffed on the bill. Survival of the fittest means only the best Freelancers get to have a hot meal.

Just Folks
Freelancers can come from any race, any world, and any lifestyle. They usually do too. Their reasons are their own, don't talk about it if you don't want to. Your past isn't nearly as important as what you want on your tombstone. Young freelancers always think they'll get a tombstone. Here's the most common races you'll see among Freelancers. Note the lack of Sidhe and draw your own conclusions.

	Terrans: Your basic humans from old Terra-Firma. These guys come from a culture that's drowning in technology and capitalism. The Megacorps formed a Population Oversight Council to handle the governing matters as a Corporatocracy. Your average Terran doesn't think much about the big picture, a lot of people have worked hard to keep distractions pleantiful and cheap. Every developed Terran world comes with a NeoNet, a kind of wireless planetwide network for their computers. Through it Terrans interact with the world through Augmented Reality (AR) or even a fictional world of Virtual Reality (VR). Terrans have the edge on just about everyone for tech but hand them a magic wand & they'll probably turn themselves into a toad.
	Changelings: Not all humans are Terrans and that's an important distinction. Long before Terrans discovered science & technology their world was visited by the Sidhe. For reasons of their own the Sidhe would take human infants away and leave an elderly Sidhe in the child's place, or so the stories go. Those stories say very little about the children taken to live in Otherworlds so I'll fill in the gaps. Those humans grew to become the workhorse of the Sidhe worlds. Got a dirty job? Changelings are your answer. Need labor for next to nothing? Changelings again. While never outright declared as slaves, Changelings occupied the space somewhere between the bottom caste of society and indentured servants. The state of affairs couldn't hold forever. Through a great deal of sacrifice, dedication, and some well-timed riots the Changelings eventually came to be recognized as full citizens of Otherworlds. They're still mostly scraping the bottom rung of the social ladder, it's hard to compete with longer lived races, which is probably why so many take to being Freelancers, colonists, or outlaws. Don't confuse Changelings with Terrans though. While Terrans have grown up kings of their world with the power of science, Changelings have scrimped and fought with magic for their place in the galaxy. The time's coming when they'll be more than just citizens of other people's nations and start to claim worlds of their own.
	Elves: My people are long-lived and masters of magic. We master other things too. Elven society revolves around the idea of being a pure democratic meritocracy. Every adult elf gets one vote in the assembly. For every science or art they master another vote is granted. Performing a great service to elvenkind is another vote. Making a tremendous discovery is another. Mastering a whole discipline might seem daunting to a Changeling but when you have a lifespan measured in centuries, what's a few decades spent on learning a subject to its fullest. As you can imagine, we elves tend to be known for our philosophy and magic, our magic being Ecomancy. Through the art of Ecomancy we've become the best terraformers in the galaxy. Cities are grown literally from the alien soil and in a mere handful of centuries transform desolate rocks into botanical paradises. Our ships are crafted from living trees to sail on the solarwinds between worlds and they ride the Cálëtië, what you would call Leylines, between the stars. Technology is still too new to us but for culture & understanding look no farther.
	Dwarves: Dwarves have taken to technology the way they take to everything in life, begrudgingly and with their own ideas of how things ought to be. Before Terrans encountered anyone from the Otherworlds, the Dwarves were a people of craftsmen and runic magic. They worked with stone and metal and fire to forge the infrastructure of the Otherworlds. With the advent of science came the Dwarven Industrial Revolution. Workshops dedicated to making a single item were rebuilt overnight into factories that produced copies on the cheap. One would think the Dwarves would just learn to use technology from the Terrans but then one wouldn't know the Dwarves. Where Terran inventions use electricity most Dwarven inventions are steam driven. They learned quickly that fire runes could keep a boiler going indefinitely without the pollution of coal. electrical systems like radios and computers soon had their runic counterparts as the Dwarven Revolution chugged its way steadily forward. It was probably inevitable that they would invent Golems. While many Terrans scoff at the Dwarves as a 'Steampunk' people they still buy Dwarven products. Something of the craftsman spirit carries on even in their factories, ensuring Dwarven goods are the finest you can make. Especially if it's something mechanical.
	Pookas: How can I explain Pookas? Imagine a practical joker has been given the magical ability to shapechange. Now imagine he's a well-meaning anarchist with a like-minded extended family living like space gypsies. Pookas are a constant source of frustration in the Otherworlds to Dwarves or anyone else that likes things done in an orderly fashion. Even Pooka ships refuse to keep to one shape, bending and forming themselves to suit whatever environment they encounter. The Pookas themselves resemble Changelings although always with traits similar to an animal. Some keep ears and a tail. Others will do something inhuman with their eyes. A Pooka's tell reflects a personal choice and says something about who they are, at least to other Pookas. They take great pride in sculpting their 'Public Face' as it's the face they wear when they want to be recognized. People often have a hard time trusting a known Pooka, likely because they live as nomads between worlds seeking new Cálëtië and spy on others in between. It's well known that the Pooka take an interest in knowing other people's secrets for the secrets sake but seldom give their own away. Despite what merchants claim there are no Pooka maps. Anyone wishing to travel by the secret ways of the Pookas must bargain with them. I suggest bargaining fairly for despite their reputation no Pooka in his right mind would violate the rules of good hospitality or a bargain fairly struck. For all their antics, the Pookas are a people who value personal loyalties and family above all else.
	Ghoblings: Terrans call them Goblins which tends to offend the Ghoblings for reasons I've never understood. I can say that if you want to make a purchase of something and you aren't too particular about methods then the Ghobling Clans are your best bet. Most clans roam on ships that, in a good light under favorable conditions, resemble drifting scrap heaps. Magic and technology are bastardized into some kind of off balanced functionality, though no one outside the original clan is likely to get the conflagration working again. Dwarven machines are much prized by the Ghoblings as they blend magic & technology already, saving the Ghoblings the trouble of interfacing the equipment themselves. I've seen ships with bits of thrusters alongside still living elven ship sails. Some of those parts might even have been purchased. Ghobling clans have a well earned reputation for piracy though they can be paid off if you appear too strong to be worth the trouble of a double-cross. Ghobling ports on the other hand have a well earned reputation for being safe harbor to anyone that can pay. As a people, Ghoblings persue commerce with a kind of dreadful single-mindedness that could compete with the Terran Megacorp executives. Among the space faring Ghoblings resources are power and power is prestige. No young Ghobling ever became Clean Boss by saying 'Please' either. In short anything you want the Ghoblings can likely procure, so long as you pay them well and pay damned close attention to the fine print.
	Trolls: Interestingly Trolls are not from the Otherworlds like most races. Instead they evolved on their own outside, for the most part, of Sidhe influence. Trolls appear as great rocky brutes with shaggy hair or maybe even fur but that's evolution's little trick. They're a silicon-based lifeform, hence the rocky hides, and too much direct sunlight or heat makes it hard for them to think and react quickly. Most people mistake this to mean trolls are stupid, which is true until you take the troll somewhere cold. Pleanty of people also think trolls are tied to magic which might still be the case. Everything for rolls is tied to crystals and harmonics and other things I don't really understand. I just know that if you leave it to a troll they'll go on endlessly about the Livingstone holding a part of their lives and Old Masters aspiring to return to this Livingstone. Strange but maybe there's something to it. Troll cities tend to have an almost organic feel to them despite being clearly crafted from crystal. Their ships are useless to any non-trolls but travel just as easily as a Quin Drive once you find a pilot to command her. A troll in a fight makes for a fearsome opponent, a troll in a rage is a force of nature, and yet I've seldom known a people better at listening and waiting. Very down to earth, your trolls.
	Djinn: Someone invented the story of Djinni in bottles, probably the Pooka, so there's a certain amount of disappointment when Terran tourists see a Djinn colony for the first time. The Djinn appear much like Terrans though with maybe a little more copper in the skin and darker hair. Unlike the Terrans though, Djinn are born and grow through magic. Every Djinn begins life as what they call a Jann. Most of their population are Jann, magically gifted but otherwise ordinary mortals. For those who choose to pursue it there are the paths of Marid and Ifrit. Djinn seeking to evolve themselves focus on expanding their ties to magic and fire though their deeds determine the path itself. Djinn who perpetrate selfish and evil deeds eventually grow into Ifrits, creatures of pure magic and malevolent intent. Conversely those of pure hearts eventually grow into Marids, beings that selflessly care for others. Whatever their path, it's said that the Ifrits and Marids can rival the Sidhe themselves in power. Maybe it's a good thing that so many Djinn die before reaching such lofty states.
	Dhampir: Some people call the Dhampir half-vampires but then the universe is full of idiots. The story is that long, long ago a group of Changelings stole secrets of Elven ecomancy in a bid for immortality. Ecomancy isn't intended to pervert the natural order like that so the results were the galaxy's first true vampires. Most of the first coven was hunted down fairly quickly to prevent the spread of that dark art however, it's safe to say enough vampires survived to continue through the millennia since. Every now and then you'll hear rumors of small colonies in the Verge disappearing or sightings of strange ships well outside the usual shipping lanes. Most of what we know about Vampires comes from the few Dhampir that escape. The creation of a vampire involves a combination of ecomancy and alchemy but sometimes things go wrong. Usually this just ends in a messy death although occasionally a Dhampir is produced instead, something not quite a vampire but certainly not a mortal either. Dhampir have many of a vampire's strengths however, they also struggle to control a terrible bloodlust. Vampires consider all Dhampir to be embarrassing abominations and kill them on sight. It's rare to even meet a Dhampir so they're almost certain to never see another like themselves. Add to that a long life of being feared as some kind of monster by other races and it's no small wonder they usually end up Freelancers.

[TaemaNai]

A Quick History Lesson

I should point out the earth of old is gone. That's right, all gone. Mostly. The planet's still there but technology has swallowed it beneath an endless horizon of skyscrapers, neon lights, and arcology domes. Your whole species knew it was on the brink so they started pushing towards the stars and colonization. Local planets strung things along for a bit. A few thousand 'volunteers' signed up to be frozen and shipped to nearby stars as a cheap alternative to colonists. Really it was a death spiral before your ancestors discovered the Quin Drive.

Quintessence Manifold Drives changed everything. Using a loophole in dark energy physics,  trip of fifty years could be made in four days. Boy were some of those colonial pops unhappy, the ones that were recovered anyway. Once terrans could leave their stellar cradle they tore through the universe like a toddler; grabbing everything in reach, bumping into the furniture, and occasionally spilling something sticky. As much of a mess as that sounds it still fueled a new era of exploration, colonization, and scientific discovery. The old Nation-State system of governments went the way of command line programming as corporations stepped away from buying politicians to buying whole nations.

The king is dead! All hail the Megacorp!

Megacorporations are their own interstellar powers now but back then they were rivals. Rivals with multi-trillion credit budgets and unrestricted weapons research programs. The big colonial boom ground nearly to a halt as hundreds of factions vied for dominance. Eventually someone was going to be crowned king but not before the terran race committed seppuku at the genocide level. The Colonial Wars went well beyond the outer reaches of the terrans and right back home to the core planets. Fate, gods, or just survival instincts must have gotten through because a ceasefire was called after twenty-seven of the bloodiest years in terran history. Personally I think it was some sharp accountancy that saved terrans from extinction. Megacorps hate an unprofitable war.

The second colonial boom only lasted a century and some change, less than half of the first. Most of that time went into rebuilding infrastructures across whole star systems. Ever wonder why terran worlds always seem to have NeoNets installed? Now you know. Still, some more exploring got done, enough to make the universe's worst first contact ever. There are just some things you don't do to the Sidhe.

Just about every other species in known space has lived with magic in some form or another. We elves use it to grow what we need from food to space ships. Dwarves have always loved crafting with their runes. Pookas... 'nuff said. So while just about everyone else knew that magic existed, and the Sidhe existed at the top of the magic ladder, terrans missed out on that vital bit of education. No one in their tech-based society believed in the Fae from their old tales. If you had tried to explain to them what the Sidhe were it's unlikely any terrans would have believed you. The Sidhe are more than just a magically gifted people. They're bound to aspects of the natural world. Lesser Sidhe might be tied to a lake or a mountain while more powerful figures are comets, moons, and even stars. If you think a supernova is cause for alarm then try to imagine a supernova with a personal grudge. Against you. You specifically. Entirely ignorant of all this, the terrans discovered a small planetoid orbiting very tightly around a white dwarf star. And on that little rock they discovered a new metal they dubbed Orichalcum. All the rest of the universe remembered it as the Silver Arm of Airgetlam, the First King of the Sidhe. The old Fae woke from his sleep to find a great pain in his hand and a little ship of terrans flying home with the missing bits. Even if today the Sidhe Courts are ruled by Oberron and Titania, Airgetlam still had enough sway to declare open war. It worked to the terrans' favor that the vassals of the Sidhe went in their stead. Elves, Dwarves, Pookas, Ghoblings, and more rallied behind their stricken lord. The real shocker came when Changelings fought Terrans. Suddenly the idea that maybe the Sidhe were more than a child's bedtime story sounded plausible.

Not everyone enjoyed watching the terrans be pushed to the brink of extinction, again. Among my people rose a pacifist. He plead to Airgetlam on the behalf of all the lives caught up in the war. Stubborn and proud the old Fae might be, but his heart softened at the words. The Sidhe sued for peace with a terran population ready for surrender. The Sidhe had but three demands in keeping with their numerology fetish. The first being the return of all the mined metal taken from Airgetlam's hand. The second was the establishment of the Neautral Zone between the Otherworlds and Terran Space. The third was that the terrans never again commit an act of war against the Sidhe or their vassals. Oberron himself decreed that if any of these tenants were violated then the Sidhe would personally wage the next war. That was a little over two centuries ago and terrans have been pretty well behaved since. Generally speaking.