Re: Dark Side of the Moon 1-1
OOC: Given our makeup of humans and Vrusk in the party, this adventure should prove interesting on a cultural/roleplaying standpoint. Please keep that in mind as you read the following and after you reach Kraatar.
The general shrugs. "I don't know much about it. Shinsa, what can we find out in the data?"
"Well, since it looks like we have some time," Shinsa says, and begins pulling up information. She says, "Kraatar is a small planet in the Tristkar system. Most of the surface is covered by rugged, mountainous uplands and desert plateaus where the atmosphere is too thin to be breathable. Only in the lowland depressions (flatlands) scattered around Kraatar's temperate zones is the air dense enough to breathe, and only here are there rivers and lakes. Human colonists from White Light came to Kraatar about 200 years ago, settling at Gozzorf on the shores of the Yatiz Sea. When their early attempts at mining proved fruitless, they turned to farming. It became largely ignored by the other planets. About 80 years ago, the Vrusk found that it is in a good location for commercialization, and now Vrusk trading ships go in and out, trading tech goods for agricultural goods. Now the planet is known for making computers and glassware."
She pauses. "Some humans felt threatened by the Vrusk coming into their territory and urbanizing them. This is a cultural phenomenon that was difficult for the Vrusk to understand. The human reluctance was regarded as antisocial and lazy by the Vrusk."
"Apparently," she says, "the prosperity of the Vrusk was too much. They even employed experts in human personnel management to sort out the problems. But 30 years ago, a group of human idealists led by Jack Legrange and David Dever founded what they call the Kraatar Liberation Corps ("KLC"). It is a secret organization dedicated to freeing Kraatar from Vrusk domination by "direct action," including bomb attacks and sabotage directed against the Vrusk. Recently, the Vrusk Commercial COunsel has taken a step of employing RIK, a Vrusk security tradehouse, to police the major population centers. The other trade houses have also increased security. Some have even taken their own clandestine reprisals against 'known agitators.'"
"Here," she says, "Read up on the system all you like." She shows you the screen:
Kraatar
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Colonizers: Vrusk/Humans
Population: Medium (60% Human; 38% Vrusk; 1 % Dralasite; 1 % Yazirian)
Trade: Farming, electronics, metal extraction and glassware
Climate Range:
Average Surface Temp.: Temperate zone: 20°C (day=30°C,night=10°C)
Equatorial Zone: 30°C (day=50°C,night=10°C)
% Water: 20%
Atmopshere:
Gravity: 0.6
Diameter: 9800km
Moons: 2
Length of Day: 18 hours
Inclination: 20 degrees
Length of Year: 272 local days
(68-day seasons, affecting ave. temperature by +/- 1O°C)
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Description
Kraatar is a small, mountainous world first settled by Human colonists from White Light 200 years ago. The planet lies in a close orbit to the star Tristkar and has a thin atmosphere. Water covers only 20% of the planet and there is very little cloud cover. Being near the inner edge of the system's life zone, Kraatar receives large amounts of stellar radiation and temperatures at the equator range from 0 to 60°C. As a result, deserts occupy most of the equatorial zone of the planet.
The majority of Kraatar is covered by high altitude deserts and jagged mountain ranges rising up to heights of 10,000 meters. The atmosphere in the mountains is too thin to breathe without the aid of breathing apparatus, but numerous "flatlands" exist around the planet, many of which are below sea level. These areas are very fertile and, more importantly, the atmosphere here is sufficiently dense to allow PC races to breathe without assistance. However, the air is not as dense as most people are used to, and characters attempting any strenuous activity (e.g. running, climbing or fighting) will lose 1 point of Stamina every 10 minutes. When a character's Stamina reaches zero, he/she will fall unconcious for 1d10+10 turns. For each turn of rest, characters regain 1 point of Stamina, although Stamina lost through wounds, poisons, etc. must be recovered in the normal way. Natives of Kraatar are not subject to these effects, but they cannot function in the mountains without breathing apparatus, where unprotected characters lose 1 point of Stamina per turn until dead.
History
The first Human colonists landed at Gozzorf, on the shores of the Yatiz Sea. Soon small communities were established here, at Quazzt's Depression and in the other flatlands. Searches were made in the planet's mountains for heavy metals, but no rich deposits were ever found, and only a few iron and copper mines were established.
Isolated in their communities many ofthe colonists took to a quiet life, tilling the land for crops and herding a few imported animals. As the years passed, the colonists lost many of their technological skills, and as machinery wore out, they were unable to replace it. Gradually they were reduced to a simple, self-sufficient existence where high technology was a thing of the past.
Enter the Vrusk
Few ships visited Kraatar until 80 years ago, when a Vrusk trade ship landed at Gozzorf. After a hesitant meeting, the two races struck up a rapport and the Vrusk traded technological hardware for agricultural produce. The Vrusk soon left Kraatar, only to return later with more machinery to trade with the Humans.
Equipped with the latest in farm machinery, the Humans were able to increase production, and buy more Vrusk goods. Soon more Vrusk ships arrived at Kraatar. Many came to trade, but others brought settlers and with them Vrusk trade houses eager for new markets. The trade houses began to establish manufacturing plants and to conduct comprehensive surveys of the planet. This research revealed that the sands of Kraatar's deserts could provide an ideal source of silicon for computer manufacture, as well as producing some of the most beautiful glass ever seen by Vrusk. If cut and polished, the glass scintillates and sparkles with all the colours of the rainbow. Soon Kraatar glassware was sought by Vrusk art lovers all over the Frontier, and rapidly became one of Kraatar's major exports. At the same time, the two seas were discovered to be rich in mineral deposits. As news of these finds spread, more Vrusk trade houses came to Kraatar to exploit its new found wealth.
In the early years, both races benefited from these developments. The Humans were supplied with much needed technology, and the Vrusk had markets both on and off planet with which to enrich themselves. The Vrusk trade houses established hospitals and a university at Gozzorf. They discovered the remains of the original Human settlers' ship, and set about restoring it. It would never fly again, but it was lovingly rebuilt by the Vrusk with a museum around it to honour the Humans on Kraatar and to display Vrusk art collections.
The Dispossessed
As more farm machinery became available, fewer Humans were needed to work the land, freeing them for other activities. Many of them journeyed to the new Vrusk towns and cities where they fou nd employment in the Vrusk electronics, glass and metal-extraction factories. Many others found work building the monorail which now circles the planet.
It was in the factories that dissension first grew among the Humans. As the Vrusk became more established, more of their racial beliefs were introduced. To a Vrusk it is second nature to allow a trade house todetermine one's life but, to many ofthe Humans of Kraatar, this was abhorrent. Used to a pastoral existence, with order imposed only by the seasons, many Humans refused to accept the full ramifications of Vrusk society. Dissatisfaction was first shown in a desire to return to the land, but Vrusk technology had changed the world. Now one machine could easily do the work of over a hundred labourers. A return to the old farming techniques was impossible, for Humans now relied heavily on Vrusk technology to maintain their farms and standard of living.
Unable to return to the farms, most Humans have now adjusted to their new lives and accept the presence of the Vrusk as employers; but attempts to impose Vrusk beliefs have not been very successful. Few Humans have adopted Vrusk company names, and attempts by Vrusk executives to instil in Humans the Vrusk sense of belonging to a trade house have met with little success.
Vrusk Attitudes
Many Vrusk executives are confused by these reactions; they see the situation as one of mutual interdependence - the good of the trade house is the good of all, Humans and Vrusk alike. The trade houses offer medical, educational and recreational facilities to both their Vrusk and Human workers. Surely this is the road to harmony and prosperity for all? Yet many Humans insist on moving from one trade house to another, requiring new housing and causing disruptions in daily life and production.
To help with this clash of cultures, many Vrusk trade houses have employed Human advisors in an attempt to sort out the problems as equitably as possible. For years it looked as though this approach was working; Vrusk and Humans began to work closely together and all benefited.
The Freedom Fighters
However, some Humans were determined to stop their fellows becoming ever more Vrusk-like, and 30 years ago the Kraatar Liberation Corps was secretly founded by Jack Legrange and David Dever
The Kraatar Liberation Corps (KLC) is dedicated to freeing Kraatar from Vrusk domination. It is an underground organisation which has been responsible for numerous attacks on Vrusk factories and installations. Until 3 years ago these attacks were small scale, but now Legrange is secretly supplying arms to the KLC and it has recently been able to stage a number of major attacks. A raid on a glass factory left eight Vrusk dead and disrupted production for 3 weeks. Another attack at the starport resulted in the destruction of a shuttle and the loss of seven Vrusk and 12 Human lives.
The Commerical Council
The group of Vrusk executives who form the Commercial Council are currently monitoring the situation, hoping for a return to harmony and a stabilisation of life on Kraatar.
The situation is very tense. Many Vrusk do not wish it to get any worse and hope that harmony will restore itself. Vist'Lat trade house is, however, intent on exacerbating the situation by cutting the wages of its human workers and by economically squeezing other Vrusk trade houses (see Major Trade Houses - below). All trade houses have increased their level of security and Ral'lk'Ka (the trade house specialising in security) is doing booming business. Acting under Vist'Lat instructions, Ral'lk'Ka has even carried out reprisals against some farms believed to harbour KLC members.
Major Trade Houses
With the exception of Vist'Lat, the various Vrusk trade houses on Kraatar all have a specific area of interest:
Adq'Bizz (AB) - metal extraction and refinement.
Clic' Aqat (CA) - glass manufacture and export.
Gst'Gar'St (GGS) - electronics and computer manufacture.
Ral'lk'Ka (RIK) - security and police functions. RIK personnel are contracted by the Commercial Council to act as Kraatar's police force. They are also hired by individual trade houses as security forces against terrorist attacks. With the recent increase in KLC activity, business for RIK is booming.
Sik'Triksta (ST) - General: controls all transport services on Kraatar including the monorail and the hire or sale of ground vehicles. ST used to own the starport but 6 months ago, it was bought out by Vist'Lat.
Vist'Lat (VL) - General: main company involved in finance and off-world trading. VL is expanding, and has recently bought the starport from SikTriksta.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:05, Fri 20 Jan 2012.