			    TRAVELLER Digest 427

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) various	by toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
  2) cont.	by toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
  3) Fairy tales...	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  4) #AWP-00301: Efate	by Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
  5) subscribe traveller Simon John Harding	by Simon.Harding@vuw.ac.nz

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Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 22:36:20 -0700
From: toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: various
Message-ID: <199509240536.WAA14360@pride.ugcs.caltech.edu>


As far as the comments about GDW's idea of the 'way things should be', well, I am
raht[D[D[D

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 23 Sep 1995 23:02:36 -0700
From: toad@ugcs.caltech.edu (Benjamin Lane)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: cont.
Message-ID: <199509240602.XAA20560@bradbert.ugcs.caltech.edu>


Sorry about that. My computer had an outbreak of virus... 

anyway, I am critical of GDW' idea. They seem to be saying that they can make a 
storyline everyone has to folow - or they lose the benefits of sourcebook mataterial.
It would seem to me better to create a framework that can accomodate many
different campaigns without trouble. Space is HUGE. Any interstellar civilization
that is the least cohesive will be such a large organization that it is highly
unlikely for any one indivdual to change it very much. That was what was so 
great about the Imperium. It kept players in their place... and if the wanted 
to be the movers and shakers, well, they could always play a campaign in which
they were high ranked military or nobles, megacorp bigwig, or what have you..
THe RC is very limiting. 
But that's what GDW wants, and the make the game, so it's their call. 
I will merely try to take advantage of the material in the sourcebooks.
which is why vehicles, worlds, equipment, and to a small extent weaponry is 
very much desired. 
Although I must say that I am seeing an undue fixation with weaponry lately.
sure, it's cool that you can make your own ACR, or that by know you can find 
about 20 different types of plasma gun on the Net, but come on, there is more
to the game than guns.

in FF&S there is 77 pages on making weaponry, half a page on computers, and
not a word on biological modifications. true, there is a whole chapter on 
cybernetic modifications - but it's all hand lasers, fist knives, subdermal 
armor, etc. If I wanted to play cyberpunk, I would play Cyberpunk. 
THe best sourcebook I've ever seen was "World Builders handbook" by DGP.
General enough to be useful to everyone (even if you weren't a scout. Or 
nowadays an RC marine). lots of equipment, a good (not entirely out of 
touch with science) system for making worlds. 

well, not much point complaining too much - the books made now represent a lot 
of work, and are even sometimes halfway good. I just wish GDW wouldn't
try to force their idea of how the universe should be on me. 

And give the guns a break. 

/ben

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 12:57:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Fairy tales...
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950924115208.21319A-100000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

Just two ancient fairy tales, to get us Regency Imperials thru the Short 
Night.  

The first, a snip from "The Emperor and the Nightingale" is actually 
from Hans Christian Anderson: try to get Windam Hill's CD, narrated by 
Glenn Close, music (moody New Age, w/ Chinese influences) by Mark Isham.  
IMHO, it's a great CD, charming, good music, and a great tale.  The 
attitudes displayed on the CD by some of the people would be great 
training for the Imperial Court.  (Ms. Close also has a very nice British 
Accent, unlike some people here...   :)

The second is a summary of "The Fisherman and His Wife", by the brothers 
Grimm.  Narriated by Jodie Foster.  Music by Van Dyke Parks, CD is also from 
Windham Hill.  It's O.K., but not as good as the "Nightingale".

OFFICALLY, of course, the "Nightingale" is actually from an ancient Vilani 
folk tale: after all, the Vilani have an Imperial Tradition even 
older than the Chinese.  The "Fisherman" is a more recent Sylean tale, 
originating from Core Subsector at about -250.

****************************************

"The Emperor and the Nightingale" - a snippet (Get the CD!  Read the Book!)

"... Five more years went by, when suddenly the Emperor fell ill.  The 
whole country *grieved*, for the people were devoted to their Emperor, but 
the doctors said that he hadn't long to live.

   A new Emperor had already been chosen, and the people stood outside in 
the street, asking the chamberlain  if there was any hope of their old 
Emperor getting well again.  "Peh", said the chamberlain, and shook his head.

   Thick felt was laid down in the halls and corridors to muffle the 
sound of footsteps.  The palace was as quiet as a tomb.  The Emperor lay 
in his huge magificent bed, so cold, and so pale, that the courtiers 
thought him already dead, and dashed off to play court to the new 
Emperor.  Tle lackeys ran outside to gossip about it, and the 
chambermaids gave a large tea party.

   But the Emperor wasn't dead.

   He lay there, stiff and pale, in his magificient bed, with the long 
velvet hangings and the heavy gold tasles.  The poor Emperor could hardly 
breathe: he felt something heavy weighing on his chest.  He opened his 
eyes...

  ... and saw that it was Death.  *Death* was wearing the Emperor's 
golden crown, and held the gold Sword of State in one hand and the 
Imperial Banner in the other.  There was silence, and the silence grew 
more and more terrifying.  Death stared down at the Emperor with great, 
hollow eyes.


****************************************

"The Fisherman and His Wife"  -  a cautionary tale about the unlimited 
                                 drive for power.  Didn't anyone teach Lucan 
                                 and Dulinor about old Sylean nursery rhymes?

<happy, cherry music>

There was a fisherman and his wife who lived together in a hovel by the sea. 

And one day the fisherman fished, and fished, and fished, and caught a 
big flounder.  And the flounder cried "Please let me go.  I'm not a real 
flounder, but an enchanted prince: and I woulnd,t taste right to you anyway."

"Well," said the fisherman, "you don't need to go on about it: I'd 
certainly let any flounder talk swim free."  And saying this, he let the 
flounder go, and returned to his wife who remained in the hovel.

"Husband," she said, "didn't you catch anything today?" "No," replyed the 
husband, "I caught a big flounder who said he was a prince, so I let him 
swim free again."  "Didn't you wish for anything" questioned the wife. 
"No: what would I wish for?"

"Ack" said the wife "it's awful living in a hovel that's so disgusting 
and loathesome: you could at least have asked for a cottage.  Go back and 
ask for a cottage."

"Oh, why should I go back there for?" groaned the husband. "Because you 
had him for sure, and you let him go.  He's sure to repay you in gratitude."

So the fisherman went back to the sea.  An dthe sea was no longer 
gleaming, cryatal blue, but now was an ugly grey.  And the fisherman called 
out, and asked for a cottage.

"Go," said the flounder, "she has it already."

And when the poor fisherman went home, his wife was sitting in a beautiful 
little cottage, full with brassware, fruits and vegetables, and a small 
adorable flock of chickens.

"Now, isn't this much better than before?" probed the wife.  "Yes", said 
the fisherman, "And let it always remain this way, and we shall live 
happily."

"I'll think about _that_" she replied.

* * *

Two week's later, the shrewish wife called to her husband "Listen,
husband, this cottage is too cramped, and the yard too small.  The 
flounder could have just as easily given us a castle.  Go to the flounder 
immediately, so we can have a castle!"

The husband demurred, but the wife browbeat him to go to the flounder.  

"It's not right" said the husband, "it's just not right!".  And the sea 
was restless, and has turned an ugly green and yellow.  And the husband 
asked for a cottage for his wife.

"Go," said the flounder, "she'd standing in the gate."

And the husband returned to a magificant stone castle.  With a beautiful 
slate steps, and elegant painting on the walls, it astounded the 
simple fisherman.  Complete with stables, fine horses, and an elegant 
garden in the back...

"Now, isn't this a fine home?" declared the wife.  "Yes", said 
the fisherman, "And let it always remain this way, and we shall live 
happily."

"I'll think about _that_" she replied.

* * *

And the very next day the wife desired to be king, then emperor.  The 
husband, incredulous, didn't believe that his wife would be granted these 
things, and was frighened of trying the flounder's patience.  But each 
time, the flounder granted her wish.

* * *

And the wife, after obtaining every possible position of power, still 
wasn't satisfied.  She thought and thought, but couldn't think of a 
single thing.  Until she looked out of her mile-high tower, and saw the 
sun rise and shine, it's bright sunshine illuminating her world.

"That it!" she cried, with a blazing gleam in her eyes, "I want to be 
able to cause the Sun and the Moons to rise!"

She turned to her husband. "Husband! I want to be able to cause the Sun 
to rise! I want to be like the Lord God!"

The fisherman recoiled from her.  "Surely you can't be God!  It can't be 
done!  It just can't be done!"  But his wife grabbed him: "I will have 
it! I am the *Emperess*, and you are just a fisherman! The flounder gave 
me all this, surely he can make me God as well!  If you don't go to him 
this very instant..." and her eyes fixed on him, boring into his skull... 

And the poor fisherman ran from her, towards the raging sea.  The sky was 
now pitch black with angry red clouds streaking across it.  The wind howled, 
and the stink of the onyx black sea hit him like a wall.  Trembling 
with fear and forboding, cowering under the vicious thunderstrikes, he 
cried out to the flounder, to make his wife like the Lord God.

"Go," said the flounder, "she sits in her hovel."

... and there she sits, to this very day.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alvin Plummer


Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA

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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 15:44:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: #AWP-00301: Efate
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.950924125840.21751A@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

Efate (Regina: Spinward Marches/1803)
A646A30-E B    Hi In    110 Re K4 V
g=.7718, day=37:59:06.7; year 41d 10:56:55.1 Imp., 26d 4:38:11.2 Local
atmos=.66, controlled weather                    TNE weather = -1
Temp=-3 (6/lat +15 to -45) (season +17 to -29, 16 deg lat)
daily temp range: +14 noon, -54 midnight
[Life]; Ores, Radioactive, Crystals; Nonmetals; Parts, Consumables; 
Recordings, Software.
Progressive/Indifferent; Competitive/Militant; Harmonoius/Xenoplilic
Legal=0-00000                   Tech= EE-EDEFE-DDDE-EE-4

ARRIVAL

When you leave jump, you're 100 diameter's from the primary star: Efate is 
only 68 local stellar diameters out, so your ship will come out between 
194 and 394 light-second from Efate.

Coming through the RQS rigamore is a good bit easier here then in most 
places: Virus is not nearly the threat that the Zho's can be, in the
eyes of the local Efate.  So long as the traveller doesn't do anything 
blatently stupid, he should be able to arive at the starport in a 
reasonably short time.

[REFEREE: The world name is also used to refer to singluar and plural Efate.]

Looking down on the world as the RQS quickly rifles thru his ship, he's 
likely to mistake the Vistoner plate as the world's sole continent.  
While it sure looks like one, it has actually been shattered into 
something like a jigsaw puzzle. Each island - about 300 to 700 km in 
diameter - is seperated by it's neighbour by a 1-4 km moat, which goes 
down 3-5 kilometers in depth.  How this highly unlikely geographic formation 
is still under some debate: since there's no impact crater, the answer 
must reside in some truly odd plate tectonics.  The world itself seems
geologically dead: there are no mountain chains, and no volcanoes.  The 
bottom of the moats is covered by silt and dirt settling in from above: 
estimates are that the crevaces go down another 2 km below the silt floor.

After barely setting foot on this world, each member of the company will 
be given a holographic Efate guide - an avatar - to help the visitor 
navigate his way through the customs and traditions that govern Efate 
society.  The guide will refuse payment from the visitors: he is usually 
a construct by a local tourist agency, and will encourage the visitors 
to use his agency's facilities.

THE EFATE RACE

The guide is worth a twice-over.  The typical lithe Efate stands at a little 
over average height, with a deep bronze skin, longish wavy hair in a 
variety of light colours (white, various shades of grey, and pale 
yellow), and high cheekbones.  They look like a minor race - or a 
bodysculptured noble - but are not actually human at all.  

The Efate was contacted by the Imperium soon after arriving in Regina 
subsector.  At the time, they were a highly sedentary race of omnivores; 
weighing in at about 300 kg, they looked something like large, 
occasionally biped squirrels, with faceted eyes, an ungainly gait, and a 
grating language of squeals and whines.  Primitive they were not, though: 
when the I.S.S. Coilirela touched down here in 182, they had already 
reached TL 4, with some research to TL 6.

The Efate - or the KriiLeeiKariit, as they called themselves at the time 
- welcomed the Imperium gladly, becoming a client state in 211 and 
obtaining formal membership in 243.  A highly industrious people, they 
swiftly reached TL A by 400, and by the First Civil War was at TL D. 

It was at this time when wealthy KriiLeeiKariit started to shape 
themselves and their children as humans.  The prestige of being human, 
and the natural KriiLeeiKariit love and fondness of humaniti, began to 
approach it's ultimate conclusion.  By 880, the "New People" were over 
half the population: by 1000, the KriiLeeiKariit were extinct.  But the 
"New People" - now taking the name of Efate as the name of their new race 
- were still not considered human, as they cannot interbreed, and have 
serious internal difference from humanity, especially at the DNA and 
molecular level.  

They still cannot eat most human food without pills and addatives: the very 
limited range of (highly processed) human food they _can_ digest 
without aides gives them debilitating stomach cramps and occasional 
vomiting "on bad days".  Because of their wholesale and self-inflicted 
genetic problems, they suffer appallingly short lifespans of about 40 
years, dying from a vast variety of heridatory diseases.  And over 60% 
of all Efate are originally born from some artifical method: the 
rebuilding of the KriiLeiiKariit reproductive system to imitate human 
mammalian norms is a great triumph of science, but even today a Efate 
woman going through natural childbirth takes her life in her hands.  Of 
course, Efate genetic science plows ahead to relieve these problems.

EFATE CITIES

Efate cities are very crowded.  The Efate are an extremely gregarious 
race, and they love the hustle and bustle of the urban enviroment.  Their 
cities aren't very tall, but do spread out over thousands of kilometers of 
area.  Clothing tends to imitate the latest Regina fashion, and many of 
the social attitudes are also familiar to native-born Reginans.  
Strangers are enjoyed my most Efate: they are easily forgiven of any minor 
errors, and even if guilty of a grevious crime, will only suffer 
- at worst - expulsion from Efate.

What most stand's out on Efate is the vast number of holographic people - 
called "avatars" - which mix and talk with the real Efate.  Some of these 
people have been sent by their masters to complete some errand, but most 
of the avatars are of dead Efate, who's personality is brought to live by 
AI programs.  

[REFEREE: Pre-Virus, the images are projected by small, mobile robot spheres 
which hover over a spot, and project the image downward.  Now, the 
cameras and AI computer is mounted on trained TrWanak gasbag animals: the AI
has no way to communicate to other computers, and can only direct the 
gasbag by mechanical prodding.  Also, the AI is designed to mechanically 
fail if infected by Virus.]

The Servenai Cults - the premiere Marchman religion, after Imperial 
Catholicism - have many Efate followers, and insists that the souls of 
the dead are only satisified if they're images are permitted to walk the 
land.  The Cults - which originated on Capon/2324 (B747748-A) - resemble 
the Roman mystery cults, with ancient Vilani philosophy thrown in: 
currently, 20% of all Marchmen follow it.

HONOUR

While most Imperial/Regency worlds are known for taking Honour and 
Tradition seriously, Efate is unique in the extent that it reveres these 
concepts.  One of the things that the Efate can't get their heads around 
is human laws: they simply cannot comprehend how they act.  What they 
*do* understand, however, is Personal Honour.  Each individual Efate is 
responsible to make his portion of the universe as fine and noble as 
possible.  And each Efate's life is governed by his own personal Honour 
Code, which is held as sacred.  

Each Efate is expected to uphold the Code individually, rather than 
depend on a government to maintain it.  If an evil occurs, the Efate that 
witnesses it is to correct it: he *cannot* pass on that responsibility to 
someone else. 

The Efate nobility's main purpose is to provide living examples of what 
honour mean, to set an example for the nation and the race.  The local 
nobility has shifted over the centuries from a priesthood to a democracy 
to an oligarchy of noble families, but how they govern - the source of 
their authority - remains the same. 

The Code - basically the obligation to be and live the truth as best as 
ability allows - is the foundation of trust on Efate.  Because it's taken 
so seriously, the system can continue to be the only known high-pop world 
without any formal laws at all.  Of course, every Efate's individual Code 
varies, but all strive towards the same goal, and tend to have many 
similiarities.

One of the more common manifestations of the Code is Paterfamilias: that 
is, the eldest male is assummed to be the lord of his household.  While he 
doesn't officaly have the 'right' to kill anyone in his household that he 
wishes - the Efate only believes in duties and responsibilities, not 
rights - most Efate will not interfere or ostrazise a father who does, 
even in public.

Other common traits of the Honour Code is a willingness to take the law 
in your own hands; a very strong fear of shame before others; love of 
family, home, and empire; and contempt for those who challange the Code. 

RELIGION

While the Servani Cults are the most flamboyant religion on Efate, the 
dominant religion remains Imperial Catholicism.  The Deneb Rite remains 
the most influential with over half the population's alligence, but Sylean, 
American, and Vilani Rites are also common.  

The population is quite pious, and place strong emphasis on the 
graciousness of the Lord.  Assorted religious meetings - from major 
religious festivals to spontanious 'street dancing' - is quite common.
While Efate does not have the most awe-inspiring cathederals or the most 
learned and wise of churchmen, they do embrace their faith with vigour 
and joy.  Which is somewhat ironic: about 2/3rds of Regency Christians 
believe that nonhumans shouldn't be allowed to join the church, either 
because they lack the "imageo dei" (the Image of God), or because they 
feel that Christianity is about God speaking to men, and that God would use 
other native religions to speak to nonhumans, not Christianity.

The tendency of Efate Catholics to stress the power of the Holy Spirit - 
and to utterly ignore the commandents and laws of God - tends to 
aggrivate most Catholic churchmen.  Never mind the problem of whether 
Jesus died for nonhuman sinners or not, or even if this theology even 
makes sense when applied to aliens. Or even if Efate are 'sinners' in any 
meaningful sense: how can they transgress a law that they never recieved?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer

"It takes the Navy three years to build a new ship.  It will take three 
hundred years to build a new tradition.  The evaucation will continue."
          - Rear-Admiral Cunnigham, RN, in response to complaints
            about the evacuation of the British Army from Crete.       

"Preserve what we created, Norris, and remember what we stood for."
                               - Strephon, 179-1126

Reply to: alvin.plummer@SHERIDANC.ON.CA

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------------------------------

Date: Mon, 25 Sep 1995 09:11:59 +1200
From: Simon.Harding@vuw.ac.nz
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: subscribe traveller Simon John Harding
Message-ID: <199509242111.JAA14149@rata.vuw.ac.nz>

Simon Harding
Administrative Assistant
Graduate Students Office
Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 427
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