Volume #1, Issue #3. (Feb 7, 1995)

Inceptor/Editor: msphil@birds.wm.edu

Setting Index

  1. New Detroit
  2. United Terra
  3. GURPS Space: Dark Glass
  4. Traveller: Battles & Conquests
  5. A Quick Note from the Editor

Fine Print: There are trademarks referenced in this work. These trademarks and all rights pertaining to them are controlled by their respective owners. The use of these is not intended as a challenge to their status, nor their ownership. The purpose of this journal is to provide a forum for gamers to exchange news of campaigns in a format where they can be shared, enjoyed, and perhaps even incorporated into other campaigns.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to Bill Knight, ANWTK@acad2.alaska.edu, ('The Guardian') for the snazzy banner!
The news reporters this issue were: 
    Tim Loud, JLOUD@GAMMA.IS.TCU.EDU
    Mike Phillips, msphil@birds.wm.edu
    Chris Mitchell, mchris@freenet.scri.fsu.edu

New Detroit

(Detroit from RoboCop was used as the background for a low-tech cyberpunk game)

[The beleaguered editor takes his leave of this setting for this month, as he has had no time to run any scenarios here, but a reader submits the following.....]
Earth : United States : Detroit :
OCP LAB EXPLOSION REVEALS TOP-SECRET MILITARY PROJECTS

Last month, the OCP Research Laboratory was destroyed in the WarZones becaue of the lawlessness caused in the NDPD strikes. After the attack, the OCP began to clean up some of the wreckage caused in the attack when investigators from both the SEL and Military arrived. The investigators put the owners of OCP through a great deal of interrogation. As to what the concerns of these questioning sessions were, it is unknown at this moment in time. However, it was reported to us in a military press release today that there were several top- secret military projects that "escaped" from the laboratories. That is the maximum amount of information we could get a hold of from the Military in this case. However, OCP has revealed that the projects were not a direct part under their company's control and that the experiments are not a threat to Detroit citizens. The OCP has re- assigned several Enforcement (209) droids into various areas where the "projects" might be roaming.

PHINEAS GRUNCH SETTLES BANK DISPUTE; BUYS OUT WHOLE SYSTEM
Phineas Grunch, billionaire, and owner of First International Bank of America, has finally settled the bank dispute as to whether or not his banks will be allowed in Detroit. Today, he announced in a press conference at the MidTown Mansion that he had bought out every other bank in the city. The banks of Detroit have an agreement with the government to not allow monopolous banks such as FIBA within city limits after the Matriks Bank fiasco and "Bankgate." Phineas Grunch promised today that his "organization will fight to the very last to help restore order to New Detroit." Phineas Grunch and the owners of OCP met today in a closed door luncheon in his Midtown Mansion to discuss "Enforcement of crime." Phineas Grunch is rumoured to have made a monetary promise to the OCP organization.

OCP DESIGNS NEW POLICE VEHICLE; POLICE UNION INVESTIGATING
OCP recently designed a new manned police vehicle with the MAXX driving series computer software installed. The vehicle was prepared as a possible "negotiations easer" or plea bargain for an end to hostilities. The car has been in construction for over two years and features such capabilities as Stealth covering, 200-D force shield armor, A battering ram, ball-tracked wheels, and a wide assortment of weaponry, essentially making it an "Urban Assault Tank." The vehicle was built in cooperation with Math Industries, designers of MAXX, and Grand Union International, designers of all the heavy weapons used onboard. The military has also shown an interest, and will be here next month for a previewing of the unnamed vehicle along with the police union.

ACTOR RED GERO DISAPPEARS
In filming the movie The Crow Returns, actor Red Gero has vanished. The actor was filming a sequence in a virtual reality simulator when he simply vanished. The cause of the disappearance is currently unknown. The disappearance of Gero raises a question as to the history of the Crow movies. Already in filming this movie, a stunt man was critically wounded earlier this year. In the original Crow movie, filmed in the 1990's, actor Chris Lee was killed. Red Gero was related to Lee. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the police department. He vanished in the Redzones, at Corona Studios.

MYSTERIOUS MURDERS PLAGUE CITY
Recently a wave of mysterious murders have plagued the city. Over five people in the past forty eight hours have been killed and over thirty more were seriously wounded, all in a gruesome fashion, and in their sleep. All were lower- and middle- class income families, and of little importance to gang warfare. All were marked with a violent sign, clear evidence of a serial killer. Though serial slayings are not uncommon in Detroit, the complexity of these murders of which NDPD detectives have not given detailed descriptions show an alarming, predictable movement in which the citizens of Detroit should be warned about. Anyone living within the Neonuk section of town should have recieved warnings from the police already. A squad of Enforcement Droids have been put inplace to defend the neighborhoods tonight.
TWENTY KILLED IN MIDTOWN DISASTER
Yesterday at 3:00 PM something happened in MidTown. Over twenty people were killed in a disastrous attack by an unidentified gang. The Police Union has blamed the attack on runaway Enforcement droids, with which some evidence seems to concur, but OCP has countered with word that it was simply a "highly armed and technologically dangerous band." Survivors of the attack are currently in the Detroit hospital, but Sarai Tol, one of the store owners in the MidTown complex, reported seeing four "monstrous super beings" similar to droids. The attack sparked a demonstration by the National Organization of Mutant and Clone Morality (NOMCM) near the state capitol complex this morning. The Governor herself has asked for members of the national guard to begin searching for the four "super-criminals." Biotechically Altered humans (BANs) frequently raid normal settlements, but this is the first case in a mid-northern state away from most of Biotechnical activity. It is unknown where the ultra-fugitives are from.

Chris Mitchell: mchris@freenet.scri.fsu.edu

United Terra

(United Terra is the setting for the AMAZING ENGINE game BUGHUNTERS)

United Terra : Acey-Two : New Dallas :
HORNET NESTS DISCOVERED!

The capitol city of Acey-Two, New Dallas, reeling from the loss of the New Austin colony and a significant portion of its own defense forces, was rocked by satellite intelligence which indicates that the Hell's Hornet nest recently destroyed on the southern continent is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Teams of UTRPF troops are being assembled to deal with the threat, which is assessed by at least one official in the know as being 'grave'. The apparent number of new nests is more than a hundred, a situation which poses a considerably greater threat to the nascent colony than was previously expected.
At least two transports of additional troops are on the way, to buttress the forces already gathered at the beleaguered colony.

Mike Phillips: msphil@birds.wm.edu

GURPS Space: Dark Glass (TL 12)

GURPS Space : Dark Glass Universe : The Blue Rift
SREHCRAESER LOST COLONIZED WORLD DISCOVERED

An Earthlike terrestrial world near an MV star (Red, Main sequence), that was lost when Galactic Civilization fell in the Blue Rift sector. Current technology is TL10.
The Blue Rift is a "bubble" of blue (all shades) gas from an exploded star in the center. As this also crosses several hyperspacial rivers, life has evolved along the walls of the rift as well as the planets it now contains.

The planet is smaller than Earth, and has more gravity (2.1). The people here realized that long term settlement is more likely in .75- 1.25 G's; otherwise they would suffer heath and reproduction problems. They are genetically modified for this different G-tolerance.
The planet has 15 degrees Axial tilt and Major Seasonal Effects; its length of day (in hours) is 36.

There is almost no Atmosphere except in the valleys and caves. The climate is warm, the terrain is mainly Forest/Jungle. There is one small moon.

A 6 limbed, warm blooded animal that live on land is the only native species; it has the intelligence of a dog.
The civilization is kept around 100 million; manufactured items are larger, heavier, costlier (+10%) and less user-friendly

The World Government is a slave state, but by a repressive Athenian Democracy. There is one very exceptional Class V starport for the day when the Srehcraeser Empire finds them again.

Other installations include a Colonial Office, Corporate Headquarters, Criminal Base, Espionage Facility (civilian), Government Research Station, Mercenary Base, Naval Base, Prison, Private Research Center.

Local Notes: The high gravity has resulted in pockets of forests, jungles at low altitudes, low pressure results in fast drop off in higher altitudes, caves of rich oxygen-nitrogen forest/jungle water ways.

Tim Loud: JLOUD@GAMMA.IS.TCU.EDU

Traveller: Battles and Conquests

(Battles and Conquests is a RPG based on Traveller: The New Era, StarWars The Role Playing Game, and BattleTech)

[GM's Note. The near universal calendar system has a year consisting of 400 days, broken down into 10 months, consisting of 40 days apiece. So, on a header, it will appear with the year/month/day usually followed by a city and then the planet. Note also that the dates used do not corespond with either StarWars or Traveller calenders. The date would be somewhere between 23,679 years P.I.D. Starwars and 1495 Traveller]
[GM's Note #2. B & C Compendium:

  • Republic - The remnants of an ancient Imperium that once ruled a vast amount of the galaxy. The Republic is a Federated Commonwealth of sorts, and has tried to bring back it's roots in the Commonwealth houses. Also, GFR (Galactic Federated Republic).
  • New Solomani Empire - A monarchal power that rules through an iron fist of oppression. Seeking violently to expand after being hit hard with the Virus.
  • United Loop Republic - A militaristic faction with domination in mind. Though less violent then other factions, the Drenslaar, the dominant race, have returned to space with a revenge in their hearts. They also have mastered clone technology and have the fastest fleet building war machine then any other galactic nation known at this date. Also, ULR.
  • Republic Gralyn Union Authority - Part of the Republic. The Gralyn Union was formerly an independent explorational and mercantile nation. Constant attacks from the Solomani and Iltharan Vampires have almost desimated the home system, Gralyn. During the ULR's occupation of Gralyn, most of the original Gralynite inhabitants were killed. After the ULR pulled out after the Solomeiaan and Gralyn campaigns, a civil war ensued which wiped out the planet's biosphere. A few Gralynites loyal to the original Union left the planet under supervision of General Mace Tuwoni. They then joined the Solomeiaan Union. However, soon the Solomeiaan homeworld was destroyed, and the Gralynites found themselves the keepers of the Solomeiaans. They returned to the original homeworld of Gralyn, and re-established the Gralyn Union, after joining the GFR. It was a Gralyn ship that landed on Drenslaar, of which the Drenslaars "copied" the Hyperdrive of. Also, RGUA.
  • Iltharan Vampires - The Iltharan Vampires are a deadly war-like race twisted and re-programmed by Doom scientists. The Vampires were originally a star-faring culture that simply spread through the quadrant, exploring space and living off those few races on backworlds. However, they have recently developed the "Coffinship" Cruiser, with a form of Black Absorbtion Metal that can absorb any form of energy, up to that of a class G star's photosphere. No weakness has been found yet, other then the "Mouth" opening of the ship through which entire moons have been "swallowed." Iltharans show no life signs on scanners, making it difficult to find them. They also have mastered a Teleportation device, recently thought impossible.
  • ICA - Ion Cannon Treaty. The only known possible device able to penetrate the Black absorbtion armor of Coffinships is the Ion Cannon, a device invented by the Drenslaars. Only a few people in the ULR know how to construct them, and a deal has been made (the ICA) between Gralyn as a means of trading these devices in exchange for Republic technology.
  • Dragonknight - A huge cruiser designed by the Carrillian Assembly several hundred years ago after the First Virus. The ship is over a mile and half long, armed with weaponry. The ship is currently the largest and most powerful in the ULR fleet and is being copied.

    ACTION UPDATE

    The year in Review

      Brought to you by: 
       \\\    Loop Union Data Recording Department
        \\\   Gralyn Communications
      Special Thanks to:/// The People's Military (ULR)
                       ///  General Mace Tuwoni
                /////////   President Nief Poli  
    
    Current: 20,223 \10 \10

    PEACE DECLARED BETWEEN GRALYN AND U.L.R;
    ICA SIGNED 20,223\ 01\ 23

    DRAGONKNIGHT DISCOVERED: WORK BEGINS ON CLONING 20,223\ 04\ 4

    -+-End Transmission-+-
    Chris Mitchell: mchris@freenet.scri.fsu.edu

    A Quick Note from the Editor

    Another (two) month(s), another issue. Yay! This is the third issue. If the history of The Adventurer's Journal (FNN-TAJ) is an example, the next issue will be the issue in which TSJ reaches critical mass (so to speak). With TAJ, there was a several month break (due to a miscommunication between myself and the coordinator). I don't anticipate such a problem here, but the best way to head it off is to submit some news for the next issue!
    Thank you all for making this journal what it is!


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    msphil@birds.wm.edu