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Voyager Sourcebook Chapter 7
This is a PDF of one of the chapters that I wrote for the now-defunct Star Trek Voyager sourcebook for the ICON system. Most of the material is system-neutral and the rest is easily converted to CODA, FASA and Prime Directive.
Please have a read and let me know what you think.
mactavish out.
Love that "Cosmibabble" chart you made. Good solid work on every thing else, thank you Mac.
Well I'm only half way through and that is a marvelous work! Thanks very much for releasing it to the community! Now to get back to reading... :)
I gave it only a cursory reading so far, but I like it a lot! :) Can't wait to see the whole product.
So has anyone else actually downloaded and/or read it?
What do you think?
mactavish out.
The first thing that hit me was the unfortunately derivative and "fannish" names given to the original Kazon Sects. "Mithral?" "Ygdril?""H'rothgar?" Please. That's just embarrassing!
One should try to avoid recognizable names from history/myth/or legend when assigning alien names, unless there's a damn good reason why said aliens would have a direct connection to the history/myth/legend.
That bit was so distracting that I have to go back and reread the work in general to assess it. My general impression was that it was well written and very useful, except for the side bar on Kazon Sects, which needs some serious revision to avoid being smirkable.
Not that Fannish. I dont know those 2.Quote:
Originally posted by Sheliak Bob
"Ygdril?""H'rothgar?"
Norse myth and "Beowulf". There were slightly altered variants of "The Hands of Orloc" and "Narnia" in there as well.
Basically, one shouldn't trust off the top of your head "Sounds exotic and sort of alien" names, especially if one has been heavily exposed to fan culture. It's too easy to, altogether accidentally, get tip of the tongue names that are derivative. Best approach, in my not altogether "humble" opinion, is to break down already established names into base syllables--or consonant/vowel patterns--and recombine to create new names that match the conventions established by published names.
Admittedly, I'm a language student and a professional. I would do that for my own games, but wouldn't expect another GM to go to the same length. If there is a chance in hell that something might be published, then yes, I do expect that level of professionalism.
Reread the material last night, and I'd like to go on record as saying that it is a snazzy-fun piece of prose. Other than the Kazon name issue, it is well written and terribly useful. Chock full of nifty ideas and story seeds as well.
Just in case anyone thought I was bashing mactavish in general. The 'tavisher does good work. I've only got the one criticism to level at it and that one is all to easy to fall into, especially if writing on the fly.
Quote:
A member of the Q Continuum
transported the first, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, there in 2367; it was there that Starfleet first encountered
the race known as the Borg. The second Starfleet vessel to arrive in the Delta Quadrant was the
U.S.S. Equinox, commanded by Captain Ransom. The third Starfleet vessel to travel to the Delta Quadrant
was the U.S.S. Voyager.
Seem to be a bit of contradiction in these two sections, unless you spell out that the U.S.S. Schrödinger was displace other than via the Caretaker.Quote:
The Kazon-Kel’nar is one sect that is virtually unknown to the rest of the species. They are among the
most technologically advanced, having captured a displaced Federation Oberth-class science vessel, the
U.S.S. Schrödinger, several years earlier.
It was interesting to for you to have a Romulan take over a Kazon sect.
Spacefaring Powers: What about the Trabe, Ocampa, the race that conquered the Talaxian home world and the Talaxians? Considering that they have been found all over the Delta Quadarant from the Talaxian and Ocompa homeworlds to the mining colony to the Nebula near Borg Space to the other side of Borg territory? What about the various races/empires mention by Captain Ransom and the Equinox crew like the Praetorian Guard?
Barzan Wormhole Terminus - I though the Alpha Quadrant terminus was effected by the Ferengi's action so neither end of the wormhole was fixed. Atleast that is what I took away from the episode. I guess you could play it either way. So if the Barzan end is still fixed or considered fixed, it would allow for the narrator to run a few season in the Delta Quadarant then head back to the Alpha Quadarant via this wormhole.
Borg Corridor - I though this is were the Borg open up the enterance to Fluidic Space and there for was part of the reason for the Borg avoidance of the area except in large number of Cubes.
You might want to do a write up on the nebula that seperates the Borg Collective from the Kazon/Trabe/Talaxian space.
Omega Directive - It should indicate that the Prime Directive is supended for the mission to destroy the Omega Particle. Also that there is a specialized team or teams in Star Fleet to handle that mission. In an article I read it indicated that they would deal with why you could not go faster than Warp 5 (for I had not seen another episode dealing with it), I though this was the episode in question and that the area that had Warp instability was caused by the Omega Particle.
I admitt that I do not recall some of the Spatial Anomalies that you have laid out like Graviton Ellipse and Particle Fountain but Null Space Pocket and Subspace Void seem like they are the same anomalies for I do not recall them being seperate episodes. I remember the eposide about the Devore Imperium but nothing about Interspatial Flexure just a wormhole similar to the Barzan one.
Dam and Dam are both in the English and the German languages with different meanings. There was that Next Generation Episode were Picard was beamed down to the planet with the alien of the week were Data was trying to decipher the alien's metaphoric language. He made an inquiry of the computer about a word they had used and it came back with a number of different meanings from a number a different alien races. I would assume with millions of races and only so many sounds that could be made into words that they might have duplicate words that means something different.Quote:
original post by Sheliak Bob
The first thing that hit me was the unfortunately derivative and "fannish" names given to the original Kazon Sects. "Mithral?" "Ygdril?""H'rothgar?" Please. That's just embarrassing!
Spshu.. I think where he is suggesting alternative snapshots for the purposes of your own story arks, they aren't being counted in the 'official' timeline.. Though I am not too sure if the system the Enterprise D visited was in the beta quadrant - the Borg have been in the Beta quadrant quite allot (the hub was on the border more or less!) and wouldcount either :) But either way.. yes Story arks don't really count for timelines :)
The large nebula on the edge of Neelix's knowledge was I believe the 'expanse' - but it was still quite a way off the Borg yet, distance wise, they had a few more nasty people to bump into before then, such as the Swarm, Bothans and the Bomar etc. All of which could use a write up too.. that's half the problem there are SO many races who were in the show as 'alien of the week' all of them worthy offollow up episodes or returns, yet their linear story made that all but impossible!
The North West passage was a region of space where thousands of the Species 8472 ships had arrived in, causing the Borg to flee or be destroyed.. they most likelly detected it had a high degree of spatial anomalies (Why they believed the Borg left it alone) because of all of the sybspace rifts the Species 8472 had opened to invade! :)
The Omega directive had absolutelly nothing to do with the warp 5 limt.. the warp 5 limit was imposed in TNG because it was found that warp drives caused minor damage to the subspace/space in a region, which over time, will eventually degrade and the barrier will be broke, creating pockets such as that on the edge of Tholian space.. interphase.. This was a big problem in 'space highways' where ships ran over and over the same stretch of space.. somewhat similar to a rut forming in a road over time.. only no known space tarmac exists to fix it :D Apparently by the DS9 era they had developed deflector shield and warp drive alterations which prevented it or made it a significantly smaller problem as the ban didn't last too long!
Omega was introduced in TOS as a particle which could potentially damage subspace over several dozen lightyears, preventing all warp travel! It was an unusual molecule, which even in small qualtities could provide vast quantities of power, if kept stable and Seven personally wanted to find it for herself because it represented perfection for the Borg.
The Barzan Wormhole was apparently unfixed at both ends by the end of that episode.. All of those anomalies were in seperate episodes and had totally different properties. I also remember that Q (Junior) made an interspatial flexure using a deflector array to take him and icheb to trouble :D many many subspace anomalies were made in Voyager !!
Thanks for the comments.
Just as an FYI, the Ygdril, the H'rothgar, and the Mithral weren't meant as a fanboy homage or anything of the sort. In fact, the names H'rothgar and Ygdril were names I made up off the top of my head to use in a GURPS Space setting about ten years ago. I just thought they sounded kind of cool at the time.
Those names were actually placeholders until I revised for a final draft. What I posted was actually only a draft. I dumped the file onto a floppy years ago when I realized that it wouldn't ever go anywhere and just happened to find it when I started boxing stuff up to move.
SBob needn't worry about offending me. The names are goofy. I was working on breaking down the various sect names (Ogla, Oglamar, Nistrim, etc.) into monosyllabic chunks, adding some new ones, and recombining them (as SBob said he does) to make up some "linguistically-official-sounding" Kazon names.
As for the Oberth-class vessel that was captured by the Kazon Kel'nar, in my campaign they were dumped in the DQ via a temporal anomaly from a point slightly in the future (2392 or thereabouts). Again, I can't recall the specifics of the session, but it did make for some interesting adversaries.
"What do you mean their weapons have a Starfleet signature?!"
Regarding the various aliens that Equinox encountered as well as the various races Voyager ran into that I didn't detail, what can I say? I only had so much space. I could have gone on and on about the Swarm, the Devore Imperium, the egg-laying lizard men (from the one where Tom & Neelix found the egg), and so on. However, one can only do what one can do.
Geez, it's been so long since I even actually read the darned thing I can't recall everything that's in there. What I posted was actually shorter than the previous draft. I had more about the Think Tank, the Kravic and their robotic adversaries, the Dominion in the DQ, and so forth. Maybe I'll look for that stuff and post it later.
mactavish out.
Quote:
Originally posted by Tobian
Spshu.. I think where he is suggesting alternative snapshots for the purposes of your own story arks, they aren't being counted in the 'official' timeline.. Though I am not too sure if the system the Enterprise D visited was in the beta quadrant - the Borg have been in the Beta quadrant quite allot (the hub was on the border more or less!) and wouldcount either :) But either way.. yes Story arks don't really count for timelines :)
I am just say that the sourcebook should be internal consistent as to the show and additional information presented, i.e. canon for the purpose of the netbook. It was in a side bar for expanded information on the Kazon, not one for possible campaign twists.
It seems like they encounted a Borg ship that was disabled by a nebula near the expanse. Perhaps any Delta Quadrant/Voyager sourcebook could or should be spilt into 3 parts - Kazon/Trabe/Talaxian area, Borg area and near Alpha/Beta Quadrants. Or perhaps the Voyager Sourcebook could be followed up with a Delta Quadrant sourcebook covering everything left out of the Voyager netbook. Given that the attachment was just a chapter of the sourcebook, I should have predicated that MacTavish could have include or plan to include them in an alien races chapter.Quote:
Originally posted by Tobian
The large nebula on the edge of Neelix's knowledge was I believe the 'expanse' - but it was still quite a way off the Borg yet, distance wise, they had a few more nasty people to bump into before then, such as the Swarm, Bothans and the Bomar etc. All of which could use a write up too.. that's half the problem there are SO many races who were in the show as 'alien of the week' all of them worthy of follow up episodes or returns, yet their linear story made that all but impossible!
That is what I thought.Quote:
Originally posted by Tobian
The North West passage was a region of space where thousands of the Species 8472 ships had arrived in, causing the Borg to flee or be destroyed.. they most likelly detected it had a high degree of spatial anomalies (Why they believed the Borg left it alone) because of all of the sybspace rifts the Species 8472 had opened to invade! :)
Hmm I do not recall that TOS episode. I will have to track it down. I recall an article regarding that an episode of Voyager would address the issue of the Warp 5 limit. I have not see one that address that directly. But the Omega Directive was cleared only for Captains and above, thus the explaination would be that the Omega particle was experimented on near the subspace brake down. Given that Omega particle information was classified so they gave the bogus cause for it. Also it seems that the biogel packs were mentioned to make corrects to the warp drive to decrease the damage to subspace (possibly another bogus reasoning to avoid the Warp 5 limited, if the subspace "rut" was caused by Omega particles). Near the end of DS9 they were at war so the Warp 5 limit specified in emergencies situations the limited is suspended.Quote:
Originally posted by Tobian
The Omega directive had absolutelly nothing to do with the warp 5 limt.. the warp 5 limit was imposed in TNG because it was found that warp drives caused minor damage to the subspace/space in a region, which over time, will eventually degrade and the barrier will be broke, creating pockets such as that on the edge of Tholian space.. interphase.. This was a big problem in 'space highways' where ships ran over and over the same stretch of space.. somewhat similar to a rut forming in a road over time.. only no known space tarmac exists to fix it :D Apparently by the DS9 era they had developed deflector shield and warp drive alterations which prevented it or made it a significantly smaller problem as the ban didn't last too long!
Omega was introduced in TOS as a particle which could potentially damage subspace over several dozen lightyears, preventing all warp travel! It was an unusual molecule, which even in small qualtities could provide vast quantities of power, if kept stable and Seven personally wanted to find it for herself because it represented perfection for the Borg.
That is what I thought, so the way MacTavish describes it should be a side bar as alternative solution as to how to get the starship to the Delta Quadrant.Quote:
Originally posted by Tobian
The Barzan Wormhole was apparently unfixed at both ends by the end of that episode.. All of those anomalies were in seperate episodes and had totally different properties. I also remember that Q (Junior) made an interspatial flexure using a deflector array to take him and icheb to trouble :D many many subspace anomalies were made in Voyager !!
Well you can either change the copy to 'known' vessels, allowing you to add as many as you want at a later date, or simply write in the text that story plot ideas don't count towards canon (which really is implied!)
Because of the way that the series travelled linearly, often jumping from one segment of space to another, you could easilly divide the book into chapters on the races they encounter as the series moves on. Once the ship passed the Nekrit expanse, they did begin to pick up on early warning signs of the Borg, such as that small community of Borg who'd been abandonned on a planet when their ship was hit by some sort of magnetic radiation, and the planet of people who'd went into hiding because the Borg had visted..
The Voyager Era Borg could almost do with a chapter in their own right, with details on entities such as the Queen, and people's who've interracted with them, like Arturis and Species 8472 etc.
I am not sure if Omega was ever mentioned before in Trek.. but the point is that Episode "The Omega directive" had everything to do with the Omega particle and ***NOTHING*** to do with the warp 5 limit. No episode I can recall ever dealt with that in a direct way, but there may have something which mentioned it in passing.. but it was most definatelly NOT EVER mentioned in "The Omega Directive" the end :D
I suggest you watch the TNG Episode 'Force of nature' -> http://www.startrek.com/startrek/vie...ode/68628.html and the Voyager Episode 'The Omega Directive' -> http://www.startrek.com/startrek/vie...ail/72362.html and you should find clarity.
I've read many notions that the Intrepid class vessel has the restriction removed, but as far as i can recall, that has only ever been in a non canon context, and never appeared on screen. The phenomenon which caused 'damage' to subspace was because of massive re-tredding of warp tracks over and over again.. so it's not really an issue with Voyager in the Delta quadrant anyway is it! :D
For you old-timers still here about, does anyone have this PDF saved on your hard drive? I lost all of my ICON Trek stuff a couple of years ago, and - as I no longer have the site where the file was initially hosted - can't find this file anywhere.
Thanks.
mactavish out.
Where would you like it?
Ah never mind here's the old link: http://mitglied.lycos.de/EmperorsArm/st/trek1.html
Thanks, Phoenix. That's not what I was looking for, however. ;)
I did, however, find the original draft on a CD backup at the bottom of a box.
Thanks for your help though.
mactavish out.
Hi MacTavish,
Would you be willing to have the file hosted on Memory Icon? At any rate, I don't recall having this document, and would like to get a copy for personal use.
Pretty please? With gagh on it?
That was the only Voyager PDF I knew of. I going to beg along with Owen here, Pleeease.Quote:
Originally Posted by mactavish
I was rereading a bunch of my posts from over the years, and I found this one.
I quickly realized that there was no attachment (as I've not had that site for many years), so I thought I'd put it up as posts.
Please enjoy. :)
mactavish out.
The Delta Quadrant
The Delta Quadrant encompasses 25% of the Milky Way galaxy. It spans approximately eight billion cubic light years of space, sharing “borders” with the Gamma and Beta Quadrants. The nearest point of the Federation lies over 40,000 light-years from the Delta Quadrant. Few Alpha and Beta Quadrant species have experienced the Delta Quadrant save through star charts and interstellar telescopic arrays.
Situated far beyond the Romulan Star Empire of the Beta Quadrant and the Dominion-controlled space of the Gamma Quadrant, the Delta Quadrant holds both mystery and wonder for the Federation and its neighbors. Three Starfleet ships are known to have visited the Delta Quadrant.
A member of the Q Continuum transported the first – the U.S.S. Enterprise-D – there in 2367; it was there that Starfleet first encountered the race known as the Borg. The second Starfleet vessel to arrive in the Delta Quadrant was the U.S.S. Equinox, commanded by Captain Ransom. The third Starfleet vessel to travel to the Delta Quadrant was the U.S.S. Voyager. Carried from the Badlands to the Delta Quadrant by an intergalactic explorer known only as the Caretaker, Voyager has been attempting to return to Federation space for several years. Voyager encountered the Equinox after spending five years in the Delta Quadrant. The Equinox was later destroyed by an extradimensional race in retaliation for the mass murder perpetrated by its captain and crew.
[[begin sidebar]]
Strangers in a Strange Land
There are a great many races native to the Delta Quadrant. These are the peoples that will interact with the characters on a regular basis as they make the long journey home. However, vessels other than those belonging to Starfleet have also visited the Delta Quadrant. According to Neelix’s database, literally dozens of vessels were brought to the region by the Caretaker, their crews examined, then returned from whence they came. But did they all return home?
At least one other Alpha Quadrant species, the Cardassians, also traveled to the Delta Quadrant. Perhaps there were others as well. It is not totally inconceivable that the Caretaker took a cloaked Romulan or Klingon warship, or perhaps a trio of Jem’Hadar attack ships. It is also possible that other, less well-known Alpha or Beta Quadrant races have been stranded in the Delta Quadrant.
Also possible is the prospect that members of a previously unknown species were seized by the Caretaker and then unable or unwilling, for whatever reason, to return home. Some of these aliens might even be from a galaxy other than the Milky Way.
Finally, perhaps some well-known aliens, such as those native to Tau Alpha C, made their way to the Delta Quadrant under their own power. It is distinctly possible for the characters to encounter familiar aliens such as these in the Delta Quadrant as well.
Limitless are the possibilities in this area, but use caution: populating the Delta Quadrant with known species pretty much defeats the purpose of sending the characters there to begin with!
[[end sidebar]]
Thanks to numerous advances in scanning technology, the introduction of alien sciences and techniques, and the occasional amazing event, the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager learned much about the Delta Quadrant during their travels. Though maintaining a relatively straight-line course home, Janeway and her crew remained true explorers, deviating from their path often to explore strange and previously unknown astronomical phenomena. It is through much of this exploration that an understanding of the Delta Quadrant has come about.
The various races encountered in the Delta Quadrant have been a rather strange conglomeration. While some species were open and friendly, many more seemed neutral, even hostile. Voyager made contact with a myriad number of species, ranging from individuals to interstellar empires. By its very nature, the Delta Quadrant has often appeared rougher, harsher, and often far less refined than the other quadrants of the Milky Way. Perhaps this is due to the inordinate number of oppressive empires; perhaps it is due to living in close proximity to the Borg. Nonetheless, species native to the Delta Quadrant have, more often than not, been less than hospitable if not outright hostile.
With the lack of a significant interstellar power, the quadrant seems to lack continuity. There are no major galactopolitical powers driving the movement of the Delta Quadrant. The only true superpower of the Delta Quadrant is the Borg Collective, and fear of this particular group has turned much of the realm into one of fear and mistrust.
Overall, the Delta Quadrant is a far darker, far more untamed place than the rest of the galaxy. Much like the unexplored places of nineteenth century Earth, the Delta Quadrant holds both treasures and terrors undreamed of by most species in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. It is a wild, untamed wilderness waiting to be explored . . . or escaped.
mactavish out.
Spacefaring Powers
While there are few true powers in the Delta Quadrant, there are many races capable of warp travel. In many cases these peoples are less technologically advanced than the races of neighboring quadrants. In fact, the first three indigenous Delta Quadrant races encountered by Voyager, the Kazon, the Ocampa, and the Talaxians, were all considerably less technically adept than the Federation.
Make no mistake, however, in believing that those races are wholly representative of the entire quadrant. The Vidiian Sodality proved to have numerous technologies considerably more advanced than those aboard the lonely Starfleet vessel, particularly in the areas of medicine and biotechnology. Still other races have demonstrated technologies superior to those typically found in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants.
Among the major races encountered by the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager were:
Kazon
The Kazon were the first hostile Delta Quadrant race encountered by Voyager. Formerly subjugated as a slave race by another Delta Quadrant species called the Trabe, the Kazon rose up under the charismatic leadership of Jal Sankur. They defeated the Trabe and exiled their former masters from their own homeworld. Since that time the Kazon have ostracized and attacked the Trabe at every opportunity, never allowing them to resettle on a new planet.
Although the Kazon successfully escaped from slavery, they were ill-equipped for self-governance. All the sects prized strength and fortitude, and admired cunning and ruthless warriors. They cultivated these traits in order to survive under Trabe rule, but they were so deeply ingrained in their collective psyche that they continued to value them after they had gained their autonomy.
Kazon social structure is far from stable, and the coalition fashioned by Jal Sankur soon collapsed. Since then, the Kazon sects have fought among them¬selves in much the same way that urban gangs fought one another in Earth’s 20th century.
As of 2371 there were at least eighteen different Kazon sects as well as numerous Kazon vessels crewed by men loyal to no one. Among the most powerful and well-known sects are the Kazon-Ogla, the first sect encountered by Voyager upon entering the Delta Quadrant; the Kazon-Nistrim, the treacherous sect commanded by Jal Culluh, once allied with the former Cardassian operative, Seska, who had traveled to the Delta Quadrant while infiltrating the Maquis vessel commanded by Chakotay – the Nistrim, at one point even managed to briefly seize Voyager; the Kazon-Relora, one of the mightiest Kazon sects and blood enemies of the Kazon-Nistrim. Other notable Kazon sects include the Kazon-Oglamar, the Kazon-Hobii, and the Kazon-Mostral.
[[begin sidebar]]
Kazon Sects
Besides the better-known sects, including the Kazon-Nistrim, the Kazon-Ogla, the Kazon-Oglamar, and the Kazon-Relora, there are a number of less well-known Kazon groups. Among the less powerful sects are the Kazon-Hobii, and the Kazon-Mostral. Additionally, there are at least a dozen more sects of varying power. Some are less well-known because they lack the necessary ships and manpower, others because they are based far from what is normally considered Kazon-controlled space.
The Kazon-Kelnar is one sect that is virtually unknown to the rest of the species. They are among the most technologically advanced, having captured a displaced Federation Oberth-class science vessel, the U.S.S. Schrödinger, several years earlier. The Kelnar have kept the crew of scientists imprisoned on a small moon that they control and forced them to produce weapons and other items of advanced technology. While still a small sect, the Kelnar soon plan to reenter the scene and take control, uniting the other sects under the leadership of their First Maje, Jal Hanari.
Still another notable sect in the Kazon-Rhihan. Originally called the Kazon-Leptaq (LEP-tak), this sect – also located beyond traditional Kazon-dominated space – united under the leadership of a Romulan starship commander stranded in the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker while performing clandestine maneuvers in the Badlands. Using the advanced technologies available to him, Nelar – the Romulan commander – killed the clan’s First Maje and assumed leadership of the sect, renaming it Rhihan. Since that time, vessels under Rhihan control have been fitted with more powerful weapons and shields as well as rudimentary cloaking technologies. Nelar hopes to move further away from Kazon space and begin building a new Romulan-Kazon empire under his rule.
There are numerous smaller sects. Most range in size from one to three large ships and may also include a few smaller support craft. Some control a single planet or moon, but most are merely nomads in the emptiness of space. To create a Kazon sect, roll twice on the following table, once in each column:
Roll [2d6] Column I Column II
2 Cal art
3 Hal ii
4 Hob estar
5 Mos ik
6 Nis la
7 Og lamar
8 Pom mar
9 Rel ora
10 Sor stra
11 Vel tral
12 Wen trim
There are undoubtedly other sects that remain as yet undiscovered. It is rumored, in fact, that a descendant of Jal Sankur has making overtures to several lesser clans to form an allied sect under his charismatic rule. While some dismiss this claim, others believe that it is merely a Trabe ploy to wipe out a substantial number of sects with one blow. The truth remains hidden . . . for now.
[[end sidebar]]
The various Kazon sects control a large section of the Delta Quadrant through fear and intimidation. Their ships, designed and built by their former masters, the Trabe, range in size from small one-man shuttles to massive warships that dwarf even the largest Starfleet vessels. While the Kazon have a rudimentary understanding of their operation and general maintenance, they have no true comprehension of the ships or their technologies; unless they change their lifestyles, the Kazon will eventually wear out their ships and most likely degenerate into planet-bound barbarism.
mactavish out.
Vidiian Sodality
A race ravaged by a terrible plague, the Vidiians are notorious for their macabre practice or harvesting the organs and tissues of other sentient beings in order to perpetuate their own survival. While not an evil race, per se, the Vidiians are desperate and motivated, and this more than anything makes them dangerous adversaries.
The Vidiian plague, called “the Phage,” has decimated their population for many years. Once a proud, powerful, and peaceful species, the Vidiians are now concerned with their own survival without regard for anyone else. The Vidiian Sodality encompasses several star systems, but their realm is far smaller than at its peak.
[[begin sidebar]]
Phage-Immune Vidiians
Unknown to most Vidiians (as well as most outsiders), there is a small group within their species, perhaps 1-2%, that is completely immune to the ravages of the Phage. The reasons for this remain completely unknown, even after a large number of these Phage-resistant Vidiians were vivisected in the hopes of learning their secret. The source of their immunity continues to elude even the most gifted Vidiian physicians.
Due to the persecution and eventual medically-motivated murders of those not infected, several groups of these Vidiians have secured vessels and sufficient resources and have fled Vidiian-dominated space. These wayward Vidiians have spread throughout the quadrant, often claiming affiliation with another species to avoid persecution as either plague carriers (among outsiders) or traitors (among other Vidiians).
While most of these groups fled out of a sense of self-preservation, there are a few that remain loyal to the Vidiian Sodality, spending their time scouring the galaxy for a cure for their contaminated brethren. Their goal is to become the saviors of their race; they are wily and are known to misrepresent themselves to others in the hopes of securing assistance and resources.
The expatriate Vidiians, on the other hand, may seek assistance from aliens that they encounter, even offering their advanced medical technologies as a form of compensation. These groups may be especially desperate to avoid capture by others of their kind and willing to do whatever it takes to avoid arrest.
[[end sidebar]]
The Vidiians possess advanced technologies on a level at least equal to the Federation, though their medical technologies are far superior. They control a large number of starships capable of sustained warp flight. Their weapons, too, are of the same caliber as their Starfleet contemporaries.
The Vidiians themselves appear as little more than rotting animated corpses. The Phage, much like an accelerated form of leprosy, destroys its victims from the inside out, shutting down individual organs, even entire systems, eventually taking its toll on its victims’ exterior as well. Infected Vidiians are hideous to behold, and the entire race has apparently fallen victim to this terrible illness.
Though Voyager has long since departed Vidiian-controlled space, the crew was informed that the Phage was cured by an itinerant “think tank.” Whether this information is accurate remains a point of some debate.
mactavish out.
Voth
An saurian race hailing from ancient Earth, the Voth evolved from a species of dinosaurs. They created an advanced culture millions of years before mammals developed, developing spaceflight and eventually warp capabilities. Using their advanced technologies, the Voth built a peaceful empire on Earth that lasted for millennia.
Unfortunately, a rogue asteroid was detected on a collision course with their homeworld approximately 20 million years ago. The Voth constructed a fleet of massive space arks and fled their home just prior to its decimation. For thousands of years the Voth traveled the galaxy, eventually ending up in the Delta Quadrant. Their culture and technologies developed as the centuries passed, but the Voth lost the knowledge of their true history, eventually settling in that quadrant and adopting the belief that they were the first sentient race to develop there.
A noted Voth anthropologist, Gegen, began to study the origin of the Voth in great detail. He and his assistant eventually found evidence of a species that shared numerous genetic similarities with their own people. Further research revealed these beings as humans, a species native, Gegen believed, to their own homeworld. This theory of the Voth’s “distant origin” was considered nonsense by the circles of science, but when Gegen finally encountered Voyager, the Voth hierarchy grew nervous. Rather than allow the belief that the Voth race was one of refugees that fled a doomed world, they were ready to destroy Voyager and imprison its crew. This decision was rescinded when Gegen publicly admitted that he was in error and was assigned to a new field of study. Minister Odala made it very clear that the Voth would prefer not to encounter humans again.
The Voth are far superior technologically to most other races in the galaxy. They are, in fact, one of the oldest races in existence. They possess personal- and vessel-based phased cloaking devices, transwarp travel capabilities, and superior scanning and computing technologies. The Voth are leery of other species, particularly non-saurians. The belief that they share a common ancestry with a mammalian race is utterly repugnant to most Voth. While it is probable that the Voth will prefer to remain in denial about their origins, it is possible that the truth will eventually be accepted as such and the Voth may once again return to the world that was once their home.
Borg Collective
Perhaps the most devastating enemy ever known to the Federation, the Collective cannot be reasoned with, it cannot be bargained with, and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until all have become one with the Borg. The Borg are technologically advanced beyond the Federation by approximately two centuries. They control an area of space spanning over 12,000 light years, and that space continues to grow. The Collective consists of members of over 10,000 different species, including many species indigenous to the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Quadrant as well as those native to the Delta Quadrant. The membership of the Collective numbers in the trillions and is continually expanding. In the entire history of the Collective, only a handful of species have ever successfully resisted their assimilation attempts. The rest were eventually assimilated or destroyed.
Recently, however, the Borg have been severely damaged by the actions of an extradimensional race known only as Species 8472. This hostile race nearly destroyed the Collective. Only with the assistance of Captain Janeway and her crew was the Borg Collective able to avoid complete annihilation.
Even more recently, Janeway herself devised a cunning plan to undermine the control of the Collective. By assisting a small resistance movement of drones, Janeway managed to assist in the beginnings of a Borg civil war. The final outcome has yet to be determined, but it is likely that the Collective will never be the same.
Species 8472
A tripedal race native to fluidic space (see below), Species 8472 is, according to the Collective, the “pinnacle of organic evolution.” They are the sole inhabitants of their dimension, existing in a state of utter organic perfection. Until 2374, Species 8472 was unaware of other living beings beyond their own universe. It was at that point that the Borg discovered fluidic space and the existence of Species 8472. They immediately mounted an invasion, but the Collective was soundly defeated by this race completely immune to their weapons and assimilation techniques.
Fearing that their realm could become contaminated by outside influences, Species 8472 retaliated, initiating a counterstrike. They entered normal space through artificial quantum singularities and began to systematically destroy the Borg. This war took its toll and the Collective quickly realized that it was outmatched. Only by joining forces with the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager were the Borg able to repel the invaders from fluidic space and end the war.
Species 8472, however, remained extremely concerned about the Federation and its capacity to defeat them. They therefore designed and built a number of “training facilities” spread throughout the Milky Way to prepare its operatives for subversive activities in Federation space. This ploy was discovered by Voyager and the two group, while initially prepared for mutual destruction, managed to resolve a number of problems and establish a tenuous peace agreement.
Species 8472 is highly psychically active and possesses various advanced weapons and other paraphernalia based on organic technology. They are physically more stalwart and agile than most humanoids and are able to deliver devastating attacks with their powerful claws, inflicting a horrible infection that devours the victim from the inside out. Fearsome adversaries, they are even capable of surviving in the vacuum of space with no external life support.
mactavish out.
Krenim Imperium
Once controlling an empire encompassing thousands of light years, the Krenim Imperium fell on hard times approximately two centuries earlier. Well known for their command of temporal technologies, most notably the chroniton-based torpedo warheads utilized on their warships, the Krenim maintained dominions that included over 900 planets. They were so powerful, in fact, that they were able to control areas bordering on Borg space without much anxiety.
Unfortunately for the Krenim, their golden age ended when several neighboring species joined forces and defeated them in a long, protracted war. Part of the peace accords involved disarmament of the Krenim war machine and return of captured territories to their rightful owners. The once mighty Krenim Imperium was reduced to less than a dozen worlds in a handful of star systems. Their powerful temporal weapon systems were disarmed and the Krenim were reduced to a minor race.
Unknown to most, however, a brilliant scientist called Annorax designed and built a weapon ship based on similar temporal technologies in the hopes of returning the Imperium to its former glory. On its first mission, Annorax wiped out an enemy believed at least partly responsible for the downfall of the Krenim. Using the advanced temporal incursion cannon, Annorax erased the entire species from existence, thus offering a partial restoration of the Krenim Imperium.
Annorax utilized this weapons many more times, eventually accomplishing a near-total restoration of the Krenim Imperium. Unfortunately, in removing a species called the Relnar, Annorax unwittingly removed a vital antibody from the Krenim genome, causing massive plagues to decimate the once-mighty empire. Among the casualties was Annorax’s own wife. He spent the next two centuries attempting to undo this fatal error. Unfortunately he was never able to complete his personal mission.
Eventually the U.S.S. Voyager, an indeterminate variable, entered the space of the Imperium. Due to the chaotic nature of time, this randomness caused the temporal incursion to go awry. Annorax tried to remove Voyager, but was eventually overcome by a mutinous first officer and Captain Janeway.
The Krenim Imperium has once again been restored to a minor power in the Delta Quadrant, though with the possible existence of those lost temporal technologies, it is conceivable that the Krenim could once again return to power. Only time will tell.
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The Ship that Time Forgot
Though improbable, it is conceivable that Krenim vessels from different timelines may have survived the changes caused by Annorax’s actions through the judicious use of temporal shielding. If this is the case, it is very likely that these out-of-time Krenim would be from a very advanced version of the Imperium, piloting and crewing warships of great power.
While these displaced Krenim are extremely unlikely to have access to technology as impressive as the temporal exclusion device utilized by Annorax in an alternate timeline, they will most likely possess powerful weapons, including the infamous chroniton torpedo. Considering the arrogance of the Imperium, it seems probable that they would attempt to alter the present state of the Krenim either directly (by assaulting their enemies) or indirectly (by covertly providing specifications for advanced weapons and other technologies).
In any case, such a renegade vessel would likely be desperate to “make things right,” quite possibly resorting to extreme measures to do so.
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Hirogen
A nomadic race of hunters, the Hirogen once controlled a mighty empire. Some event in their ancient history, perhaps a chance encounter with the Collective, drove them from their world and scattered them throughout the quadrant. Their values, in fact their entire culture, is now based solely on the concept of the hunt.
Hirogen vessels are well armed and well defended. The hunters themselves are armored from head to toe and carry incredibly powerful energy weapons as well as fearsome bladed weapons. Their ships, which serve as their homes as well as their transportation, are decorated with “trophies” taken from their prey. Bones, organ, and even sections of flesh and skin litter the Hirogen trophy rooms.
The hunt itself is the most sacred of rituals to the Hirogen. There are numerous strictures and taboos related to the hunt. As they engage in a new hunt, they paint their faces and armor with colored pigment signifying various factors, including the difficulty as well as their individual ranks in the hunt itself. The Hirogen are known to never end a hunt until the prey is killed, even if that means calling in reinforcements. The hunt obviously ends as well if the Hirogen are disabled or killed.
The Hirogen once controlled a network of ancient satellites that they used to maintain communications among their people in both the Delta and Beta Quadrants. These satellites were discovered and used by the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager to make contact with Starfleet in 2374. Their use of the network, however, led to its shutdown when they accidentally disrupted the internal power supply of one of the satellites. It was at this point that the Hirogen declared a hunt for Voyager and its crew.
The Hirogen captured Voyager and subjugated its crew using synaptic control devices. They then used Voyager’s holodecks to experience various wars and battles from the history of Earth and various other Alpha and Beta Quadrant worlds. Several crewmembers were killed during this occupation.
Captain Janeway and her crew eventually regained control of their ship, ousting the Hirogen. As a peace offering, Janeway gave the Hirogen the holographic technologies so that they might end their nomadic ways and once again become a single people.
The use of this holographic technology did, in fact, change Hirogen culture at the most basic level. As they created the holographic characters of Alpha and Beta Quadrant species to act as their prey, they programmed them with intelligence and cunning. Eventually the holograms gained sentience and slaughtered their “fleshy oppressors.” What will now become of the mighty Hirogen is unknown.
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Photonics
While technically not a Delta Quadrant race – in fact mostly not really a race at all – a large number of photonic entities have been encountered by the Voyager crew.
An extradimensional species of photonic lifeforms inadvertently disrupted Voyager’s holodeck systems, causing the arch villain hologram, Dr. Chaotica, to declare war on them. While never really in any danger of a real invasion by the holographic characters, the aliens faced a difficult decision when they learned that Chaotica intended to invade their “fourth dimensional realm.” It was only through the quick thinking of the crew and the assistance of the EMH (whom the aliens believed was one of the only “real” beings in the scenario) that the aliens retreated to their realm and the holodeck program was shut down.
Another situation involving photonic lifeforms arose due to the actions of the Hirogen, a race of Delta Quadrant hunters (see above). In an effort to help the Hirogen reform their society, Captain Janeway gave them holographic technologies from Voyager. The Hirogen in turn took these technologies and constructed massive “training facilities” using holographic entities as prey.
These photonic lifeforms, however, were different in that they were reprogrammed to be self-aware, capable of learning, and crafty. Over time these holograms became hunters superior to their former captors. They did, in fact, manage to slay literally dozens of Hirogen (as well as other “racial oppressors” of photonic lifeforms) in the pursuit of photonic liberation before their leader, a hologram of a Bajoran called Iden, was destroyed by Voyager’s EMH.
Many of these holograms, replicas of Alpha and Beta Quadrant species, managed to escape the Hirogen yoke, setting up a massive autonomous holographic emitter capable of maintaining their programs indefinitely. Due to the actions of these Hirogen-enhanced holograms, many Delta Quadrant species have become very suspicious of photonics and races that make use of them. What goals these photonics plan to pursue and what their agenda will entail remains to be seen.
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mactavish out.
Notable Worlds
Many planets in the Delta Quadrant hold indigenous races. Many are lifeless, yet hold other previously unknown wonders. The worlds of the Delta Quadrant are as varied as those in the rest of the galaxy, yet some hold particular interest for the wayward explorer or lost traveler.
“’37’s World”
A medium sized Class-M world, this planet has one major landmass and several smaller islands laid out in an archipelago. It is the second of three planets in a system orbiting a medium G-type star. Due to a less extreme axial tilt than Earth (approximately 8º), this planet has considerably less seasonal variation; the mean temperature is approximately 18º C. Days are approximately 27 standard hours long and there are 320 local days in a year.
This world, referred to locally as Tellus, is inhabited by the descendants of humans abducted from Earth in 1937 by a race called the Briori. Originally enslaved and forced to serve, the humans staged an uprising and drove their abductors away. The Briori were never encountered by the planet’s inhabitants (or anyone else, for that matter) since the rebellion ending their subjugation.
Among the abducted humans were Amelia Earheart and her co-pilot, Fred Noonan. Eight of those originally taken from Earth (including Earheart) were never revived from stasis because they were believed dead. Upon encountering the crew of Voyager in 2372, Earheart and the other were revived from their cryogenic slumber.
The humans populated the entire world, developing a society that closely paralleled that created on Earth over the interim four centuries. While the crew of Voyager hoped that the Briori had left behind technologies to allow them to return home, they learned that what the Briori had not taken with them when they fled was destroyed centuries earlier.
Despite an offer by the planet’s inhabitants allowing Voyager’s crew to remain there, all chose to continue their journey home. Contact with this planet has not been made by humans since Voyager moved beyond their space, though their technological development may some day allow them to contact or even visit the planet of their ancestors.
“Blink of an Eye Planet”
Unique in the Milky Way, this world – called Amari by its inhabitants – revolves at a much higher speed than other planets. In space it is surrounded by a gravimetric gradient, pulling passing objects (such as starships) into orbit. The planet’s core, composed primarily of tachyons, has created a substantial space-time differential. In practical terms, a second in the normal universe is the equivalent of roughly one 24-hour day on the surface.
There are a number of continent-sized landmasses as well as several smaller islands. The majority of the environmental conditions on the surface closely mirror those experienced on Earth. From the planet’s point of view, the rest of the universe simply moves very slowly.
Voyager encountered this world when it was trapped in orbit by the powerful gravimetric gradient. Though anchored in space near the planet for only a few hours, the nature of the planet made it appear as though the vessel was there for millennia. Voyager’s presence had a profound impact on the development of the population, eventually leading them to develop warp capability and leave their planet, assisting in Voyager’s escape.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the influence produced by Voyager, the Amarian people have managed to develop technologies that allow them to compensate for their time differential and leave their world, perhaps someday even to explore beyond their home planet.
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A Sufficiently Advanced Technology
Federation citizens lost in the Delta Quadrant could very well encounter a civilization of humanoids technologically advanced far beyond themselves. These aliens, the descendants of those encountered by Voyager, would undoubtedly be capable (if not completely willing) to provide assistance to the wayward travelers.
On the other hand, perhaps the Amarians have grown angry by the changes brought about by Voyager’s presence (or perhaps by their departure), leading them to behave in a hostile manner to those they believe are somehow related to the “people of the Skyship.” Possibly they have developed their own “Prime Directive” that would forbid them from offering aid to a “less advanced species.” Maybe the Amarians are now extinct and a new race has evolved on their world, or perhaps their world is now in its final stage of existence, ready to blink out, taking all its wonders along with it into oblivion.
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“Demon Planet”
The aptly named “demon planet” is a virtual wasteland compared to typical Class-M planets. Essentially a poisonous desert, temperature extremes and completely virulent surface conditions, any visit to this world requires appropriate life support gear. Even then, conditions will allow visitors to remain only a few hours before the atmosphere begins to damage the life support gear. In game terms, characters with appropriate life support can remain on the surface for two hours without incident, but must then return to their vessel or their suits take two points of damage each turn until they are breached. A rupture in an environment suit on a planet such as this is fatal in (10 - Fitness +/- Vitality) rounds.
This unusual planet contains a high concentration of deuterium, making it an excellent source of starship fusion reactor fuel. Unfortunately, it is also called a “demon planet” due to its toxic atmosphere. This Class-Y world is approximately 78% the size of Earth. Its thick, noxious miasma of an atmosphere is completely unbreathable to most humanoids. It is the only planet orbiting a white dwarf star. Its slow rotation results in days lasting approximately 88 standard hours. Due to the distance from its sun the demon planet has a year consisting of 1,026 days.
This world is home to mimetic lifeforms, comprised of a “living metal.” Comprised of deuterium, hydrogen sulfate, dichromates, and protein, upon contact, are able to sample DNA at a molecular level and restructure themselves as duplicates.
Duplicates of the Voyager and its crew left this planet having lost the memories of their true natures. These doppelgangers were eventually destroyed by changes made to their warp core which produced a variety of radiation normally harmless to most humanoids by apparently fatal to the mimetic lifeforms native to the “demon world.”
Alsauria
A small M-Class world, Alsauria is approximately the size of Mars. Due to heavy mineral deposits, however, the planet maintains sufficient density to produce a gravity of 0.87 G. Due to continual windstorms at the middle latitudes, dust and debris is continually thrown into the atmosphere. This, combined with a high level of water vapor in the atmosphere, make the planet both dark and humid most of the time. Only during the planet’s winter does the temperature drop below the average 29º C.
Alsauria has a number of small landmasses ranging in size from a few kilometers across to the largest measuring just under 1000. There is a water to land ratio of approximately 8:1; Alsauria is a world of island-states.
Further, Alsauria is a world under the yoke of the Mokra, an oppressive and paranoid regime that conquered much of the world several years earlier. Mokra soldiers continue to occupy the majority of the planet.
Captain Katherine Janeway and several members of her crew encountered the Mokra while in search of tellurium on Alsauria. Chief of Security Tuvok and Chief Engineer B’elanna Torres were imprisoned and tortured by the Mokra out of the belief that they were aiding the Alsaurian resistance movement. Eventually, through the efforts of a mentally ill man (who was later killed by Mokra soldiers), Janeway and Voyager managed to free their imprisoned colleagues and flee the planet.
Drayan II
Drayan II is a Class-M world that is almost completely earthlike. With a gravity of 1.02 G, an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, seasonal variation, and day and year lengths nearly identical to Earth, Drayan II is practically a twin world.
Drayan II is a planet with at least three mineral-rich moons and a native race which ages backwards relative to most humanoids. That fact was not widely known prior to the U.S.S. Voyager's encounter with the planet in 2372, due to lack of contact between the Drayans and other species for several decades.
When the elderly members of the race are preparing to die, they lose much of their memory and assume a childlike innocence as well as developing an irrational fear of being stalked by a malevolent and unseen force.
Tuvok, security chief of the U.S.S. Voyager encountered several of these “children” on a Drayan moon and unwittingly violated their traditional funerary rites by attempting to protect them. Tuvok later learned the truth and returned to Voyager.
mactavish out.
Enthara
Home of the Entharan people, a race of renowned merchants, Enthara is a beautiful planet of gigantic mountains and seemingly boundless violet seas. Nearly 80% of the planet’s surface is covered with freshwater oceans, leaving only slightly more that one-fifth of the planet’s surface as inhabitable land. Most Entharans living on the homeworld make their homes in the mountains, which, due to a thick atmosphere, are very comfortable despite the high altitudes. Enthara has an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a gravity of 0.92G.
While trading for weapon system upgrades for Voyager, Seven of Nine accused an Entharan trader called Kovin of assaulting her and stealing some of her nanoprobes which he then used to assimilate a test subject. Though these claims were later proven false, Kovin opted to destroy himself and his ship rather than face the possibility of standing trial, regardless of whether he was actually guilty or not.
Hanon IV
The desolate, desert world on which the crew of Voyager was stranded when the Kazon-Nistrim seized their vessel. It is similar to Earth during the Pleistocene era, complete with severe tectonic activity and high temperatures. Hanon IV has little surface water and no large oceanic bodies. Some small lakes and rivers exist at the higher latitudes thanks to appreciably lower surface temperatures.
Home to a stone age-level race, Hanon IV is constantly wracked with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Hanon IV is also home to a species of massive, reptilian burrowers that devour unwitting humanoids.
After saving a Hanonian female during a volcanic eruption, the Voyager crew made peace with them. Consequently the Hanonian “medicine man” provided a balm to ease the illness of the infant Naomi Wildman. Janeway and her crew were eventually rescued when Voyager was retaken by Lt. Paris and a group of Talaxian miners.
Iliari
Normally a peaceful planet, life on Iliari was disrupted when the Ocampa called Kes was possessed by the consciousness of a former warlord called Tieran. Under this alien influence, Kes and several other Iliarians seized power on the planet. The situation was resolved when Kes mentally overpowered Tieran and regained control of her body. The rightful heir became Autarch when the consciousness of Tieran was destroyed.
Komar
Komar is a tiny M-Class world that is nearly idyllic by Earth standards. Thanks to a series of weather control stations, the planet is kept in a state of constant springtime. Though Komar is no larger than Mercury, its composition and relative closeness to its sun give it a gravity approximately 1.1 times that of Earth. There are four large continent-sized land masses spaced equidistant around the equator of the planet. Whether this is natural or the result of some sort of terraforming is unknown.
A planet of a technically advanced yet condescending race, Komar is considered unusual by virtue of the fact that, until its encounter with the U.S.S. Voyager, they had no concept of music. After a trade agreement was reached, Voyager received numerous technological advances and other forms of assistance in exchange for various musical databases.
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Kyria
Though the surface of Kyria was devastated by war with the Vaskans, many years of conscientious ecological reconstruction have returned this small Class-M planet to a state similar to its earlier existence. Thanks to the multitude of indigenous plant life, Kyria has a thriving agricultural base. The temperate climate encompasses the entire world save at the poles. Days on Kyria are 22.8 hours long and the year lasts for 312 Kyrian days.
While conducting trade negotiations with members of the Vaskan race, Voyager was invaded by the terrorist leader Tedran and his group of Kyrian rebels. Believing that Voyager was forming a military alliance with the Vaskans, Tedran sought to end the arrangement before it began. Although Janeway attempted to assure Tedran that Voyager had no hostile intent, he would not stand down and was eventually killed by the Vaskan ambassador.
A copy of the EMH was stored in a computer module and was somehow left on the planet. After several centuries the EMH was restored and found that Voyager’s involvement in the Vaskan conquering of Kyria was false. He also learned that the entire historical archive was incorrect and eventually managed to convince the Kyrians and Vaskans of that fact. The Doctor eventually left Kyria to follow the route to Earth taken by Voyager over seven centuries earlier.
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Mari
Mari has an environment similar to that found on Earth. There has been some environmental damage due to aerosolized pollutants, but those effects have been largely eliminated over the past few decades. Nevertheless, global warming took its toll, melting approximately 25% of the polar ice. Water levels are finally starting to recede, but only after many coastal regions were lost to severe flooding.
Mari is a world populated by a race of telepaths on which Voyager’s Chief Engineer, B’elanna Torres, was arrested for “aggravated violent thought resulting in grave bodily harm.” Torres was told that she was to undergo an engramatic purge, a medical procedure to identify and remove the offending images from her mind. Harboring violent thoughts is considered a crime on Mari.
After further investigation by Tuvok, the conspiracy to encourage these thoughts for the purpose of distributing them on the black market was uncovered and Torres was released. The Mari people still struggle to come to terms with the connection between violent thoughts and actions as well as their effects on Mari society.
Monea
An artificial water world created by an ancient race millennia earlier, this aquatic sphere is a satellite of a nearby, formerly Class-M planet. The planet that the water-moon orbits was originally the source of the water. Due to a complete lack of water (as well as other unknown factors), the planet itself is virtually uninhabitable. The Monean people inhabit the fluidic satellite, dwelling in submarine cities, harvesting plants for food as well as extracting oxygen to power their starships. Monea is tide-locked to the planet, with one side always facing it and the other always facing away. The atmosphere is, oddly enough, very similar to Earth but is high in concentrations of water and sodium chloride. Further, the atmosphere only extends about seven kilometers above the hydrosphere’s surface.
Upon learning that their world was destabilizing, the Voyager crew assisted them in determining the cause. Despite learning the true reasons, the Monean leadership refused to take steps to halt it as it would negatively affect their way of life. Lieutenant Tom Paris was imprisoned for thirty days after attempting to violently force the Moneans to implement Voyager’s proposal. To date, the Moneans are believed not to have made the changes necessary to save their watery home.
Rakosa
An average sized Class-M world, Rakosa is a beautiful planet. It is cooler than Earth and garners somewhat less light and heat from its H-type star. Rakosa has an extreme axial tilt of nearly 38º. This causes wild seasonal variation often leading to caustic storms and superlative temperature changes at the higher latitudes. Fortunately Rakosan weather control technologies are such that they are capable of mitigating such profound weather patterns.
This world was almost destroyed by Dreadnought, a sentient Cardassian missile reprogrammed by Lt. B’elanna Torres to destroy a Cardassian munitions factory during her time as a member of the Maquis. After reprogramming the missile and releasing it in the Badlands, Dreadnought was believed destroyed. Instead, the Caretaker apparently brought it to the Delta Quadrant. Malfunctioning, Dreadnought mistakenly identified Rakosa as its target and attempted to devastate it. Torres and Voyager managed to destroy the Dreadnought missile, saving the Rakosan people.
Takar
Lying just beyond the mouth of an unstable wormhole originating in the Alpha Quadrant, Takar is a large M-Class world populated by a pre-industrial race of humanoids. Possessing vast natural resources and a large population base, it is likely that this world will develop rapidly. Surface conditions are similar to those found on Earth in Scotland or on the Caldos colony; cool, dark, windy, and perpetually raining. The planet’s sun is a dim G-type star. Takar is one of eleven planets orbiting its star.
After becoming trapped in the Delta Quadrant after traveling through the unstable Barzan Wormhole (see below), two Ferengi merchants happened upon Takar and established themselves as a pair of demigods, ruling the planet with iron fists.
Voyager’s appearance eventually drove the Ferengi from the planet and back through the wormhole to the Alpha Quadrant. Unfortunately this led to a further destabilization of the wormhole thus preventing Voyager from using the same route to return home. Since the egress of the Ferengi con men, the people of Takar have returned to their old ways.
Vaadwaur
Five centuries earlier, Vaadwaur was a near utopia. The planet itself had achieved a balance normally not found in nature. The continents held vast resources as did the ample saline seas. At its peak, Vaadwaur was literally a sub-tropical paradise, with surface temperatures ranging from 24 to 28º C. Precipitation was ample but never overpowering. Tectonic activity was nearly nonexistent. Unfortunately, that all changed when Vaadwaur was saturation-bombed from orbit. The land and water are now totally incapable of supporting life.
Formerly home to a race of the same name, Vaadwaur lies amidst a number of subspace corridors, used by the Vaadwaur people to traverse the galaxy. Once an aggressive, warlike and expansionistic people, the Vaadwaur were forced into artificial hibernation beneath their planet’s surface when a number of their victim races joined forces and decimated their planet’s surface over nine centuries ago.
Through the misguided actions of 7 of 9 and other members of Voyager’s crew, the Vaadwaur race was revived and managed to flee the razed planet that was once their home. What will become of them remains to be seen, but it is well-known that the Vaadwaur are a resourceful, cunning, and often ruthless people.
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Return of the Vaadwaur
Using their subspace tunnels, the Vaadwaur could easily travel to another system and establish a new world or possibly even conquer another species. Using modern technologies and developing or acquiring new starships, the Vaadwaur could easily become a recurring enemy for a group trapped in the Delta Quadrant or elsewhere.
Given the nature of the Vaadwaur and their subspace corridors, it is entirely possible that they are capable of traveling throughout the galaxy and are as likely to appear in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma Quadrants as in their native Delta Quadrant. Such power to traverse the galaxy could provide the Vaadwaur a powerful bargaining chip when dealing with wayward travelers. Offers to provide a near-instantaneous travel route to a faraway home in exchange for a few seemingly innocuous pieces of technology may seem like a small price to pay to those trapped thousands of light years from their homes.
Giving the Vaadwaur starships on par with Starfleet vessels is not out of line. It is likely that they would quickly acclimate to their situation and take appropriate steps to begin to reestablish themselves as a major player in the quadrant.
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mactavish out.
Spatial Anomalies
There are a number of stellar objects and celestial irregularities in the galaxy, and the Delta Quadrant has no shortage of such occurrences. There are undoubtedly a variety of previously unencountered phenomena, but some exist that have been charted or encountered. This is by no means an exhaustive list of phenomena encountered by Voyager, but rather a small sampling of anomalies that they have encountered.
Barzan Wormhole Terminus
At least one terminus point of the Barzan wormhole, found in the Alpha Quadrant, is within the Delta Quadrant. This wormhole, while unstable, may occasionally reoccur, the duration unknown of which is unknown. After Voyager’s encounter with the Barzan wormhole, it became more unstable and its exit vector now varies far more widely than before. It may now conclude in other regions outside the Delta Quadrant.
Since the Barzan terminus is stable, warning buoys have since been deployed to mark it. This is certainly a way to travel to the Delta Quadrant, though the exit vector will be completely random. In game terms, the Barzan Wormhole leads to the Delta Quadrant. Where its aperture opens and how long it remains are both up to the Referee.
Borg Corridor
Called “the Northwest Passage” by Commander Chakotay, the Borg Corridor is an expanse of stars, nebulae, and radiation that form a passageway through Borg space that the Collective does not patrol. Due to the unstable nature of this area of space – and also due to the chaotic subspace vortices and gravitational eddies – it is unwise to pilot a large vessel through this corridor. Numerous Borg vessels were lost and tens of thousands of drones killed attempting to navigate this passage.
The Borg have determined that this area is far too dangerous to risk sending large cube ships, but the Collective may send a smaller vessel such as a sphere or a probe to investigate if appropriate. Additionally, there are planets within the Borg Corridor; whether these harbor life is unknown.
Vessels without appropriate weapons and defensive systems, however, have little choice when traveling through Borg territory but to attempt to navigate the Corridor or face the very real threat of assimilation. The only other option is to travel around their space, adding several years (if not decades) to the journey.
In game terms, travel through the Borg Corridor requires Space Science (Astrogation) rolls against a Challenging (9) Difficulty every fifteen minutes to avoid encounters with unpredictable spatial anomalies and radiation hazards. Failure indicates that ship takes (d6 -1) x 10 points of damage (minimum 10 points).
Fluidic Space
Home to the race known designated by the Borg as Species 8472, fluidic space exists in a continuum parallel but separate from our universe. Rather than vacuum, fluidic space is filled with a semi-organic liquid medium in which Species 8472, the only indigenous living beings, exist. While the geography of fluidic space is unknown, it seems apparent that distances do not correlate directly with distances in the normal universe. Given the proper equipment, a ship could conceivably traverse fluidic space and return to a far distant point in our own dimension. On the other hand, perhaps the ability to traverse such distances is an ability inherent in Species 8472.
In game terms, travel through fluidic space without the aid of a navigator familiar with its geography is very confusing and difficult to measure. Unless the helmsman makes a successful Space Sciences (Astrogation) roll against a Difficulty of Challenging (10), when the vessel reenters normal space, it will appear (2d6 - 1) x 10 light years away from their desired location in a random direction. On a Critical Failure, the vessel emerges (2d6 - 1) x 1000 light years away from their desired location in a completely counterproductive direction (if appropriate)!
Gravitational Sinkhole
A graviton sinkhole is an extremely rare anomaly that acts as a passage to a pocket of “deep space,” or an extradimensional realm containing a small star system. Encountered by Voyager in 2375, Lt. Tuvok, Lt. Paris, and the Voyager EMH were sucked through such a sinkhole and trapped in a region of deep space for several months. Oddly enough, due to a wrinkle in spacetime, time passed far more quickly within the sinkhole than without. For every second of normal time, over an hour elapsed within the sinkhole. Using a multispatial probe, Voyager finally managed to transport its crewmembers and a trapped humanoid female out before the sinkhole was collapsed by an alien species that had lost numerous vessels to its powerful gravitational forces. While this anomaly is the only one encountered by Starfleet thus far, it is likely that there are other sinkholes that are, as yet, undiscovered.
Due to their compact size, gravity sinkholes are only detectable when a ship is within 150,000 kilometers of its event horizon. Unfortunately this is also the distance at which a ship is captured by its gravity well. In game terms, ships moving to within 150,000 km of the anomaly are captured by the equivalent of a Rating 10 tractor beam. Rules for escape are identical to those used when breaking free from a tractor beam.
If a ship is pulled into the sinkhole, there is no known force or technique to get it back out. A trapped crew may be saved using a transporter relay, but any vessel trapped there is permanently lost. The Referee may, of course, allow for some creative role playing to let the characters escape.
Graviton Ellipse
Subspace anomalies noted for their immense graviton fields, very little is known about these phenomena. They appear from subspace at random intervals, swallowing matter and debris, and then revert back to subspace. Because of their erratic nature and due to the fact that no one knows how fast they move through subspace, a graviton ellipse could envelop a starship and then transport it thousands of light-years through subspace in a matter of seconds. The very unpredictability of this phenomenon, coupled with its massive energy signature, is what makes it so hazardous.
Graviton ellipses enter normal space periodically, and remain for only a few hours before returning to subspace. In game terms, a graviton ellipse will enter normal space for 5d6 x 20 minutes before returning to subspace. The ellipse will eventually return to normal space at a random location 5d6 x 2,000 light years away (or a distance determined by the Referee).
A vessel can enter or exit the ellipse at will, but passing through its membrane can cause severe damage to a ship’s systems. Entering a graviton ellipse causes 2d6 x 5 points of damage to the vessel. Further, for every ten points of damage sustained, one system randomly fails and must be repaired or replaced (roll randomly on the Starship Random Hit Location Table for each system). Assuming a ship can enter and then exit the ellipse, it is entirely possible to travel hundreds, even thousands of light years in a few subjective minutes or hours.
Interspatial Flexure
Essentially a wormhole with one fixed point and one random point, this anomaly, if studied properly, can yield information about its next likely appearance. Used by Voyager to assist a number of telepathic refugees to escape from the paranoid Devore Imperium military regime, the flexure was collapsed using a couple of photon torpedoes to prevent pursuit. This phenomenon is unlikely to be unique; there are quite possibly many other such flexures scattered throughout the galaxy.
In game terms, once its existence is known, a successful Space Sciences (Stellar Cartography) contest against a Nearly Impossible difficulty will allow a starship crew to determine its next likely appearance within 2d6 x 20,000 kilometers. The difficulty can (at the Referee’s whim) be reduced by one point for each of its previous appearances known to the character making the attempt.
The random terminus of an interspatial flexure remains stable for 2d6 minutes before collapsing, and a new aperture forms within 4d6 hours.
Null Space Pocket
A strange phenomenon, null space pockets (also called n-space pockets) are somewhat analogous to bubbles in a liquid medium. These bubbles are massive spherical “chunks” of subspace that have somehow broken away and formed distinct pocket dimensions. Null space regions sometimes contain one or more star systems and have diameters ranging from a few thousand kilometers up to several light years across.
Null space pockets are completely invisible and intangible in both normal space and subspace, so a starship could actually fly through one without ever knowing. Detection of an n-space pocket requires either a custom sensor palette dedicated to their recognition or a recalibration of standard lateral sensors (a Challenging [10] Shipboard Systems (Sensors) test); n-space pockets are simply too amorphous for long range sensors to detect.
Null space regions are self-contained micro-universes unto themselves, curving around so that travel within is circular, eventually leading the travelers back to where they started. This may prove puzzling to explorers, particularly if they were unaware of their entry into a null space pocket. Some null space pockets are unstable and eventually deteriorate, collapsing in on themselves, destroying everything within.
Becoming trapped in (or escaping from) n-space may be the basis for a single episode or an entire series, depending on the size of the bubble. In fact, a crew may not even realize that they have entered an n-space pocket at all until they find it impossible to leave the region. Long range sensors will appear to malfunction as they are reflected and refracted by the null space pocket’s “borders.”
Random null space pockets are 2d6 light years in diameter and contain (d6 - 1) stars which may or may not have planetary systems. Sentient races within null space pockets could make for an interesting twist, particularly if they are capable of space travel.
Omega Particles
An incredibly unique and dangerous particle that is nearly perfect in composition. Due to the particles’ inherent instabilities, Starfleet issued the Omega Directive, which detailed the procedure through which all omega particles should be destroyed when encountered. This directive was the result of an omega particle explosion that devastated an entire sector of the galaxy. The Borg Collective, too, encountered the omega particle. Due to experimentation with such particles, the Borg destroyed several sectors of space, along with several planets, stars, starships, and many, many drones.
[[begin sidebar]]
The Omega Directive
Starfleet, after encountering the unstable destructive power of the omega particle, issued the Omega Directive. Whenever a Starfleet vessel’s sensors detect signs of an Omega particle, the LCARS access screens throughout the ship display the Greek symbol Ω [omega]. Additionally, an encoded message containing information concerning the Omega Directive as well as the information concerning the locally-detected omega particle itself are presented in encrypted form accessible only to the ship’s commanding officer or others with similar security clearance.
The existence of the omega particle is considered extremely hazardous to Starfleet. The fear is that an enemy species could conceivably use this phenomenon as a weapon of unimaginable power to destroy its enemies. Consequently the Omega Directive dictates that all occurrences of omega particles be investigated and, if authenticity is determined, destroyed.
[[end sidebar]]
At least one species indigenous to the Delta Quadrant has been found to use omega particles as a power source. Through the efforts of Voyager and 7 of 9, the omega particles were neutralized before they could cause any damage. Though rarely experienced in nature, the omega particle could definitely prove hazardous if a ship ignorant of its nature encountered one.
In game terms, a single omega particle explosion will destroy everything within a radius of 4d6 x 1,000,000 kilometers, including vessels, planets, and even stellar bodies. Since the explosion propagates outward at the speed of light, it is possible to outrun it by moving away at warp speed.
Particle Fountain
A particle fountain is caused by a rift in subspace with one end near or even within a stellar object such as a star or a quasar. The other end, which generally exists quite a distance from its mate, expels stellar matter and energy like a cosmic geyser. Furthermore, due to the nature of the fountain’s expulsions, the gravitational fields near it are wildly unpredictable; an unwary starship can quickly find itself the unfortunate victim of a particle fountain’s discharge.
A particle fountain causes the equivalent of 40 points of damage every turn a vessel comes within 100,000 kilometers. Further, the gravitational currents caused by the fountain will draw in all vessels incapable of warp travel, eventually destroying them. Traditional shielding is futile when dealing with a particle fountain, though other methods, such as metaphasic shielding, may prove more effective.
mactavish out.
Subspace Void
Late in Voyager’s travels through the Delta Quadrant, the ship and crew were pulled though a gravitational anomaly into a circular subspace realm approximately nine light years across. This region, separate from normal space, was devoid of any indigenous stellar or planetary matter or energy detectable by standard starship sensors.
Voyager quickly discovered that they were not alone when they were attacked by another vessel trapped in the region. Due to the physics of the subspace void, Voyager’s power use was increased nearly twenty-fold, threatening to quickly devour their meager energy reserves. After encountering another vessel, Captain Janeway and her crew soon learned that survival seemed dependent on harvesting resources from newly-arrived vessel while they were still disoriented from their journey.
Rather than admit defeat and become predators themselves, the Starfleet crew formed an alliance with several other ships, sharing resources and technologies, in the hopes of discovering a way out of the subspace void and back into normal space. Despite the efforts of other predatory vessels, Voyager and it’s allies managed to combine their resources and escape the region by exiting through a gravitational funnel like the one that trapped them in the first place.
Additionally, a race of highly intelligent, highly adaptable aliens appears indigenous to the region. They survive aboard derelict vessels, able to hide due to their invisibility to standard sensors. One such alien, called Fantomé (after the Fantome de l’ Opera) by Voyager’s EMH, was taught to speak using musical tones produced using a PADD; members of the race are physically incapable of vocalization. It was with the assistance of these aliens, who sabotaged the enemy vessels, that Voyager and it’s allies were able to make their escape.
In game terms, all power costs aboard starships in this subspace region are multiplied by 20 due to anomalous graviton forces. Additionally, the amount of Power available to the ship is reduced by 1% of its total for every day it remains in the anomaly, though a skilled Engineer can negate this penalty with an Propulsion Engineering (Warp Drive) or System Engineering (Power Systems) roll against a Difficulty of Challenging (10) . . . assuming that appropriate resources (i.e. deuterium, dilithium, anti-matter, etc.) can be acquired (whether by raid or by trade).
Escape from the area requires locating the site of a forming graviton surge, altering the vessel’s shield signature, piloting the vessel back through the graviton funnel, and jumping to warp speed as soon as the ship reenters normal space.
Locating the point that a funnel will form requires a Shipboard Systems (Sensors) roll with a Difficulty of Challenging (9). Altering the shield signature to allow travel through the funnel requires a Shipboard Systems (Shields) roll against a Difficulty of Near Impossible (12). Piloting the ship through the tunnel requires a series of four Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) or Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) with Difficulties starting at Routine (4) and moving to Moderate (7), then Challenging (10), and finally to Nearly Impossible (14). Failure on any of these rolls ejects the vessel back into the void and causes all primary systems to fail for 1d6 x 3 minutes. Finally, once the ship emerges from the funnel, it must immediately jump to warp to avoid being drawn back in. This requires a final Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) roll with a Difficulty of Challenging (9) to act quickly enough and achieve the appropriate speed.
Graviton surges that form the funnels leading to the subspace void are Nearly Impossible (13) to detect in normal space with standard sensors unless the operator knows what to look for. More advanced sensor palettes may reduce this roll significantly (Referee’s option).
“The Void”
Not to be confused with the subspace void (above), “the Void” is a vast expanse of space devoid of stellar matter containing numerous inherent navigational hazards. It is inhabited by an unusual alien species evolved to live in the lightless environment. Used as a dumping ground by Malon freighters, the radiation was killing the indigenous species prior to the intervention of Voyager. This area of space has become highly toxic due to radioactive contamination. Other than the complete lack of stellar material, perhaps the most interesting aspect of the void is the wormhole that spans a distance of approximately 2,500 light years, nearly the entire distance.
The wormhole terminus was situated a few light years from the Malon homeworld, though its existence was not widely known. The Voyager’s crew disrupted the wormhole upon their departure from the void to prevent further contamination by the Malon.
In game terms, navigation through such a void is more complicated than normal space travel. All navigational Tests are made at a Difficulty of (at least) one level higher than normal. These difficulties are the result of an absence of stellar phenomena with which to plot a more accurate course.
[[begin sidebar]]
Cosmibabble Chart
While there are a number of spatial anomalies to choose from in a Voyager-style setting, sometimes it becomes necessary to create such phenomena “on the fly.” Consequently, we present a table for random spatial anomaly generation. The Cosmibabble Chart should provide sufficient opportunity to create such occurrences.
Roll [2d6] Column I Column II
2 graviton field
3 particle nebula
4 plasma wormhole
5 neutron vortex
6 dark matter cluster
7 subspace corridor
8 tetryon shockwave
9 metaphasic fragment
10 stellar rift
11 electrokinetic cascade
12 cosmic remnant
The natures and effects of such random anomalies are up to the Referee, but be careful when using chance aberrations; overuse makes these phenomena lose their impact. One can only encounter an electrokinetic vortex so many times before it becomes blasé.
[[end sidebar]]
Besides the traditional spatial distortions and other naturally occurring phenomena, there are also those unusual events that are the result of accidental or deliberate action on the part of a sentient being. Examples of this include the coherent tetryon beam created by the Caretaker’s array that carried so many alien vessels to and from the Delta Quadrant, the temporal shockwave caused by the temporal incursion cannon wielded by the Krenim scientist Annorax, and the Bajoran wormhole created by the Prophet entities. While the source of these phenomena may be artificial, they are just as capable of resulting in interesting consequences for the intrepid crew of a starship.
Furthermore, there is another category of encounters that characters may experience. This includes those living, spaceborne entities that occasionally interact with spacefaring vessels. Again, there are many incidents of this type catalogued throughout Star Trek lore: the space amoebae met by the U.S.S. Enterprise, the crystalline entity encountered by the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, and the nebula entity carried aboard the U.S.S. Voyager’s deck 12 for an extended period. All of these are examples of cosmic lifeforms that could be encountered by a wayward starship.
Though there are many other strange and interesting encounters to be had in space, perhaps the most entertaining are those that come from the mind of the Referee. The examples presented here are meant as fuel for the fires of the imagination; use them well and they may ignite your campaign into a memorable conflagration, but overuse or abuse them and the fires of creativity will surely reduce your game to ashes in no time.
mactavish out.
Okay, so that's it for now. I'll try to come up with more stuff later.
mactavish out.
Cool work Mac, I only wish I had a Trek game running.
I tried to get the The Romulan Neutral Zone Vol. II, off of the linked to site (http://mitglied.lycos.de/EmperorsArm/st/trek1.html), but it wouldn't download properly.
Does anyone know where I might be able to find a copy of it ?
Thanks
I think I still have a copy of that. Send me a PM with a valid email of you and I'll send you a copy!
Lucky. Lucky. Lucky. Lucky...
Y'know I have had cause recently to go through all my old ICON stuff, and even had the urge to upack and retrieve the books and finish off some of the old projects. We can thank BrianK for all this...
In short. Yes, this appears to be the file you are looking for.