Metagame: The Divers' Disadvantage.

So this Post is turning out to be a much longer and involved Universe Creation than expected. TL;DR crowd be warned, this is a very long and detailed (for all its apparent scatter, ramble, and circles) finely hand crafted Long Post. Oh, let's not mention the how many times I had to read the damned thing. Clear out you punks. This here is a Library. Here, we bloody well read! Reading is about true power kids. That's why we hide it behind boring stuff like reading. Now, if you want some Traveller or just my little Permatic Imperium. I give the almost experience of what my meatspace friends put up with. Sadly for them I am the Eldest, the one who spent the most time eating knowledge of the universe as much has humanly possible. I remember dreaming of the future and damned if it didn't come true. Good and Bad, it has been a productive year. Okay, did they go away all bored with "all that reading and stuff"? So...

*Your Host closes the outer doors of the Library and reveals an open inner door and waves you through to the back rooms of the Library*

It is after all the Life I was sort of hoping for as a Youth. I was obnoxious at that age too. I used to stride my Lower Eastside of the City of my Birth and the Capital City of my Homeworld of my Youth. When the Counter Servant greeted me with the human ritual of the time "Hi!", I would smartly respond with a perky "Not now. But thanks for asking!". Usually with grin and happy thumbs up on the service for those who laughed. And cute girls. When the mated one wasn't around, sometimes even if she was. Yep, I was a smartass in those days. And those who actually know me and are going to ask "What to mean in your Youth?". You, hush. I was reminiscing about when I too was Immortal, beautiful, full of ideas on what really was. Ah, I do miss it after a sorts. Sorry. I do ramble some at my age and again Peanut Gallery, hush. Come along. Good to see you all here. We are off this way tonight. "Secret Masters' Club" *laughs amused on so many levels*. No, but we do have Lessons every so often in the basement of the Institute's Library. "They have sea and tkumpets off of fine china." As, if! Though tonight the tkrumpets are especially good, fresh and warm. Down here, if you would.

*As your Host leads you down into the Cellar and a door marked Esoteria, he is accompanied by a dark creature that once had roots in Terran feline stock, but since has become something more. It strides along greeting beings it knows and is affectionate with some of long time friendship. It is ancient, knowledgable of the Ways of the Shadow School. It is an elegant sophont and fond of naps. Mostly the grounded Ship's Cat stays in close proximity to your Host. Mostly. Also being a Ship's Cat, it likes the high places of the space it's in and has no qualms about altering its personal gravity to get were it wants. They lead you to a very well appointed room in the back of Storage 6. Refreshments of many variety that would be to the Ancient Terrans unbelievable in many ways, but here are merely very good (yet not of Fine Dining caliber) are served. Refreshments for a quiet gathering of the Institute's Patrons, Staff, Members and Associates. Seats and networks are established*

I am thinking about the what it is that Divers do in their Career. Other than maybe the Praesidium (also known somewhat sarcastically as the Imperial Superheroes Corps) and some of those who went through the Special Schools at Blackwall, the Imperial Joint Forces Academy (IJFA) on Permatic, the Capital of the Imperium, home to one of the highest technological bases in sector. Home to the only known Depot scale antimatter creator in the sector. Home to those in the know of not only an intact Old Empires Depot, but possibly an ancient Dump site. I don't think people actually look at how many Dumps and Depots are in this Sector that we have Starcharts for. The Old Empires generally had both Depots and Dumps at a ratio of one per Sector, usually in separate systems. And we all know about the "Salvage Wars" pushed by the MediaCorps of the of the latter era of the Fourth, or Imperium of the Psi Lords. Think off what the Freelance Union of Divers did under those by our standards rare D&D ratios. They fought wars over one. Think of that. During the Grand Freedom Revolution for All the Species of Terra, humans were watching their ever feared Robot Wars unfold finally. Many a battle during the last days of an Imperium established on the act of freeing the former Galactic Republic from the excesses of the Terran-centric Solar Imperium and its Emperors hinged on access and control of that one Depot. Slave revolts revisited, this time with species not even a civilization that has taken the lightning path as the humans of ancient Terra (who unlocked the Keys to Creating Powered Individuals) would recognize as True Descendants of Man of Terra. Like so many times in Humaniti's history, we were slow to admit we were wrong and stop playing "Whitey the Exploiter of the Stars and Other Life". The Institute as you know participated in both those events. In the first as part of the Collation of Psi Lords to Restore the Republic and in the latter as a player behind the screens for the freedom of All the Children of Terra.

So, what in the Void does this have to do with Divers and their disadvantage?

Well, the Divers have to roll on some very interesting Tables during their Career. And one Talent that they can catch is the Weird. An example of this is the current update the TAS | TNS Page. If you have been keeping up, for the Crew it is only about February on the old Terran Calendar or about 025-0200 give or take a day or two. Yet, the Entry is plainly DataStamped as being heard in a Dive Bar on Permatic on 166-0200.

Yet there plain as day is some Rumor supposedly overheard in a Dive Bar sometime in the future.

(And hell yeah the Referee is laughing heartily at the impending confusion now that I have added the Tag: Dive Bar to my Keyword cloud. *hearty laughter comes from behind the screen, yet no dice are rolling..*)

The In Game Explanation: If the TNS Branch is questioned (no matter the power exerted) it will continually refuse to disclose the identity of the Source of the Rumors. They get Decisions handed down across the spectrum and across the board by the Courts in their favor. They maintain attempts to disprove the veracity of the Entries authored and submitted to the Travellers' News Service (of the Travellers' Aid Society [ Permatic ]) have merely reinforced again and again that some Divers get what is known as the Weird. As a result neither the Author, the Author's Agents or the TNS can be held liable for fraud in cases of Rumors or the effects of the Divers' Weird.

This basically boils down to the universe or at least at Dumps is fanarking Weird, kids. Remember that smart ass old mainline, pre-Astroport Guild, pre-Jump and Hop Drive Terran jester once said about (quite correctly) how space is really big and sort of old. He had no idea how right he would be. The Truth is the TNS Branches still don't know how they get there. They do know there are regular Correspondents who claim and so far investigations, tests and current evidence seems to indicate may in fact be leaving communications from a somewhat not to far advanced future. "Of course, this plainly impossible!". Not even eight thousand years of powers beyond man's imagination has controlled future-past transtemporal relocation or true time-space travel been achieved. Not even the wondrous golden tech gods of the 5th Empire could breach the wall of true time travel. Time Eludes. Perhaps Time rests.

Moving right along.

As a result of this exposure to the occult side of a reality most people (even Travellers) think of as a fairly big place, but also a fairly boring place tends to have odd and lifelong consequences. Finding out that the (is/will/was) very, very, very old and big and that big can hide a lot of stuff. Then finding or disturbing that stuff can be dangerous and reality changing. A being just isn't the same after that. Most of the Lightning Races think they have the keys to a more powerful, more proper, ordered future. Right now the Descendants of Terra think they just fell over again, but they are "getting along fine now, thank you. Right on the mend you know." They forget the real truth of the Fall of the "Grand, Glorious and Honorable Fifth Empire of Man".

Yeah, and how'd that end by the way? Do you remember? 

Yeah, the big Old Empire ran into some of the other interstellar neighbors and got into a big war with some "previously unknown Great Enemy" (Let's face it, humans can be such superbly violent liars by birthright and their long, storied ascent on to the true galactic stage.) It ended with His Imperial Maj, the Immortal Emperor Rufus the whatever copy jumped in the largest fleet he could muster to the rimward edge of the Imperium to meet with and beg for a merciful cease fire from the Great Enemy. Lore says Rufus actually "left on a Grand Embassy to the 'kays' and will return...". Or "War Mountain will send His Imperial Highness, Prince of the Realm back as His Voice and Hand.". The old Imperial Cult is still alive and kicking these days. "Skip that other old hat cult stuff! What the fanark is a 'kay'?" You ask having investigated multiple checked, sourced and cited accounts of those pivotal events, searched through time and space, sifting, hoping for, sometimes finding and then deciphering the resulting ancient, distorted, altered, and/or revised psychohistorical records to gather some useful data point or set revealing the true nature of the term. Is it some random artifact term generated over thousands of years of imperial worship? It could be it is really just the genuine term for an old powerful interstellar civilization such as "the extremely controlled totalitarian religious regime of FS 1237 A DFA BDF-H DISIANSM 513 Bw Oc Hi Bf. The system is named for a branch of the Bibicican Hard Way currently holding power there...". now absent from the sphere of interstellar civilizations With its technology equal to the Imperium's Disiansm can appear a grave threat even if it is merely one isolationist state holding sway over only its own system. We know that its threat image can be manipulated through various techniques according to needs. So back and forth through the time of that Age you went searching out the meaning of a word that just may have survived its original meme(s). 

Maybe you didn't do your research? Didn't bother for some reason to brush up on the subjects of the shadow school before attending? Maybe you're here merely Auditing tonight's Lesson or are here as the Skeptic and want some real wellsourced and cited official records, some facts and not some mystical psychic-historical interpolations? All official critical sources indicate merely that "The Personal Presence of the Emperor, His Imperial Household and Entourage"were somewhen in this sector and others nearby during the shadowed age of the Fifth Imperium. The record is vague on the final fate of the Imperial party and is even more occluded whether this accumulation of the Imperium actually "included many Ministers, such as the Minister of Warfare, several high levels of the Foreign Office, such the el Diplomatic Corps' elite Crisis Response Unit and several well known and vocal Members of the Star Chamber" . It does not specify anything  more. Another bit of lore suggests there was no great enemy except those in the Megacorps and the Court. Those enemies assassinated Rufus, Imperium Rex using a long chain plot around "building Worldships using the original FTL technology of Old Terra, the transgalactic drive of Leapspace!". Or was it the pangalactic drives of Boundspace? Either way, they say the real reason for the Jumpflash (or Leapflash or Boundflash) recorded in some very amazing formats was in fact merely one of most very well Plotted "Catastrophic Destructive Misjumps" ever. Entire battle fleets were permanently crippled and eventually scrapped, outright destroyed and worst the those report missing, presumed lost. The repercussions of that event were felt throughout the Imperium to this day.

Holo of the World named Last Known. A world in the dark stars.

For some reason a location still on the starcharts as FS 2004 Last Known X 225 000-0 001 Na.is associated with both Lore and maybe official records somewhere deep in what was the largest  and possibly best interstellar civilization ever built by humans. Most folks see that on a starchart, note it's in the dark stars and move along. Most don't know the reason it is even on the starcharts at all is Last Known is short hand for those who have some very important questions regarding the management of the Regency and are waning answers since wars were fought , several civilizations were razed and the Crown, Throne, Regalia, and other Accoutrements of His Immortal Majesty passed through many ruthless hands.. Much of the original Regalia of the Fifth Imperium has been lost in time and wars.  Some claim that this relic or that is "a real, genuine piece of the Empire V Regalia". As  for those hands which have wielded the power of the Imperial Regalia (real or very good copies) during the Regency have bloody hands that might still be living. If Rufus the Immortal comes back, they will have to answer to HIM for their actions. The Name Last Known means "Last known location of the Emperor". Some very interesting questions hinge on whether the Emperor was an Immortal or not. If he is and he comes back, He might not be too happy with the condition of His Imperium. It is one of the reasons Vladimir was careful to take the Rank and Title of Prince-Regent of the Imperium and then only for the spinward domains. Even to this day the folks sitting on the big chairs cover themselves in titles and privileges, but smart ones only claim so much while Rufus is gone.

And about now the Diver is giving off that creepy "I Know Those Things Man Was Not Meant to Know" feeling. And, man, that stuff ain't cool in real life reality" and it gets worse for those afflicted, for if some hardy souls decide to stick out the process of that Weird rubbing off, because well, it's contagious. *kinda grimaces and looks away* Oh, maybe you shouldn't be hanging out in Dive Bars then.*shakes head Still, Tribe needs new blood. So, where was I? Ah, yes, The Weird rubs off with prolonged contact. Crews with Divers are prone to be bring some very interesting baggage if they are hopping your starship, Captain. I would be very careful about that ride. Not bad folks, just they do bring the possibility of Weird getting on your ship for week...or more in Jump. Still, if does go bad they seem to have a lot of JoTs in the same crew. I know you hear that Spacers, Scouts and Divers hate each others' guts or other digestive organs. Yet truth is most Travellers Freelance Crews are composed of such groupings and they are very tight. Still, two weeks in Jumpspace, sometimes with those crazy fools opening the JumpShutters in their staterooms and not locking the door.

Divers, of course also have access to a specialized area of Lore and Traditions. Below are some of them

• Reality ain't fair.
• TANSTAAFL! But you can get a mighty fine dinner if you know where to eat. Breakfast is on you.
• Chance Favors the Prepared Mind.
• Becarefulofthedoors.
• Stop!
• NO!
• GO!
• Never take the Lightning Path.

I swear I see an EPIC Adventure in that list. Coming soon [T5 SATU] Adventure D: The Dumpster Dive! Because Dungeon Crawling is for sissies! Real beings Dumpster Dive!

Yeah, now watch me do this all sorts right were in I have to write the damned things...

Laterness,

Craig.

So, as usual here I am hour later trying to edit and write at the same time. Sadly, sometimes when you edit you find a new thing to write about. Then you have to check that too. Yeesh, this pro-gamer thing I am trying to do is much harder than people think.

For instance, I finally got the second paragraph or so when I read it, tried real hard not to notice, ran it through the processor and yep, did not understand what I had written. Timeslips are raw kids. :D Mess with Time at your own rick.

1. The Institute claims no responsibility for the effects of Flux for good or bad during unsupervised or unauthorized use of the Timeslip.
2. The Institute denies the existence of the Timeslip. 
3. The Institute will Appoint a Liaison to be Present during any authorized use of the Timeslip and that Liaison will be the Official Mission Supervisor (OMS). 
4. Requests for Issue or Registration of the Timeslip should be filled out in Imperial Standard double-triplicate-bilingual [Standard Official Languages - Anglic | Bilanidin] and returned to Room U238, Department DX, School of the Shadows, Imperial University Outreach Campus along with standard GCr 5 processing fee, any additional fees, taxes or waivers as required by the nature of the use of the Timeslip.
5. Do not try this alone and without guidance. 
6. Time is slippery.
7. A through background check is required for use of the Timeslip.

Anyway, I had to go and edit the hell out of that one. Back to work for me. What, you thought all this was ramble. Please carefully hand crafted finest Unbelievium here, fine Being. (In fact, I just taught the very word "Unbelievium" and it caught the correction too. Ah, I do so love her. Well, now you know the Metagame Title and Tag means one of the crazy Old Ones in a Tower somewhere doing the boring work of crafting the Multiverse and tuning Reality.

*pushes the button and checks work*

Blackwall gets it name not from a natural feature, rather a technological one. The "black wall" that the IJFA is named for is the black wall generated by the planetary defensive black globe installation there. The globe so far in recorded history has never ever been brighter than a rosy orange and that was during the crash of the Fifth Empire. Rumor has it that if one looks in the right places and speaks the correct words and does the polite things, that those beings might be able to meet and converse with beings who will give you peek into the reality of the Redwall Campaigns. Those beings, be they seeking this Lore; foolhardy, brave, fearful and confident all, none return without paying a grave price. Many a latent Powered or Psionic has been blessed and cursed by these encounters with. Others come out with a Patron of some great magnatude. Still, others are never seen nor heard from again. And of course, that feed the Rumor mill further.

Just thought you might enjoy the color, in this case, a nice spacey, absorb all light, impenetrable  black.

Just realized that every Skill Table Column for CharGen should have one of the awesome Skills like JoT (what do mean JoT;s not awesome, damned heretic. :P) Also, I do wonder if there is a text limit...

I am thinking that when a player has a character in a military Career gets a result of ANM School, that the have a Special School Column. The Special School is the Ministry of Warfare's special forces and Amplified Troop Program. Lots of Exotic Weapons, BattleDress and Combat Armor, Relic Lore, Military Lore, and perhaps a very rare chance to get Praesidium stuff. What stuff, you ask. I will tell you later Timmii.

His Imperial Majesty Rufus the Immortal was indeed last known to be at the world so Named and Charted. His Majesty's Own 5th Valiant Imperial Star Armada was supposedly met by a few Worldships at the far edge of the system. Capital ships, escorts and tenders taken on board like small craft, Leaped across the Galaxy in a Jumpflash so bright it was seen across parsecs on the rimward Imperium. Jump travel disturbed. Starships lost alone and out of fuel somewhere in the deep parsecs between the bright radiance and comforting worlds with their thin shells of lovely breathable gases and food. A salvager who is lucky to find one of these relic ships out in the empty parsecs can sometimes come out with great rewards. A not so lucky salvager could be adding their stuff to the lucky or the most prepared, perhaps the one who is both best prepared and most lucky.Those Legends of Deep Salvage can come out at the end of a couple of Terms or even one Term if they can bend probability correctly have fleets worth of resources for the next mission or Muster Out with a Personal Relic.

This Session of the Institute Proceedings is brought to you by the number five (5) and the color "black".

I am a were. I ride and sometimes I loose control of the beast and bad things happen. It is a simple creature. It howls at me that is was always there. That is was there first. I suspect it is wrong. I have reason to believe it was created by us. Something of the old scary days of the darkness under frightening vast brightly shining vastness of other stars. My favorite piece of evidence comes the Beast's own Lore.  "Once, when a man said 'I fight with machines!" he meant he used a machine to deal death on the industrial scale. Now, when a Man says "I fight with Machines!", he makes a very dangerous and treasonous statement. He also claims his children and brings them fully into the Family of Man of Sol. He and Machine are equal partners in this war." It hates that. She comes, but I wait, the Beast want to do it now. But I wait.  After all I am one of the oldest of my kind. I play the slow game. I am this old I remind the creature because I am after all some of finest assassinware there is and I strike for my species and I will kill the Beast.

Brought to you by the fine beings, associates, organizations below:

Associate of the Institute:: Universe College (UC) Wright. 

(UC) Wright? Do it the Wright Way! Not the wrong way.

*You may now exit the simulation*

Congratulations, Minion!

You have now accumulated approximately 40 T-Hours of your Term.

You have about 35,000 T-Standard Hours till you complete your 1st Term.

Stay Safe! Proceed with Caution! Motivate faster then the other Being!

Please Return to your assigned Cell -1/33 for Energy Processing.

Have a safe day!

*The door opens to an exit area and a guide-bot and Senior Diver Instructor take you to your cell. You do not see the next Diver Minion as they enter the simulation. They know, it's better this way. They have been doing this for Ages.*

I wrote that. I got a great on the dimensional slippers. You know, if you are into that sort of thing. And it's really honestly second Term Apprentice stuff.

*and off you go*

*as the scale of it all hits*