Let Go Your Earthly Tether (Chronicle)

"Tech holds all answers in a world of Gods and Monsters."

It's been over twenty years since the Dimensional Anomaly, and the Engineers are still salvaging the remains of the dead. The New World Order and the Syndicate demand answers we can not give. They demand accountability that we can not give. They demand access back into the Void, which we will not give.

Recruits hear about the Dimensional Anomaly, and think of it like a blackout; that it happened all at once. But it was a storm, roiling slow across everything we knew. It formed with little warning and as calls began to flood in, we realized that life as we knew it had ended. Ships fell from the sky. Colonies blinked out of reality as massive black holes formed where they had once been. The Anomaly draped itself like a shroud across the liminal spaces between our world and other dimensions. It was a terrible event that no other Conventions understand. Yet they look to us to solve the mystery of the Anomaly, and save them. The other Conventions want everyone to come home. They want the world to be whole again. They’re not yet ready to admit that we’ve left that world behind. What we have left is our most essential duty: survival at any cost.

Keep the Earth safe.

Provide the hope that will sustain our fellow Conventions.

By doing this, we will have done what we can for those we lost.

We must live, or all that we have done will have meant nothing.

Concept

 * Players begin play still living their unEnlightened lives, unaware of the wider universe they are about to enter. One by one they are approached by a field recruiter interested in their unique abilities.
 * Each PC is then scanned, processed, and sent to the New Halley Academy aboard the COP for basic training and assessment. Here they will learn to apply Inspired Science, various procedures, and the fundamentals of Dimensional Science that allow Void Engineers to operate within the Deep Universe.
 * At the Academy the PC's will be assigned to a mission team. You will succeed as a mission team and fail as a mission team. Punishments and rewards will apply to all members of a mission team.
 * One PC will be selected as mission leader based on performance during training, however should this leader prove unable or unwilling to perform their duties then a new mission leader shall be democratically selected by the mission team (amalgam) itself and submitted to the ETD for approval.
 * Players will then be assigned to the Deep Universe Colony, Ailuros Station and the Voidship Scylax for active duty: paroling, exploring, and combating hostile alien and extra-dimensional life.

Theme
Hardening Under Pressure

When leadership fell apart during the Dimensional Anomaly, each Convention struggled with reorganization. Many Engineers considered leaving the Union and going their own way. Not to join the Traditions or as an enemy of humanity. But as people who were going to let the mudball folks sort themselves out. Today, anyone talking about abandoning the Union will be court-marshaled.

Each Engineer struggles to serve with distinction, even as the rigors of war break them down. Every fight takes its toll. Each person who comes back in a bag gets their name put on The Wall, grieved over by friends and whose sacrifice commands respect.

The Enlightened are far from immune to PTSD — those who come back don’t come back the same. Therein lies the greatest tragedy in the Union: the most hopeful and optimistic of the Conventions is trading that hope and optimism for pure survival.

Mood
Secrets and Pain

If you asked the entire Convention how many names on The Wall are of Unionists they have killed, they’d all say none. This lie keeps the Union whole.

Each Convention has secrets they hide from each other. Yet the secrets the Engineers keep could destroy everything the Union’s worked hard for. This means the necessity of keeping secrets from each other. As the old saying goes, “loose lips sink the whole of Consensual Reality.”

This caused ideals of the past to give way to the paranoid pragmatism of today. No one can let slip what they don’t know, so now everything must be ran through several layers of clearance. And discovering something you shouldn’t could end with two bullets to the back of your skull. It hurts to do. The Engineers don’t want to be conspiratorial executioners.It is tiring, lying to everyone every day. It is tiring, fighting an endless war without appreciation or support.

And the Engineers are so tired.

Tone
Gritty Defiance
 * Era
 * Modern Nights
 * Location
 * Jefferson, Oregon, USA
 * Hillstrom Academy
 * Applied Nanofabrication Facility
 * Copernicus Station (The "new" Cop)
 * New Halley Academy
 * Station Yemaja
 * The Wall
 * Deep Universe Colony "Ailuros Station"
 * Gagarin Saloon
 * Ride Hall
 * Voidship "Scylax"
 * Voidship "Xīwàng"
 * Faction
 * Technocratic Union
 * Void Engineers
 * Pan-Dimensional Corps
 * Fleet Operations Command (FOC)
 * Intelligence Directorate (ID)
 * Void Construction Corps (VCC)

Civilian

 * Coordinators
 * Coordinators are civilian administrators of Colonies. They assume leadership roles, managing the logistics of supply needs, civilian discipline, and more.
 * Explorers
 * Explorers go to new places and come back with maps, data, and fascinating stories. They can be found on Deep Universe exploration vessels and DSVs poking around the darkest corners of the oceans. If an Explorer is at dock, they’re there for training, equipment, or downtime, the call of the unknown wilderness is too strong for them to stay put for very long.
 * Investigators
 * Investigators have defined lines of inquiry. It’s not a lifetime thing; Investigators drift in and out of their areas of study during their careers. The term only applies if they say they it does, or accept it when enough of their peers insist.
 * Researchers
 * Researchers stay home and provide essential services. Researchers duties include anything from building and maintaining Colonies and Voidships to crafting the tools others need to do their jobs.
 * Technicians
 * Technicians don’t have labs or projects of their own, but act as assistants. They are fully fledged Engineers who contribute according to their strengths, like anyone else.

Military

 * Commandant (COMDT)
 * Each facility and large vessel has a Commandant, the military counterpart of a Coordinator and the commander of their demesnes. Underneath them is rigid hierarchy that mimics naval ranks.
 * Commander (CDR)
 * Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
 * Lieutenant (LT)
 * Lieutenant junior grade (LTJG)
 * Ensign (ENS)
 * Cadet (CDT)
 * Existential Threats Directorate (ETD)
 * The Existential Threats Directorate, leads with a firm hand. The main operations of the ETD include: concealing sensitive matters from the other Conventions, secure funding, and directing war efforts. Also commonly referred to as the Admiralty.
 * Fleet
 * The Fleet crews ships and engages in hostile actions on a large scale. The Fleet began as survivors of the Anomaly sought out the protection of the few remaining Qui La Machinæ. At first the only ships of any number were cargo and scientific vessels. The ones capable of militarization received upgrades while the rest became scrap for parts. As focus shifted towards military production, new classes of warships replaced them. And now the Fleet commands a devastating force that they wield with precision. The main operations of the Fleet include: assaults on enemy fortifications, escort, convoy, and defensive pickets around Engineer holdings.
 * Marine
 * The Marines cultivate a Terminator-like image on the job, only the mission matters. The Marines are the leading edge in the hostilities against the chaos wrought by the Anomaly. The main operations of the Marines include: boarding actions, sieges, and guarding the world as it sleeps.

Common Ground, Stakes, and Motive

 * Common ground is easy: You are Engineers. With the Void and the threats that lay within it we can not afford to fight among ourselves. That is not to say that every Engineer agrees with one another, but that when things get hard we come together.
 * The stakes are the fate of humanity. No pressure. Without the Void Engineers guarding the Earth from threats to horrible to comprehend all would be lost. It is a thankless job but we do it because someone has to.
 * Each player character is expected to have their own goals, motives, and aspirations.that they are is unique to your character and should influence every choice they make. Chose motivations that have a broad range of purpose rather than ones that are dimensional. If you long for power, why? What is your end goal?

Tips.

 * Avoid technobabble. Bad technobabble comes easy. There is no faster way to making the Union boring.
 * Have a solid motivation for your character. If you are ever stuck, unsure of what to do, look towards your character's motivation to guide you.
 * Keep track of who the good guys are. Even the worst villains justify what they do. Rationalising the most ruthless actions imaginable is a great exercise in roleplaying. While there are genuine idealists within the Union, people don’t see themselves as evil. Not everyone who puts on a black suit is a bad guy. The world is full of ethical grays, and exploring them makes for great stories.
 * Remember that you are human. Even if half of your body has is cybertech or you grew from skin cells in a lab, there’s still a human being in there somewhere. Search out human motivations.
 * Work as a team. A host of enemies waits outside of your Colony, and they will tear you down unless you stick together. The Union has internal problems, but if the same political bitterness infects the mission team, you’ll wind up holding guns on each other. After each mission, go through debriefing and analyse your mistakes. Rebuild the structure of your team, then test it again in the field.
 * You have emotions. “Cold reason” is often rehearsed when it’s used to hold destructive emotions at bay. No matter how indoctrinated you are, you can always be susceptible to greed or power, feel murderous rage, fall in love or doubt yourself. This fact of life applies to any other human; it also applies to you.
 * You can improvise. Even the most rigorous Technocrats are capable of tremendous bursts of creativity, insight and intuition. As long as you’ve got a technological focus, you can still pitch any idea to the Storyteller. Not all Technocrats conform to documented procedures. The rules exist to inspire you, not limit you.

Character Motivations Examples

 * Autonomy
 * Avoiding loss
 * Being the best
 * Chronic Hero Syndrome
 * Contain internal threats
 * Curiosity
 * Eliminate Reality Deviants
 * Establish Research facilities
 * Evading responsibilities
 * Everyday Life
 * Exploring
 * External incentives
 * Finding a place to belong
 * Forgiving yourself
 * Grit
 * Honor
 * Investigating internal affairs
 * Investigating the Unknown
 * Overcoming fear
 * Protecting your family
 * Proving someone wrong
 * Pursuing your passion
 * Recruiting
 * Repaying a debt
 * Self-validation
 * Serving others

Concept Examples
All recruits, regardless of where they come from show the same following traits: Curiosity, Fortitude, and Know-how.
 * Abstract mathematician
 * Alternate dimensions theorist
 * Amateur rocketry enthusiast
 * Atmospheric researcher
 * Backyard astronomer
 * Chaos theorist
 * Commercial angler
 * Deep-sea researcher
 * Ecologist
 * Engineer (Aerospace, Biomolecular, Computer, Environmental, Mechatronics, Nanoengineering, Optomechanical)
 * Field repair specialist
 * Firefighter
 * Google Earth cartographer
 * Lifeguard
 * Mountaineer
 * Naval officer
 * Park ranger
 * Requisitions operative
 * Research analyst
 * Self-taught mechanic
 * Special forces soldier
 * State auditor
 * Theoretical physicist
 * Treasure hunter
 * Yacht club member

Code Names
When an recruit graduates and joins a mission team, they often adopt a code name to signify they new life. Within some teams, this moniker might be a proper name, like Alex, Josephine or Viktor. If the name isn’t intended to be a cover, the agent might choose a name that fits their team mission or role. Other teams, for unknown reasons, prefer words that correspond to the same motif (playing cards, chess pieces or even the names of beer brands).

Copernicus Station

 * Admiral Zheng He - Adm Zheng is the ranking military leader aboard Copernicus Station and a member of the Existential Threats Directorate. A stern man with a reputation for firm justice. During the Dimensional Anomaly Zheng was one of the few commanders of a Qui La Machinæ that was able to navigate its way back to the Near Universe. His crew tell tales of the horrors they witness that day and how it changed Zheng from a man passionate for exploring the frontier into a man hardened by loss. He was among the ranking Engineers that formed the ETD in the wake of the Anomaly and pushed for the militarization of the Convention as a whole. His Qui La Machinæ, the Kui Xing became the staging ground for the construction of the new Copernicus Station in the L3 of Proxima Centauri b between 2000 and 2004. While Zheng then wished return the Kui Xing to active duty, the ETD elected to have it remain paired with the COP. Zheng was given command of the station after an internal vote of ETD members in 2014.
 * Chief Explorer Ellie - The Chief Explore is often busy, exploring, however she does regularly do lectures via Holo to those with a passion for adventure as she would put it. Ellie is more or less the stereotype Void Engineer of before the Anomaly, a space cowboy who plays by her own rules. It is rumored that the ETD is frustrated in her behavior and that her position as Chief Explorer may not be a lasting one.
 * Chief Investigator Curtis Lee - CI Lee is a man of fleeting passions, but perhaps the greatest mind in the Convention when it comes to theoretical Dimensional Science. His work has been critical in rebuilding after the Anomaly as well as his lectures to cadets at the Academy.
 * Chief Researcher Allbright - The Chief Researcher, always referred to solely as the Chief, is a strictly cut the bullshit type. She wants facts, diagrams, hypotheses, not excuses. On the COP there is too much at stake for screw ups, so you will check, re-check, and fucking check again before you submit for her inspection. Senior Officers claim that she does warm up after you have proven yourself, but that seems like something they say just so you don't airlock yourself.
 * Headmaster Joanna Bell - Joanna was born in space, a third generation Void Engineer. Joanna is one of the best pilots the Fleet has ever had the fortune of having in its service. Her passion was to push the boundaries of travel within the Deep Universe, and she only took up the post as an instructor at Halley Academy after loosing a race against a younger pilot. She believed she was no longer at her peak, but that she had much to teach younger generations of Engineers. For the last thirty years, Joanna has dedicated herself to instructing, learning as much as she could of the various forms of inspired science. She is an Academic with few rivals. It was her good fortune, and the Conventions, that when the Anomaly stuck she was on leave on the mudball.

Ailuros Station

 * Commandant Nikolai Orlov - Ailuros Station is the culmination of everything COMDT Orlov has ever worked for. He has only had command of the colony for the few short months since VCC completed the project and everything is still vibrant and new. COMDT Orlov seeks to prove himself worth of the position he has been granted and looks forward to continuing the fight against the Convention's enemies.
 * Francisco Santos: Francisco is an enigma to many a passing by Engineers that haven't have an opportunity to get used to his presence. Formerly, Francisco was a member of a group known as the Hollow Ones before he was recruited into the Void Engineers. As such, many of the things that he does go beyond the understanding of the casual observer, but the RTD confirmed his status and he has been nothing but a rather eccentric, help. He was fined four times for vandalism before it was decided that his artwork improved moral by 13.4%. He is also good with children.
 * Lloyd - Lloyd is the resident bartender at the Gagarin Saloon. Jovial and always ready to listen or give advice. He is also a high functioning android.

The Scylax

 * Commander Ayaka Hasegawa - Ayaka took the promotion exam 11 times before she was given command of the Scylax. To some this might make her seem like a failure, but never once has she given up on the dream of her own ship. She is resilient, determined, and passionate in her interests. She cares deeply for her crew and the cause of the PDC as a whole.
 * Lieutenant Joseph Wells - LT Wells did not know CDR Hasegawa prior to his assignment aboard the Scylax, however he was almost instantaneously won over by her work ethic. LT Wells is the field commander and highest ranking marine aboard the Scylax, as such he is often placed in difficult situations where lives are on the line. He has the name of every Marine that has died under his command tattooed on his body so that he'll never forget their sacrifice.

"Without imposed order, everything is chaos."