Originally posted by autochthonic:
I'm preparing material for a campaign based on Efate/Regina in the period leading up to the 5th Fontier War (1106-1107). Does anyone have any information, all I have to go on are the TNS bulletins, which imply a civil war brewing, followed by massive Imperial intervention. And no Ine givar activity. Nosir. We know what they're doing, and they're not doing it...
I found this in the RICE archive:
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 16:41:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Alvin Plummer <alvin.plummer@sheridanc.on.ca>
Subject: #AWP-00301: Efate
My thanks to David Jaques-Watson for additional information, permitting
me to add data to the Rice Paper, and more closely comply with previously
published Traveller information. At least one addtional Rice Paper is
being planned by a diferent member of the TML: collect them all!
I've chosen to retain both the 'alien' Efate and their welcoming nature:
remember, these people are Xenophilic (they don't even fear the Zho's!)
but also Militant (Ready to fight when you are, Captain!).
Efate (Regina: Spinward Marches/1803)
A646A30-F B Hi In 110 Re K4 V
g=.7718, day=37:59:06.7; year 41d 10:56:55.1 Imp., 26d 4:38:11.2 Local
atmos=.66, controlled weather TNE weather = -1
Temp=-3 (6/lat +15 to -45) (season +17 to -29, 16 deg lat)
daily temp range: +14 noon, -54 midnight
[Life]; Ores, Radioactive, Crystals; Nonmetals; Parts, Consumables;
Recordings, Software.
Progressive/Indifferent; Competitive/Militant; Harmonoius/Xenoplilic
Legal=0-00000 Tech= FF-FEFGF-EEEF-FF-4
ARRIVAL
When you leave jump, you're 100 diameter's from the primary star: Efate is
only 68 local stellar diameters out, so your ship will come out between
194 and 394 light-second from Efate.
Coming through the RQS rigamore is a good bit easier here then in most
places: Virus is not nearly the threat that the Zho's can be, in the
eyes of the local Efate. So long as the traveller doesn't do anything
blatently stupid, he should be able to arive at the starport in a
reasonably short time.
[REFEREE: The world name is also used to refer to singluar and plural Efate.]
Looking down on the world as the RQS quickly rifles thru his ship, he's
likely to mistake the Vistoner plate as the world's sole continent.
While it sure looks like one, it has actually been shattered into
something like a jigsaw puzzle. Each island - about 300 to 700 km in
diameter - is seperated by it's neighbour by a 1-4 km moat, which goes
down 3-5 kilometers in depth. How this highly unlikely geographic formation
is still under some debate: since there's no impact crater, the answer
must reside in some truly odd plate tectonics. The world itself seems
geologically dead: there are no mountain chains, and no volcanoes. The
bottom of the moats is covered by silt and dirt settling in from above:
estimates are that the crevaces go down another 2 km below the silt floor.
After barely setting foot on this world, each member of the company will
be given a holographic Efate guide - an avatar - to help the visitor
navigate his way through the customs and traditions that govern Efate
society. The guide will refuse payment from the visitors: he is usually
a construct by a local tourist agency, and will encourage the visitors
to use his agency's facilities.
The harsh chemicals that render the air poisonous to humans stemms from
the TiiKii plant. While rarely seen in the cities where humans frequent,
they dominate the shallow swamplands of Efate's equatoral regions,
released during the sudden, massive "explosions" of the plant's sexual
organs. The Efate - ever gracious to their human visitors - feel
ashamed by this, but can do nothing: too many species depend on the
TiiKii's foul gases for their life cycles.
Humans are not advised to enter the swamplands: if they do, they must be
very careful where they trod: stepping on a root can trigger off the
explosion.
THE EFATE RACE
The guide is worth a twice-over (even if he's just a hologram). The typical
lithe Efate stands at a little over average height, with a deep bronze
skin, longish wavy hair in a variety of light colours (white, various
shades of grey, and pale yellow), and high cheekbones. They look like a
minor race - or a bodysculptured noble - but are not actually human at
all.
The Efate was contacted by the Imperium soon after arriving in Regina
subsector. At the time, they were a highly sedentary race of omnivores;
weighing in at about 300 kg, they looked something like large,
occasionally biped, glorified squirrels, with faceted eyes, an ungainly
gait, and a grating language of squeals and whines. Primitive they were
not, though: when the I.S.S. Coilirela touched down here in 182, they had
already reached TL 4, with some research to TL 6.
The Efate - or the KriiLeeiKariit, as they called themselves at the time
- welcomed the Imperium gladly, becoming a client state in 211 and
obtaining formal membership in 243. A highly industrious people, they
swiftly reached TL A by 400, and by the First Civil War was at TL D.
It was at this time when wealthy KriiLeeiKariit started to shape
themselves and their children as humans. The prestige of being human,
and the natural KriiLeeiKariit love and fondness of humaniti, began to
approach it's ultimate conclusion. By 880, the "New People" were over
half the population: by 1000, the KriiLeeiKariit were extinct. But the
"New People" - now taking the name of Efate as the name of their new race
- were still not considered human, as they cannot interbreed, and have
serious internal difference from humanity, especially at the DNA and
molecular level.
They still cannot eat most human food without pills and addatives: the very
limited range of (highly processed) human food they _can_ digest
without aides gives them debilitating stomach cramps and occasional
vomiting "on bad days". Because of their wholesale and self-inflicted
genetic problems, they suffer appallingly short lifespans of about 40
years, dying from a vast variety of heridatory diseases. And over 60%
of all Efate are originally born from some artifical method: the
rebuilding of the KriiLeiiKariit reproductive system to imitate human
mammalian norms is a great triumph of science, but even today a Efate
woman going through natural childbirth takes her life in her hands. Of
course, Efate genetic science plows ahead to relieve these problems.
EFATE CITIES
Efate cities are very crowded. The Efate are an extremely gregarious
race, and they love the hustle and bustle of the urban enviroment. Their
cities aren't very tall, but do spread out over thousands of kilometers of
area. Clothing tends to imitate the latest Regina fashion, and many of
the social attitudes are also familiar to native-born Reginans.
Strangers are enjoyed my most Efate: they are easily forgiven of any minor
errors, and even if guilty of a grevious crime, will only suffer
- at worst - expulsion from Efate.
What most stand's out on Efate is the vast number of holographic people -
called "avatars" - which mix and talk with the real Efate. Some of these
people have been sent by their masters to complete some errand, but most
of the avatars are of dead Efate, who's personality is brought to live by
AI programs.
[REFEREE: Pre-Virus, the images are projected by small, mobile robot spheres
which hover over a spot, and project the image downward. Now, the
cameras and AI computer is mounted on trained TrWanak gasbag animals: the AI
has no way to communicate to other computers, and can only direct the
gasbag by mechanical prodding. Also, the AI is designed to mechanically
fail if infected by Virus.]
The Servenai Cults - the premiere Marchman religion, after Imperial
Catholicism - have many Efate followers, and insists that the souls of
the dead are only satisified if they're images are permitted to walk the
land. The Cults - which originated on Capon/2324 (B747748-A) - resemble
the Roman mystery cults, with ancient Vilani philosophy thrown in:
currently, 20% of all Marchmen follow it.
HONOUR
While most Imperial/Regency worlds are known for taking Honour and
Tradition seriously, Efate is unique in the extent that it reveres these
concepts. One of the things that the Efate can't get their heads around
is human laws: they simply cannot comprehend how they act. What they
*do* understand, however, is Personal Honour. Each individual Efate is
responsible to make his portion of the universe as fine and noble as
possible. And each Efate's life is governed by his own personal Honour
Code, which is held as sacred.
Each Efate is expected to uphold the Code individually, rather than
depend on a government to maintain it. If an evil occurs, the Efate that
witnesses it is to correct it: he *cannot* pass on that responsibility to
someone else.
The Efate nobility's main purpose is to provide living examples of what
honour mean, to set an example for the nation and the race. The local
nobility has shifted over the centuries from a priesthood to a democracy
to an oligarchy of noble families, but how they govern - the source of
their authority - remains the same.
The Code - basically the obligation to be and live the truth as best as
ability allows - is the foundation of trust on Efate. Because it's taken
so seriously, the system can continue to be the only known high-pop world
without any formal laws at all. Of course, every Efate's individual Code
varies, but all strive towards the same goal, and tend to have many
similiarities.
One of the more common manifestations of the Code is Paterfamilias: that
is, the eldest male is assummed to be the lord of his household. While he
doesn't officaly have the 'right' to kill anyone in his household that he
wishes - the Efate only believes in duties and responsibilities, not
rights - most Efate will not interfere or ostrazise a father who does,
even in public.
Other common traits of the Honour Code is a willingness to take the law
in your own hands; a very strong fear of shame before others; love of
family, home, and empire; and contempt for those who challange the Code.
THE FIFTH FRONTIER WAR
The honour code - despite it's valued place within Efate culture - has
often been the source of some of the most intratacable conflicts on
Efate. One well-known conflict - between the Keeslia'k and the Keia'ss
noble houses - has often led to contnous bushfire war's in the bitter
Polar wastes of Efate. This conflict eventually grew like topsy: by
1107, it pitted most of the lesser noble houses against the five High Houses.
Covert Zho support of the smaller houses was quite well-known: the Efate
never was as phobic towards psionics as Imperials were, and often
consider the 'truthful' Zhodani as basically more honourable than Imperials.
Between 1000 and 1107, the Imperium/Domain/Regency had to send Marine
unit's no less than *fifteen* times to restore the peace, with each
incident worse than the last. During one of these incident's - the
famous Razor Wars of 1107 - most of Makitii District was thrown in a
state of chaos, requiring Imperial Marines to put down the rebellion
(078-1107). The Imperials expected a walkover, considering the rather
poor equipment the lesser noble armies had.
Boy, were they surprised. The rebellious nobles didn't have much in the
way of fancy equipment, but they were well prepared, and - with plenty
of Zho advise and psionic aid - were able to hit the Marines unexpectedly
hard throughout the Cackiit Highlands. While their tactic of using a
Merc cruiser to deliver a 5MT nuclear warhead to the main body of
Imperial troops failed (see "A daggar at Efate", JTAS #? "), several
other subterfuges - including sneaking a large supply of haevy fusion
rifles - were successful.
The marines were just getting a bead on the rebellion put down when the
Fifth Frontier War swept thru Regina subsector, placing Efate under
siege from 214-1107 to the armistice, declared at 099-1110 (The war was
officaly declared over at 001-1111).
Ferocious naval clashes ensured betweem the Zho. 1st Assault Fleet -
tasked to take Efate - and the defending Imperial 193rd Fleet. However,
because the Zho's could not secure their supply line through Louzy, the
1st Assault Fleet couldn't bring their full potential force to bear
against the 193rd. The unconqured Imperial outposts at Louzy could also
supply information to Imperial forces regarding incoming reinforcemetns,
permiting the 193rd to successfully defend against several offensives.
>From mid-1109, the Zho's were releasing ships to fight at other fronts,
but were still strong enough to resist the Imperial attempt to relieve
Efate during Operation Iedshrpr (launched 029-1109), spearheaded by
elements of the Corridor Fleet.
The intense fighting was used by the High Houses as the justification
used to purge the lesser houses from all government positions. This led
to even more embittered fighting, and eventually to several ugly
atrocities. In the aftermath of the Fifth Frontier War, most of the
lesser houses was stripped of their titles and exiled to Ley Sector by
order of the Emperor: most of the major leadership was shot for High Treason.
With the leadership of the Lesser Houses not only destroyed, but
considered dishonourable - this in a culture that values honour above all
else - the continual bushfire wars of Efate came to an pernament end.
RELIGION
While the Servani Cults are the most flamboyant religion on Efate, the
dominant religion remains Imperial Catholicism. The Deneb Rite remains
the most influential with over half the population's alligence, but Sylean,
American, and Vilani Rites are also common.
The population is quite pious, and place strong emphasis on the
graciousness of the Lord. Assorted religious meetings - from major
religious festivals to spontanious 'street dancing' - is quite common.
While Efate does not have the most awe-inspiring cathederals or the most
learned and wise of churchmen, they do embrace their faith with vigour
and joy. Which is somewhat ironic: about 2/3rds of Regency Christians
believe that nonhumans shouldn't be allowed to join the church, either
because they lack the "imageo dei" (the Image of God), or because they
feel that Christianity is about God speaking to men, and that God would use
other native religions to speak to nonhumans, not Christianity.
The tendency of Efate Catholics to stress the power of the Holy Spirit -
and to utterly ignore the commandents and laws of God - tends to
aggrivate most Catholic churchmen. Never mind the problem of whether
Jesus died for nonhuman sinners or not, or even if this theology even
makes sense when applied to aliens. Or even if Efate are 'sinners' in any
meaningful sense: how can they transgress a law that they never recieved?
Note: Efate was a major beneficiary of the Regency Industrial Development
Program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alvin Plummer
