THE FORLORN LEGION Stage 1: Basic Synopsis Sexless vat-grown clones struggling with social issues of conformity and individuality. Androgynous, with smooth pale skin, few distinguishing features and three lidless eyes. Forever sealed into environmental suits filled with the substance required to sustain their survival. Each is “birthed” perfectly identical biologically, though different cloning facilities may have slightly different patterns of armor for each role, between which styles of suit also differ slightly, though they remain basically the same. Their bodies are laced with advanced cybernetics at “birth” all but locking them to their suit and allowing them slightly enhanced agility, strength and survivability than what would be offered to their bodies normally. Their suit also hinders them in several aspects. Without it, the air will burn their skin, leading to blisters, blindness and- eventually- death. It also severally limits their perception of touch, and if struck by an EMP the rest of their senses- entirely provided by the armor- will be temporarily disabled, providing a heavy, dark, terrifying shell for the effected Legionnaire. Spoiler: Image Conservative Legion culture values the individual as little as possible. A single legionnaire has no name of their own, being referred too as their job title or rank. A single indoctrinated legionnaire has no gender, will never be a member of a family, and knows no life but their job in service of the greater Legion. However, those who have freed themselves from the legion- deserters, adventurers and such- are quickly exploring the possibilities opened up to them, choosing names, genders, crafts and work beyond what would normally be available to them, forming an entirely new, space-born Legion culture. However, wether Loyal or Defector, the legion has an odd propensity for legends. Stories whispered around mustering huts, or over food paste meals. While the stories are passed from one clone generation to the next, all share a fascination with them. Unlike other races who’s stories may highlight a hero, or the feats of a group of individuals, the Legions stories are of their history as a race, both of past conquests against enemy warbands using fantastical tactics, or stirring defenses of one army against another. However the most popular of are the ancient past. The feats of the Legion in the service of their previous masters, and of those masters themselves, and their legacy. A favorite is of the Butterfly River, an ancient device of great power. Some say it has the power to unite the legion, or splinter it entirely. Some say it would revive the old masters, or replace them. Little is known, but many self proclaimed deserter “treasure hunters” now seek it...as well as a few sponsored legion teams. Warrior-slaves of a long-dead, long-forgotten precursor race, the Legion survived whatever calamity wiped out their former masters, forming a warrior-based, feudal society as they built upon what remained. Borders where drawn and redrawn as the still-active, semi-sentient cloning facilities pumped out generation after generation of clones to be integrated into their chosen warband to vie for control of the planet. Recently though, overall control has fallen under one “Lord General” who leads the society overall. Under them are a collection of “Commanders” who each lead their own territory and occasionally fight among themselves but still answer to the Lord General. Within the last decade or so, the Legion has rediscovered FTL, thanks to some donations- sometimes intentional, sometimes not- of offworlders, and have begun sending scouts, messengers, and refugees offworld to the stars. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Legionnaires are meant to be a race thats easy to pick up and play, but with plenty of character and moral questions and decisions if one wishes to dig deeper. As an example, one could simply make a Defector bounty hunter, using the skills they picked up in the legions service to make money for themselves rather than for the greater Forlorn. However one could also create a legion scout, venturing out into the galaxy in search of resources, allies and enemies of the legion and are met with a wide galaxy offering them a multitude of choices, and the ability to define themselves as they wish. Do they hold fast to their traditional values of the greater good before all else? Or do they take the chance to explore what makes them an individual? Perhaps some mix of the two? The faction itself, the Forlorn Legion, will also hopefully provide something new to the universe. Some young blood, prideful and haughty but just taking their first steps beyond their system. Full of wonder and hungry for conquest both in equal terms. How they and their culture interact with others will hopefully prove interesting.
THE FORLORN LEGION Stage 2: Expanded Lore North Asian inspired, sexless, vat-grown clones struggling with social issues of conformity and individuality. Spoiler: Map The Forlorn Legion makes its base in the Qhuagan system, a yellow star system with three planets total. They are traditionally noted by their name, and the celestial bodies distance from Qhuagan prime. The two smallest, farthest planets- Qhuagan-43LM and Qhuagan-72LM- are mostly uninhabited, cold wastelands, only the former sporting moons of any note, and both holding little more than a scant few Forlorn outposts. The main planet- and the Legions home- is dubbed Qhuagan-12LM Qhuagan-12LM shows evidence of once holding a variety of different biomes, however the great, catastrophic war that occurred there long ago has left its mark on the planet, even altering its axis just slightly. The majority of the planets landmass is covered in flat, open scrublands of hostile, packed earth and rough, low bushes with scattered, soaring plateaus. Even the occasional stinging rains cannot coax the dead land back to life. The oceans have long since dried to mere fractions of their size, leaving large stretches of the world covered in unnatural rock formations and canyons known as the Buk Yuu, or “The Impassable Place”. Beyond that, the poles are cold, grey stretches of soaring, inhospitable mountains carved from long-melted glaciers. The planets unnatural rotation means that the two alternate between being blazingly hot and enjoying a never ending day, and freezing in a never ending night during the planets generations-long years. -Anatomy: Appearance Spoiler: Picture -Anatomy: Unique Structures & Evolution -Body- Legionnaires, being clones, are anatomically the same. Their skin is pallid gray and not entirely opaque, stretched taut over their frames. They have three black eyes set into their skull (the left and right eye measure distance and light while the third measures color, though it is often underutilized due to their suits limited sensitivity to color) Their jaw is small and weak. Despite their suit feeding them via liquids, they have dull, omnivorous teeth. This is theorized to be due to leftover genes from a species that was used as a base for their creation. Their limbs are thin, giving them a tall and lean appearance despite only rarely breaking 6 feet. They have three fingers and one thumb per hand, and four toes per foot. -Suit- Physically weak on their own, the Legionnaires were purpose built to be enclosed in the armored suits they are equipped with at “birth”. The suits are bulbous in some places, combining thick cloth and solid metal plates, as well as powered joints to improve the users strength and endurance. They are airtight, and filled with a viscous clear fluid which sustains the legionnaire. Once it fills their lungs, it replaces their need to breathe, as well as stops bleeding and accelerates the healing process. If the suit is punctured, the fluid will slowly solidify, much like blood creating a scab to seal the suit again. None of this happens rapidly. If a suit loses too much fluid the Legionnaire inside will quickly succumb to sickness and expire. The same transpires should they exit their suit for too long a period. A suits fluid can be refilled, though the process is not quick and involves acquiring the precious substance in the first place- a rarity offworld. The suits themselves incorporate cameras as well as sensory spines built into the solid metal helm. These work together to feed information to the legionnaire inside. The spines also double as antennae for receiving and issuing orders, information and radio transmissions. Commander pattern armor lengthens these spines, increasing their effectiveness. Some additions- such as the modular disk “rice hats” can increase their effectiveness further, and are often used for long range communication. However relying on such systems entirely has its drawbacks, as a well placed EMP can render a Legionnaire trapped in a silent, lightless, heavy shell. The suits incorporate powered servos and joints to increase the wearers physical ability and endurance. Relying too much on these systems however generate a great deal of heat which is vented occasionally through hatches in the suits helmet as steam, giving the impression the Legionnaire is “breathing”. In Vacuum or underwater this heat cannot be vented limiting the legionnaires effectiveness in such biomes as if the heat fails to vent it will begin to build up and eventually boil the user alive. ADDENDUM: Due to the Legions unique status as clones, and due to their reliance on their suits which- as of writing- can only produced by the automated vaults, they are unable to be effectively cloned in the fringe should they die. This means that if you wish your Legionnaire to be resurrected you will have to pursue alternative methods. -Combat adaptations Legionnaires are rather durable, the armor panels incorporated into their suits capable of deflecting small arms and weaker laser weapons with ease, and the thick cloth that makes up the rest allowing any damage that does get through to be minimized. Without more powerful weaponry, killing a legionary quickly is all but impossible, though a destructive enough attack to their relatively unarmored stomach can be deadly if not treated within seconds. However in the agility department they are rather average, their servo-enhanced movements balanced out by their underwhelming performance without such systems. Adding onto this is the bulkiness of their suits which further adds to their occasional clumsiness. Same goes for strength. While some are outliers in this category, the majority of Legionnaires only exhibit average or slightly above average strength, relying mostly on their suits for such tasks. When it comes to speed, they are only as fast on average as the average biped, however can run most non-robotic races into the ground, having been built for distance marches. All of these can vary slightly with the legionnaires armor pattern, of course, but usually hold true. Beyond units specifically built around it, basic Legion soldiers are taught only the barest amounts of close combat defense, it being expected that- should the enemy engage you in close combat- a soldier should only have to hold their foe in place long enough for their buddy to stab them a few times. This changes on the officer level, where they are trained in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. While such a duel has not been issued on the battlefield in years, the Legion is not one to casually set aside tradition. -Behaviors/Habits Traditionally, Legion culture has been very militaristic. Individuals are referred to by their position or occupation more often than they are by their designated ID number (For instance, GB-0925102 is a rifleman wearing the Goblin pattern armor who was born in cloning bunker 09, in a year ending in 25, and they were the 102nd birthed in that year.) Individuality is not actively oppressed, it is simply not considered. Every Legionnaire is part of the machine. Forgoing some notable cases, a Legionnaire will remain the rank and position they were at “birth” for their entire life. They will hold no outstanding familial ties and will adhere to the rules set for the exactly, for they haven’t ever considered doing anything else. -until recently, that is. With the reintroduction of FTL technology the Legion has had a chance to finally leave their system and to explore other cultures and societies. Some see them as ridiculous or sloppy, but others as an opportunity. A large rash of “desertings” has sprung up throughout Legion ranks as individuals leave to explore who they are. These “deserters” are often flamboyant and occasionally seen as awkward by other races. They occasionally hold members of other species in high regard, or attempt to copy their culture and mannerisms. Still others will further still attempt to be aggressively different from Everyone they encounter. The Legion language slightly resembles Mongolian, and their speech is distorted by their suits. While this can occassionally make it difficult for outworlders to understand them, the Legion usually has no such issues. -Ideologies While the Legion can as a whole often be split nicely into “Loyalists” and “Deserters”, both sides harbor a surprising amount of variety in sub-groups, as well as a few factions falling wholly under neither designation. Loyalists often are depicted as being completely loyal to the Legion as a whole, and while the amount of loyalty often varies, it is more or less always true. They put the greater good before themselves and play their part as a cog in the machine. However within the loyalists there are several sects which differentiate themselves. The most prominent is the “Old Guard”. Many of the oldest living Legionnaires identify with this group, who have given their entire lives to the cause, and with the recent expansion have found that their ideals suddenly clash with many of their newly discovered fellow races- and sometimes with their own legion-. The sheer concept of a deserter confuses them somewhat, however they aren’t openly hostile towards them, more disappointed. Conversely a more radical group, dubbed “The Paragons” fiercely oppose desertion, even so far as organizing squads of hunters and hitman to track down and eliminate deserters before they can “embarrass the Legion any further”. There is also the mysterious Ranger Clade, who refuse the safety and comfort of the cities and forts, and the fanatic Reclaimers, cult-like in their obsession with their old masters. Besides these there are also countless warbands and military factions and alliances across the planet, every Legionnaire can likely trace themselves back to one or another. The Deserters meanwhile- while less organized in their differences- are certainly more numerous in them. Deserters have fled Qhuagan-12LM to establish small trading and cargo companies, become explorers, found treasure hunting outfits, create private armies and pirate crews. More often they strike out on their own to become explorers, bounty hunters, merchants or sometimes even scientists. The two largest and most notable group of deserters is perhaps the two most radical. The Qhuagan Tributary are a group of self-proclaimed liberators. Branded terrorists by many factions on Qhuagan-12LM- a judgement which more often than not is true- they work to assist in smuggling Deserters safely offworld. Their methods are often violent- for the Legion rarely know methods that aren’t- but effective. Many Deserters owe their lives to the tributary, enough to overlook the fact that a building full of people was demolished to cover their escape. In contrast to the Tributary is the Descending Blade clan. An entire warband that deserted from the Legion as a whole, the Descending Blade want vengeance for their ancestors humiliation and subjugation by the greater legion, and see the weaponry and technology of the stars as the perfect opportunity. They aggressively work to hunt down advanced weaponry and technology from other races, looking for any way to bring it to bear on the Legion that wronged them so long ago. -Technology and Technological Themes Legion technology can easily be distinguished from that of other races owing to its distinctive, bulbous and spiny design, invoking images of an unfriendly crustacean. Some of their tech, such as their suits, the fluid inside, and the automated underground facilities that produce both, are very advanced, relics of a time and race long since passed. The overwhelming majority of their tech however is rather basic. Their ranged weapons are crude ballistics, their melee arms average quality steel. Information is stored on thick cartridges, vehicles powered by smoky combustion engines. While space flight has been achieved it requires powerful solid fuel boosters, and has only recently breached FTL with the help of outside influences. Because of their intended purpose- as if almost subconsciously- it is difficult to find a piece of Legion technology that does not have some sort of military application. Civilian cars do not exist Fashion items are few and far between on Qhuagan-12LM, with most boiling down to different styles of lamellar vests or layered plates, though this in particular is beginning to change with the expansion of deserters. -Architecture & Fashion(optional) Legion structures usually boil down to different sizes of a wide, flat, thick disc which can be converted to many different types of buildings. They can be stacked atop one another but more often are built into the side of buttes or canyons. Their style is sparse, utilitarian and military, as with everything loyalist. Fashion does not often come into play among loyalist legion, though Deserters have taken to experimenting, producing many different, varying styles in attempts to express themselves. -Social-Political-Economic Structures Until relatively recently, the Legion was an ununified squabble of warring warbands and clans, each unified only by the cloning facility that spawned them. However nowadays it has managed to organize itself into a feudal system, with one warband- the leader of which has dubbed himself the “Lord Commander”- managing the rest, each in turn led by a “commander”. Supplies are divided among commanders as the Lord Commander see’s fit, and then said commanders divide said requisitioned supplies among their subordinates. Within each warband, each individual Legionnaire is tasked with the job with which they were “born” with little hope of upward advancement. Stories of legionnaires of lower rank advancing to become commanders are rare. Said legionnaires surviving long in such a position are even more rare. While some clans and warbands have maintained their independence, they tend to be ultimately weaker for it, which all in all is good for their continued existence. The Lord Commander would not allow their continued existence should they establish themselves as a threat. Very little is known about early Legion History, most records of it being erased in the great calamity. What is agreed on is that they were created as warrior-slaves for an ancient, interstellar power. Soldiers who fought so that their masters wouldn’t have too, spawned and grown in extensive underground, semi-sentient cloning vaults. However, for all their masters ingenuity, advanced tech, and precursor knowledge they still fell all the same. Some say that the calamity was a Great War, in which the planets former occupants bombed themselves into dust. Others say it was an asteroid, or another outside force. However the calamity occurred, occurs all the same and left behind nothing but the cloning vaults built deep enough to survive the calamity. The first warbands were small, confused and disorganized. Without the technical know-how or proper resources, wars for territory and vaults were fought with whatever was at hand. Rocks and wooden spears eventually became swords and polearms. Legion technology advanced painfully slowly, the races traditions and culture simply not accustomed to invention. Through it all, the vaults silently adapted. When leaders were needed, Hobgoblin pattern armors emerged. With the invention of heavier weapons, Ogres began stumbling from their birthing pods. As the Legion finally took to the skies, Shamans appeared to crew the new flying machines seemingly from nowhere. Some whisper it was the vaults themselves that directed the conflict and the technology, but many see this as ridiculous. As technology continued to advance, larger and larger alliances and factions began to form, subsuming or outright destroying those who failed to adapt. The most prominent was the Forlorn, formed originally from the Bastard Hills warband of Cloning Vault 027, in conjunction with their allies- some more willing than others- who rose to rule most of the planets major continent. Soon the only other force who could oppose them was the Malady Coalition, of the southern continent. While the Forlorn practiced a feudal system- with all of the Commanders answering to a single Lord Commander- the coalition allowed each warlord to have equal say. They saw the Forlorns rule as tyranny, and opposed them mightily, defending their lands coasts with enough vigor to hold out for almost an entire year. However, in the end they fell to sheer number. The northern continent was simply larger, and thus had more cloning vaults. When the forlorn launched a grinding war of attrition against their northern coast, there was little the Coalition could do but watch as their numbers fell more and more out of their favor, regardless of the terrific Forlorn losses. Finally, with little fanfare the Coalition capitulated, ceding it’s vaults to the victors and fading from history. The Legion descended into a relatively peaceful period. Of course minor skirmishes and wars were still to be fought- as pessimistic grunts away from their officers might grumble, its doubtful the legion would survive without such- the Forlorn Legion remained the ultimate power on the planet. When the first outsider arrived is unknown, as was their state of health when they “donated” their crafts FTL drive to the legion for research. They would not be the last, and as more and more strange, otherworldly creatures fell from the heavens, drawn down by curiosity or forced down by the planets hostile atmosphere and the missiles of Legion strike craft, the Legion only became more and more enamored with light speed travel. However, a new galaxy offered new opportunities, and it was not long until small bands of radical legionnaires began finding themselves transport offworld in the hulls of outsider craft. It was not long after that the first Legion FTL ship first successfully made its jump, catapulting the race of soldiers into the galaxy at large. Intentions for Story & Setting Interaction I intend the Forlorn Legion to offer a new, unique option for players that can easily be tailored between each’s playstyle. They intended to be simple enough for someone to pick up and play, but offer several deep layers of character if one wishes to dig into them. As a whole, the Legion will offer a new presence in the Galaxy. Their tech is more varied than most other races, with a mix of advanced technology and crude stopgaps. They won’t be able to interact with most body-altering tech that others have access to in the fringe, such as resurrection tech, implants or synth bodies, but will also bring contributions of their own, such as the regenerative fluid, if the powers-that-be can convince them to hand it over. On a larger scale, they offer an apprehensive- if not overtly hostile- new presence in the galaxy, with the pride and desire to conquer and expand but the strategic know-how and good manners for diplomacy and cooperation with other powers. Finally, their homeworld and history holds a wealth of possible events. Perhaps an ancient legion generation ship has appeared from nowhere in a populated star system, its systems dark. What could be waiting inside for any brave adventurers? Perhaps an enterprising entrepreneur has charted an exploration to an ancient ruin on Qhuagan-12LM? Sure the paperwork was a bitch, but just imagine what treasures could still be down there! ADDENDUM: After speaking with Zecon recently, we’ve come to the agreement that the Legion could set up a forward operating base on Baldr’s, potentially revitalizing the hub and giving players some new architecture to explore. Misc/Trivia -Legionnaires practice a traditional form of music. It involves orally produced, deep tones and is often used during menial labor to keep time. Deserters have carried the tradition with them, expanding the genre to include more lyrics and variation while keeping the spirit. -Qhuagan-12LM is home to more sentient creatures then just the Legion. Diminutive, bipedal creatures known locally as “Ghouls” roam the hills and more mountainous regions. They are savage, if cowardly, and have learned to stay well away from well armed Legion patrols, instead preferring to remain in the more inhospitable regions of the planet, where they can war among themselves and practice their cannibalistic nature in peace. While Legion scientists care little for the study of such pests, outside explorers have noticed the creatures using simple tools, and even creating crude cave paintings. -The current year on Qhuagan-12LM is 2371. (Keep this in mind when creating your characters ID.) -Loyalist ranks from lowest to highest: Private Private First Class Corporal Sergeant Staff Sergeant Sergeant First Class Master Sergeant First Sergeant Sergeant Major Officer Cadet 2nd Lieutenant 1st Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Colonel Commandant Major General Lieutenant General General Commander Lord Commander -Legion suit patterns: Goblin-standard/infantry Hobgoblin-Officer/command Imp-Bush Scout/Recon Kobold-Urban Scout/Recon Shaman-Vehicle Operation Ogre-Heavy Weapons/Armor -Years and years ago, when they first rediscovered spaceflight, the Forlorn legion- and if the stories are to be believed, a few other warbands- sent sunlight-driven generation ship out into the stars, their crew all in stasis in hope of establishing colonies on distant planets. Nothing yet has been heard from these ships. Spoiler: Sprites and Resources Base Goblin Hobgoblin Illithid Imp Kobold Ogre Oracle Shaman Warlock Visual aids Resources Sprites currently in development. Progress can be viewed in the discord server, Cosigners Roren Cloudydays Randy Mr_Spetzer Trireef Cheffu zirconzz Rynobody Syntheticdeity zecon125
