Aberrant RPG - Our future Nova Nation

[Gideon]

Our Future Nova Nation

This may seem more Trinity oriented, but I am not concerned about psion perspectives, but nova perspectives, so I have placed this in the Aberrent forums.

I am putting an Aberrent campaign together set in the Trinity era, but isolated from terra and focusing on galactic relations of multiple nova settlements. Here is what I have thought about.

It’s established in the Trinity era that novas did in fact leave earth and establish new homes amidst the stars. But what sort of governance and infrastructure do they have?

Among the more powerful and adaptable novas I am sure that meeting the minimal requirements of food, shelter and safety was rather trivial, but as the character creation rules show, its very easy to make a nova that might be a mighty smart scientist, but has no environmental protection nor any way to circumvent their need for food. So how did they survive? Unless they counted on the kindness of strangers, or enslaved a farming nova, the exiled novas must have established a structured government of some type, with some form of trade & commerce. If this happened then a certain degree of infrastructure had to be maintained for transporting and preparing food stuff.

The gist of this is that I believe that the novas of that time must have founded new nations. These nations may not have met traditional definitions of a nation, and they may have been organized in many different ways, but I am curious what sort of governments would novas create that would meet nova needs and requirements. I also believe that Eden is not the only nova colony out there, and that their semi-feudal system of government is not the only solution other novas found.

I have identified the following governing types, and governing variants. To aid in this discussion, the definitions are just what came to mind (with the help of google’s define feature).

An example would be an Authoritarian Representative Federal Democracy.

That would be a democratic government where the people elect regional officials to represent them and to vote on federal and local issues. The government would also dictate back to the people, certain personal behavior and beliefs, perhaps a state religion, or manditory bathing every Tuesday ::blink. Get the idea?

Government Types:

Anarchy – Without Rule, a state of lawlessness.

Commonwealth – an organization of autonomous novas that are united in allegiance to a central power but are not subordinate to it or to one another.

Confederation – A federal system of government in which sovereign constituent governments create a central government but balance of power remains with constituent governments.

Democracy – majority rule: the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group.

Dictatorship – system of government in which one person or a small group of people have absolute control.

Feudal – A system of economic and social organization founded on a web of military obligations between powerful overlords and their vassals.

Monarchy – a type of government in which political power is exercised by a single ruler under the claim of divine or hereditary right.

Republic – A form of government in which the head of state is usually elected by the citizens. (Not to be confused with "democracy" because many republics, past and present, have heads of state who came into power by military force, or were elected by a small minority of the population.)

Variants:

Aristocracy – Political theory that advocates the rule of "the best" whom it identifies, generally, with a hereditary upper class.

Authoritarian – defining the degree to which the governing body dictates the private life of its citizens. In this case the intrusion is not complete but many aspects of political opinion and activism is dictated by the governing body, this also includes regulation of what if any dissent is permitted to be voiced.

Colonial – a governing body that is beholden to some “higher” government for final approval of all or many decisions.

Constitutional – a form of government in which there are effective constraints on the power of the government. The government can be held accountable for its actions by the people.

Federal – characterized by or constituting a form of government in which power is divided between one central and several regional authorities;

Hereditary – authority to rule tends to pass among members of a family usually by heredity lines.

Limited – meaning that certain default assumptions of the government have been curtailed or restricted.

Meritocracy – A social system in which status is assumed to be acquired through individual ability and effort.

Military – a form of government where qualifying participants must belong to a military organization.

Open – defining the degree to which the governing body dictates the private life of its citizens. Open meaning that the personal life of its citizens are generally unchecked or regulated

Parliamentary – having the supreme legislative or ruling power resting with a body of ministers chosen from and responsible to the legislature or parliament.

Presidential – having the supreme power resting with a singular elected official.

Representative – having the authority of the people transferred to a representative group of elected members whom vote to reach a majority opinion.

Totalitarian - defining the degree to which the governing body dictates the private life of its citizens. In this case the government dictates all activity including opinions, personal beliefs.

While these definitions are fine, they are not the answer, they are only a few examples of highlevel sketches of governance. And no combination of these words would give you a real feel forthe resulting government. but it might help some folks with presenting ideas.

I have a few thoughts, but I wanted to hear from the crowd first.

Gideon

[knave]

Hive mind.

[Sphere]

Interesting idea this.

The few pieces of official info about it indicates that Eden is run as a benevolent dictatorship from the point of view of it's baseline community. The Novas govern the colony and make decisions regarding policy and development. The baselines do the "grunt work". However Novas who abuse their position of power are punished.

Presumably the presence of so many Novas means that there is the occasional eruption amongst the baseline stock, a cause for great celebration as it elevates you to the status of first-class citizen/minor deity.

In the Rifts Worldbook about the Mexican Vampire Kingdoms it talks about one of the the kingdoms being run by fairly liberally minded (for demonic parasites ::biggrin ) vampires. That might give an idea of how baselines are viewed and how they live their lives alongside their superhuman betters.

Another source of inspiration would be the Go'auld (?spelling?) System Lords of the Stargate television series. Who set themselves up as gods to their baseline slaves and rule through cruelty and oppression. Might be a good example of a colony that sprang from from an Aberrant Cult. Mega-Socials ruling all others through sheer force of personality.

Benevolent Hive Mind: A civilisation of Novas possibly descended from the Gestalt Institute who focus on mental powers. All decisions are taken by the linked minds of the entire society, or at least by those capable of joining the hive mind.

More as I think of them.

[Sphere]

Hey I've been promoted to Director! Good for me. ::biggrin ::biggrin ::biggrin

[Gryffen]

This sounds a lot like an Oligarchy.

Oligarchy is a form of government where most political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). The word oligarchy is from the Greek for "few" and "rule". (definition from Gurunet)

[Sphere]

Space-based, Nomadic.

As it seems most aberrants encountered by Humanity in the Trinity era are able to exist in unprotected space it makes sense to theorise that some of the "Nova Worlds" are not worlds at all but instead live a nomadic existance travelling between the solar systems of our galaxy. Some or maybe all have access to the Warp power. If only some have this power then it's possible they are either leaders or have some kind of status within the society.

Or perhaps they travel in worldships constructed by Mega-Intelligent Novas.

Possible types of space-based nomadic cultures could include:

Aggressive Hegemonic Swarm: I think The Colony and it's minions could easily fit this stereotype. Travelling through space only appearing to attack it's foes. Perhaps the reason Colony wants Earth so badly is that it has been unable to seize and hold any of the inhabitable Nova Worlds. A culture of this type would be of the "Join or die!" mentality.

Harvesters: Something similar to the Coalition ark. A society that lives in space and travels from solar system to solar system occupying planets long enough to resupply and then move on. Presumably nothing as big as the ark is currently available to the Nova Worlds or it'd be bothering Earth. But small groups of Novas could adopt this style of life as a response to attacks from other Nova/Aberrant factions. Keep moving so your enemy doesn't know where you'll be...unless they've got pre-cogs ::wink .

Watchers: Not the kind that bother young teenage girls and tell them they have "special powers" ::wink . But a society of explorers, most likely democratic and open. Possibly descended from Daedalus League/Space Brigade members. They travel the galaxy observing and investigating phenomena and events. Seen as harbingers of doom by many in the Nova Worlds as they often seem to turn up just as the "interesting times" start to happen. Watcher-style societys probably scare the crap out of trigger-happy Terran or Qin warships when they hop in a float around taking notes ::biggrin .

[Gideon]

One of my early thoughts wa sarranging relations (or possible) relations between three cultures on at the closests three differing continents. The three cultures were:

A cooperative culture, where novas and baselines have equal rights in the society, but where novas have naturally moved to fill the top ranks, out of shear ability.

A dictatorship with one dominant nova rules all, treating baselines as breeding stock and cheap labor. All other novas act as enforcers and toadies to the supreme overlord.

A semi-nomadic warrior society, where agrarian baselines (as well as a couple novas) maintain farms and tool familities, while the majority of the novas and a few daring baselines travel on the hunt, this is not a low tech idea at all. I see baselines with gause rifles and articulated body armor, as well as planetary shuttles. But martial prowes would be the defining feature of status in the culture.

I thought setting a story arround a grouping of very different groups, that have achieved a homeostasis of sorts would prove intreguing, and the story would of course deal with upsetting the balance and the players must decide if they will aid in restabilizing or work to push things into complete war.

I like the ideas so far, they are all exciting variants. Keep them coming, or at least think about how some of these might work as interesting interractions. It does not have to be three groups, heck 5 would prove really fun, as the balancing would be a challenge worthy of a Mega-Intelligent nova. ::biggrin

[Sphere]

The League of Hermits. ::biggrin

Towards the end of the Aberrant War several of the mega-intelligent "sphinxes" who had manipulated the geopolitical climate behind the scenes began to realise the continued warfare between Nova factions and baseline governments would end in mutual destruction. Being survival-orientated if nothing else they made contact with one another and began to organise an escape route off-world. Using their considerable combined resources they contacted Novas they thought would be useful in their new world and left Earth well before the Chinese drove off the Novas with their nuclear ultimatum.

The solar system the sphinxes came to had one inhabitable planet. As time progressed the mega-intelligent Novas began to draw apart from one another, becoming engrossed in their own work and researches. The Novas who'd come with them were inventors and philosophers, artists and dreamers. Most wished for a quiet life with which to pursue their interests.

Some of the Novas migrated off-world and constructed their own habitats or simply lived in the harsh environment of the system's other worlds. Word eventually reached them of the exile of the quantum-born from Earth. Some of the more social left to join other colonies, but most of the sphinxes remain in the system they came to name Solitude.

Others are free to live in Solitude, but there are rules. No-one is allowed to enter the system unless they've been invited, and all residents must agree to a pact of mutual defense should any of their brethren come under attack. Occasionally a few of the residents will come together to work on some massive project, but normally each leaves the others to themselves.

Naturally the system is defended by a rather impressive set of planetary defense systems. Which are occasionally used to repulse attacks from aberrant raiding parties looking for ultratech to steal for their war on Humanity.

What do you think? Might be a good starting point for an adventure, one of Solitude's sphinxes has had a "weapon of unimaginable power" stolen and wants it back kind of thing?

[Sphere]

Are you planning on having Terats in the game, or is Taint still going to be a problem for most Novas? Did Mal lead his followers off to a newly-created universe of his own design?

Perhaps those who become too deranged and uncontrollable are exiled from the Nova Worlds and either find their way to Colony or become the roving aberrant menaces that plague Human and Qin kind.

[Gryffen]

A splinter colony formed of very limited number of novas and a large retinue of their baseline followers went off to form their version of a Utopian society on some far off planet.

By some fluke a baseline managed to engineer an MR-node specific contagion that quickly spread and debilitated all the novas on the planet. There was a mass infusion of resources into finding a cure or a vaccine for the virus, but all that they could come up with was a temporary stop-gap drug that granted the novas lucidity for a limited period - some measure that grants the baselines control over when it is granted.

This weakness in the superior novas was quickly exploited by the baselines. The society has, over time, moved to the baselines ruling the cowed and subservient novas.

Underground efforts by a small rebel faction of baselines and a few 'free' novas still research this odd contagion, but so far no breakthroughs have been made.

Any novas visiting the planet are infected with the contagion merely by being within it's atmosphere - since it affects the node directly, no quantum based abilities can defend against it.

(kinda like having Novas as Jem'hadar ::blush)

[Alex Green]

Any novas visiting the planet are infected with the contagion merely by being within it's atmosphere - since it affects the node directly, no quantum based abilities can defend against it.

"Health" would (especially in combo with high Meg-Stamina). Probably be a requirement for being a "free" nova.

But I have to say I like all of the ideas presented.

[BlueNinja]

I don't remember the name of the book, but I read one where the first human colony was entirely self-sufficient, about as close to Utopia as you can get. Every member of the colony (bar a very small percent) simply chose what they were good at, and did it. No form of money or barter was required, as they worked for the joy of doing a good job, and the pleasure that came from fulfilling their responsibility to the colony. A group of all novas, where most of them are low-mid taint, would be a good one for this - the nature ones can help provide food for the ones who don't have Adaptability, the mega-intelligent ones are responsible for upkeep on the power stations/OpNet/planetary defense, the mega-socials provide entertainment and decoration, the mega-physicals provide protection from any natural disasters and outside invaders.

This would most emphatically not be a Teragen group. ::wink