This diary entry has recently found its way to me, by way of several messengers. It was addressed to the Lazlo Council of Learning, and so I have forwarded it to you in the hopes that it will be useful. There is the promise of more to come, though no doubt by way of varied messengers.
- Sonya Elsmith, Researcher, New Lazlo
This is a piece of the diaries of Edward Darksky, myself.
Hopefully it is being read by Plato, head of the Council of
Learning; I hope you find it useful. I send it to you not in
altruistic hopes of conveying knowledge, or of patriotism (though
I am from Lazlo, originally) but rather in the hopes that one day
you will look more favourably upon me taking shelter in your city
from whomever happens to be pursuing me at that point in time.
March 11, 104 P.A.
Ganik and I arrived early this morning.
Perhaps it is just my upbringing on Earth, or maybe just my ignorance, but I am always amazed when I cross a rift and find myself in a nice little waiting area, especially prepared for me as if humans spontaneously materializing out of torrents of blue energy was as common as sunrise. My first impressions of this new place were misgivings; it was as if I had arrived in a waiting room, for that was basically what it was, if with a slightly better view.
The rift from Wormwood opened onto a square metal platform, in the middle of nowhere. For a change, we were not being pursued, so I had the opportunity to look around. The platform was circular, perhaps a hundred feet across, a metal disk suspended on long legs like an oil rig on that Earth we came across some time back. Oddest thing, that, just sitting there in the middle of the ocean, but at least this one had a purpose; to convey people from the rifts to somewhere else. I deduced this from long shuttlecar-tubes stretching to a distant horizon.
The world itself might have been Earth for all I knew, or maybe I should say an Earth, since I have come across four thus far. The gravity feels about right, and the sun is yellow and warm in a blue, cloudy sky. All manner of beings were milling about, waiting for their trip along a shuttlecar or waiting for a Rift to open so they could get off that platform. The cars ran to and fro regularly, carrying the newly arrived and the soon to be departing, apparently in an entirely automated manner. Bizarre. I was able to pick out a few different races I knew, including a small group of Wolfen who looked like refugees from a pre-rifts western in their grey trenchcoats and long railguns to a cluster of green-haired elves wearing nothing but loincloths. It was an interesting jumble of the familiar and the truly bizarre, a massed tangle of colour and form with a huge fighter-robot combination standing over it all, a new arrival judging by the way it looked hopelessly about and tried to figure out a way to take off without burning half the crowd to cinders.
The cars turned out to be automated, and free, which was good because I doubt if I had any valid currency. A short and comfortable ride later, we were plunged into chaos.
The cars were provided with nice big windows, so that we could
stare out into the endless blue ocean for a while, until the city
came into view. It was a massive thing, rising straight up from
the shore like golden cliffs, though we later learned that it was
the outer pallisade of a bowl-shaped city, with the shortest
buildings at the center, clustered around five tall towers which
rose up behind the cliff wall like the trees of my home. Ganik
commented on the architecture, which surprised me because he never
said anything about architecture before, but then that's Ganik for
you. If I was twelve hundred years old, I would know a few things,
too.
Upon arrival we learned that the city was filled with a massive hodge-podge of people. Maybe half of them were what I assume to be the native life, an elf-like race with long, cat-like legs, four arms and a tail. Their amber skin and silver hair sets them apart, to be sure. The other half were composed of all manner of beings, from humans to dragons, and Utemi to Splugorth High Lords. Just about everything was there.
I picked up a new toy today. Little thing called a Macel Brace. I saw all kinds of them on weapons, box-shaped, strapped to rifles, shotguns, you name it. So we found an arms dealer and started asking. I have a .357 I use for silver bullets, Vampires and the like. Strapped this Macel thing on and took a few shots at a practice dummy. First there's the crack as the round goes, followed immediately by a whiz. Then the dummy explodes as the .357 shell goes through its chest at twenty thousand feet per second. The box accellerates the bullet to the point that my old .357 is right up there with the best the CS can offer in Laser or Ion. I bought three on the spot.
Anyway, we managed to find a room in an inn (the amber-skinned
elf guy was sort of hesitant to give a room to Ganik, but even if
he is old and missing most of his teeth, he's a Conservator, and an
angry Conservator has a remarkable way of making vacancies). It
was getting late, we must have spent hours bouncing around the
city, so we called it quits for today and I sat down to write this
entry.
March 14, 104 P.A.
Three days later and people are hunting for us. About up to par with our usual performance.
It all started two days ago. We were wandering about the City of Gold (as it is called; poetic people, sort of) and learning more about this strange place. It is a planet called Arcadia, apparently the name of the universe as well. At night there are two stars in the sky, and one moon. It is wierd beyond reason; freaked me out when I first saw it. Still haven't gotten used to it.
This place sounds alot like Earth before the Coming of the Rifts, like a few Earths I've been to. The entire point of this civilization is to make money. Apparently, it is linked to Earth (the Earth with the Rifts and giant monsters that I know and love), and to another world called Phase World. Judging by the way Earth and Phase World are mentioned together, this Phase World must be a dimensional hot spot, too. Perhaps we'll go there when we're through annoying the local authorities; I'm not interested in returning to Earth, not yet anyway. As I was sort of going to say, because Arcadia is linked to Earth and Phase World, it gets quite a bit of traffic. Apparently, Arcadia is a dimensional nexus in its own right; judging by the sheer number of different species here, I don't doubt it. All of them are attracted here by the lure of money. They say their streets are paved with gold; their buildings certainly look like gold, as do their bionics, vehicles, weapons, and just about everything else made of metal. It would seem Arcadia makes money by trade, as most places do, and crime (more on that later), but more than anything else by this thing they call the Games. The Games are two things; races and fights. However, the motto of Arcadia seems to be 'go big or stay home'; all manner of things from helicopter and fighter races to group vs monster underwater fights are done. If it's vaguely conceivable, someone probably does it somewhere. These fights and races are taped and distributed, both to the people of this little universe and to others, with a distribution radius I don't even want to consider. Gives me a headache.
Anyway, the kind of money that changes hands on this world draws all sorts of people, including the scum of the realities. Ganik and I were wandering through an area of the city which held a market (I never will get used to Naruni and Splugorth selling firearms not ten feet from each other). We were crossing between sections through this alley-like corridor, when a man confronted us (he looked human, at least). He said the Cartel had a proposition for us.
The guy reminded me of a rat in human form; he was short and oily and I wouldn't trust him with my ex-wife's goldfish. Not that my ex-wife has a goldfish, but enough about her. I had no idea what the Cartel was, but the guy said that Ganik was a 'natural for the arenas' and that me and 'that runemace could be sellable'. It seemed he wanted to sponsor us in the Games, assuring we'd win by fixing fights, but there was no way we'd ever see an arena if we went with him. I told him to get lost, and when he got threatening, Ganik threw him a good eighty feet into a wall.
Which was not good, because he had buddies watching and all of
the sudden a dozen thugs were on us, along with a Neuron Beast. I
really dislike Neuron Beasts, ever since one tried to sacrifice me
to the High Gods of Who Knows Where. That was when I met Ganik.
But that's another story. Anyway, the thugs were pretty useless
when it came to a fight, but the Neuron Beast as another story. I
thought we were in for it when all of the sudden a hatch opens
above us and Ganik is pulling me up and away. Neuron beast didn't
look very pleased about it, but too bad.
Turns out that our rescuer was an elf who gave her name as Mariel Silverstream. She was dressed in the oddest clothes, a vest and dark pants and this big hat with a floppy brim and big white plume, and spoke American with a heavy accent. She told us that the guy who was casing us was a member of the Cartel, Arcadia's criminal underworld and semi-organized collection of scum. Didn't think to ask her why she helped us, and that might have been a mistake, but I was quickly getting to like her; she has a disrespect for authority which we have in common. She had been on Arcadia for a while and was able to give us some more information about why it works the way it does.
Arcadia was run by about half a dozen different people. There
were the Noble Houses, who seem to be nothing more than very rich
people; there was the Cartel, whom we had met;
and there were all sorts of other people, who had stated motives
and several other hidden ones. Like the Order of the Gilded Claw,
with whom we were about to become acquainted.
Actually, for a change, it wasn't my fault that the Powers That Be decided to make my life difficult. We met early the next day and were looking out over the city from a balcony when this person floated up. She was an Arcadian, dressed in a tight black bodysuit with these golden wings attatched to her back, like a jetpack but without any exhaust. She was holding all kinds of weapons, from a pistol to a clawed short staff to a huge clawed gauntlet, all gold and all marked by this cat-like claw design. Mariel dove for cover, and then this person was on us.
She was good. It took Ganik and me a hell of a fight to get
rid of her. She was a storm of weapons and arms and this tail-sweep
move that took me down twice. In the end, we couldn't even
kill her, just knock her out so we could run for our lives.
Mariel said that the attacker was an Assassin, a member of the Order of the Gilded Claw, who were hunting for her. She didn't say why. Anyway, Mariel had saved our bacon, so I wasn't too sore about being used for protection. She said that now the Order would either send more assassins, or more likely, get someone else to get rid of us. Us, because now Ganik and I were involved. Nice of her. Couldn't blame her, though; sort of thing I've done once or twice.
Anyway, so now we have the Order of the Gilded Claw hunting
for us. They are pretty good, and would have carved Mariel a
second smile if they hadn't run into a runemace-wielding human and
a psychopathic Conservator with no teeth. Gotta laugh, eh?
March 16, 104 P.A.
Today we found out exactly what the Order of the Gilded Claw thinks can beat a runemace-wielding human and a psychopathic Conservator with no teeth. Mariel calls them the Knights of Midnight. I call them Dangerous.
Came out of nowhere, five of them, oozing professionality from
every pore. I've seen armies that make the Coalition States look
like amateurs, like the REF, or the N.G.R.'s
elite units, but these guys were better. They were slickness
incarnate. Five figures, could've been any humanoid race under
their dark robes. Armed with what looked like Vibroclaws, but they
were black and had purple electricity dancing along them. Evil.
They got in a few deep cuts on Ganik, which just got him mad, so
that he nailed one with a spin tail strike, sending the person
flying into a wall with crushing force, only to have the guy get
back up as if nothing had happened. We only managed to drop one,
after I nailed him a good six times with my mace. Barely escaped
at all. Not nice people.
A little while later, after we'd wrapped up Ganik's bleeding arms, Mariel got in touch with an Inquisitor. The Inquisitors are basically cops, people the Noble Houses collectively pay to keep tabs on things and enforce the rather flexible laws. This guy was human, with two cybernetic arms, with a dark expression and a nasty scar across his face in a long dark coat. He stood there with his cigar and told Mariel that she was technically wanted for hacking into House Angelis' database and swiping a whole lot of valuable data. Instant translation: the Order of the Gilded Claw swiped the data and framed Mariel. Job done and a tidy profit, besides. So that was why he wasn't dragging her and them off to prison right there. He suggested in a dry tone that she sort out the Order of the Gilded Claw before the Knights of Midnight came after her again; they didn't take well to defeat, so they would probably send twenty next time. Scary thought, actually.
So now we just have to figure out what we are going to do
about the Order of the Gilded Claw, the Knights of Midnight, and
House Angelis.
March 17, 104 P.A.
I write this as we are whisked along in the shuttlecar, away from the City of Gold, feeling very pleased with myself.
The Arcadians have got a hell of a computer network, all easily accesible through terminal peripherals. I know this because Mariel and I have been playing with it recently.
First we hacked into the Order of the Gilded Claw database and stole back all the money they stole from House Angelis and pinned on us, making it look like it was the Knights of Midnight. Next, we hacked into the Knight's database and stole the money that House Angelis paid to hire them to kill us for stealing the money we didn't steal until this morning, making it look like it was the Order of the Gilded Claw. Next we hacked into House Angelis and stole even more money from them, and made it look like the Cartel had taken it. Then we entered the Cartel database and paid them for the ID encoder that allowed us to frame the Order of the Gilded Claw, the Knights of Midnight and the Cartel themselves.
Then we got the hell out of there.
So, right about now the Order of the Gilded Claw will be sending assassins after the Knights, the Knights will be sending assassins after the Order of the Gilded Claw, House Angelis will be sending assassins after the Cartel, and the Cartel will be confused. All in all, I'm sort of disappointed that I won't be around to see how it settles out.
Once more, I skip out ahead of the enraged Powers That Be, earning myself a few more Wanted posters and a few more pursuing assassins. However, this time I have Mariel Silverstream in tow, along with Gavin. I think this is the dawn of a wonderful friendship. Certainly, it is the dawn of unprecidented numbers of enraged authorities.
On to Phase World. Arcadia circles a large, warm yellow star in a vaguely
epileptic orbit. Along with two other systems, the Arcadian system
comprises a complete universe, three stars and thirteen planets
existing in a pocket dimension, assumedly torn from a more normal
universe. The Arcadian night sky has only two stars, and Arcadia's
one moon, Donom, which is also the name of their form of currency.
However, despite their temporal isolation, Arcadia is a planet
awash in magical power and covered with Rifts. The planet itself
is linked to two other transdimensional nexus points, Rifts Earth
and Phase World, allowing Arcadia access to countless worlds in
very few Rift jumps.
Arcadia itself is roughly the size of earth, but with one
massive super-continent. Over 70 percent of the planet's surface
is covered by the world's one ocean, the Endless Gray. Arcadia has
a warm, tropical climate and is home to countless species of
vegetable and animal life. Remarkably, the planet has few major
predators, the notable exception being the Akransath, a large
reptilian hexiped with nine eyes and a voracious appetite. It was
the fast and agile omnivores which the Akransath hunted which
developed intelligence and rose to dominance on Arcadia.
The Arcadians are a humanoid species, derived from a six-legged animal
ancestor, like most of the life forms on Arcadia.
Arcadians stand roughly five foot five inches to five foot ten and
are light in weight, ranging from 120 to 140 pounds. They have
four arms with long, delicate fingers and a bipedal leg structure,
marked by strong, lean muscles and a cat-like foot structure with
claws evolved for climbing. Arcadians have a long, articulate tail
evolved to aid in steering their high-speed running, pointed ears
and silk-like hair that grows at a prodigious speed, resulting in
the ankle-length hair styles Arcadians prefer. Arcadian skin tones
range from amber to a more rare golden hue, with silver or white
hair and amber, green or turquoise eyes.
The early Arcadian civilizations were strongly influenced by
the Arcadian traits of extreme intelligence and great speed.
Though Arcadia has several six-legged horse-like species,
they are slower than a dismounted Arcadian and so the Arcadians
never developed any form of mounted warriors. Their societies
have been capitalistic for most of their history, dominated
by powerful trade empires and rich kingdoms. Magic was a powerful
influence on their culture for most of their history.
The Arcadians reached a level of technological maturity in a
very brief period of time, and soon developed space travel. They
discovered, to their confusion, that the universe consisted of only
three solar systems. On the first system they visited, they found
a race who called themselves the Davans, who were entering into an
atomic age. The Davans are a race almost identical to humans, with
a culture strongly reminiscent of Earth's Aztecs. The Arcadians
made formal contact, established embassies, and more or less left
the Davans alone, uncertain if they would survive their discovery
of nuclear weapons and unwilling to let the atomic threat spread
from the Davan homeworld.
The third and final system held a greater surprise. The
Arcadians found a race known as the Greians, who had mastered space
travel long ago, and who had left the Arcadian's pocket dimension
to explore other realities. The Greians were extremely advanced
both in technology and in evolution, and were developing advanced
bionics technology. The Greians were not particularly interested
in the universe or in the Arcadians, but knowing that this new race
would soon make contact with other realities and flood their small
reality with outsiders, the Greians offered to allow the Arcadians
to represent their species in all things, provided the Greians
themselves could be left alone. In return they promised to provide
some of the benefits of their technology, without sharing it. The
Arcadians agreed.
Realizing that they had reached the limits of their universe,
and that their expanding populations would require fresh sources of
income for their lavish culture to continue, the Arcadians turned
to the strange dimensional anomalies which occurred on their
planet. On Arcadia, the Rifts were primarily found over the ocean,
with the resulting effect that their ocean was filled with all
manner of transdimensional predators, but everywhere worth going
was on land so the Arcadians could not care less. After a short
period of research, the Arcadians discovered that these tears in
the fabric of reality led to other realities -- and other
economies. Arcadia is a melting pot of realities and races. Here, there
is money to be made, if one is willing to take the risks.
The unit of Arcadian currency is the Donom, a small silver
coin worth two Universal Credits. Various types of currency can be
exchanged, including all major currencies from the Phase World
Three Galaxies, and Rifts Earth Universal Credits. Gold and other
precious metals, gems, and information are all acceptable forms of
wealth. The Arcadian year is 231 days, a day is 31 hours, an hour
is 100 minutes, and a minute is equal to roughly 35 terran seconds.
They date their calendar from their first contact with the Greian
race, meaning that it is the year 524 P.C.
The bulk of Arcadia's population is distributed among a dozen
major cities, five on Arcadia and seven distributed among the
Arcadian system's five other worlds, each home to a population of
two to five hundred million. The City of Gold, Arcadia's capitol
and largest city, is home to over fifteen billion people.
The City of Gold, like most of Arcadia, is a place of
contrast. The bulk of the population is confused and unwary,
plunged into an environment of predators and exploiters. Money is
the only true law here, and yet it is dominated by political
forces. Control is a constant battle between the wealthy Noble
Houses and the criminal Cartels.
Visitors arriving on Arcadia will find themselves on an
automated platform at sea, the rift having appeared atop it.
Several tubes, built to carry transport cars, stretch into the
distance. The only people here are the clusters of visitors,
arriving and leaving. The cars run regularly and are entirely
automated, and for a small sum one can be transported to the
nearest city. These cars also run a few feet off the ground across
the continent itself, between the cities.
New arrivals are given the option during the shuttlecar transit
to transfer any funds into gold Donom pieces. As the Donom is the accepted
currency of Arcadia, transfer is highly recommended.
Rifts on Arcadia predominantly appear over water because the
Ley Lines predominantly run over water, although some do appear
over land. Not all of the Rifts have landing stations positioned
beneath them, which can prove uncomfortable for airbreathing
travellers, but for water breathing ones, this is a good thing.
Occasionally something evil and large appears through a rift, but
there is little to destroy, beyond the cheap automated recieving
platform. There is a standing law (one of the few) on Arcadia that
all people in an Arcadian city are required to fend off
supernatural menaces who try an attack; given that most people on
Arcadia are connected in one way or another with the Games, most
attackers are destroyed fairly quickly. The planet itself is
protected solely by a planetary shield of Greian design which
protects from orbital bombardment, as attacking the planet with an
army is stupidity incarnate. On one occasion a massive army of two
billion attacked Arcadia; within ten minutes, half of the force had
deserted. Within an hour, the other half had been killed by the
Cartel, by stumbling into arenas or racetracks, or was simply
absorbed into the fray and never heard from again. Arcadia is its
own best defence. Within the cities, a visitor is overwhelmed with confusion.
The City of Gold is typical; it covers a vast area roughly the size
of Hawaii, and is packed with towers and skyscrapers, a mass of
glowing light reaching high into the sky and delving deep
underground. All of the structures in a city are connected and
separated from the external environment; most Arcadians have never
set foot outside a city, and would never want to. Outside is
boring. Inside is where the action is.
The cities are built like a large bowl when seen from above.
They are circular, with the smallest buildings at the center,
gradually increasing in height as one moves outwards, until the
outermost buildings form a pallisade around the rim. The exception
of this pattern is the City of Gold, which has five tall towers at
its center, rising out of the center and making the city look
somewhat like a massive golden radar dish.
In terms of layout, the city is not viewed in zones like a
human city but rather in groupings of floors. Thus, the first five
floors of all the buildings in the city forms one area, the next
ten another, and so on. The city is a mirror image above and below
ground, for the most part; thus, floors six through twenty above
and six through twenty beneath serve the same purpose, except as
noted.
Each floor is generally one broad open hall, dotted with pillars.
These pillars contain elevators to higher and lower levels of the city.
Dotting the outside of each pillar are black screens, allowing access
to the Arcadian central computer network. This system allows the user to
access information on Arcadia, its customs and laws, the games, registration,
prizes, and so forth. The data files are quite extensive and with a bit
of work, the inquisitive individual can locate almost any piece of
information -- except on the Cartel, and the Noble Houses. GMs, have
fun with this. Develop a simple icon-driven interface and stick with it.
The five ground floors of the city are devoted to
transportation. They form a network of intercrossing shuttlecar
tubes, a web which reaches to the ground floors of all the
buildings in the city, and leads beyond the city's outermost
pallisade to Rift platforms, other cities, or the environment.
Shuttlecars are spherical and have an internal area roughly thirty
feet across, complete with bus-like seats, done in the standard
colour scheme of gold and red. All metallic constructions on
Arcadia, from buildings to firearms, use a golden metal called
Askaran, which is harder and yet lighter than most MDC alloys.
Secondary objects, such as cushions or carpets, are done in wine
red. Locations of these Shuttlecar transits are available through the
aforementioned computer network. Games are often held in out-of-city
locations reached by Shuttlecar.
Floors six through twenty are the commercial districts, and
second largest area of the city. Inns and temporary housing, food
and restaurants, stores, markets, and entertainment are all
available here for the masses. Nothing is illegal, and assault
robots, illicit drugs, augmentation, women, assassination services
and slaves are all available, though prices vary according to
demand. This is the area most commonly frequented by the massed
population of Arcadia, and home to the transients who number eight
billion planetwide.
Floors twenty one through eighty are dedicated to Arcadia's
largest industry: the Games. All manner of arenas and racetracks,
garages, repair centers, barracks and training facilities are
stored there.
Floors eighty through one hundred are the domain of the media.
This area is the nexus point of the broadcasting of the Games,
where recordings are sent to be packaged, edited, formatted, and
distributed. Computer games and other merchandise based around the
Games are designed, constructed and sent out in this level.
It is at this point that the symmetry ceases to apply. Floors
one hundred one through two hundred above are the domain of the
wealthy, where the rich live, where their expensive tastes are
attended to. Security in these areas are tight, but common
citizens can gain access for this area is also the home of foreign
embassies and the Elite Markets, where the richest of companies can
demonstrate their wares for the richest of consumers, both
individuals and governments. Naruni Enterprises, the Splugorth and
Evolutionary Technologies (see below) all frequent this level.
Floors two hundred one to two hundred fifty above are the
heights of the city, a broad ring around the city's perimeter.
This area is tightly secure and home to the absolute wealthiest,
those who take second seat to the Noble Houses. This area is also
home to the central headquarters of such organizations as the Order
of the Gilded Claw, the Circle of Magic, the Knights of Midnight,
the Greian Embassy, and the Naruni Enterprises branch office.
Floors one hundred one through two hundred below grow
increasingly shabby. This area is home to the vast computer
network that encompasses Arcadia, and home to the bulk of the heavy
factories, hydroponic food farms, and the home of the Inquisitors.
Arcadian Inquisitor forces, brigs and Emergency Response Forces are
all stationed in this area. The Inquisitors form the police force
of Arcadia, enforcing the law, which is famous for its limited
scope and flexibility. Inquisitors are granted enormous power and
independence, and are expected to make their own decisions and
exercise discretions. Very little is illegal in Arcadia, including
Mass Murder (individual murder is technically against the law but
is invariably overlooked), Hacking Fraud (stealing over five
million Donom in the Net), Conventional Fraud (over ten million),
and Actual or Attempted Destruction (of large amounts of property,
for example trying to destroy a city or a large section thereof).
All of these crimes are punishable by death, usually in the arenas
(the Arcadians never overlook an opportunity to make money). If a
condemned criminal is successful and wins over thirty fights, then
the condemnation is withdrawn and they are free to go. Less
serious crimes, including destruction of property, assaulting Arcadian
officials and so forth are punished by fines. It is worth noting that
the only employees of the Arcadian government are beings native to their
three-race universe; foreigners must make money illegally, or by betting,
or fighting in the Games. The reason that the Inquisitors are given such leeway is that
usually the crime will be against a common citizen (who cares) or
against someone with a fair degree of wealth. If the rich are
harmed, the rich hire an assassin.
The Emergency Response Forces are essentially the Arcadian
Inquisitorial SWAT team. They use large Suppressor power armour
and are deployed against perpetrators of one of the death-penalty
crimes in situations where the arresting Inquisitor is unable to
incapacitiate the target. The E.R.F. is never called in without
permission to use deadly force, though they usually attempt to
merely incapacitate the victim. (For more details, see below).
Floors two hundred one through two hundred fifty below are
technically abandoned. In reality, they are the home of the
Cartel. It is here that the Cartel's leaders live in luxury, that
house most of their criminal activity. It is a region which most
people avoid like the plague.
The one exception to this city layout is the City of Gold,
which has the five towers of the Noble Houses at its center. These
towers reach four hundred stories up and each homes one Noble
Family and their retainers, personal armies, stables of gladiators
and jockeys, factories, technology, and anything else the House
Leader wants. On Arcadia, money talks, and the Leaders of the
Noble Houses are gods. Most people never see the inside of these
tall, dark looming towers; many who do, never come out. The law in Arcadia is fairly lax. As detailed above, very few things
are considered serious offences punishable by death. Most minor infractions
are punished by fines. Everyone knows in Arcadia that the rich can afford
their own justice, while the poor don't need any. The Noble Houses are the five wealthiest individuals or families
on Arcadia. They serve as Patrons, paying for a fighter or racer's
equipment and vehicles in return for a cut of the profit, usually
40%. The Noble Houses additionally keep a stable of warriors and
pilots who work on salary, as well as vast personal armies. Many
of them hold interests on other worlds and realities and use
Arcadia as a base of operations.
The role of the Noble Houses in the daily life of the average PC
is profound. As the average Player Character is probably good Game
material, one of the first things that would happen to them upon arrival
is to be approached by a representative of a Noble House. GM's, play this
to the hilt. Start throwing offers at them before they know who's who.
Once one House gives them an audience, the others will make similar
requests for an audience, as much to discover what the other House told
them as for any other reason. Remember, the Noble Houses are in
constant competition with each other and nothing is overlooked as meaningless.
If the player character in question eats poutin for lunch, the Noble
Houses will know about it and try to work out what it means. Further,
as described below, each of the Noble Houses has their finger in some
aspect or another of the various organizations and criminal elements in
Arcadia, and in the background lurks the Cartel. The PC's are being thrown
into a vast, powerful and paranoid world that they don't really understand.
Have fun with it. House Karsettis is one of two Arcadian noble houses, and is the
closest to a family organization. The oldest of the Noble Houses,
the Karsettis family funded the expedition which discovered and made
contact with the Greyans, and to this day they own a 65% share in
Evolutionary Technologies, producing considerable income. Perhaps for
this reason Karsettis participates less in the Games and sponsors fewer
players than the others. Karsettis is managed by Archa Karsettis, the
family patriarch, but major decisions are managed by Archa, his mate,
three sons, two daughters and his brother.
House Karsettis has a reputation for subtlety and planning.
Although all of the Noble Houses spy on each other and everyone else,
House Karsettis has been known for its use of long-term strategies,
infiltration and moles, and intricate plots requiring years to reach
fruition. This reputation, no doubt, adds to the paranoia surrounding
the Noble Houses.
As an old family, Karsettis are also known to be conservative,
favouring Arcadian champions and innovators over alien races. 90% of the
champions they sponsor are Arcadian. The second Arcadian Noble House, Aurtaii is among the newest.
Founded by Alaria Aurtaii, a previous Arcadian Gaming champion (Individual
combat, Grand Champion, 2 years 3 months) and media darling, Aurtaii
surpasses all other Noble Houses in its abilities to manipulate the media.
Aurtaii has an almost supernatural ability to personally appear and twist
the public perception in her favour, and often selects champions to sponsor
as much on their public relations abilities and personality as gaming
potential. Despite it all, however, she has used her winnings in the Games
to fuel a meteoric rise to levels of wealth on a par with most other Noble
Houses.
Aurtaii also has a secondary personality which few among the Noble
Houses know of. In addition to fighting in the Games, Aurtaii trained as
an Assassin of the Order of the Gilded Claw, and although extremely young
(105 years old) she has risen to the position of AnAkhar, second in commmand
of the Order. Using her wealth and position, and public relations
abilities, Aurtaii has secretly raised the Gilded Claw to the level of
the finest assassin order on Arcadia, particularly in terms of public
perception. Aurtaii relies heavily on the Order for information and
intelligence and usually uses them when she needs an Assassin's work,
although sometimes she attends to the task herself. A woman of many
layers and great mystery, Aurtaii is the one head of the Noble Houses whom
her peers tend to dismiss as a media-obsessed airhead, but who is in fact
among the most dangerous of them all. Otomo Koritoma was born on Earth, twenty years before the
Coming of the Rifts. He was living in Hiroshima when that city and
two others were rifted three centuries ahead (see Rifts Japan for
more on these cities and their pre-rifts technology). Unable to
cope with the horrible change that had come in only, for him, a few
days, he left the city and stepped through a Rift.
Over the next twenty years, Koritoma wandered aimlessly,
fighting as a mercenary, joining adventurers, and fleeing as a
pursued criminal. Over the years he built up a personal fortune
until he eventually found his way to Arcadia.
It was here that Koritoma found his true wealth and fame,
fighting in the arenas and eventually taking the title of Grand
Champion, Power Armour Combat, which he held for an unprecidented
four years until he decided to retire.
Koritoma is an honourable man who has always held with the
code of Bushido, the Way of the Warrior. He returned to Japan
briefly several years ago to recruit a small number of true Ronin
to his service, and has been building a force of Samurai.
Currently, over six hundred Samurai of dozens of races serve him.
These Samurai are all true samurai who hold to the code of Bushido
and have all the abilities of True Samurai as described in Rifts
Japan. Only the dozen best possess true Katana and Wakizashi; the
rest use a variety of rune weapons and modern weapons. This
personal army of loyal Samurai makes Koritoma one of the most
powerful of the Leaders of the Noble Houses. Many of his Samurai
fight in the arenas or race, earning fame and wealth for their
master. Koritoma has no connections with the Cartel or any of the
political forces on Arcadia, and strongly dislikes all of the other
Leaders. House Dlanncroth is among the strangest of all the Houses, its
Patriarch being totally nonhuman. Dlanncroth is, as you may have
inferred, a Splugorth, a race of supernatural entitites fully described
in Rifts World Book 2: Atlantis. Dlanncroth is an old friend of Splynncryth,
master of Atlantis, if the word "friend" can be used among Splugorth;
neither has killed the other, and in the past they have collaborated to
rid themselves of a mutually offensive obstacle. To put it in their
perspective, their interests have coincided in the past and neither feels
a burning desire to kill the other -- beyond the usual for Splugorth,
that is.
Dlanncroth is actively involved in the criminal elements on
Arcadia. His empire includes a large portion of the revenues from all
Splugorth weapons sales on Arcadia, shares in many other weapons enterprises,
production, exportation and sale of rune weapons, drugs, magic and other
illicit and illegal substances, a flourishing slave trade involving the
destitute and outcast of Arcadia, and a dominant place in the Cartel.
The leaders of the Cartel owe Dlanncroth major favours, and he also knows
a great deal about them which he could easily use to expose them -- assuming,
of course, he simply didn't have them killed. When taken all together,
Dlanncroth's Arcadian enterprises generate as much revenue as Splynncryth's
mastery of Atlantis, with far fewer the risks (at least, far fewer military
risks -- playing with the Noble Houses is a problem all in and of itself).
Dlanncroth sponsors many to play in the Games, not for the financial reward
but as an entertaining sideline. Indeed, he often enjoys watching his
own people loose, so long as they do so in a spectacular fashion.
The other Noble Houses trying to deal with Dlanncroth are put at
a disadvantage due to his inhuman nature and mind, which works in ways they
cannot truly predict or anticipate. However, this also causes Dlanncroth
some problems; he cannot truly grasp, for example, why the Samurai of
Lord Koritoma are incorruptible and would serve their Lord to the death,
nor could he predict that Alaria Aurtaii is involved so deeply in the
Gilded Claw (as a Splugorth, he takes a distant position in his operations
and rarely if ever becomes personally involved, whileas Aurtaii has dedicated
her life to the Gilded Claw and serves as an Assassin, taking a secondary
place to the Akhar). House Angelis was formed by another media darling Gaming champion,
who fought under the name Angelis. Although her origins are unknown,
Angelis is a Godling who seems to be a human female save for large feathered
angel-like wings sprouting from her back. Her supernatural nature allowed
her to succeed in several different areas of combat (team vs monster,
individual combat, deadly environment combat) and to generate the kind of
capitol required to build a Noble House.
Angelis is a reclusive figure, operating from the shadows. Indeed,
she has virtually vanished from the public eye since she stopped fighting
in the Games. The exact extents of her involvements are a subject of
great debate among the Noble Houses. Without a doubt, she is extensively
involved in the Games and sponsorship, choosing people seemingly at random.
This has generated a mystical reputation for her, in addition to one of
Enigma, for so many of her seemingly random selections end up being
Grand Masters. She has an ability to cast spells, and has ties to the
Circle of Magic; she has often employed the Knights of Midnight. She has
had dealings with Greyans, rumours of which evidence emotional responses
from disbelief to fear, as the Greyans don't deal with anyone, hardly ever
even communicating to the Arcadians who manage Evolutionary Technologies.
Whatever her motives, the aura of shadow which surrounds her ensures that
the other Noble Houses treat her with extreme caution. The Cartel is the semi-organized underbelly of Arcadia. The Cartel
engages in every kind of nefarious criminal activity; murder, extortion,
theft, hacking, you name it. Although there are large numbers of small-
scale criminals infesting Arcadia, the Cartel is dangerous because of its
connections to the Noble Houses, various other political groups on Arcadia,
and its relationship with the law. The Cartel is given a great deal of
latitude by the Inquisitors simply because they are a controllable threat.
If their level of criminal activity rises past a certain point, the
Inquisitors know who to nab; if other criminal elements get out of hand,
the Cartel can be relied upon to take discretionary measures, to protect
their own interests.
The stronghold of the Cartel is the lower levels of the City of
Gold, where they have signifigant facilities rumoured to include weapons
manufacturing facilities, open computer terminals and reserves of food,
water and oxygen. According to popular rumour, if they so desired, the
Cartel could stand up to any siege or assault just by sealing themselves in
and waiting for interest to die down.
The head of the Cartel is an enigmatic figure known only as Carlsen.
Who this individual might be or what their political ambitions is unknown.
One point of interest is that the leader of the Cartel has been known as
Carlsen for some five hundred years; most people conclude that this means
that the name is a hereditary title of the ruler of this criminal syndicate. Although the balance of power largely rests with the Cartel and
the Noble Houses, Arcadia is a place of big money and big power, and that
draws the politically oriented like a bucket of chum draws sharks.
Although there are too many groups, organizations, cults, and companies
at work in Arcadia at any given time to describe here, particularily as
most of them last for about a week at most, this section will limit itself
to the three biggest and most influential. The Order of the Gilded Claw are ancient. Before Arcadians first
moved out to discover their galaxy, before they harnassed the power of the
Rifts to build an interreality economic empire, the Gilded Claw walked
the shadows. Evolving a strict code of honour, once the Gilded Claw take
your money, the victim is dead. It is simply a question of how long
it will take said victim to realize it.
Each member of the Gilded Claw begins life as an assassin. There are
ways to join, certain marks left in certain places. The assassins then
abduct the willing member and spirit them away to hidden locations where
the potential assassins learn their trade. Once the mark is left, there are
only two possibilities: the acolyte survives training and becomes an
assassin, or the acolyte dies. There is no turning back and there is no
mercy. Those who survive the rigorous and often fatal training process
become assassins and are put to work. Everyone in the Gilded Claw
organization began as a working assassin.
The political motives of the Gilded Claw are murky at best.
The honour of the organization and the accumulation of wealth, obviously,
are important, but beyond that the Claw doubtless pursues goals known to
them and them alone.
Gilded Claw assassins are always Arcadian and better than half
are female. Assassin garb features close-fitting black uniform which
covers the body save for the fingers and the feet (Arcadians do not need
footwear, as their clawed feet do quite well). Normal weaponry is
usually restricted to close combat weapons, but some assassins prefer to
include pistols. If required, assassins can be equipped with items from
the Order's stockpile of miscellaneous weaponry; in the past, for example,
assassin teams have been given extensive Rune Weapons to kill a Demigod
who was invulnerable to conventional attacks. Gilded Claw assassins
have been known to use the ductwork conduits used by ERF teams to reach their
victims. The Knights are an enigmatic organization, even by Arcadian
standards. Standard Knight garb is solid black, designed for ease of motion
but without a square centimetre of exposed flesh. Knights are known to
fight with rune weapons and will turn down some contracts and accept others
with no discernable pattern. Little is known about them, save that they
are very dangerous.
In truth, the appearance of mercenary assassination is only a cover
for the true purpose of the Knights, whose political ambitions revolve around
anarchy. The Knights were founded in mystery by a figure whose name and
race are not recorded. Any who wish to join may try, although failure
means death. The Knights will accept contracts based on the divinations of
their Oracles, seeking to do the most harm to Order. Indeed, the Knights
have a complex complete with training areas, weapon stockpiles and temples
hidden away somewhere in the massive sprawl of the City of Gold. Although
they amass massive quantities of currency, their true purpose and goal
remains the release of anarchy on a planetary scale across Arcadia.
The Knights of Midnight have a definite mystical orientation.
Fighting with unique rune weapons, each Knight has some level of magical
ability supplemented by dire fighting skills. However, each Knight is also
subject to the Oracles. Defiance means death.
Note: Although Knights make decent player characters, the GM should
remember that each Knight is a powerful individual. As such, their oaths
of loyalty to their Order can be used as something of a control mechanism,
or a balance on their power. The Oracles are prophets and their orders
do not have to make sense. Often Knights will be allowed to leave Arcadia
to wander the dimensions, seeking potential allies and observing the
universes around them, but even so, every so often, the wandering
Knight will recieve a mysterious assignment, no explanations given: kill
such and such a person, steal this artifact and leave it there, and so
forth. If the Knight stops obeying these unexplained commands, a force
of Knights will be dispatched to execute their wayward bretheren and any
who stand with him. The Circle of Magic is a large and influential organization built around
shared arcane mastery. The Circle operates on Arcadia largely as a guild,
monitoring and overseeing the activities of the paranormally inclined.
Originally, the Circle's founding had been at the behest of the Arcadians
themselves. Although dabblers, the Arcadians had never develloped magic
to the truly impressive levels achieved by others, such as the True
Atlanteans of ancient Earth. As such they felt uncomfortable with the
idea of large numbers of powerful mages wandering their cities. Following
this ancient purpose, the Circle will contact anyone with mystical abilities
arriving on Arcadia within six days of their appearance. All mages on
Arcadia must join the Circle or they are restricted from using paranormal
powers, enforced by Circle mages who will follow the subject wherever he goes.
Membership in the Circle requires a 10% cut of any earnings. Circle members
are prohibited from dealing with members of the Cartel, and associations
with Gilded Claw or Knights of Midnight members are frowned upon.
The Circle is governed by the Triad, a group of three powerful magi.
The current Triad includes Maria Alennar, a True Atlantean; Asiielahn,
an Arcadian Sonic Magi, and a third member who is not generally known outside
of the inner ranks of the Circle. Rumour has linked this mysterious
figure to House Angelis, but Arcadia is a place of mystery and rumour, and
so few give it credence.
The Circle of Magic is extremely sensitive to its political position,
and wields considerable power. In the past the Circle has become embroiled
in a personal war with an assassin guild organized covertly by the Naruni --
an organization which no longer exists, its members all being dead -- and on
two distinct occasions slew several thousand magi who had attempted to
form a similar guild in opposition to the Circle. The Circle does not
tolerate anyone intruding on its territory, and will not be trifled with.
Murder of magi is a rare occurence due to the Circle's tendency to take an
interest in such things, and no one wants to draw the attention of the
Circle. People who irritate the Circle of Magic cease to exist. Among the rare Arcadian magical disciplines is that of Sonic Magi.
Almost all Sonic Magi are Arcadian, although a few non-Arcadians have
apprenticed themselves to Sound Masters and learned this unique art. The
magic of Sonic Mages revolves around sound, and its employment to disable
and destroy. It is interesting to compare the existence of the Sonic Magi
to the Suppressor Systems employed by ERF Mecha. Due to the ancient
rarity of Arcadian mages, all Sonic Magi (including non-Arcadian ones) wear
featureless black masks at all times, and never willingly show their faces
to anyone who does not work the Supernatural Arts. The lists of Sonic Magic spells are included in a seperate page.
Click here to see the Sonic Magic spells. Sooner or later, it all comes back to the games. Arcadia has a massive
transient population, and gainful employment is not to be found. Unless one
is willing and able to rely on external sources of wealth, everyone eventually
finds themselves engaged in the games somehow.
The Games, in a very real way, are the single binding element in
Arcadian life. The Cartel works to exploit it; the Noble Houses play against
each other through their champions; the Arcadians make incredibly sickeningly
tremendous profits from it. Nothing garners respect like being a Gaming
Champion, and the pay is fantastic. The Games are what lures millions upon
millions to Arcadia.
There are two broad categories of the Games: Fighting, and
Racing. Fighting is the most prevalent form of the Games. The scope and sheer
variety of fighting categories indicates how creatively the Arcadians have
addressed the basic primal human urge for death and bloodshed.
Fights are divided into categories based on ground rules, and on environment,
detailed below. Entering can be done from any computer terminal; pay is good,
based on a sliding scale of danger and success. Initial funds from fighting
can range from 1000 to 3000 credits, increasing as the individual wins more
and more matches, and grows more and more famous. The most famous and popular
fighters can make millions per match. The only firm rules concerning fights
is that surrender or death results in forfeiture. Of course, an offer
of surrender is not binding; many Game fighters have built a reputation
around killing any challengers who ask for mercy.
The styles are detailed below. Of course, these are often mixed; one combatant in a robot vehicle vs a
large supernatural monster, and so forth. Several notable Arena champions
were famous for fighting as individuals against large groups of contestants;
one mutated prehistoric beast of note, subject to magical and biowizard
modification, fought and won against four Undead Slayers and an adult Dragon.
The environments, as well, have a great impact on the style of combat. In racing, the point is to get across the finish line alive. The Races
offer a dazzling variety of motive types and styles. Contrary to expectation,
the Races are at least as deadly as Fighting, since nothing is off limits,
save that the vehicles in question cannot mount weapons. Personal armaments
are completely allowed, and many vehicles even mount such interesting
additions as blade wing reinforcements and hubcap spikes. The first intact
vehicle with a living pilot to cross the finish line wins.
Due to the financial constraints of managing and repairing a vehicle through
several bouts, there are hardly any Racing gamers who do not have a patron.
The Noble Houses, as well as the Cartel and wealthy individuals, all take
a hand in sponsoring Racers. Like fights, Racing has many varieties based
on vehicular type, including: Broadcasting is how the Arcadians make their money from the Games. The
Races and Fights are recorded in a variety of ways, including simple
2-d digital television and full 3-d Virtual Reality encoding. Arena
Champions find themselves at the centre of a merchandizing blitz, as toys,
movie deals, and endorsements pour in. Video Game adaptations of various
gaming events alone produce more income than the gross national product
of all the nations of pre-Rifts Earth combined.
From Arcadia, where these products are produced, the merchandise and,
more importantly, the videos of the games themselves travel across countless
realities. They are widely available in dimensional nexus points such as
Phase World and many nations on Rifts Earth, including Atlantis and
dimensionally-attuned human nations like the Silver River Republics.
Arcadia, built around the City of Gold, is a giant gilded heart, pumping
wealth. Arcadians are elf-like creatures with several unique features of
anatomy. Although broadly humanoid, Arcadians have four arms, elongated
legs jointed backwards as a cat's, with large claws, a long semi-hensile
tail, sharply pointed ears and three fingers and a thumb on each hand.
Skin tones are prevalently golden to dark bronze with white hair, although
some phenotypes feature blonde or even blonde-brown hair, which is always
silken and extremely fast growing and thus worn very long. Eye colour
is uniformly amber. Overall height is 6' to 6'9", weight 120 to 145 pounds,
although due to long legs their torso, arms and head are slightly smaller
than would be expected, leading to most people assuming Arcadians are
shorter than they are in person.
Arcadians are an intelligent race, although not particularily
artistically inclined; their areas of specialty include mathematics and
economics. Arcadians are strong, particularily for their body size,
lacking in large-mass muscle groups; unsuited to brief and strenuous
activity, Arcadian musculature is instead built towards endurance and
precision of activity, similar to human gymnasts. Arcadians have a
particular ability at running, both in speed and distance, having a bizarre
leg muscle arrangement and thin, delicate bone structure to maximise
speed and a tail which some theorize originally evolved to stabilize
and maneuver running Arcadians, sort of like a biological aerileron.
Due to their societal predilictions, Arcadians largely occupy
a managerial function in life, overseeing the operation and regulation of
the economic empire which provides for them. Some Arcadians choose to
scorn this life and take up daring occupations, participating in the games
or joining an Assassin order. Whatever their station in life, however,
the desire to make money has been so firmly ingrained in them that it is
always a priority. In the Arcadian mind, wealth and well-being are all
but inseperable, and poverty is often used as a synonym for death.
However, individual Arcadians tend to be personable and charismatic, and
their racial character includes many positive elements including courage,
daring, ambition and a total lack of any care for race (to an Arcadian,
everyone is a potential source of money; there is no such thing as racism
among the Arcadians). Greians appear, at first glance, to be highly evolved humans. The
head is extremely swollen to allow for a massive brain. Eyes and facial
features are smaller than usual, the nose and lips almost totally gone.
Greians have no hair and their skin tone is extremely pale. The arms and
legs are withered and useless, forcing Greians to travel by means of
an antigravity chair. Reproduction would seem to be physically impossible,
leading some to assume genetic technologies are employed.
In character, Greians are enigmatic. They are extremely intelligent
and have a wide and diverse technical knowledge but are reclusive and want
as little to do with outsiders as possible. Nothing is known of the
Greian homeworld, which they defend with the fruits of their technology, or
of their social structure. Greians appearing as NPCs in campaigns would
be a rare occurence, but it could happen, in which case their alien
perspective and ambivalence towards most features of Arcadian existence
would make them very different than most other characters. Greians
communicate telepathically and seem to know all languages. Davan are humans, as described in the Rifts roleplaying game.
When first contacted the Davans were moving towards atomic power. In the
time since, the Arcadians have provided the Davans with enhanced technical
knowledge to the point that they are roughly equal with the New German
Republic on Earth, with an emphasis on domestic technology, and somewhat
lacking in military power. The Davans are totally dependent on the
Arcadians for economic vitality and power supplies, but profit greatly
from the arrangement. Davans are the only non-Arcadians allowed to operate
the mechanisms of wealth on Arcadia. The natural Davan language is
English, with minor variations (-15% for someone speaking American trying
to speak Davan, and vice versa). Davans can be any O.C.C. or R.C.C. that
regular humans can be, although magic is not very prevalent. Listed O.C.C.'s: Inquisitor, E.R.F. Trooper, Cartel Hitman, Cartel
Hacker, Gilded Claw Assassin, Knight of Midnight, Sonic Magi.
Greian Borg O.C.C.: Identical to the conventional Borg O.C.C. in Rifts,
save that the body style is chosen from the types listed below. This
creates a powerful character and so should only be selected with G.M.
consent.
Other O.C.C.'s from other books that fit in well or are
common/native: Any Magic O.C.C., Headhunters, Borgs, City Rats, most
Psychic R.C.C.s. In addition, Arcadia has a transient population numbering
into the billions, and as such any race or class presented in any Rifts
or other Palladium book can be easily incorporated into the mix. Indeed,
pilots from Robotech or Macross II environments often feature prominently
in Games concerning races or mecha combat, and a True Atlantean once held
the title for Single Combat for a remarkable two years three months.
Indeed, of the five Noble Houses, three are non-Arcadian immigrants, and
two of them are previous Game Champions.
Experience Tables Knights of Midnight Runeclaws (Knights of Midnight only): These rune
weapons are usually black or dark purple in colour and, like all
rune weapons, inscribed with runes across their surfaces.
Runeclaws are Lesser Rune Weapons as detailed in Rifts Atlantis.
Anyone damaged by Runeclaws must make a -3 save vs Insanity or
any damage suffered heals at one-quarter the normal rate.
Damage is 1d4x10 M.D.C. Note: Knight Runeclaws are cybernetic in
nature. Each of the rune blades is anchored to a cybernetic mount,
allowing them to retract into the user's forearms in a manner
similar to vibroclaws. Note that only the blades themselves are
Rune Magic; the mounts and housing implants are ordinary cybernetics.
KP-111 Sonic Pistol: The Arcadian technologies rely heavily on sound.
The Sonic Weapon operate by producing intense waves of sound,
disrupting their targets on a cellular level. Producing no recoil
and no audible sound when fired, they are in great demand in
zero-gravity environments. 200' range, +1 to hit, 4d6 MDC damage.
Uses 15-shot E-Clips. All sonic weapons deal double damage
underwater but are ineffective in a vacuum, as there is nothing
to perpetuate the wave.
KP-112 Sonic Rifle: A larger version of the KP-111. 500' range, 6d6 MDC
damage. 30 shot E-clips.
KP-120XL Heavy Sonic Cannon: This weapon is often mounted on vehicles or
carried by powered armour troops. Requires a PS of 18 to use.
1200' range, 1d6x10 damage per 10-round burst, 200 round E-Canister
(20 bursts). A single burst deals 3d6 MDC.
KP-121C Automated Sonic Defense Cannon: Similar to the Heavy Sonic
Cannon, the KP-121C can be programmed to defend a specific area,
or to hunt specific targets (such as Knights of Midnight, or Humans),
propelling itself with antigravity lifters. The artificial
intelligence has a 92% probability of successfully identifying
given targets if there is some doubt (such as finding a True
Atlantean when told to hunt Humans). Can be used by individuals,
in which case a hand-held targeter is included, the weapon hovering
alongside the user and firing at designated targets. 1500' range,
+2 to hit when using a hand targeter. 1d6x10 +10 damage per
10-round burst. Includes a 300 round E-Canister drum.
KP-124 Sonic Sword: Operating on the same principles as ranged Sonic weapons,
the Sonic close combat weapons emit high frequency ultrasonic pulses
on impact to inflict severe wounds and even crack open certain
kinds of armour. 3d6 MDC damage.
KP-125 Sonic Dagger: 2d6 MDC damage.
KP-126 Sonic Claws: 2d6+5 MDC damage.
KP-127 Sonic Spear: 4d6 MDC damage, but -2 to parry.
KP-129 Burnclaws: The rapidly vibrating blade of this weapon rapidly
heats up, burning as much as it cuts. 4d6 MDC damage, but the
weapon is -2 to strike, due to discomfort and difficulty in hitting
the opponent and not accidentally burning yourself.
KP-131 Macel Brace: This device can be added onto any existing SDC
projectile weapon (pistols, machine guns, rifles, shotguns, etc). Once
the round has been normally accelerated by the detonation of chemical
KV-148 Sonic Grenade: 50' radius, dealing 4d6 MDC damage.
KV-149 Pulse Grenade: Everyone within a 25' radius of the detonation point
of this grenade must pass a -2 ME check or is knocked unconscious
for 4d6 minutes.
KV-151 Stun Grenade: As with the Pulse Grenade, save that the radius
of detonation is increased to 100'. Much more difficult to find,
Stun Grenades are ostensibly restricted to ERF squads, but the
black market usually has some.
KV-155 Rift Grenade Extremely Rare, Exorbitantly Expensive and Incredibly
Cool: A bizarre and terrifying TW weapon, Rift Grenades are
hideously expensive and ultra-rare. When thrown, they detonate
to open a rift to a random location. The exact details of how the
weapon can open a rift without a present leyline nexus is unknown,
but some magi theorize that it opens a rift at the closest nexus
and then opens a secondary gate to project it to the detonation
point. However it operates, there is a 50% chance that something
nasty will crawl out (GM's, be creative). In addition, this
weapon can be devastating if, say, thrown in the path of a rapidly
moving vehicle. Note: the secrets of making Rift Grenades are
kept quiet by the Arcadians. They aren't very mystically oriented,
and when they are they tend to deal with sound, so it is a mystery as to
how they came up with them. However they do it, Rift Grenades are
always in high demand and should never be commonly available. The Chariot is the favourite of the Arcadian games. In
shape, Chariots look like the ancient Roman model, but without wheels
or horses. Chariots operate on antigravity generators and are steered by
the pilot shifting his weight as he stands. They are very difficult to
fly, very fast and easy to produce. The Shockwave is used largely in the auto
racing Games. Among experienced drivers, it is the mount of choice, although
many pilots prefer more exotic alien models from across the Megaverse. Looking like nothing so much as a locust
with rotors, the Starlance is a large, heavy, massively armoured behemoth.
This is no doubt due to the fact that, in the Games, ramming your opponent
is a standard strategy, even for helicopters. The Venom is a highly maneuverable, and
more importantly, fast aircraft. Arcadian jet racetracks often cover
massive areas and speed is of the essence. Human sized, the Davan Suppressor is
a smaller and less powerful cousin to the KT-96. The Davan Suppressor is
basically similar save that it has two arms and human-style legs, and is
not a powered vehicle, but a heavy armour. The armour is totally environmental
and features the Suppression System. The KR-91 is a highly advanced personal armour
system designed for stealth operations. Critics claim that the KR-91 was
designed specifically to appeal to organizations like the Gilded Claw.
Extremely light and featuring many features which decent law-abiding people
have no business desiring, the Infiltrator is one of the more popular
Arcadian armour suits. Unabashedly directed at the Gaming and mercenary
fields, KR-92 Armour is large, rugged and dependable. The KT-96 is a highly powered and very
dangerous armour vehicle designed specifically for use with the E.R.F.
The Suppressor mounts the Arcadian Suppression System, a unique and terrifying
crowd control weapon, designed to quickly and efficiently disable large
numbers of people without lasting physical injury (dead men generate no
wealth). Due to its specific use, the KT-96 is prohibited from general use
on Arcadia. Anyone caught in possession of one is liberated of whatever
financial assets they may have and removed from Arcadia. As this usually
results in being tossed through the closest Rift, sans armour, most
people take the Arcadians seriously. There is, however, a signifigant
underground operation to move Suppressors to other dimensions, and so it
is not beyond the realm of possibility for KT-96's to spring up as far away
as Atlantis or Wormwood. Note that the Suppressor System is extremely
advanced and alien. Generally, after 1d4 months away from Arcadia, it
becomes likely that the Suppressor System will malfunction, requiring a
return to Arcadia to effect repairs. Note that the KT-96 has four arms.
Both the KT-96 and the K-3 Eviscerator have an Arcadian-style leg configuration. Affectionatelly referred to as the "Munchkin
Masher", the K-3 Eviscerator is a synthesis of Greian EvTech technical
expertise and the martial experience of the Arcadian Games. Whileas the KT-96
is a dedicated E.R.F. peacekeeping armour, the K-3 is entirely designed for
Gaming, and by extension, military applications. The Eviscerator falls
into an obscure category, along with the USA-G10 Glitter Boy, of power
armour suits which are too powerful to be power armour suits. Eviscerators
commonly engage and destroy larger robot vehicles. Due to their intended
role as a Gaming mount, the K-3 is armed with a variety of armaments for
different combat situations. However, this same versatility has made it
a prime choice for military markets, and several armies feature the K-3
to devastating effect. Evolutionary Technologies, or EvTech, is the company administered by
the Arcadians to distribute Greian technological advances. It is generally
accepted that these marvels are only a fraction of what the Greians have
at their disposal, but that very fact is what keeps anyone from trying to
go in search of more. This insurance of their privacy is precisely why
the Greians agreed to the entire arrangement.
Greian technology is incredibly advanced, beyond anything available on
Earth or Phase World, surpassing even the Kittani; it is more on a par with
the knowledge of those who created the Machine People of Phase World. The
devices are all self-contained and cannot be opened to examine, extract or
repair. All Greian devices repair and maintain themselves, recovering any
lost M.D.C. at a rate of 1d6x10 per hour. Most of their systems, such as
the components of the Survivor Borg, baffle the scientists of the known
Multiverse; most such scientists cannot even grasp the principles of their
design, let alone the intricacies of their creation.
EvTech designs include bionic weapons and complete bionic body designs.
The designs listed can be selected as the body for a Borg O.C.C. character
from the basic game, in which case he would most likely follow the rules
described above for native Arcadian humans. EvTech Borgs are rare since
the technology is in high demand; even the likes of the Splugorth and the
Naruni are left by the wayside when EvTech products become available. Phaseblades: Taking the form of long blades anchored to the inside of
the forearm, Phaseblades operate by a curious application of Phase technology.
These weapons fall under W.P. Sword and automatically penetrate all armour.
Against S.D.C. targets, they deal 6d6+15 damage; against M.D.C. foes, they
inflict 4d6+20 M.D.C.
Cutters: Cutters take the form of circuitry built into the skin of the
hands. They are not immediately apparent and when activated produce a
glowing golden aura about the fists. As they are not a visible weapon,
they are most useful when combined with hand to hand fighting skills.
Cutters allow unarmed combat damage to be dealt as M.D.C. with a +15 damage
bonus (ie a 1d6 S.D.C. punch becomes a 1d6+15 M.D.C. blow).
Razortips: Razortips are small blades that protrude from the fingertips.
Razortips are extremely hard to detect when retracted. In combat they
deal 3d6 M.D.C. damage.
Shardfield: A monumental headache for the E.R.F. teams, Shardfields are
similar to Cutters in that they do not seem to be present. When activated
a Shardfield wraps the user in a golden aura, deflecting aside blows. This
field provides its user a Leap Dodge, allowing them to attempt to dodge
incoming attacks without using up a melee attack. All leap dodge attempts
have a +4 bonus.
Globgun: Globguns fire from hidden ports in the palm. Unless they are
actually firing, the palm looks and feels completely normal. Globguns fire
masses of sticky plastic which impede motion and incapacitate their targets.
Anyone hit by a Globgun must roll under their P.S. on 5d6 or they are
truly mired, and can take no further part in combat. This does not apply
to beings with Supernatural Strength of 25 or higher, who can simply pull
their way free. The chemicals break down in 1d6+3 hours or with the
application of a special solvent.
Razorgun: Similar to Globguns, save that these weapons fire clouds of
razor-sharp shards of metal. Razorguns deal 5d6 +10 M.D.C. and have an
effective range of 75', and can attack all targets within a 45 degree arc
(roll to hit once with a +5 modifier; a successful roll means that everyone
in the 45 degree arc, friend and foe alike, is hit). All EvTech Borgs have the following features: The Piranha is typical of the EvTech bionic body styles. This radical
design is totally adapted to aquatic life, although the borg can survive
and function in a limited manner on land. From the waist down, the Piranha
is fishlike, with a lower body, long tail, and four fins.
M.D.C. by Location: The Falcon is a small, light Borg body style adapted to aeronautical
motion. Large silver wing membranes are anchored to the back, which combine
antigravity propulsion systems with the borg's small stature to produce
an incredibly fast and maneuverable Borg.
M.D.C. by Location: The Golden Dragon is an extremely nonhuman body style, reminiscent of
the Dragon Borgs of the Japanese Republic. In style it resembles a classical
western dragon, complete with wings. In battle the monstrous form is
incredibly deadly and easily capable of engaging and destroying several
normal Borgs. The Golden Dragon body has a delitirious effect on
the user's mind. Every six months after the body is acquired, the user
must save vs insanity or develop and egotistical god complex. Most
Golden Dragons are mentally unstable.
M.D.C. by Location: The Nightheart is the most sinister of the EvTech body designs. Humanoid,
the Nightheart is jet black in colour, scuplted into leering skulls and
jagged spikes. Supplementing this appearance is a Psych Field, an insidious
device to undermine the morale of its opponents, driving fear into their
hearts like an icy spear.
M.D.C. by Location: The Survivor is the classic example of what EvTech is all about. Rare,
highly desired, and incredibly advanced, the Survivor utilizes nanotechnology
to incorporate elements of its environment into itself. Although it
does not have as much M.D.C. as other EvTech body designs, or even as much
as Terran borgs, the Survivor can adapt to its environment, heal quickly,
and survive.
M.D.C. by Location: Special Feature: Nanotech Adaption System. The Survivor Borg heals
lost M.D.C. at a rate of 2d6x10 M.D.C. per ten minutes. Further, it can
incorporate technological devices into itself. For example, if a Survivor
defeated an opponent who carried a plasma rifle, the Survivor could cut
a gash into its left forearm with one Phaseblade and jam the plasma rifle
into the gap. After ten minutes, the healing systems will have sealed
the gash over, and linked the plasma weapon into the Survivor borg's
nervous network. The weapon is now a piece of the Survivor, and can
be fired by mental command like any other implanted weapon. If an arm
is severed, the Borg can retrieve a similiarly sized limb from another
borg, or a powered armour suit or robot vehicle, and push it into the
stump, and the healing system will incorporate the new limb into the
borg's body. Alternatively, the Survivor can replace his lost limb with
a heavy rail gun, forming a weapon arm similar to that of the K-3.
More impressive still, if the Borg comes into contact with a Nightheart,
or a KT-96, it can incorporate the Psych Field or Supression System into
its own body. This ability makes the Survivor a frightening opponent in
war; even if the body is destroyed, and taken down to 120 M.D.C. beyond
what is required to destroy it, it can still slowly regenerate its
M.D.C. until it is fully rebuilt (when the M.D.C. has reached its original
totals, of course provided that material is available, even if that
material is the torn and scorched remains of its body). It is never easy
to kill a Survivor Borg, and tales of those who tried and failed only to
feel the regenerated Borg's revenge are legendary on Arcadia.
GM's, the Survivor Borg makes one powerful character. Use restraint;
if you allow them for your player group, take steps to ensure the character
doesn't dominate. On the other hand, a lone Survivor Borg stalking the
player group, to be (they think) destroyed time and again only to
return again and again at the worst possible time can be a fantastic
element in a campaign. (As the players who playtested Arcadia can attest.)
Pilot: Pilot Chariot -- this skill provides an ability to pilot
the agrav chariots which are unique to Arcadia. Although it has little
application outside of Arcadia, Chariot Racing is one of the more popular
Game styles, and so has money-making potential. 65% +5% per lvl
Rogue: Acquire Contact -- similar to Streetwise, Acquire Contact
is a specialized ability to find people who are selling things. Finding
contacts can be incredibly important on Arcadia, where anything is available
if you know who to ask. 34% +4% per lvl
Rogue: Arcadian Streetwise -- This Streetwise skill is identical
to the regular one save that it deals with the unique environment of
the City of Gold. Characters attempting to use normal Streetwise on Arcadia
suffer a -25% penalty. Likewise, characters attempting to use Arcadian
Streetwise outside of Arcadia suffer a -25% penalty. 55% +5% per lvl
Rogue: VR Hacking -- this skill is similar to normal Hacking
save that it includes an understanding of the VR computer networks across
Arcadia. 45% +4% per lvl
Note: sooner or later I'll write up a computer combat and interface rules
system for Palladium games. Most places on Rifts Earth won't have that
kind of computer network, but there are a few (Japan, N.G.R., Chi-Town
and Lone Star City would be about it). The places where computer rules
would come in handy would be Arcadia and Phase World. When I get them finished,
they'll appear on the Realm of Hades page.
Technical: Arcadian Games Law -- a detailed understanding of the
specific rules, regulations, restrictions and penalties of the Games. As
the Games have fairly lax rules (last one standing wins), this also includes
a comprehensive knowledge of how the Games are run, who to bribe, and so
forth. 66% +5% per lvl
Technical: Languages. The Lingua Franca of Arcadia is Arcadian, which
is very similar to Dragonese (speakers of Dragonese/Elven trying to communicate
with Arcadians suffer a -10% penalty to do so, as do Arcadians trying to
speak Dragonese/Elven). The Humans of Arcadia speak Spanish, and roughly
half speak English; Greian is a completely unique language, unrelated to
any others, and must be taken as a seperate skill. (Greian is also the
standard language for technical discussion, as techno-can is in North America.)
THE ARCADIANS
ARCADIA
Population - 20 Billion
Arcadians - 50%
Davans/Humans - 3%
Greyans - .01%
Others - 46%
THE LAW
INQUISITOR O.C.C.
The Inquisitors, at least on the surface, make some show of pursuing
those who break the known laws of Arcadia. In actuality, the Inquisitors
are budgeted by the Arcadians themselves and function largely as an
intelligence-gathering organization. Most of the Noble Houses suspect this,
but thus far their true role has been kept secret from the general public.
They are aided in their work by the freedom to search and enter, bear
arms, and so forth, ostensibly to help them as law enforcement. In the
final analysis, however, the Inquisitors prove that the Arcadians are at
least as paranoid and money-hungry as any of the visitors to their world.
Inquisitors are always human, most of their number being Davans,
the rest the descendants of humans who arrived and settled in Arcadia.
Attribute Requirements: ME 10, PE 10.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: American, Arcadian (98%), choose one other (+20%)
Literacy: Arcadian (95%)
Computer Operations (+10%)
Streetwise (+15%)
Prowl (+10%)
Radio: Basic (+20%)
Pilot Automobile (+30%)
1 Pilot of choice
3 WP's of choice
HTH: Expert (may upgrade to Martial Arts or Assassin for 2 "Other"
skills)
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 5 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: any (+5%)
Domestic: any
Electrical: Basic Electronics only
Espionage: any (+10%)
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only
Medical: First Aid only (+15%)
Military: none
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: any (+5%)
Science: none
Technical: languages and literacy only
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select four additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: Energy Pistol and Energy Rifle of choice. Other than
this, Inquisitors tend to fall back on their bionic implants for
combat.
Money: Inquisitors are barracked in rather nice quarters, two per housing
unit, and recieve 5000 credits a month salary. Officers wishing
to make more money can generate vast quantities of cash by selling
secrets and turning informer, but the Inquisitors themselves are
responsible for internal policing and have been known to be rather
abrupt with those on the take.
Cybernetics: The Inquisitor has two extra bionic limbs, for a total of four.
Select one weapon for each limb, in addition to gyro-clock/compass,
bionic lungs with gas filters and O2 storage cell, and ultra-ear.
Bionic arms have a PS and PE matching the user's own. Weapons
should be selected from the Evolutionary Technologies lists, below.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE FORCES TROOPER O.C.C.
The ERF is a more specialized branch of the same operating division
which administers the Inquisitors. Designed to subdue violent and sometimes
psychopathic intruders, the ERF are capable of a wide variety of operations
in any of the myriad environments of Arcadia, killing or incapacitating
the targets with a minimum of casualties among the civilian population.
By way of a conduit system built into the floors between each
floor, which is carefully monitored by computer to prevent its use by
criminal elements, the ERF teams can quickly reach any part of the City of
Gold. Dropping from the cielings, Suppresion systems emitting ultrasonic
frequencies and strobe-pattern incandescent bursts of light, the ERF teams
fight anything from Cartel hit teams to enraged supernatural intruders
from the Rifts. Knowing that they lurk, ready to drop on you at any
moment, does phenomenal things to keep the crime rate down.
ERF Troopers are often human but Arcadians sometimes enlist.
Arcadian ERF Troopers recieve higher pay (3000-3500 credits a month) and
often recieve faster promotion.
Attribute Requirements: PS 10, PE 12.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: American, Arcadian (98%), choose one other (+20%)
Literacy: Arcadian (95%)
Computer Operations (+10%)
Body Building
Athletics
Prowl (+10%)
Radio: Basic (+20%)
Pilot Mecha & Power Armour (+30%)
Mecha Combat: KT-96 Suppressor
Mecha Combat: Basic
2 Pilot of choice
3 WP's of choice
W.P.: Staff (for the Shock Staff of the KT-96)
HTH: Commando
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 3 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: any (+5%)
Domestic: any
Electrical: any
Espionage: none
Mechanical: any
Medical: First Aid only (+15%)
Military: any
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: none
Science: none
Technical: none
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select four additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: Energy Pistol and/or ancient weapon of choice. ERF
Troopers are equipped with KR-92 body armour at a KT-96 power
armour suit.
Money: ERF Troopers are barracked four per housing unit, although each unit
is spacious and comfortable. Troopers recieve 2500 credits per
month salary and perks for combat performance.
Cybernetics: none.
THE NOBLE HOUSES
House Karsettis
House Aurtaii
House Koritoma
House Dlanncroth
House Angelis
THE CARTEL
HITMAN O.C.C.
Hitmen, or Trigger Men, are common enforcers of the Cartel's policy.
Usually moderately skilled, hitmen are notoriously expendable and, if
caught, are usually abandoned to their fate. The Cartel, after all, is just
like everything else in Arcadia -- an economic machine.
Attribute Requirements: PS 9.
Physical Bonuses: +2 to P.S., +1 to P.E.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: American, Arcadian (98%)
Body Building
Prowl (+10%)
Streetwise (+5%)
Interrogation
Sniper
3 WP's of choice
HTH: Expert
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 4 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: none
Domestic: any
Electrical: none
Espionage: any
Mechanical: any
Medical: none
Military: none
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: any
Science: none
Technical: none
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select four additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: Energy rifle, energy pistol and close combat weapon
of choice. The Rifle will usually include a carrying case and
will break down into pieces for travel.
Money: Money is provided as required based on assignments. Regular pay
depends on position and rank in the organization.
Cybernetics: none.
HACKER O.C.C.
Attribute Requirements: IQ 12.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: American, Arcadian (98%), Select 2 others
Literacy: American, Arcadian (98%), Select 1 other
Computer Operation (+35%)
Computer Programming (+35%)
Computer Hacking (+35%)
Prowl (+10%)
Streetwise (+5%)
1 WP of choice
HTH: Basic. HTH Basic may be upgraded to Expert for 1 Other
skill, or Martial Arts for 2 Other skills.
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 6 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: any (+10%)
Domestic: any
Electrical: any (+5%)
Espionage: any
Mechanical: none
Medical: none
Military: none
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: any
Science: none
Technical: any
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select five additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: Energy pistol of choice, ancient weapon of choice.
Equipment includes a portable computer which can be connected to
the Arcadian grid and hacking software.
Money: Money is provided as required based on assignments. Regular pay
depends on position and rank in the organization.
Cybernetics: universal headjack. Select 3 sensory augmentations and
1 weapon. Further implants are often purchased over the Hacker's
lifetime.
POLITICAL & ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS
ORDER OF THE GILDED CLAW
GILDED CLAW ASSASSIN O.C.C.
Attribute Requirements: PP 15. Gilded Claw assassins are always Arcadian.
Attribute Bonuses: +4 to P.P., +2 Attacks per Melee Round
Special Abilities: +2 to Leap Dodge. A leap dodge is like a regular
dodge save that it does not use up a combat round attack.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: Arcadian (98%)
Literacy: Arcadian (95%)
Athletics
Gymnastics
Prowl (+35%)
Pick Locks (+10%)
Escape Artist (+20%)
WP Knife
WP Sword
3 other WP's of choice
HTH: Ninjitsu (see Rifts Japan, or Ninjas & Superspies; the art
is technically not Ninjitsu, but the two are very similar, though
the Arcadian equivalent is called Aiierai Teil).
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 7 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: any
Domestic: any
Electrical: any
Espionage: any (+15%)
Mechanical: none
Medical: First Aid only (+15%)
Military: none
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: any (+15%)
Science: none
Technical: Languages or Literacy only (+15%)
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select five additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: The black bodysuit incorporates MDC materials and
offers 80 M.D.C. points of protection. Select four close combat
or pistol weapons from the lists below.
Money: The Assassins are entitled to 40% of the take for a given job.
The exact nature of the target and circumstances determine the
expense for a given assassination.
Cybernetics: none.
THE KNIGHTS OF MIDNIGHT
KNIGHT OF MIDNIGHT O.C.C.
Attribute Requirements: P.S. 12, P.P. 12. Knights can be of any race,
but Humans are by far the most prevalent.
Special Abilities: In addition to their martial skills, Knights are mages.
Knights have a permanent P.P.E. base of P.E. plus 2d6x10, plus
3d6 per level of experience. Select three spells each from levels
one through four. At each additional level of experience the
Knight gains three spells from any level up to his current level
of experience. Further, Knights may choose three spells from
one of the following specialized magical disciplines: Temporal
Magic, Necromancy, Sonic Magic, Elemental Magic, or Atlantean
Stone magic. At each level of experience the Knight may choose
one additional spell from this discipline instead of his three
general magic spells.
Bonuses: +5 to P.S., P.P. and P.E.; +4 to M.E. +3 to Initiative, +4 to
save vs magic, +5 to save vs H.F. Critical Hit on 18-20.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language: Arcadian (98%), three of choice
Literacy: Arcadian (95%)
Athletics
Prowl (+35%)
Lore: Daemons & Monsters
Lore: Faerie
Lore: Magic
Tracking (+15%)
WP Knife (Runeclaws)
3 other WP's of choice
HTH: Aikido (See Rifts Japan or Ninjas & Superspies). This largely
defensive unarmed combat art becomes particularily deadly when
combined with the offensive potential of the Runeclaws.
O.C.C. Related Skills:
Select 5 other skills, plus one additional at levels three, six,
nine, and twelve.
Communications: any
Domestic: any
Electrical: any
Espionage: any (+15%)
Mechanical: none
Medical: First Aid only (+15%)
Military: none
Physical: any
Pilot: any
Pilot Related: any
Rogue: any
Science: none
Technical: Languages or Literacy only (+15%)
Weapon Proficiencies: any
Wilderness: none
Secondary Skills: Select five additional skills from the above in the usual
manner.
Standard Equipment: Each Knight wears a Talisman of Warding which offers
120 M.D.C. protection, regenerating lost M.D.C. at a rate of
1d4x10 M.D.C. per hour. Starting weapons are limited to Runeclaws
(see below).
Money: Knights are provided for by the Order.
Cybernetics: none.
THE CIRCLE OF MAGIC
SONIC MAGI
Sonic Magi Abilities
Attribute Requirements: I.Q. 12, M.E. 12.
Racial Limitations: Most Sonic Magi are Arcadian, but a small fraction are
of other races. Practically, there is no limitation.
O.C.C. Skills:
Language & Literacy: Arcadian and three of choice (98%)
Pilot: Two of Choice (+10%)
Lore: Demon
Lore: Magic (+5%)
W.P.: Two ancient of choice
Hand to Hand: Basic
Hand to Hand: Basic can be increased to Expert at the cost of 2 Other skills.
O.C.C. Related Skills: Select seven. Select two further skills at levels
six, nine, twelve and fifteen.
Communications: Radio-Basic only
Domestic: Any
Electrical: None
Espionage: None
Mechanical: None
Medical: First Aid only (+5%)
Military: None
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any (+5%)
Pilot Related: Any
Technical: Any
Rogue: Streetwise only (+15%)
Science: Any (+15%)
W.P.: Any
Wilderness: None
Secondary Skills: Select five from the lists above, in the usual fashion.
Standard Equipment: Black featureless mask and robes (usually dark blue or
violet). Light M.D.C. body armour of choice, two ancient weapons of choice,
one close combat or pistol weapon from the lists below. Sonic Magi usually
rely on their magic for ranged combat.
Money: Sonic Magi, like all mages on Arcadia, do well working in the Games
or in the employ of a Noble House. Note that 10% of all earnings must go to
the Circle if one is a member.
Cybernetics: Avoids them like the plague.
SONIC MAGIC
THE GAMES
FIGHTING
Ground Rules
Environments
RACING
BROADCASTING
OPTIONAL PLAYER CHARACTER RACES
Arcadian (optional PC)
IQ: 4d6 ME: 3d6 MA: 3d6+4 PS: 3d6 PP: 5d6 PE: 2d6+10 PB: 2d6+10
Spd: 1d6x10 +30, 30 SDC.
Abilities: Arcadians can run at top speed for a number of hours equal to
their PE without tiring. Due to their multiple arms, Arcadians have
+1 attack. +30% bonus for any mathematically based skills.
40% of Arcadians can see into the infrared in addition to normal colour
vision. Hearing is twice as acute as human, providing +1 to initiative.
Base Skills: All Arcadians have Basic Math, Language & Literacy:
Arcadian 98% and two others of choice at 90%. Arcadians will never submit
to bionic or cybernetic enhancement, nor MOM or Juicer modification.
Potential O.C.C.s include Gilded Claw Assassin, Admin, any Scholar/
Adventurer (except wilderness scout and Vagabond), or any magic user.
Tends toward highly skilled and prestigious occupations, especially
those which are either financially lucritive or particularily dangerous.
Greian (NPC)
Davan (optional PC)
ARCADIAN O.C.C.s
HARDWARE
WEAPONRY:
propellant, the Macel Brace kicks in. Macel is a contraction of
Magnetic Acceleration; the addition pulls the moving projectiles forward
with incredible velocity. This addition can be quickly added or removed
from any known projectile weapon. Any such weapon fitted with a Macel
Brace deals an amount of M.D.C. damage equal to its previous S.D.C. damage.
The Macel Brace is widely available and highly prized, particularily among
the transient mercenary population, who enjoy the kick, loud sound and
smoke of a rifle or shotgun melded with lethal M.D.C. force. These weapons
can still fire silver bullets, in which case the original amount of H.P.
damage dealt to Vampires, Lycanthropes and other vulnerable creatures is
unchanged.
VEHICLES
Chariot
Shockwave Gravcar
KA-47 Starlance Helicopter
KA-59 Venom VTOL Fighter
A note about weapons: None of the above vehicles mount weapons due to the
restrictions concerning vehicle mounted weapons in the Games. Retrofitting
of weapons for military applications is common, and pretty much any
vehicle mounted weapon in any Rifts supplement can be found and adapted --
for a price.
ARMOUR:
KT-90 Davan Suppressor
KR-91 Infiltrator
KR-92 Hard Armour
POWER ARMOUR:
KT-96 Suppressor
Model Type: KT-96 Suppressor
Class: E.R.F. Intrusion Response/Crowd Control
Crew: One pilot
M.D.C. by location:
Head - 220
Hands (4) - 50
Suppression System (mounted on back) - 400
Arms (4) - 160
Legs (2) - 230 each
Main Body - 455
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 105
Speed - The KT-96 can manage 120 mph over clear country. Automated motion
systems allow long term travel without tiring the user. The vehicle is
extremely maneuverable and can easily leap 100 feet, double with a running start.
Indeed, KT-96's usually deploy by dropping into danger from the conduit
system filling the ceilings; crawling hand over hand in power armour is a
daunting task, but the KT-96 is maneuverable enough to make the task simple.
Statistical Data
Height: 8'5"
Width: 4'6"
Length: 4'
Weight: 0.8 tons fully armed
Physical Strength: P.S. 50
Cargo: The KT-96 has roughly 6"x6"x6" for cargo space.
Power System:
Fusion. Average life given hard use is 130 years.
Black Market Cost:
The KT-96 is not available on Arcadia. Elsewhere, it may cost up to 35 million,
easily triple if the Suppression System is still functioning.
Weapon Systems
K-3 Eviscerator
Model Type: K-3 Eviscerator
Class: Power Armour Assault Vehicle
Crew: One pilot
M.D.C. by location:
Head - 280
Hand - 80
Projection Vanes (2, rising over the shoulders) - 75 (small target)
Arm - Hand 220
Arm - Cannon 300
Legs (2) - 400 each
Main Body - 675
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 125
Speed - The K-3 can manage 100 mph over clear country. Automated motion
systems allow long term travel without tiring the user. The vehicle is
extremely maneuverable and can easily leap 50 feet, double with a running start,
although the K-3 cannot fly.
Statistical Data
Height: 12'
Width: 5'6" (including shield on cannon arm shoulder)
Length: 5'
Weight: 1.3 tons fully armed
Physical Strength: P.S. 60
Cargo: The K-3 has roughly 6"x6"x6" for cargo space.
Power System:
Fusion. Average life given hard use is 130 years.
Black Market Cost:
The K-3 is a rare and expensive piece of equipment. At least 45 million
or higher.
Weapon Systems
EVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGIES (EVTECH)
A note on cost: as these bionic components are so rare, the seller can
choose to charge whatever they wish. Prices up to millions of credits are
common. See Rifts World Book 2: Atlantis, and specifically the sections
on the city of Splynn and the markets therein, for details on alternate
payment plans including servitude and bartering.)
WEAPONS -- all of these devices are included in EvTech Borg body
designs and can also be occasionally found for implantation in existing
Borg body types, or as cybernetic weapons into flesh and blood bodies.
EVTECH BIONIC BODY TYPES
Piranha Aquaborg
Hands(2) - 20 each
Arms(2) - 70
Phaseblades (2) - 15
Fins (4) - 25
Upper Body - 295 plus any Borg armour
Lower Body - 345
Tail - 75
Head - 100
Speed: 220 mph underwater. Note that, at this speed, maneuverability is
virtually nil and anything within a thousand square miles knows exatly where
you are due to phenomenal cavitation. As such, practical motion is limited
to 60 or 70 mph. Limited to a Spd
of 8 on land. Crush Depth is 4 miles.
Total Length: 14'
Phsyical Attributes: P.S. 35,
P.P. 24
Weapons
Falcon Aeroborg
Hands(2) - 20 each
Arms(2) - 50
Phaseblades (2) - 15
Legs (2) - 75
Upper Body - 195 plus any Borg armour
Wings (2) - 120
Head - 80
Speed: The Falcon can fly at speeds of Mach 4 with unlimited radius, save
that the agrav generators require two hours of rest every 24 hours of
steady use.
Height: 5'
Phsyical Attributes: P.S. 35,
P.P. 24, Spd. 125
Weapons
Golden Dragon Monster Borg
Arms(2) - 220
Legs (2) - 320
Main Body - 1225 *The Golden Dragon cannot wear conventional Borg armour
Head - 250
Tail - 350
Wings (2) - 475
Scatterfire Cannon (2, mounted over the shoulders) - 520
Speed: 35 mph on land, up to 250 mph in the air.
Total Length: 36'
Phsyical Attributes: P.S. 55,
P.P. 24
Weapons
Nightheart Psychborg
Hands(2) - 20 each
Arms(2) - 80
Phaseblades (2) - 15
Legs (2) - 105
Upper Body - 300 plus any Borg armour
Head - 100
Height: 9'8"
Phsyical Attributes: P.S. 35,
P.P. 24, Spd. 125
Weapons
Survivor Borg
Hands(2) - 20 each
Arms(2) - 50
Phaseblades (2) - 15
Legs (2) - 80
Upper Body - 235 plus any Borg armour
Head - 90
Height: 5'8"
Phsyical Attributes: P.S. 35,
P.P. 24, Spd. 125
Weapons
NEW SKILLS
Arcadia is a big and dangerous place, with endless potential for Rifts
campaigns. I have had a lot of fun writing this page, and a lot of fun
play-testing it; enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
