Website Update #12

A long and wet weekend enabled me to finally get some painting done and I managed to finish my Imperial Marine platoon.

I still have to finish the vehicles for the unit, as well as find or convert some officer figures. More pictures and notes can be found on
my website in the Modeling log.

AE: Bounty

AE: Bounty
by Matthew Hope
Darkson Designs

One of the Bloggers whose blog I follow recently purchased AE: Bounty. He was still in the process of reading the rules and hasn't commented further.

As I was also looking for some skirmish rules, I decided to order a copy for myself. I sourced my copy from The Book Depository in the UK - delivery time to New Zealand was 12 days and postage was free.

So, a nice 98 page, A5, softback book, nicely presented. I am finding the small print and grey/burgundy page background a little difficult to read under artificial light, though. At the moment, I'm still wading through the game background, though I did have a quick flick through the rules mechanics earlier. The basics seem relatively simple, with a series Abilities, and a choice of weapons options, to modify the basic characters.

I'm quite looking forward to playing this, so I hope to report back with an update in a couple of weeks.

History of the RimWorlds #9 – A last look at the Klarthur Confederacy

This brief examination of the Klarthur Confederacy has answered some questions, but has raised more.

We know that the dominant race within the Confederacy is the H’ran – an aggressive bipedal reptilian species uplifted to sentience by the Thongaloros Empire and used by them as enforcers and shock troops. We know that the H’ran State managed to retain some of the Empire’s shipping during the Empire’s collapse, and that they used this shipping to dominate a small group of systems in the Aemilor Subsector. We know that, while militarily successful, the H’ran lacked the technological know-how to maintain their precious fleet so that within a couple of decades, their Pocket Empire was on the verge of collapse as their ships failed, one by one. We know that the H’ran encountered, and conquered the less aggressive, but more technologically-savvy Gherlach prior to this collapse, and that the Gherlach, while initially treated as servitor-technicians, actually took over the running of the H’ran State. And finally, we know that the Gherlach were still secretly in touch with, and ruled by, an isolated clan of Tsalur who had survived the collapse of the Thongaloros Empire.

The Tsalur clan The Talon of Dra’kken, working through their Gherlachi servants, initially encouraged the further expansion of the H’ran State. Then slowly, over a period of a century and a half, the Talon changed the H’ran’s relationship with neighbouring states from one of mutual hostility to one of mutual assistance. As alliances were strengthened, the Klarthur Confederacy came into being, named for the bright nebula that dominates Aemilor Subsector. The arrival of large numbers of human settlers in the RimWorlds, set in motion by Lord Kolin Venuraski’s Chartered Private Equity Company, quite probably disrupted long range plans for turning the Confederacy into a Second Thongoloros Empire.

This state of affairs would not have been apparent to the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service as it began exploration of the RimWorlds, nor would it have been apparent to Lord Kolin’s initial follow-on expeditions. First contact with the Klarthur Confederacy took place in the Choraptur system of Riinu Subsector in 526, 19 years after the First-In Scouts began moving into Kaorin and Berimar’s Sceptre Subsectors.

Discovering a large, organised stellar polity sprawled across four subsectors came as something of a shock to Viceroy Kolin Venuraski and Lord Saaroi hault-Creaso, his Vice-Regal Minister for Exploration. After initial skirmishes as scouts from both sides ran into each other, and each other’s installations, the vague outlines of a frontier zone began to emerge.

Fortunately for Viceroy Kolin’s future ambitions, Lord Saaroi was ably served by his chief Xenologists, Albathar Moranth and Htaukhealaiw Iyfa. Professor Moranth quickly realised that the H’ran State dominated the Confederacy Supreme Council, and that while the H’ran appeared to be in charge, it was actually their Gherlachi servants who made things happen. Professor Iyfa was then able to crack the social codes that enabled Lord Saaroi to deal directly with Humblest-of-the-Humblest-and-Guide-of-the-Masses Cliirumpurathaal, the Gherlachi Chief Servitor.

After several false starts, the Treaty of Choraptur, concluded in 530, defined the official border between the Imperial RimWorld Territories and the Klarthur Confederacy, splitting Riinu Subsector evenly between the two states and strictly limiting Imperial expansion into Daltharmai Subsector.

As tensions eased along the Spinward frontier, Viceroy Kolin turned his eyes Rimward and set his scouts in motion again.


History of the RimWorlds

103	Thongaloros Empire falls to the Outrim Barbarians.
114	The H’ran State in Aemilor Subsector declares its independence from the Thongaloros Empire and begins to expand.
139	The H’ran State in Aemilor Subsector, on the verge of collapse, conquerors the Gherlach. Gherlach technological skill saves the H’ran State.
290	The Klarthur Confederacy established. Initially based in Aemilor Subsector, the Confederacy expands into Riinu, Nantarn and Daltharmai Subsectors.
323	Ftaioiaftew/Gazul settled by Aslan of Huiha Weakhayuwikhye.
497	First Imperial presence in the RimWorlds in Kaorin and Berimar’s Sceptre subsectors.
525	Lord Kolin Venuraski is created Viceroy of the RimWorlds by Imperial Patent.
526	First Imperial contact with the Klarthur Confederacy in Riinu Subsector.
530	Treaty of Choraptur defines the border between the Klarthur Confederacy and the Imperial RimWorld Territories.
540	Sector Duchy of the RimWorlds established with its capital on Raelmar/Thurgandarn. Kolin I Venuraski is first Sector Duke.

'Into the Deep' Issue 3 released

The third issue of Into the Deep, a Traveller fanzine that focuses on Reavers' Deep Sector, was released mid-March. I've only just got around to downloading it as I've been flat out, myself.

Once again, Brett has done a great job. Into the Deep is available as a free download from Brett's website.

History of the RimWorlds #8 – Expanding Time

I have just spent a bit of time updating my time line and library data files on my website. Cross referencing everything, and trying to ensure that there are no glaring errors, is a bit like remodelling a jungle-gym - connections have to be tested, and links/return links checked out otherwise you end up in a tangle.

So, the expanded timeline, going forward from the beginning of the Imperial presence in the RimWorlds, now looks like this:


History of the RimWorlds

497	First Imperial presence in the Rimworlds in Kaorin and Berimar’s Sceptre subsectors.
525	Lord Kolin Venuraski is created Viceroy of the RimWorlds by Imperial Patent.
526	First Imperial contact with the Klarthur Confederacy in Riinu Subsector.
540	Sector Duchy of the Rimworlds established with its capital on Raelmar/Thurgandarn. Kolin I Venuraski is first Sector Duke.

While this may not appear to be a huge breakthrough, it does represent a move forward in the development of the Sector.

Interestingly, when the Sector capital is established on Raelmar/Thurgandarn some fourteen years later, Kolin Venuraski is sufficiently confident in the security of his Spinward Border, that he establishes his capital some 17 parsecs from the terminus of his Whisp Route supply line in Berimar’s Sceptre Subsector and 16 parsecs from the nearest Confederacy outposts in Riinu Subsector. While ideally placed to oversee Rimward expansion into Nolgor Subsector, being at least four weeks behind the news to Spinward would be a major disadvantage if this frontier remained a flash point. At this point, I can only conclude that Venuraski’s Imperial Officials managed to reach some form of accommodation with the Confederacy Supreme Council.