Coriolis - Core Rulebook

the third horizon
ODACON
TA R A Z U G DANGEROUS AREA
DZIBAN
ZHAU
U N S TA B L E
P O R TA L
GHODAR ZIB
THE MIR AN
CHAIN
THE SADA AL S I VA S
ROUTE
ERR A I
D AY B U L MIRA ORDANA
THE QUADR ANT OF
THE PILL AR
ZALOS
SADA AL
A LTA I
A I WA Z
MENK A R NAGAR
KUA AWA DHI
NH A RM A DA
Z AMUSA
AL GOL U N S TA B L E
P O R TA L
CAPH
THE ALGOL ROUTE
MARFIK U N S TA B L E
P O R TA L
EREQU
HAMUR A ANASPOR A
YA S TA P O L
A MEDO
DANGEROUS AREA E ANU
THE DABAR AN CIRCLE
TA O A N
U N S TA B L E
P O R TA L
AL GEBAR
UHARU
R IGEL
MEL IK
DABARAN
design team
Tomas Härenstam, Nils Karlén,
Kosta Kostulas, Christian Granath
lore manager
Kosta Kostulas
rules design
Tomas Härenstam
editor
Nils Karlén
other writers
Martin Dunelind, Adam Palmquist, Daniel Palm
graphic design original concept

Christian Granath Mattias Lilja, Mattias Johnson,
Andreas Marklund, Christian Sabe,
cover art Joakim Bergström, Johan Normark,
Martin Bergström Fredrik Wester
interior art translation

Martin Bergström, Gustaf Ekelund, Tim Persson
Christian Granath, Magnus Fallgren,
Tobias Tranell, Joakim Ericsson proofreading
John Marron, T.R. Knight,
maps Rebecca Judd, John M. Kahane,
Tobias Tranell Rickard Antroia
playtesters
Simon Andersson, Peter Axelsson, Daniel Hallbäck, Sebastian Laitila Ekelund, Adam Klevvall,Isaac Klevvall, Lucas Klevvall,
Peter Klevvall, Kitsune Magyar, Martin Takaichi, Alexander Wallberg, Hannes Wallstedt, Fredrik Åkerblom,
and all of the great gaming groups at Gothcon 2016
a special thanks to
Rickard Antroia, Iain M. Banks, Alexandra Bohl Granath, Moa Frithiofsson, Mattias Johnsson, Mort de Kai, Robert Kustosik,
Amelie Lagerström, Mattias Lilja, Daniel Palm, Adam Palmqvist, Kiku Pukk Härenstam, Martin Sellgren, Pernilla Sparrhult,
and all of our backers

print isbn
Livonia, Riga 2016 978-1-910132-72-2
CORIOLIS™ Copyright© 2016 Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved. www.paradoxplaza.com
CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION 6
2
YOUR CHARACTERS 14
3
SKILLS 52
4
TALENTS 66
5
COMBAT 80
6
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT 102
7
SPACESHIPS AND STAR TRAVEL 136
2
CONTENTS
8
THE THIRD HORIZON 178
9
FACTIONS 186
10
THE PEOPLE OF THE HORIZON 220
11
CORIOLIS 246
12
THE KUA SYSTEM 278
13
ATLAS OF THE THIRD HORIZON 298
14
BEASTS AND DJINNI 314
15
CAMPAIGN 338
3
PREFACE
Coriolis was the reason I got back into roleplaying games, and the key to the
foundation of Free League Publishing. In 2008, when the first edition of the
game was released, I hadn’t played a pen and paper RPG in years. Coriolis
had everything I had longed for in a sci-fi game: vast space, exciting cultures,
lost wonders, and mysteries in abundance. I started playing the game with
some new friends right away. We had tremendous fun, but soon realized
that there wasn’t enough material about the game universe. So a few of us,
enthusiasts, decided to create more material for the game. Thus, the Free
League game studio was born, taking its name from one of the factions in
the Third Horizon.
The Third Horizon is a truly unique RPG setting – a marriage of old oriental
tales and modern science fiction. Storytellers, djinni, wide deserts,
magnificent palaces, thieves, and scoundrels mingle with starships, portals
between the stars, and beam weapons. The opportunity to weave one’s own
stories from the rich tapestry of Middle Eastern culture fused with concepts
from my favourite modern sci-fi by authors such as Iain M. Banks, Alastair
Reynolds, and Michael Flynn, just to mention a few - this was enough to get
me hooked straight away.
When we in the Free League got the opportunity to develop a completely

new edition of the game, the main thing missing was a rules system that
truly fit the setting of Coriolis. The game engine from Mutant: Year Zero,
modified to bring the themes of Coriolis to the forefront, made the difference.
Now, you have a game that incorporates a vivid world and setting with easy-
to-grasp rules that let you dive into the universe without any hindrance. The
Third Horizon, with its space nomads, rival factions, distant star systems,
mischievous djinni, and much, much more, is waiting for you. So don your
exo shells, spit on your sugar globes, and venture out into the Dark between
the Stars.
Kosta Kostulas and the Free League
4
RULES
CHAPTER 1
introduction
Zenith heralded the dawn of a new era – and the Horizon blossomed once again.
Three dozen star systems, linked by fate and by the will of the Icons, wandered
together towards a brighter future. But as the Emissaries arrived, the happy days
drew to a close, and the Dark between the Stars slowly came creeping back.
THE REALM OF THE ICONS – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE THIRD HORIZON – Kaldana Mourir
Welcome to Coriolis – The Third Horizon! In this role-playing game, you
take on the role of adventurers, traveling the stars.
along your journey, you will experience marvellous things. GAMEMASTER

Ahead lies the greatest adventure of all – and who knows, The last player takes on the role of the Gamemaster (GM).
maybe you will be the ones who change the fate of the Third He describes the world around you, he plays the other
Horizon for good? characters you encounter during your adventures, he
controls the monsters and enemies standing in your way,
PLAYERS and he decides what truths that lie behind the secrets
All players except for one will play adventurers, or Player you uncover.
Characters (PCs). You, the player, decide what your PC does, It’s the GM’s job to put obstacles in your way, to challenge
thinks, and says – but not what challenges she needs to your PCs and to force them to show what they’re truly
overcome. Your job as a player is to bring your PC to life. made of. It’s not his job, however, to decide everything that
Imagine yourself in her position – how would you react, what happens in the game – and certainly not how your story
would you do? The PCs are always the central characters of should end. Over the course of the game, this is what you
the story. The game is about you. Your decisions, your lives. play to find out.
WHAT DO YOU DO?

In Coriolis, the entire Third Horizon lies before you: a vast mysterious world that is the Third Horizon – and perhaps
cluster of star systems containing exotic planets, space sta- learn something about yourselves along the way.
tions and strange artifacts. It is up to you to explore the game
world and unearth its secrets. There are several things you PLOT & SCHEME ONBOARD CORIOLIS
will be doing while playing the game: The factions of the Third Horizon are wrapped up in a nev-
er-ending struggle for power and influence – a game that
CREW A SPACE CRAFT you sooner or later will be forced to engage in. The agents
Your spaceship is your vessel, your base and your home. It of the factions converge on the Coriolis space station, and
is without doubt your most valuable possession and most this is where the lies and the scheming are most intense.
important asset. Onboard your craft, you will experience
both perilous journeys and violent conflicts that will test CARRY OUT MISSIONS
your mettle. In order to survive and build yourselves a better future, you
will have to take on missions. Whether it is hauling Dabaran
EXPLORE THE HORIZON wine to a colony out on the fringes of civilization, spying on a
The Third Horizon is the game world of Coriolis, a gigantic rival faction or acting as bodyguards to a wealthy merchant,
cluster of stars linked together by mystical portals. Together, you will have to work together to accomplish the mission in
you will explore the stars and behold their grandeur. the best way you can.
UNRAVEL SECRETS PRAY TO THE ICONS

The world of Coriolis is full of mysteries and secrets. Who built Icon worship is ever-present in the Third Horizon. Through
the portals? From where did the strange Emissaries arrive? faith, the people find strength, and so will you. When darkness
And what did really happen to the lost faction the Sacrifice of surrounds you and all hope seems lost, a desperate prayer
Nazareem? During your adventures, you will delve into the to the Icons can be what saves your lives.
8
CORIOLIS IN A NUTSHELL
Coriolis – The Third Horizon is a role-playing game set in space. Firstcome, the Horizon’s earliest settlers, and the Zenithians,
There are ships, space stations and starry vistas, just like in descendants to the second wave of colonists arriving onboard
any other space-themed RPG. What separates Coriolis from the Zenith. Although the Firstcome had already established
other sci-fi RPGs is first and foremost the social environment, their culture throughout the Horizon when Zenith arrived,
which in Coriolis is strongly inspired by the Middle East. The the Zenithians have grown to dominate more and more
unique features of the game are listed below. in the last decades, through trade, hostile expansion and
colonization. The Zenithians’ cultural imperialism is a key
ARABIAN NIGHTS – IN SPACE factor in the conflict between the Consortium – a Zenithian
The Coriolis world is inspired by Middle Eastern culture rather faction – and the Firstcome Order of the Pariah.
than the Western one. Food, music and fashion, as well as
religion, philosophy and literature. Most importantly, myths MYSTICISM AND ICON WORSHIP
and folk tales from the Middle East deeply entwine with the Worship of the Icons permeates everything in the world of
spirit of the game world. The Third Horizon is a world where Coriolis. The religion is the smallest common denominator
ancient myth meets high technology. for peoples of the Third Horizon. While faith is strongest
with the Firstcome, especially so amongst the ranks of the
THE OLD VERSUS THE NEW Church of the Icons and the Order of the Pariah, the recently
A central theme to Coriolis is the conflict between the arrived Zenithians have too converted to worshipping the
9
Icons in large numbers. The level of religious commitment THREE TIPS FOR INSPIRATION
varies, from the superstitious hauler crew praying to the
Traveler before a portal jump, to missionaries zealously Watching a TV series or reading a book can help you to
devoted to the holiest of struggles, saving the Horizon get into the right mood for an RPG. Here are three quick
one soul at a time. tips for Coriolis:
◆◆ Firefly, the TV series about the crew onboard a small
THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS freighter vessel, has a lot in common with Coriolis.
The omens have foretold it, and the clergy have preached it for Just trade the Western influence for Arabian Nights.
a long time now: the Dark between the Stars – the unspeakable, ◆◆ Revelation Space and its sequels. These books by
corrupting force at work in the intersection between civilization Alastair Reynolds are full of ancient mysteries and
and the endless nothingness of space – seems to be real. In mythical ruins – just like Coriolis.
Coriolis, the Dark between the Stars plays roughly the role of ◆◆ Alien, by Ridley Scott. Dark, deep-space horror and
the Devil in Earth’s Christianity. retrofuturistic spaceships fit perfectly with the world
of Coriolis.
10
TOOLS OF THE GAME
Your improvisational skill and creativity will be your most the ship sheet, also at the back of the book and available for
important tools when playing Coriolis – The Third Horizon, free download to keep track of what happens to your craft.
but there are a bunch of other tools in the game that will
help you build your story. DICE
You decide what your PC does, but if your actions are espe-
CHARACTER AND SHIP SHEETS cially risky, the GM will ask you for a dice roll to determine if
Your PCs are no anonymous dime-a-dozens. You are individ- you are successful or not. Treat your dice well, because out
uals, each with your own roles and tasks, unique attributes there in the darkness, whether you live or die will sometimes
and traits, relationships and dreams. In Coriolis – The Third come down to chance.
Horizon, you create your PC and write everything about him
or her down on a character sheet. A character sheet can be MAPS AND PLANS
found at the back of this book for you to make copies of, and Inside the front cover of the book you will find a map of the
on the Free League website. The website also provides free Third Horizon, to use when you plan your space travel. Several
downloads of character sheets. The next chapter will help detailed ship plans are also provided in Chapter 7. Use these
you create your PC. But your PCs are not everything; in to get an overview of your, or someone else’s, spaceship. Both
Coriolis, your spaceship is your most prized possession. Use maps and ship plans are free to download from our website.
THE THIRD HORIZON

The Third Horizon, commonly just “the Horizon”, consists THE PORTALS
of 36 star systems joined through space and time by mystic Mankind had discovered a remnant from a highly advanced
portals. The Horizon of today is a melting pot of different culture, which they named the Portal Builders. The portals
cultures, peoples and factions. opened the way for humanity to travel the stars, and a new
golden age began. Colonization vessels sought out distant
ZENITH AND NADIR stars, establishing the First and Second Horizons. Finally, the
Many hundreds of years ago, two colossal colonization vessels Third Horizon was reached, and it became a haven for radicals
left Earth. Their names were Zenith and Nadir, and their des- and freethinkers from the first two horizons. Earth-like worlds
tination the star Aldebaran. The crews lived their lives aboard were discovered and colonized, massive palaces and temples
the ships, through centuries of deep space travel. One of the erected – civilization slowly spread across the Third Horizon.
ships, the Nadir, was lost somewhere in the darkness during
the voyage, without leaving any trace. The Zenith continued, THE PORTAL WARS
alone, and after traversing the empty void, finally reached its Eventually, the First Horizon wanted to reclaim the systems
destination. But the humans onboard discovered that they that had freed themselves. The newborn separatist powers,
were not the first to arrive in the Third Horizon. headed by the Order of the Pariah, resisted, and war broke
They arrived in an already colonized cluster of star systems, out. The slaughter lasted for several years, but ended when
linked by ancient portals. A long time after the departure the star fleets of the Third Horizon finally wiped out the First
of Zenith, the ruling powers of Earth had discovered one Horizon’s lackeys – a faction called the Sacrifice of Nazareem
of these portals, and through it a shortcut to what became – and closed all portals to the other horizons. The terrible war
known as the Third Horizon. left in its wake remnants of once great armadas, rifts in the
11
fabric of spacetime, and cities, whole planets even, scorched
and destroyed.
ZENITH
When the silence after the war was at its deepest, Zenith
finally arrived in the Third Horizon. The massive arkship
found its original destination already colonized – by the lords
and emirs of Dabaran. After traveling the war-torn Horizon,
Zenith decided on the cluster’s central system, Kua, as its
new home. However, a mutiny aboard soon divided the crew.
The captain’s family fled the ship and settled on the planet
Kua’s surface below. The remaining colonists cannibalized
their ship, rebuilding it into the great space station Coriolis
and declared a new era in the Third Horizon – a time for
trade, reawakening and peace.
ZENITHIANS AND THE FIRSTCOME

Descendants of the crew of Zenith call themselves Zenithians,
while the peoples of the first colonization wave call them-
selves the Firstcome, as they view themselves as the Horizon’s
original settlers. Among the latter however, many have begun
identifying as Zenithians, despite not being blood related
to the crew of Zenith. This is most common among those
who regard themselves as progressive, and who share the
Zenithians’ practical take on the Icons and life in general.
CORIOLIS AND KUA

The center of the Third Horizon is the Kua system, where
the space station Coriolis orbits the green jungles of the
planet Kua. The system is also home to the burning hot
planet Lubau, the acidified Jina, an asteroid belt, the gas
giant Xene, the ice planet Surha and, farthest out, an outer
asteroid belt where only one of the nine sectors is inhabited.
Most of the system’s inhabitants live on the planet Kua. There,
many dwell close to an ancient wonder left behind by the
Portal Builders – a gigantic monolith, made habitable by the
Zenithians – or in the industrial conglomerate that stretches
along the planet’s equator.
THE FACTIONS
When the Zenithians founded Coriolis, they sent word to all major
powers in the Third Horizon to come to the space station and
set up a council for peace and trade. The invitees became known
as factions, and the Council a force for peace and commerce,
12
albeit some conflicts remained unsolved. The council factions CONFLICT
of today are the Consortium, a group of powerful corporations; Today, new conflicts are flaring up, and old ones are emerging
the Zenithian Hegemony, the descendants of the captain family again in the Horizon. The intrigue surrounding the factions
onboard Zenith; the Free League, the union of free traders; the thickens, and matters usually settled with a signature or a
mercenaries of the Legion; the secretive Draconites; the divine handshake are now taken to the battlefield. Firstcome revolts
iconocrates of the Order of the Pariah; Ahlam’s Temple, with its against the Zenithian factions, particularly the Consortium,
courtesans and philosophers; and lastly the people’s church, are erupting everywhere. The factions fight each other in
the Church of the Icons. Two additional groups are regarded as proxy wars, through rebel forces, mercenaries, corsairs
factions although they are not represented at the Council: the and toll ships.
criminal network the Syndicate, and the nomads in the Nomad In the midst of all this chaos, a new phenomenon has
Federation. Tradition divides the council into Zenithian (the first come to light in the Horizon – people are suddenly showing
four factions mentioned above) and Firstcome factions (the four signs of powers said to be reserved for the Icons themselves.
latter). The Syndicate is usually considered Zenithian and the They can tell the future, see things worlds away and even
Nomad Federation, Firstcome. conjure up fire from empty air. These new mystics are a
dangerous element to the rest of the population, as they
THE EMISSARIES are not yet in full control of their powers.
As the Third Horizon had just begun to blossom again, and
harmony had returned to the Council of factions, the peace was POSSIBILITIES
suddenly broken. From the depths of the gas giant Xene rose The new era does however bring with it many new opportu-
the faceless Emissaries. Spectres from another world, Icons or nities for adventurers like you and your group: trading with
Portal Builders? The theories about their origins are many. The far-off systems, solving conflicts with your trusty Vulcan
Emissaries demanded a seat at the Council – and got one. One carbine, spying on shady corporations or factions, escorting
of the Emissaries claimed itself an incarnation of the Icon the travelers and pilgrims, delivering important messages as
Judge, to which the Order of the Pariah cried “sacrilege!” and couriers, or searching for secrets in the ruins of old, be it
closed their home system to all travel. A new age of shadows the remnants of the Portal Builders or the looming wrecks
and suspicion has dawned, and the peoples of the Horizon all from the Portal Wars. All this and much more is at your
wonder: what is the true agenda of the Emissaries? feet in Coriolis – The Third Horizon!
13
CHAPTER 2
your characters
Zoura Sadaldin was not just anyone. Born of a tailor and a laundress in the
shadow of the Monolith, her upbringing was modest, but the Icons had bigger
plans for her. That she would one day play a key part in the greatest battle of the
Portal Wars was nothing that anyone foresaw.
ZOURA SADALDIN – THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A HERO – Rumsah Shamhzin
It is time to create the main characters in your story: the Player
Characters (PCs). In Coriolis, your PC is your avatar, your eyes and ears in
the Third Horizon. But she relies on you to make wise decisions. Take your
PC seriously and portray her as if she were an actual person – that will
create the most rewarding experience. But don’t try to shield your PC from
every danger – the object of the game is to create an exciting story, and to
do this you will have to take some risks!
creating your pc is preferably done together with the other Your task is to create a team where all the PCs contribute
players. Your PC is part of a group, and has her role to play. something unique.
THE GROUP
Before creating your PCs, you should decide together what from goats on ice or farm machinery to candied Kabra bugs
kind of group your PCs make up. Your group can consist of and illegal Vulcan carbines. In small freighters or enormous
all kinds of individuals – the group concept only outlines your bulk haulers, you travel silent routes in an ocean of cold
most basic reason for sticking together in the Third Horizon. starlight. Slipping past corrupt toll collectors, blockade ships
The group concept will also tell you what type of ship you and corsairs is all part of your thrilling lives.
will begin play with, what group talent you will have, and
who your patron and nemesis will be. There are five group The Free Traders group concept can also be used for:
concepts to choose from: Agents, Mercenaries, Free Traders, ◆◆ Smugglers carrying illegal cargo to the highest bidder.
Pilgrims and Explorers. ◆◆ Bulk haulers on lonely routes with heavy loads.
◆◆ Couriers delivering valuable information.
CREATE YOUR GROUP

Possible character concepts (with sub-concepts) for PCs as
1. Pick a group concept. a group of Free Traders:
2. Pick your spaceship. ◆◆ negotiator (peddler). If it wasn’t for you, the crew would still
3. Pick your group talent. be delivering livestock to the asteroid belt. You make sure those
4. Pick your patron. sweet birr end up in your bank account.
5. Pick your nemesis. ◆◆ pilot (freighter pilot). Someone needs to fly this thing.
◆◆ scientist (technician). A ship is only as good as its mechanic
or technician. You make sure the group gets anywhere at all.
◆◆ ship worker (deckhand). There is always something that needs
y FREE TRADERS doing onboard. The others may think that you mainly scrub
Commerce is what greases the wheels of the Third Horizon, air filters, but there is no one who knows the ship like you do.
and the hub of trade in the region is the space station Coriolis. ◆◆ ship worker (dock worker). You oversee the cargo – a crap
The free traders are the entrepreneurs and innovators of the job some would say, but this is far from true. Without you, the
Horizon, embracers of the new order – with a few exceptions. crew wouldn’t earn a single birr.
Tariffs, tolls, and bureaucrats looking to make a quick buck ◆◆ soldier (legionnaire). Corsairs, mercenaries, smugglers.
abusing the trade system are all things despised by any free The list of cold-blooded fighters out there in the Dark is long.
trader. As Free Traders, you will portal jump between the You and your Vulcan carbine protect the group when the going
different systems of the Third Horizon, hauling everything gets rough.
16
YOUR CHARACTERS
y MERCENARIES discipline. In a crisis, you are quick to take charge.

Not all can enjoy the peace and prosperity of the new era. Old ◆◆ soldier (legionnaire). The backbone of any mercenary group.
wounds fester in the dark, and the absence of peace means You could be anything from a field medicurg, to a weapons
plenty of job opportunities for people like you: Mercenaries. expert or a marine. Regardless, you and your trusty carbine get
As such, you are often both feared and scorned, yet valuable the job done.
pawns in the power plays of the factions. Mercenaries can be ◆◆ trailblazer (scout). You make sure your surroundings are
anything from Legionnaires to hired guns for the Consortium. clear, be it in the hills of the Xifas ridge or the scrap belt around
Typical jobs for you would be crushing rebels on Uharu-9, hunt- Qugassa. You could be a sniper, a scout, an ex-burglar or a
ing corsairs in the Border Space, or toppling Dabaran pashas. sensor specialist.
◆◆ pilot (fighter pilot). Someone has to fly the iron fist you call
The Mercenaries group concept can also be used for: your ship, or land your drop pod or armored hovercraft.
◆◆ Corsairs plundering careless free traders on lonely routes. ◆◆ scientist (technician). Tending to your death machines is a
◆◆ Rebels fighting to free their people from oppression. rigorous job. Without someone to look after the crew’s equip-
◆◆ Tactical teams performing whatever military operations the ment, you’d soon be worth about as much as skavara droppings
factions might require. in a dung plant.
◆◆ operative (spy). You are the group’s expert on alarm systems
Possible concepts (with sub-concepts) for PCs as a group and infiltration, and your network of contacts is vast. With your
of Mercenaries: help, the jobs run smoother and require less Vulcan hails than
◆◆ soldier (officer). Without you, the group would be without they otherwise would.
17
y EXPLORERS ◆◆ trailblazer (prospector). You know how to find all the
The Horizon is full of mysteries to uncover. You are truth seekers Horizon’s riches, from ice ore or Helium-3 to shipwrecks or
who refuse to settle for the Bulletin’s oversimplified version the finest timber.
of reality. It’s all there, if you just scratch the surface a little. ◆◆ scientist (technician). Whether it’s calibrating the macroscope
Explorers not only delve into the past, they also push beyond the and the deep space sensors, or repairing the colony’s old grav
frontiers of the Horizon – as colonists, curious anthropologists tractor, you are essential to the group.
or traveling journalists. As Explorers, you dig through the frozen ◆◆ pilot (freighter pilot). The crew would get nowhere without
ruins on Surha, the remnants of the Portal Builders in the jungles you, especially if the destination is somewhere no one’s been
of Kua, or search for forgotten colonies along the Enau Arm. in a while.
◆◆ trailblazer (scout). As a colonist or pathfinder, you are vital
The Explorers group concept can also be used for: to discovering both valuables and threats during your travels.
◆◆ Prospectors seeking valuable minerals in dangerous asteroid belts. ◆◆ data spider (correspondent). You are the number one news
◆◆ Colonists valiantly claiming new settlements for the peoples hunter. No truths slip by your keen eyes and ears.
of the Horizon.
◆◆ Correspondents reporting the news no one else dares to. y AGENTS
Birr and Legionnaires are not always the best tools for a
Possible concepts (with sub-concepts) for PCs as a group faction – sometimes, more subtle means are required. This
of Explorers: is where the Agent cells come in. Typical jobs for a group of
◆◆ scientist (archaeologist). Whether it’s digging for ruins in Agents might be infiltrating Dabaran courts, assassinating
the desert or mapping the mysterious gravitation pools, you are dignitaries, tracking down lost relatives, or just keeping the
an explorer in the truest sense. scum on Coriolis in check.
18
YOUR CHARACTERS
The Agents group concept can also be used for: make the peoples of the Horizon understand the greatness of
◆◆ Judicators keeping the Coriolis station free from criminals. the Icons.
◆◆ Assassins making sure that troublemakers disappear. ◆◆ negotiator (diplomat). You are the one who makes sure that
◆◆ Detectives for hire. your crew always gets to your destinations – acquiring new
passports and papers with the correct stamps, as well as paying
Possible concepts (with sub-concepts) for PCs as a group the occasional bribe.
of Agents: ◆◆ ship worker (deckhand). You can work just about anywhere,
◆◆ operative (spy). You are the core of the cell with your skill set be it on a ship or in a bar – someone with a broad skill set is
of infiltration, subtle cons, and surveillance. always needed, and that someone is you.
◆◆ trailblazer (scout). If anyone can follow a trail – in a crowded ◆◆ artist (courtesan). As a master of the arts of pleasure, you can
bazaar or on the vast savannah – it’s you. perform anything from a chai ceremony to intricate dances and
◆◆ soldier (officer). All groups need organization and contacts, the sacred Algolan incense prayers.
things you possess as well as practical knowledge of combat ◆◆ negotiator (peddler). You are a traveling merchant, supplying
and social interaction. whatever people are demanding.
◆◆ artist (courtesan). You are the true manipulator. Your skill and
reputation gets you in anywhere, and what you need doing done. SPACESHIP
◆◆ data spider (correspondent). You dig through old archives, Your PCs will begin play with a spaceship. Decide together as
Bulletin logs and info terminals. No stored information is out a group which spaceship to pick using the rules and tables in
of your reach. Chapter 7. Your most logical choice would be a ship suited to
your group concept, but nothing prevents you from picking
y PILGRIMS one with entirely different qualities. You could also choose
The Pilgrimage is an important rite for everyone in the to design your ship from scratch using the ship construction
Horizon, and for some it is their calling. Other pilgrims rules in Chapter 7. Regardless of your choice, you will begin
travel for different reasons than to visit the holy sites: look- your adventures in debt.
ing for work, searching for wisdom, or spreading joy to the
Horizon as traveling circuses. Lastly, there are the nomads DEBT
of the Horizon. They usually remain in one system or one As you begin playing, you will not yet entirely own your space-
sector, but sometimes they also travel through the dangerous craft. Depending on the ship type you choose, a sizeable
portal fields. Regardless of why you travel, your lives will be debt will lie between you and calling the ship your very own.
hard and painful. Getting to visit the Dome of the Icons on As you begin playing, your collective debt will be 50% of the
Coriolis, the Leaning Prayer Tower on Algol, Mira’s Icon City, ship's original value. Who you owe the money to is up to you
or the temple city of Lotus on Dabaran is achieved only by the to decide – it could be to your patron, some other NPC, or
truly dedicated – as is experiencing the joy of the audience as maybe your nemesis! Whomever you owe the money to will
Kassar the Nimble performs his triple salto mortale. expect regular payments from you – estimate 5% of the total
debt per year in monthly payments. In other words, already
The Pilgrims group concept can also be used for: from the start you will have a very good reason to make sure
◆◆ “Hands” – traveling workers taking jobs where they are to be you make enough birr to keep your ship flying. If you play your
found. cards right you might even find yourselves the rightful owners
◆◆ Traveling circuses made up of entertainers and performers. of your very own spaceship, but it’s a long road getting there.
◆◆ Space nomads, perpetually trudging the starry void.
GROUP TALENTS
Possible concepts (with sub-concepts) for PCs as a group When creating your group, pick one of the talents connected
of Pilgrims: to your group concept. Everyone in the group can use this
◆◆ preacher (missionary). You preach, see visions, and strive to talent. Talents are described in Chapter 4.
19
PATRON AND NEMESIS
The Third Horizon is a hard place, and getting anywhere
without help is difficult. It has become something of tradition
for smaller ship crews to ally themselves with a powerful
benefactor. As a group, pick a patron from your group concept
list below. If you’d rather come up with a patron of your own,
you may, as long as the GM agrees. You will also begin play
with an enemy, a nemesis who can suddenly turn up to spoil
your plans, or stay in the shadows as a lurking threat. Just
like the patron, the nemesis is described briefly below. Pick
a nemesis from the list or come up with one of your own.
y THE FREE TRADERS’ PATRON/NEMESIS

◆◆ Aldair Jubal (Jubal Imports & Exports). A shady peddler from
Djachroum, making sure the flow of spices, drugs and weapons
continues.
◆◆ Abdul Nasr (the Free League). A merchant specializing in tech-
nological artifacts, operating out of Ozone Plaza on Coriolis.
◆◆ Lea Marhoun (Zenithian Trade Alliance). An antiques dealer
from the Monolith, specializing in trade in artifacts and archae-
ological findings.
◆◆ Mukhtar Sawalla (Hyperion Logistics). An agent of a Consortium-
owned corporation, running bulk haulers all over the Horizon.
y THE MERCENARIES’ PATRON/NEMESIS

◆◆ Hatma “The Skull” Kerash (the Legion). A recruiter for the
Legion but also involved in running operations that are too dirty
for Legion standards.
◆◆ Captain Arina Chike (the Chike Company). An exiled Hegemonist
who raids faction ships in Kua’s outer rim from a secret base.
◆◆ High General Abassar Douk (the Free Uharan Army). A leader
of rebel forces all across the Menkar arm, an idealist and a
pragmatist in one.
◆◆ Farhad Krisma (Strike Team Krisma). An ex-judicator, now hired
by the Consortium for interventions against rebels and agents
of other factions.
y THE EXPLORERS’ PATRON/NEMESIS

◆◆ Doctor Wana (the Foundation’s Archaeological Institute). An
unconventional archaeologist, happy to get her hands dirty
searching for findings in the sector of the Lady of Tears.
◆◆ Professor Omalda darBhouno (the Mathematical Institute of
Daddah). A brilliant mathematician with his heart set on explaining
every mystery in the Horizon, including the Icons themselves.
20
YOUR CHARACTERS
◆◆ Jarros Kumbra (the Colonial Agency). One of the few within everything that could affect the League’s activities in the Horizon.
the Agency passionate about founding new colonies, however
unsafe they may be. y THE PILGRIMS’ PATRON/NEMESIS
◆◆ Drefusol Amadi (Free News). A media mogul with the ambition ◆◆ High Priestess Taminasah-Buri (the Church of the Icons). A
to reach places even the Bulletin cannot. woman of the faith, supporting all of the Horizon’s believers
seeking the truth of the Icons.
y THE AGENTS’ PATRON/NEMESIS ◆◆ High General Abassar Douk (the Free Uharan Army). A leader of rebel
◆◆ Captain Girrah (Judicator). Completely loyal to the Governor of forces all across the Menkar arm, an idealist and a pragmatist in one.
Coriolis, and prepared to counter any threat to the station, even ◆◆ Captain Mero (commander of the bulk hauler “Mero’s Promise”).
if it means breaking the rules. A generous soul who lets anyone travel onboard his ship as long
◆◆ Jihvane Kourides (Special Branch of the Consortium). A field agent as they help out in some way.
rising through the ranks who will stop at nothing to climb even higher. ◆◆ Io “the Smile” Xoma (circus director). Owner of several traveling
◆◆ Hiram “the Black Widow” Momasdi (Ahlam’s Black Lotuses). An circuses in the Kua system.
aged madam who is secretly an assassin, offering her customers ◆◆ Shuja Mulk-Chitral (leader of the Mehtar nomads). Started
anything but pleasure. the Hargadour rebellion to unite the nomads in the sector of
◆◆ Nefrite Garroud (the Free League’s news division). Wants to know the Lady of Tears.
THE PLAYER CHARACTER

When you have decided on what type of group you will be BACKGROUND
playing, it is time to create your individual characters. The The first thing you must do is to decide on your PC’s back-
Player Character (PC) is your alter ego in the game. It is ground. Where are you from? How did you grow up? Are
through her you will experience the Third Horizon. you a normal human or a humanite? The answers will be the
foundation on which to build your PC.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR PLAYER CHARACTER
y ORIGIN
6. Choose your background. Origin means both which star system you come from, and
7. Choose a concept. whether you’re of the Firstcome or a Zenithian. An important
8. Determine your Reputation score. part of the Third Horizon’s history is the two waves of colo-
9. Choose a name. nization that have swept across the systems. The Firstcome
10. Choose your appearance. have been living in the Horizon for hundreds of years, but
11. Distribute your attribute points. have been isolated from each other for a long time. The
12. Determine your Hit Points and Mind Points. Zenithians are newcomers who have opened up the trade
13. Distribute your skill levels. routes and furthered contact between the systems once again.
14. Choose a talent. Roll to determine your home planet on table 2.1 on the next
15. Randomly determine your Icon and Icon talent. page. Your origin has no mechanical effect; it merely tells
16. Choose a personal problem. you something about who your PC is.
17. Choose your relationships to the other PCs.
18. Choose your gear. y UPBRINGING

19. Choose your crew position. Are you from a remote colony in the jungle that now covers
a ruined metropolis from the first wave of colonization? Or
did you grow up among the traveling nomads, going from
21
ZENITHIANS AND THE FIRSTCOME
station to station, living off odd jobs or selling handicrafts?
Zenithians often have a pragmatic view of the Perhaps you were born into one of the old Zenithian blood-
world, and place their trust in science as much as lines, brought up according to the old traditions?
in the whims of the Icons. They regard themselves You can choose between the upbringings Plebeian,
as being more modern than the superstitious Stationary or Privileged (see table 2.2). The Plebeians are
Firstcome, and claim to be the champions of suc- the lower class of the Horizon, workers as well as planetside
cess, progress and leadership. The Firstcome, on colonists and nomads. People raised on major space stations
the other hand, view themselves as more spiritual or asteroids are called Stationary. The Privileged are the high-
and with a deeper connection to the Icons than est of the social strata – bureaucrats and factory owners in
the Zenithians. For the Firstcome, both close and the Conglomerate, Dabaran pashas, and wealthy merchants
extended family matters greatly, and old myths on Coriolis, pure-blooded Hegemonists in the Monolith.
from many generations back take precedence over Your environment growing up affects many aspects of your
modern history. Read more about Zenithians and PC: your attributes, skills and Reputation score at the start
Firstcome in Chapter 10. of the game, as well as your starting capital.
y HUMANITES
Not everyone in the Horizon is a normal human, or a “pure-
blood” as the older Hegemonists would say. Some groups of
people are biosculpted. These “humanites”, as they are called,
HUMANITES
are often found in primitive tribes on distant planets or aban-
doned space stations. Common folk view the humanites as
◆◆ SIRB get the talent Pheromones. sub-human and dirty, but they are usually superbly fitted to life
◆◆ XINGHUR get the talent Resistant. in the environment they were designed for. You can only choose
◆◆ NERID get the talent Water Breathing to play a humanite if you choose the upbringings Plebeian or
Stationary. If you play a humanite PC, your starting Reputation
is halved – it’s 1 for Plebeians and 2 for Stationaries. In return
however, you get a talent connected to your biosculpting. Read
more about humanites in Chapter 10. You can create your own
TABLE 2.1 HOME SYSTEM
humanites using inspiration from the ones in the book.
D6 SYSTEM CHARACTER CONCEPT

1 ALGOL – a planet of rebels, ruined by heavy When your background has been decided upon, it is time to
industry and under draconian Consortium
rule.
figure out what you have done in your life up to this point –
your concept. The concept tells you what you do for a living.
2 MIRA – the cradle of Firstcome culture, filled
with temples, churches and cloister palaces. Each concept contains several sub-concepts to give your PC
more detail. Your concept affects your attributes, which skills
3 KUA – the center of the Horizon, home to the
space station Coriolis. and talents you can choose from at the start of the game,
4 DABARAN – a barren desert with ravine sera-
your gear, your relationships and your personal problem.
glios, oasis gardens, and domed palaces. All of the concepts are described at the end of this chapter.
5 ZALOS – deeply devoted to the Icon the Martyr
(an incarnation of the Judge), locked in con- Contacts: Your sub-concept determines what network of
stant civil war with the heathens.
contacts you will have access to. If you’re in a place where
6 CHOOSE – check the map of the Third Horizon the GM decides that you might find former colleagues, you
and read Chapter 13 for inspiration.
can roll for Manipulation to find a useful contact.
22
YOUR CHARACTERS
CONCEPTS AND SUB-CONCEPTS TABLE 2.2 UPBRINGING
◆◆ ARTIST – Courtesan, Musician, Poet UPBRINGING PLEBEIAN STATIONARY PRIVILEGED
◆◆ DATA SPIDER – Analyst, Correspondent, Data Djinn ATTRIBUTE 15 14 13

POINTS
◆◆ FUGITIVE – Criminal, Mystic, Revolutionary
SKILL POINTS 8 10 12
◆◆ NEGOTIATOR – Agitator, Diplomat, Peddler
◆◆ OPERATIVE – Assassin, Guardsman/-woman, Spy
REPUTATION 2 4 6
◆◆ PILOT – Driver, Fighter Pilot, Freighter Pilot STARTING 500 birr 1,000 birr 5,000 birr
CAPITAL
◆◆ TRAILBLAZER – Colonist, Prospector, Scout
◆◆ PREACHER – Ascetic, Missionary, Prophet
◆◆ SCIENTIST – Archaeologist, Medicurg, Technician
◆◆ SHIP WORKER – Deckhand, Dock Worker, Engineer
◆◆ SOLDIER – Legionnaire, Mercenary, Officer
Example
Jessica is creating the PC Sabah, Trailblazer and
Prospector. Sabah is of a Firstcome origin with a
NAME & APPEARANCE Stationary background, born and raised on Kua. As a
When you know your concept, it is time to pick a name and Stationary, her Reputation score is 4, and her chosen
decide how you look. Each concept has a list of suggested character concept Trailblazer will not modify this.
names, facial features and clothing – choose from the list or
come up with something of your own. Note choices down on
your character sheet. Name and appearance will not affect the
game in any mechanical sense, but are of course important
to bring your PC to life.
REPUTATION
Your Reputation is a rating that decides your social position
and standing in the Horizon. Your Reputation is determined
by your upbringing and modified by your concept. If you
play a humanite, your Reputation is lowered (page 22). Your
Reputation can change over the course of the game (page 28).
Your Reputation score determines how easily you can manip-
ulate people (page 62), and how others generally treat you.
ATTRIBUTES
Your four attributes determine your basic composition, what
natural characteristics you were born with. Attributes range
from 1 to 5 for normal humans, and a higher number is PLAYING A SEMI-INTELLIGENCE?
better. The attribute scores are used when you roll dice for
important actions in the game. When you create your PC, you You could create a PC from one of the semi-intelli-
get a pool of points to spend on your attributes – how many gent species nekatra, ekilbri or skavara. Make sure
depends on your upbringing. You must assign at least 2 and at that the other players are fine with it, and then have
most 4 points to each attribute, with an exception of the key the GM check the rules for semi-intelligent species
attribute for your concept, in which you can place 5 points. in Chapter 14.
23
◆◆ strength – Raw, physical strength and physique.
Example ◆◆ agility – Your overall body control and motor skills.
As Sabah comes from a Stationary background, ◆◆ wits – Intelligence, alertness and sharpness of mind.
Jessica gets 14 points to spend on attributes. ◆◆ empathy – Your charisma, empathy and ability to manipulate
She gives Sabah Strength 2, Agility 3, Wits 5 and others.
Empathy 4. She gets 5 Hit Points and 9 Mind Points.
HIT POINTS AND MIND POINTS
Life in the Third Horizon will no doubt be tough on both your
body and your mind – read more in Chapter 5. To measure
how much trauma you can take, the game uses two numeric
TABLE 2.3 SKILL LEVELS
ratings: Hit Points (HP) and Mind Points (MP).
◆◆ You have a number of HP equal to your Strength + Agility scores.
SKILL LEVEL ABILITY HP are degraded by damage.
1 Novice ◆◆ You have a number of MP equal to your Wits + Empathy scores.
2 Capable MP are degraded by stress.
3 Competent
4 Experienced
5 Master
GENERAL SKILLS
◆◆ DEXTERITY (Agility)
◆◆ FORCE (Strength)
◆◆ INFILTRATION (Agility)
◆◆ MANIPULATION (Empathy)
◆◆ MELEE COMBAT (Strength)
◆◆ OBSERVATION (Wits)
◆◆ RANGED COMBAT (Agility)
◆◆ SURVIVAL (Wits)
ADVANCED SKILLS
◆◆ COMMAND (Empathy)
◆◆ CULTURE (Empathy)
◆◆ DATA DJINN (Wits)
◆◆ MEDICURGY (Wits)
◆◆ MYSTIC POWERS (Empathy)
◆◆ PILOT (Agility)
◆◆ SCIENCE (Wits)
◆◆ TECHNOLOGY (Wits)
24
YOUR CHARACTERS
TABLE 2.4 SKILL POINTS

SKILLS
The next step is picking skills. These are important, as they, UPBRINGING POINTS TO SPEND
along with your attributes, determine how effectively you can Plebeian 8
act in the game. There are 16 skills in the game, and they’re Stationary 10
all described in detail in the next chapter. Your mastery of a Privileged 12
certain skill is called your skill level and is a number from 0
to 5 – the higher, the better. Skills and their use are described
in detail in Chapter 3.
General and Advanced: The skills are divided into two groups:
general and advanced. See the adjacent lists. Each skill is also
connected to one of your attributes. You can always roll dice
for a general skill even if your skill level is zero – just roll dice Example
for the corresponding attribute. To use an advanced skill, you Sabah, being Stationary, gives Jessica 10 points
need at least a skill level of 1. to spend on skills. She gives the Trailblazer Sabah
Technology 3, Survival 2, Pilot 2, Dexterity 1, Ranged
Starting Levels: When you create your PC, you get a number of Combat 1, and Observation 1. Jessica picks the Nine
skill points to distribute across your skills – how many depends Lives talent for Sabah.
on your upbringing (see table 2.4). You can set your concept
skills to a maximum of level 3, and other skills to a maximum
of 1. You can increase your skill levels during play (see page 28).
TALENTS
Talents are tricks, cheats and abilities that give you an edge
over others. They are more specialized than skills, and are a TABLE 2.5 YOUR ICON
way to give further detail to your PC. Talents are described
in Chapter 4. D66 ICON
You will have three talents at the start of the game – one 11-14 The Lady of Tears
each from your group concept, your character concept, 15-22 The Dancer
and your Icon. You can acquire more talents during play. 23-26 The Gambler
Mystical powers are a special category of talents – they are 31-34 The Merchant
only available to a PC with at least skill level 1 in the Mystic 35-42 The Deckhand
Powers skill. If you begin play as a Mystic, you get to choose
43-46 The Traveler
one free mystical power talent.
51-54 The Messenger
55-62 The Judge
YOUR ICON
The nine Icons are ever-present in the Third Horizon. Almost 63-66 The Faceless
all believe in their power, and the protection they offer from
the Dark between the Stars. Prayers, giving alms and the
burning of incense are common among most people at the
start of a long journey, before signing a business contract or
just to jump-start the old harvester in the shed.
You are born under the sign of one of the Icons. This Icon
will have a tangible impact on your life, and might just lend you
25
supernatural powers. You won’t get to choose your Icon – this ◆◆ THE FACELESS (NO SYMBOL): The seeker among the Icons is never
is up to fate. If you have the Icon deck (sold separately), draw pictured. In temples and on Icon walls there is instead an empty place
a card to see which Icon is yours – otherwise use table 2.5. or alcove, or an asymmetry in the placement of the other Icons.
y ICON TALENTS
The Icon under whose sign you are born will grant you a special
Icon talent. Icon talents work like normal talents, but are gener- PERSONAL PROBLEM
ally more powerful. You can never learn additional Icon talents. As a PC in Coriolis, you have a history. You have been through
something before the beginning of the game that still haunts
THE NINE ICONS
or threatens you – perhaps a mortal enemy, a dark secret or a
strong addiction? Whatever it is, it’s called your personal problem.
The nine Icons worshipped in the Third Horizon are described Each concept lists three suggested personal problems – choose
briefly below, with their symbols in parentheses. Read more about one from the list or come up with one of your own. Your per-
the Icons in Chapter 10. sonal problem is mainly a tool for the GM to create stories and
◆◆ THE LADY OF TEARS (A TEAR): On their way towards the justice of events that feel personal to you, but it also affects how many
the Judge, the dead are accompanied by the Lady of Tears. She also Experience Points you receive after a gaming session (page 28).
consoles the living. The Lady of Tears is a woman dressed in white,
the color of mourning, with traces of tears still on her cheeks. RELATIONSHIPS
◆◆ THE DANCER (A SWEEPING SHAWL): The Dancer is the Icon of As you enter the game, you will already have relationships to
inspiration and perseverance. Sometimes a woman, sometimes the other PCs. These relationships will affect how you gain
a man, mostly androgynous. The Dancer represents the bond Experience Points (see below) and are useful tools for the GM
formed in the union between two lovers, but also unbridled lust to create suspense. When creating your PC, describe your
when appearing as the Musician, playing a lyre or cirra. relationship to each of the other PCs with a short sentence
◆◆ THE GAMBLER (DICE): For the adventurous, the Gambler is a per- on your character sheet. Your concept lists a few suggestions
fect fit. This Icon is often pictured as a little girl stretching her to choose from, or to use as inspiration.
hand towards the beholder, her eyes urging you to take a risk, to
roll the dice. PC Buddy: When you’ve chosen your relationships to the
◆◆ THE MERCHANT (A CHALICE): The portly Merchant, an older man other PCs, you should pick one of them as your buddy – your
dressed in embroidered silk robes, is the Icon of growth, pros- best friend in the group. Check the box next to that person
perity and success. on your character sheet.
◆◆ THE DECKHAND (A KEY): This Icon is usually portrayed as a tired
boy holding a broom. The Deckhand can bless homes and ships, CREW POSITION
if they’re well-kept and the right offerings have been made. You’ve already chosen your spaceship – it is time to decide
◆◆ THE TRAVELER (A SHIP): For free traders, explorers and colonists, who does what onboard. There are five crew positions:
the Traveler offers protection. The Traveler is often portrayed ◆◆ Captain
as a man with his eyes on the horizon, holding a walking stick, a ◆◆ Engineer
compass or an astrograph. ◆◆ Pilot
◆◆ THE MESSENGER (A SCROLL): The fleet-footed Messenger brings ◆◆ Sensor Operator
news, prayers and omens to wherever the faithful might be. The ◆◆ Gunner
Messenger is portrayed as a pale boy with a stern face and flam-
ing eyes. Decide as a group who should have which position. The crew
◆◆ THE JUDGE (A SWORD): An old matriarch with a grave face and a positions are mainly important during space combat, which
sword at her side is the common way to picture the Judge. The you can read more about in Chapter 7. You are free to switch
Judge’s realm is that of justice and due punishment. positions during play, so the choice is not permanent. The
26
YOUR CHARACTERS
space combat chapter describes how to proceed if you have

fewer than five PCs in the group. If you have more than five
PCs, you can either share positions, or crew other stations Example
onboard, like the medlab, the hangar etc.. Sabah is possessed by something from the Dark
between the Stars. It sometimes takes over, causing
GEAR seizures or memory loss.
The last step in the PC creation process is for you to pick your
starting gear. Your concept gives you a few choices. You can
purchase extra gear during play (see the price lists for goods
and services in Chapter 6).
CREW CARDS
Starting Capital: The currency in the Third Horizon is called
the birr. Your upbringing (see above) determines how many For each of the positions, there is a Crew Position Card sup-
birr you start the game with, along with your starting gear. plied in the Icon Card Deck (sold separately), which includes
Transactions involving birr are mostly handled electronically, a summary of the actions possible for each crew position.
using so-called tags. These cards are not needed for play, but are very handy.
ENCUMBRANCE
Each of your possessions should be written down on a row
under Gear on your character sheet. If an object is not on
the list, you don’t have it anymore – you’ve dropped it or
forgotten it somewhere. Generally, you can carry a number
of items equal to your Strength doubled. Note down one
object per row on your character sheet. Talents (Chapter 4)
can increase your carrying capacity.
Heavy and Light Objects: Extra heavy or cumbersome objects

are harder to carry. An object deemed heavy will count double
and thus take up two rows on your sheet instead of one.
Some objects may even require three or more rows. There
are also objects considered light – they require only half
a row, meaning you can have two light items on one row.
Tiny Objects: Even smaller objects than light ones are called
tiny. They are small enough not to affect your encumbrance
at all. A good rule of thumb is, if the item can be concealed
in a closed fist, it is tiny. Tiny items must also be written
down, even if they don’t weigh you down.
Overencumbered: You can temporarily carry more than your

normal load. If you do though, you must roll the Force skill
each time you attempt to move any long distance. If you fail
the roll you must either let go of what you are carrying, or
stop where you are.
27
IMPROVE YOUR CHARACTER
Your PC will not stride unaffected through the Third Horizon.
Your adventures will change you – this is the only certainty in an
uncertain world. Your PC will improve her skills, learn new talents
and change her Reputation score over the course of the game.
EXPERIENCE POINTS
How much you learn during the game is measured in Experience
Points (XP). You get your XP after each session. Have a debrief-
ing and let everyone discuss what happened. For each of these
questions you can answer “yes” to, you get 1 XP:
◆◆ Did you participate in the session? You get 1 XP just for attendance.
◆◆ Did you overcome a difficult challenge, to help your crew to
reach its current goal?
◆◆ Did you put yourself or your crew at risk because of your per-
sonal problem?
◆◆ Did you learn something new about yourself or another PC?
◆◆ Did you sacrifice or risk something for your PC buddy?
◆◆ Did you act in accordance with your Icon?
The GM will have the last say on how many XP each PC gets,
but let everyone speak their mind. Mark your XP in the check-
boxes on your character sheet. After XP have been handed
out, you’re free to change relationships with the other PCs.
LEARNING SKILLS AND TALENTS

When you’ve gathered 5 XP, you can take an advance. An
advance is either increasing a skill level by 1, or learning a
new talent. You can never raise a skill level above 5. You can
learn any new talent, except for Icon talents. When you’ve
taken your advance, erase 5 XP and start getting new ones.
When you’ve got another 5 XP, you can take a new advance.
You are free to save XP as long as you like, before using them.
CHANGING YOUR REPUTATION

Your Reputation in the Horizon can be changed by actions
you take in the game. This is decided after the session, when
XP are handed out. If you’ve done something generally con-
sidered good and heroic, your Reputation is increased by 1. If
you’ve done something generally considered evil or destruc-
tive, your Reputation is decreased by 1. Your Reputation can
never go below zero. Truly remarkable deeds may change
your Reputation several steps. For an action to affect your
Reputation, it must be publicly recognized somehow.
28
YOUR CHARACTERS
29
ARTIST
The Icons live through poetry, songs and
books. You have dedicated your life to the
fleeting moments of Iconic beauty that
your art creates. You know that no culture
is stronger than its art, and you intend to
make sure the Third Horizon is remembered
for something other than chaos, war and
destruction.
30
YOUR CHARACTERS
Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

◆◆ COURTESAN – Well-versed in all the arts of plea- Choose from the list or use your imagination.
sure, you live to share them with others. You could ◆◆ face: Flawless makeup, bedroom eyes, black curls, animate tattoo
be one of the legendary courtesans of Ahlam’s ◆◆ clothing: Silk burra, shining dress, embroidered djellaba,
Temple, a Dabaran mithra, a hierodul from the swirling skirts
Pillar Quadrant, or perhaps an Algolan food artist.
◆◆ MUSICIAN – You are one with your instrument. Your y TALENTS
music can communicate the most triumphant Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
love or the blackest sorrow. You are a street all of the talents.
performer in the Conglomerate, a cirra player, a ◆◆ Beautiful (BIO)
baria chantress or a composer of blood operas in ◆◆ Defensive
the Monolith. ◆◆ Seductive
◆◆ POET – Your words are your art, and they stir strong
emotions in your audience. You might be a psalter y PERSONAL PROBLEM
serving the Church of the Icon, a street poet, a Choose from the list or use your imagination.
Border Space singer, or a tarrab from Algol. ◆◆ You get very jealous when others succeed. It should be your
turn now.
NAMES: Abdalar, Amirah, Havima, Iosop, Masruq, ◆◆ You are insanely stubborn and never give up despite negative
Sani consequences.
◆◆ A faction you have somehow angered is out to get you.
REPUTATION: +1
y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

KEY ATTRIBUTE: Empathy Choose from the list or use your imagination.
… is annoying. He/she just rubs you the wrong way.
Concept Skills: … appreciates your art and is deserving of your time.
◆◆ COURTESAN: Manipulation, Culture, Dexterity, … is your true love. But does he/she feel the same?
Observation … is hiding something. You want to know what.
◆◆ MUSICIAN: Manipulation, Culture, Infiltration,
Observation y GEAR
◆◆ POET: Manipulation, Culture, Dexterity, Infiltration You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
is described in Chapter 6.
1. Hand fan or tabula
2. Opor or environment scanner
3. Exquisite clothing or musical instrument
4. Beautiful (BIO) or rare collection of poems
5. The memoirs of or standing reservation at
Mazelman Alkamaar’s
31
DATA SPIDER
The factions rule the Horizon, and
information guides their actions. If you
can control this information, you will be
powerful. A simple enough equation, but
you are one of the few to have figured it out.
You are a Data Spider, carefully weaving
a complex net of data gathered from the
most obscure sources. You might not be the
sharpest dressed or have a single birr to
your name, but you have information, and
information is power.
32
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ ANALYST – You gather and compile data from many Choose from the list or use your imagination.
different sources and systems. Your info bank ◆◆ face: Flawless makeup, curious eyes, smirking face, wrinkled
can be used to predict anything from the rebels’ forehead
coming offensive, to next segment’s fad in the ◆◆ clothing: Embroidered vest, dark corporate caftan, worn
Spire. You might be a corporate oracle, a data seer, gallabeya, skullcap
or a souk analyst.
◆◆ CORRESPONDENT – You work for the Bulletin y TALENTS
or some smaller news organization, collect- Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
ing and disseminating information. You might all of the talents.
be an embedded war correspondent with the ◆◆ Faction Standing
Legionnaires on Uharu, or a freelance reporter ◆◆ Judge of Character
covering the elephant trade on Algol. Some private ◆◆ Third Eye
detectives are ex-journalists.
◆◆ DATA DJINN – You spend your days by your com- y PERSONAL PROBLEM
puter wherever you are. With a careful whisper, Choose from the list or use your imagination.
you can control and direct complex systems, ◆◆ You are a compulsive thrill seeker. If you see the chance to do
extract classified information from djinn intelli- something foolhardy, nothing can stop you.
gences, or simply destroy info banks and data- ◆◆ You have sworn an oath never to rest until you have apprehended
bases. You could be a meme creator, a data infil- the nemesis of your friend or your family.
trator or just a lowly programmer for the Space ◆◆ Someone knows who you are and who you work for. Unless you
Port Authority. pay up, the news will be spread.
NAMES: Asour, Barika, Fatma, Naim, Omran, Yaqub y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS
Choose from the list or use your imagination.
REPUTATION: ±0 … has a keen eye for what’s important. Watch and learn.
… has the occasional bright idea, but is mostly just a waste
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits of space.
… doesn’t even see you. One day that will change.
Concept Skills: … is your role model. You want to be more like him/her.
◆◆ ANALYST: Data Djinn, Culture, Manipulation,
Science y GEAR
◆◆ CORRESPONDENT: Culture, Manipulation, You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
Infiltration, Observation is described in Chapter 6.
◆◆ DATA DJINN: Data Djinn, Manipulation, Observation,
1. Communicator (IV) or personal holograph
Science
2. Proximity sensor or computer
3. Vulcan cricket or stun gun
4. Tabula or transactor with 1,000 birr
5. Opor or arrash
33
FUGITIVE
You can never stop moving. Always look
over your shoulder. Always sleep with a gun
under your pillow. You are on the run from
the past. It doesn’t matter what you once
may or may not have done – all that matters
is getting to the next hideout, the next safe
haven. But some day you shall be rid of your
pursuers. Some day you will dare sleep with
your back to the door.
34
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ CRIMINAL – You make sure that the birr keeps Choose from the list or use your imagination.
flowing in the back alleys of society, no matter ◆◆ face: Blank stare, facial tattoos, lip ring, shaved head
if it takes threats or even outright violence to ◆◆ clothing: Brown coat, jacket with many pockets, blue patterned
do it. You could be a gang member, a corsair or gallabeya, turban
an opor dealer, maybe even one of the despised
Algolan slavers. y TALENTS
◆◆ MYSTIC – You are on the run, stigmatized and Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
possibly being tracked. Your past life is gone. all of the talents.
Now, you are a prisoner to nightmares and the ◆◆ Intimidating
crippling anxiety over what trouble your powers ◆◆ Mystical Power
will cause next. ◆◆ Nine Lives
◆◆ REVOLUTIONARY – You want to make the Horizon
a better place. To do it, the oppressors must be y PERSONAL PROBLEM
destroyed. You could be a member of the Kuan Choose from the list or use your imagination.
Free Brigades, a rebel on Uharu, or maybe one of ◆◆ A group of zealous Icon believers are on your tail. They know
the Maskless, fighting the regime on Sadaal. about your powers.
◆◆ You suffer from terrible agoraphobia that could set in at any
NAMES: Abbud, Ghazi, Inas, Jibril, Yarah, Zinah moment.
◆◆ You have betrayed a friend who has sworn to get back at you.
REPUTATION: -2

… wishes you harm. Keep your distance.
Concept Skills: … knows your secret. But maybe he/she could understand you.
◆◆ CRIMINAL: Force, Melee Combat, Dexterity, … is principled. A shame it’s the wrong principles, though.
Infiltration … is someone you respect. You hope he/she feels the same
◆◆ MYSTIC: Manipulation, Mystic Powers, Dexterity, way about you.
Infiltration
◆◆ REVOLUTIONARY: Ranged Combat, Dexterity, y GEAR
Observation, Survival You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
1. Anonymous or tag with 500 birr
clothing
2. Communicator (II) or protective clothing
3. Vulcan carbine or Dura sword
4. Thermostatic suit or exo shell
5. Transactor with or mask
fake identity
35
NEGOTIATOR
Words are what keep the Horizon running.
Weapons and threats may have their uses,
but in the end, it’s around the negotiating
table where everything is really settled. You
have realized this, and seen the immense
power that lies in closing a deal when all
hope seems lost. Your sharp intellect and
silver tongue can move mountains.
36
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ AGITATOR – You make sure the people or the cus- Choose from the list or use your imagination.
tomers know what’s important, whether your ◆◆ face: Red face, grave looking, stubble, too much makeup
goal is to stir a revolt or sell a product. Perhaps ◆◆ clothing: Red djellaba with gold embroidery, dress uniform,
you are a rebel prophet, a statistician at the black caftan, head wrap with a gem
Sadaal Institute of Planning, or an ad djinn at a
Consortium firm. y TALENTS
◆◆ DIPLOMAT – You parley and negotiate between the Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
factions and dynasties of the Horizon. A peace all of the talents.
treaty or free trade agreement is usually the goal. ◆◆ Faction Standing
You could be a consul, a trade mission official, or ◆◆ Language Modulator (CYB)
the personal ambassador of a wealthy family. Less ◆◆ Lie Detector (CYB)
glamorous jobs like customs officer or bureaucrat
are also possible. y PERSONAL PROBLEM
◆◆ PEDDLER – You scheme and deal in anything from Choose from the list or use your imagination.
frozen goats to Kuan hardwood. Profit is your ◆◆ You have a protégé that you need to take care of. It could be a
imperative, and birr jingling in your pockets make relative or a friend you owe a debt of gratitude.
you truly happy. You could be a free trader, an ◆◆ You owe money to the Syndicate. They want it back. Now.
import mogul, or the dabra of a souk. Or you could ◆◆ You are greedy, and you just have to scam people if you get the
be working from the shadows as a smuggler or a chance, even your friends.
fence for the Syndicate.
NAMES: Esam, Izzaldin, Minnah, Nada, Radwa, Ubaid Choose from the list or use your imagination.
… is easy to like. And easy to manipulate.
REPUTATION: +1 … is very blunt. You don’t understand each other.
… embarrassed you in front of everybody. You won’t forget
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Empathy that.
… is good with words. You respect that.
Concept Skills:
◆◆ AGITATOR: Data Djinn, Force, Manipulation, Culture y GEAR
◆◆ DIPLOMAT: Command, Culture, Manipulation, You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
Melee Combat is described in Chapter 6.
◆◆ PEDDLER: Culture, Manipulation, Observation, Pilot
1. Tabula or language modulator (CYB)
2. Com link V or voice amplifier
3. Exquisite clothing or kambra (D6 doses)
4. Lie detector (CYB) or language unit
5. Vulcan cricket or mercurium dagger
37
OPERATIVE
You are a professional. You move unnoticed
through the shadows, as comfortable in a
crowded bazaar as in the corridors of power.
Where law and diplomacy end, you begin.
You are an Operative, the long arm of the
powerful, carrying out missions in the dark.
You expect neither laurels nor fame. To you,
a job well done is enough reward in itself.
38
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ ASSASSIN – You make sure that undesirable Choose from the list or use your imagination.
elements disappear – sometimes in public and ◆◆ face: Scarred face, blank stare, cold eyes, crew cut
conspicuous ways, but more often in secret. You ◆◆ clothing: Practical uniform, black gallabeya, long leather coat,
could be one of Ahlam’s Black Lotuses, or maybe a utility vest
hassassin from the Order of the Pariah.
◆◆ GUARDSMAN/-WOMAN – You work for the good of y TALENTS
the people by protecting them from criminals, be Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
it gang members or deadly assassins. You might all of the talents.
be a member of the Coriolis Guard, a Draconite ◆◆ Executioner
dragoon, or a gendarme in the Conglomerate. Or ◆◆ Intimidating
you may serve the law only for pay and work as a ◆◆ Licensed
bounty hunter.
◆◆ SPY – You work for a faction or some other pow- y PERSONAL PROBLEM
erful group, carrying out secret missions and Choose from the list or use your imagination.
espionage. You could be an operative for the ◆◆ You are paranoid and rarely trust anybody.
Consortium’s Special Branch, a judicator, or per- ◆◆ You are being hunted by a powerful group/person, who wants
haps a loathed corporate agent. both you and your loved ones dead.
◆◆ You have a dark secret that could turn everyone against you.
NAMES: Abidah, Kef, Shakir, Salah, Sorbul, Waga

REPUTATION: ±0 Choose from the list or use your imagination.
… can be trusted no matter what.
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Agility … is skillful, but naïve.
… is clumsy. Don’t let him/her near your stuff!
Concept Skills: … has a hidden agenda. You are going to find out what it is.
◆◆ ASSASSIN: Infiltration, Dexterity, Melee Combat,
Ranged Combat y GEAR
◆◆ GUARDSMAN/-WOMAN: Force, Melee Combat, You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
Ranged Combat, Observation is described in Chapter 6.
◆◆ SPY: Data Djinn, Manipulation, Infiltration, Ranged
1. Vulcan cricket or advanced melee weapon
Combat
2. Proximity sensor or computer
3. Modulation mask or mechanical lockpick
4. Recon drone or an assortment of fake identities
5. Security tablet or poison (5 doses)
39
PILOT
Your ship and you are as one. At the helm,
you feel complete freedom and a righteous
Iconic presence. You are never more alive
than when you pierce the Uharan clouds,
when you soar across the Kuan jungles,
or when you defy death by diving into an
asteroid field. Flying is living, and you want
to live more than ever.
40
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ DRIVER – You thrive in your vehicle, free to roam as Choose from the list or use your imagination.
you please across the planet’s surface. You could ◆◆ face: Proud eyes, chiseled features, steely grey eyes, unshaven
be a hoverbike racer in the Conglomerate slums, a ◆◆ clothing: Pilot’s uniform, leather jacket, overalls and safety
caravan driver, or an attack hovercraft pilot. harness, dark green caftan
◆◆ FIGHTER PILOT – You can afford to be cocky and
obnoxious, because you know that in the cockpit y TALENTS
of your fighter, you are a god. Perhaps your ship is Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
a torpedo boat or a breach pod, maybe you are a all of the talents.
corsair hunter or a dogfight ace. ◆◆ Zero-G Training
◆◆ FREIGHTER PILOT – You travel the Horizon’s trade ◆◆ Exo Specialist
routes in a freighter. The Dark between the Stars ◆◆ Targeting Scope (CYB)
doesn’t scare you. You could be a free trader, a
dust trawler, a bulk hauler pilot or an ice miner. y PERSONAL PROBLEM
NAMES: Dhakir, Dunyana, Ghazalah, Hanbal, Ithar, ◆◆ You are reckless and take stupid risks with yourself and your
Nadir ship, even when it isn’t necessary.
◆◆ You hate humanites/the Privileged/nekatra/the Zenithian
REPUTATION: ±0 Hegemony/something else, and will do anything to provoke
one of them if they get close.
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Agility ◆◆ You scare easily and never challenge yourself. Better safe than sorry.
Concept Skills: y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

◆◆ DRIVER: Force, Pilot, Ranged Combat, Survival Choose from the list or use your imagination.
◆◆ FIGHTER PILOT: Data Djinn, Pilot, Ranged Combat, … thinks that you are a rickshaw driver. This annoys you.
Technology … can take a Zero-G roll without throwing up. Impressive.
◆◆ FREIGHTER PILOT: Data Djinn, Force, Pilot, … is a good friend, someone to trust.
Technology … thinks he/she is the captain of this boat. You know that
this is far from true.
y GEAR
You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
1. Tools (Ordinary) or talisman (Pilot +1)
2. Exo shell or hand jet
3. Targeting Scope or communicator (IV)
(CYB)
4. Accelerator pistol or stun weapon
5. Flight suit or exquisite clothing
41
PREACHER
You are convinced that the Third Horizon
is the promised land of the Icons – and it is
your duty to convince its people of this. You
are a preacher, a bringer of holy words, one
of the Icons’ countless pilgrims. Humility,
duty and piety are your virtues. In times
like these, when the Dark between the
Stars grows stronger, you are needed more
than ever.
42
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ ASCETIC – You have dedicated your life to under- Choose from the list or use your imagination.
standing the Horizon and the innermost nature ◆◆ face: Mad eyes, fiery speech, frowning, unruly hair
of the universe. Your road to enlightenment has ◆◆ clothing: Loincloth, black preacher’s gowns, golden headwrap,
been hard. You could be a hermit from the Zhau torn gallabeya
system, one of the yogin of Karast, a philosopher
from the Circle of Seekers or just a simple beggar y TALENTS
monk or nun. Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
◆◆ MISSIONARY – Countless souls wander aimlessly all of the talents.
through the Horizon, but you have the chance to ◆◆ Blessing
save at least a few of them. You might be a traveling ◆◆ Faction Standing
missionary, a Samaritan apprentice or an Iconoturg. ◆◆ Talisman Maker
◆◆ PROPHET – You have seen the Icons’ faces, or
creatures from beyond the Darkness – and the y PERSONAL PROBLEM
people must know. You are a revivalist preacher, a Choose from the list or use your imagination.
flagellant, one of Ahlam’s dance masters or maybe ◆◆ You only see the worst in people, and you can’t trust or accept
a Sogoi shaman. help from anyone.
◆◆ You are indecisive and hesitant to act. You obsess over choices
NAMES: Abdelkadir, Heera, Ibnassar, Jawna, Lunah, and get nothing done.
Salam ◆◆ You have seen the power of the Darkness, and throw a fanatical
fit if signs of Darkness appear near you.
REPUTATION: +1

… doesn’t understand your visions. A lost soul.
Concept Skills: … could be steered onto the right path. You mustn’t give up.
◆◆ ASCETIC: Force, Culture, Dexterity, Science … is probably an unbeliever. Stay clear.
◆◆ MISSIONARY: Culture, Manipulation, Dexterity, … thinks before he/she speaks. Someone you can really talk to.
Survival
◆◆ PROPHET: Force, Culture, Manipulation, y GEAR
Observation You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
1. Blessed scripture or thurible
2. Talisman or cásula (preacher’s robes)
3. Reliquary or written prophecy
4. 10 blessed m-doses or 10 herbal remedies
5. Tabula or writing paraphernalia
43
SCIENTIST
The Horizon is full of mysteries, but they
can all be explained. You are a soldier in
the service of science, your duty is to find
answers where others see only questions.
You work tirelessly, honoring the scientific
method, testing and re-testing your
hypotheses. There are no absolute truths,
only a constantly changing canon of stories
about the creation of the Icons. It’s your job
to write those stories.
44
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ ARCHAEOLOGIST – You dig through the old and the Choose from the list or use your imagination.
forgotten, from ancient ruins to dead stars. You ◆◆ face: Curious eyes, smooth forehead, dirty face, hair bund
could be an astronic at the Yerba Institute, a psy- ◆◆ clothing: Overalls, lab coat, white djellaba, cargo shorts and boots
cho-arithmetist, a Kuan humanologist or a field
archaeologist in an exo shell in the darkness of y TALENTS
Border Space. Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
◆◆ MEDICURG – You work with healing and improving all of the talents.
people, physically as well as spiritually. You could ◆◆ Field Medicurg
be a biosculptor on Ozone Plaza, a Samaritan with ◆◆ Gearhead
the Order of the Pariah, or perhaps a field medi- ◆◆ Wealthy Family
curg in the Legion.
◆◆ TECHNICIAN – You work with anything technical, y PERSONAL PROBLEM
from old sensors to ship reactors. You could be Choose from the list or use your imagination.
a ship engineer on the Harima docks, an artifact ◆◆ You just can’t stay off the kohôl. It makes you impulsive and erratic.
technician with the Consortium or maybe a gun- ◆◆ Bounty hunters are after you, but for something you didn’t do.
smith in a band of mercenaries. ◆◆ A competitor has slandered your good name. One day you shall
have vengeance.
NAMES: Abdelassa, Cantara, Dalal, Omran, Qasim,
Wana y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

REPUTATION: +1 … is almost as smart as you. Impressive.
… has no clue. How can someone possibly be so dumb?
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits … makes you insecure. You don’t know how to interact with
him/her.
Concept Skills: … is so beautiful. But he/she would probably never look
◆◆ ARCHAEOLOGIST: Culture, Observation, Science, your way twice.
Survival
◆◆ MEDICURG: Medicurgy, Manipulation, Observation, y GEAR
Science You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
◆◆ TECHNICIAN: Force, Technology, Observation, is described in Chapter 6.
Science
1. Communicator (III) or proximity sensor
2. Portable lab or computer
3. Exo shell or database
4. Pressure tent or medkit
5. Tools (Advanced) or compass
45
SHIP WORKER
You have always felt the stars calling to
you. Your destiny is to travel the endless
Darkness with your crew. Your ship is your
home and your best friend, and you know
her like the back of your hand. You live a
tough life in a tough profession but you
wouldn’t trade it for anything – you are a
starfarer through and through.
46
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ DECKHAND – It is the little things that make sure a Choose from the list or use your imagination.
spaceship and its crew can function, and you work ◆◆ face: Tired eyes, sweaty face, lank hair, pursed lips
with just those little things. You are a captain’s ◆◆ clothing: Tattooed arms, tank top with a symbol, wide brim
aide, a chef, the master deckhand or maybe a jani- cap, leather jacket
tor on a spaceship.
◆◆ DOCK WORKER – You load and unload cargo in one y TALENTS
of the Horizon’s ports. Your skill with grav loaders Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
and exo suits makes you a vital part of any trade all of the talents.
enterprise. You could be a spaceport worker, exo ◆◆ Exo Specialist
specialist or a river barge rat. ◆◆ Tough
◆◆ ENGINEER – You maintain the technical state of the ◆◆ Zero-G Training
ship. The head engineer will sometimes give you
orders, but most times you just get things done on y PERSONAL PROBLEM
your own. You might be a reactor djinn, a torpedo Choose from the list or use your imagination.
operator or a ship’s mechanic. ◆◆ You have a short fuse and are prone to fits of rage. This often
gets you in trouble.
NAMES: Botou, Dharr, Fida, Ghaada, Hameed, Hamsa ◆◆ You have a cold heart and would never help someone in need
unless you would really benefit from it.
REPUTATION: -1 ◆◆ You have seen the Dark between the Stars, and now, space terrifies
you. Sometimes you are able to conquer your fear.
KEY ATTRIBUTE: Strength

Concept Skills: Choose from the list or use your imagination.
◆◆ DECKHAND: Force, Manipulation, Dexterity, Culture … treats you like a skavara.
◆◆ DOCK WORKER: Force, Melee Combat, Dexterity, … plots to hurt your best friend. You must find out how.
Technology … is your closest friend. You can talk about anything with
◆◆ ENGINEER: Data Djinn, Force, Observation, each other.
Technology … is someone you would follow into death, if needed.
y GEAR
You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
1. Tools (Ordinary) or vacuum sealer
2. Power glove or environment scanner
3. Arrash or tabak
4. Exo loader or exo shell
5. Hyper rope or dura knife
47
SOLDIER
You know what war and violence do to
people. You have seen it up close. Watching
your friend being blown to bits does
something to your soul, alters your mind.
What you also know is that a Vulcan carbine
is power in its absolute form. Violence is
power. You don’t live for killing, but as
long as the factions keep fighting, as long
as the corsairs keep raiding and as long
as someone pays and feeds you, you will
continue doing it. Because you are a soldier,
and it’s just what you do.
48
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ LEGIONNAIRE – You are one with the Legion and Choose from the list or use your imagination.
your comrades. You fight for honor, order and birr, ◆◆ face: Menacing stare, scarred, cybernetic eye, burn marks
although maybe not in that order. You are a ser- ◆◆ clothing: Fatigues, dress uniform, deep black djellaba, long
geant, a nekatra handler, a sniper, or simply just a leather coat
legionnaire soldier.
◆◆ MERCENARY – You follow the conflicts and the y TALENTS
money, usually in a group of like-minded fighters. Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
You could be a rebel fighter, a gun-for-hire, a all of the talents.
nomad clan warrior, or perhaps a specialist in a ◆◆ Combat Veteran
shadow company. ◆◆ Cybernetic Muscles (CYB)
◆◆ OFFICER – You are in command of a unit or a ◆◆ Tough
ship. Your orders are law and you always keep
a cool head when things get ugly. You could be a y PERSONAL PROBLEM
Legionnaire corporal, a Miran temple guard, a Choose from the list or use your imagination.
captain of the Guard or maybe a political officer ◆◆ You are addicted to opor, and use it after doing things on the
with the Sadaal Dogma Institute. battlefield you would rather forget.
◆◆ You are arrogant and condescending toward others.
NAMES: Aqilah, Faridah, Jabbar, Khoury, Wazir, Zahra ◆◆ You are a coward, but try to hide it as best as you can.
REPUTATION: -1 y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

KEY ATTRIBUTE: Agility … fought by your side and saved your life.
… left you for dead. You will never forgive him/her.
Concept Skills: … is highly skilled. A quality you respect.
◆◆ LEGIONNAIRE: Force, Melee Combat, Ranged … is wonderful. He/she will one day be yours.
Combat, Survival
◆◆ MERCENARY: Melee Combat, Dexterity, y GEAR
Observation, Ranged Combat You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
◆◆ OFFICER: Command, Culture, Melee Combat, is described in Chapter 6.
Ranged Combat
1. Heavy armor or mercurium sword
2. Accelerator pistol or vulcan carbine
with sensor scope
3. Frag grenade or cybernetic muscles (CYB)
4. Command unit or advanced scope
5. Communicator (II) or medkit
49
TRAILBLAZER
Curiosity is your poison. You have always
been one to look under every stone, search
every nook and cranny. Your calling is
to unravel the Horizon’s secrets and
mysteries. You know that the future can
be told through the ruins of the past. If
you only dig deep enough and work hard
enough, maybe you will be the one who
discovers a secret so vast it will shake the
Horizon to its very core.
50
YOUR CHARACTERS

◆◆ COLONIST – You are the worker who couldn’t stand Choose from the list or use your imagination.
the slums anymore, and left to start a new life. You ◆◆ face: Weather-beaten, squinting, protective goggles, bald
have only your fists and your skills, but the Horizon ◆◆ clothing: Heavy overalls, crude boots, fur-lined coat, lined caftan
is your oyster. You could be a logger, an asteroid
colonist, a miner or a nomad. y TALENTS
◆◆ PROSPECTOR – Ever the seeker of new worlds and Pick one. You can learn more during play. Chapter 4 details
new riches, for you there are always new expe- all of the talents.
ditions to be planned. You could be a colonial ◆◆ Weatherproof (CYB)
agent, an asteroid wallah, a robber digger or ◆◆ Nine Lives
perhaps a nomad. ◆◆ Rugged
◆◆ SCOUT – You are a self-reliant lone wolf, but you
offer your services to others – if they keep the y PERSONAL PROBLEM
talking to a minimum. You could be a Legionnaire Choose from the list or use your imagination.
scout, a big game hunter, an agent for the Colonial ◆◆ You are stubborn to a fault, never giving up, even if you or your
Agency or even a cat burglar. friends will suffer negative consequences.
◆◆ You have a dark secret that has made you the target of a faction.
NAMES: Amjad, Duro, Evgena, Hakam, Maysam, ◆◆ You are possessed by something from the Dark between the Stars.
Sabah It sometimes takes over, giving you seizures or memory loss.
REPUTATION: ±0 y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

KEY ATTRIBUTE: Wits … survived 10 days in a desert. A worthy friend.
… is always correcting you, even when he/she is wrong.
Concept Skills: … won’t stop talking. One day you will have to do something
◆◆ COLONIST: Force, Dexterity, Ranged Combat, about that.
Survival … always looks so gloomy. What’s eating him/her?
◆◆ PROSPECTOR: Pilot, Technology, Science, Survival
◆◆ SCOUT: Infiltration, Ranged Combat, Observation, y GEAR
Survival You begin play with this gear. Pick one from each row. Gear
1. Recon drone or communicator (V)
2. Dura axe or vulcan carbine
3. 5 m-doses or database
4. Weatherproof (CYB) or exo shell
5. Environment or compass
scanner
51
CHAPTER 3
skills
It has been said about the fourth sultan of Bahari, that nowhere in the Horizon
was there ever a speaker more eloquent. When the raiding parties of rivaling clans
stood at the city gates, the sultan spoke so movingly to them that they turned their
weapons against their leaders and swore eternal loyalty to the sultan instead –
forming the now legendary Bahari bodyguard.
EARLY RULERS OF THE HORIZON – Sora Moradi
You have created your alter ego in
the Third Horizon, and soon you will GENERAL SKILLS
depart on a great adventure in the
Dark between the Stars. But first, ◆◆ DEXTERITY (Agility)
you must learn how to overcome the ◆◆ FORCE (Strength)

◆◆ INFILTRATION (Agility)
obstacles you will encounter – by
◆◆ MANIPULATION (Empathy)
using your skills. ◆◆ MELEE COMBAT (Strength)
◆◆ OBSERVATION (Wits)
there are two kinds of skills: general skills, that anyone can ◆◆ RANGED COMBAT (Agility)
use, and advanced skills, that require specialist training. All ◆◆ SURVIVAL (Wits)
skills are described in detail further on in this chapter. Each
skill is tied to one of your four attributes: strength, agility, ADVANCED SKILLS
wits and empathy.
Both attributes and skills are measured on a scale of 1 to ◆◆ COMMAND (Empathy)
5. A higher score is better. ◆◆ CULTURE (Empathy)
◆◆ DATA DJINN (Wits)
ROLLING DICE ◆◆ MEDICURGY (Wits)
When you are in danger and attempt to accomplish something ◆◆ MYSTIC POWERS (Empathy)
difficult, your fate is in the hands of the Icons. It is time to ◆◆ PILOT (Agility)
bring out some dice! Any six-sided dice will do. ◆◆ SCIENCE (Wits)
◆◆ TECHNOLOGY (Wits)
y SIXES MEAN SUCCESS
When you perform an action, start by describing what your
PC tries to accomplish. Then, take as many dice as your
skill level in the appropriate skill plus its corresponding
attribute. The dice total can be modified by your gear and
other external factors. Then, roll your (modified) dice total,
all dice at once. For your action to succeed, at least one
die must come out a six. If you roll more than one six, you
unlock bonus effects. Example
Prospector Sabah hurls herself towards the closing
Advanced Skills: You can always test a general skill, even if airlock. The GM decides that, to make it in time,
your skill level is zero – simply roll a number of dice equal Sabah must successfully test dexterity. Sabah has
to the corresponding attribute only. This is called your Base dexterity 1 and agility 3, giving her a total of 4 dice
Chance. To use an advanced skill however, your skill level for the roll.
must be at least 1, otherwise you can’t roll for the skill at all.
y LEVELS OF SUCCESS
One six is enough for your action to succeed, but it means
you made it just barely. If you roll three or more sixes, you
achieve what is called a critical success. Each skill lists its
own results corresponding to your level of success later in
this chapter.
54
SKILLS
TABLE 3.1 LEVELS OF SUCCESS

Bonus Effects: Some skills, like ranged combat, melee
NUMBER OF SIXES LEVEL OF SUCCESS
combat and pilot, allow for bonus effects to be “bought”
1-2 Limited Success using your extra sixes (if you rolled more than one). These
3+ Critical Success effects and how many sixes they cost are described in Chapter
5 (combat) and Chapter 7 (space combat).
y THE ART OF FAILING

If you roll no sixes, something goes wrong. You are now in
the hands of the GM, and he decides what happens to you.
The only thing he cannot say is “nothing happens”. Failure
should always have consequences. In some cases, the rules
Example outline what the failure means, but most times, the GM gets
Sabah rolls her four dice and gets a six. It’s a lim- to decide. Maybe you hurt yourself, lose an important pos-
ited success. She rolls through the airlock without a session, are forced to take another route to your destination,
second to spare. or maybe a new threat arises. You have one last chance if
you are truly desperate to avoid failing a roll – you can pray
to the Icons (page 55).
Combat: In combat (Chapter 5), the GM doesn’t have to give

every failure too much of a consequence. The fact that your
attack missed is usually enough, as it is now your enemy’s
turn to retaliate. The GM can of course penalize you with
extra consequences in combat as well – maybe your missed
shot hits someone else instead?
PRAYING TO THE ICONS

When your need is most dire, you can pray to the Icons
for help. This means you get to reroll all dice not showing
sixes. Which Icon you pray to depends on the skill you just
DESCRIBE YOUR ACTION
tested – see table 3.2. The prayer doesn’t count towards
your actions in the turn (see Chapter 5) and takes no time
In Coriolis, you create your story together. Testing to perform – you just open yourself up to the energy of the
a skill should be a dramatic high point. Start by Icons. But this doesn’t come without risk, see below. You will
describing what you intend to do so that everyone usually only pray to the Icons when your roll has failed, but
knows what is at stake. Then roll the dice. Read the you could pray even if there were sixes in your initial roll, to
result and describe the outcome – what you do, what get more sixes and unlock more bonus effects. You can only
you say, what you think, how your enemy reacts. If you pray to the Icons when testing a skill, not for any other roll.
send a prayer to the Icons, describe your prayer. Take You can only pray once for each roll.
the dramatic initiative, don’t wait for the GM – only if
you overstep your dice result should he stop you. y PREPARATORY PRAYER AND CHAPELS
If you make time for preparatory prayers to a specific Icon
before lunging into the fray, you get a +1 modifier to rerolls
when you pray to that same Icon anytime later during the
55
session. If the prayer takes place in a chapel, your modifier USING DARKNESS POINTS
becomes +2. This is in effect for the rest of the session, but
only when you pray to that specific Icon (see table 3.2). The Darkness Points are a dramatic tool for the GM. Using them, he
can put obstacles in the PCs’ way or help NPCs in a pinch. The DP
y THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS also have a psychological effect on the players – seeing the growing
The Universe strives towards balance. If you use the power pool of tokens becomes an omen that something bad is about to
of the Icons to help you, you will sooner or later suffer the happen. The GM can use his DP whenever or however he wants, to
backlash, something represented in the game by Darkness create the most suspense possible. Here is a list of some ways to
Points (DP). Every time you pray to the Icons for a reroll, the spend DP, and of how much each usage costs:
GM gets 1 DP. He can use these in a number of ways – see ◆◆ REROLL – Just like when a PC prays and rerolls, the GM can reroll
the adjacent list. a skill roll for an NPC. Costs 1 DP.
You can use any token you like to keep track of DP – there ◆◆ TAKE THE INITIATIVE – An NPC breaks the turn order and reacts
are many types of gaming markers available in hobby stores; before her slot in the turn. The GM chooses when. Costs 1 DP.
if you don’t have access to those you can use coins, for exam- ◆◆ EMPTY CLIP – A PC who is shooting runs out of ammo. The attack is
ple. DP can be saved between sessions, so the GM should not affected, but the weapon must be reloaded after it. Costs 1 DP.
make a note of his pool at the end of each session. There is ◆◆ MISFIRE – A PC’s firearm jams. The attack is lost, and a roll for
no cap on how many DP the GM can have. Technology (a Slow action) is required to fix the weapon. Costs 3
DP.
Darkness Points Without Prayer: The GM can acquire DPs in ◆◆ REACTIVE ACTION – Normally, NPCs cannot perform reactive
other ways as well – at portal jumps, during travel in the Dark actions in combat (page 84). To do so, the GM must spend 1 DP.
between the Stars, and when players use mystical powers. ◆◆ LOST POSSESSION – A PC has dropped an important possession.
Read more in Chapter 15. The GM decides which. Costs 3 DP.
56
SKILLS
TABLE 3.2 ICONS AND SKILLS

◆◆ REINFORCEMENTS – The enemy receives unexpected backup.
The GM decides the details. Costs 1-3 DP, depending on the Which Icon you pray to depends on which skill you just
reinforcements. tested. This has no mechanical effect, but should be part of
◆◆ INNOCENT IN DANGER – An innocent bystander is suddenly caught your narrative.
in the line of fire and needs help. Will the PCs intervene? Costs 2 ◆◆ DEXTERITY: The Dancer
DP. ◆◆ FORCE: The Deckhand
◆◆ PERSONAL PROBLEM – A PC’s personal problem (page 26) affects ◆◆ INFILTRATION: The Faceless
her in a manner the GM chooses. Costs 1 DP. ◆◆ MANIPULATION: The Merchant
◆◆ NATURE’S WRATH – Something dangerous in the environment ◆◆ MELEE COMBAT: The Dancer
around the PCs suddenly affects them. It could be collapsing ◆◆ OBSERVATION: The Gambler
beams or a landslide. Costs 1-3 DP, depending on the level of ◆◆ RANGED COMBAT: The Judge
danger. ◆◆ SURVIVAL: The Traveler
◆◆ A DARK MIND – A PC is suddenly stricken with a temporary dark ◆◆ COMMAND: The Judge
madness. More details in Chapter 14. Costs 1-3 DP. ◆◆ CULTURE: The Traveler
◆◆ THE POWER OF DARKNESS – Certain talents or abilities can be acti- ◆◆ DATA DJINN: The Messenger
vated by NPCs or creatures using DP. More details in Chapter 15. ◆◆ MEDICURGY: The Lady of Tears
The DP cost varies. ◆◆ MYSTIC POWERS: The Faceless
◆◆ PILOT: The Gambler
◆◆ SCIENCE: The Messenger
◆◆ TECHNOLOGY: The Messenger
ONLY ONE CHANCE
As a rule, you only have one chance at succeeding with an
action. When you have rolled the dice – and prayed to your
Icon – you can’t take another shot at doing the exact same Example
thing again. You must change your approach to reaching Prospector Sabah raises her shaking hand and fires
the goal, or wait for the circumstances to change in some her Vulcan pistol against the assassin. She has
tangible way. Another PC could attempt to succeed where ranged combat 1 and agility 3, so she rolls 4 dice
you failed, though. but gets no sixes. She sends a silent prayer to the
In combat (Chapter 5), the GM should be more permis- Judge and rerolls the dice. A six! Sabah closes her
sive. You can keep attacking the same enemy turn after eyes and the shot hits. The GM gets a Darkness Point.
turn, as long as you describe what you do differently to
up your chances.
MODIFICATION
Sometimes, external factors help you reach your goal, giving
you extra dice to roll. Sometimes, they work against you, NPCS AND SKILLS
lowering your dice total. These factors are called modifiers.
A +1 modifier means you get 1 extra die, a +2 modifi- NPCs use Skills just like the PCs. The GM rolls dice
ers means you get 2 extra dice, and so on. A -1 modifier for their actions, and can reroll by spending Darkness
means you roll 1 less die, a -2 modifier means 2 less dice, Points. But the GM should only roll dice when an action
and so on. directly affects a PC – for example, when an NPC
There can be several active modifiers at once – add attacks or attempts to rescue a PC. When an NPC
them together to get your modifier total. A +2 and a -1 takes an action that doesn’t directly affect a PC, the GM
equals a +1. is free to decide what happens without dice rolls.
57
TABLE 3.3 SUCCESS CHANCE
There are four things that can result in modifiers:
◆◆ Your gear
When rolling many dice at once, it can be hard to estimate ◆◆ The difficulty of your action
your chance of succeeding. The table below lists the chance ◆◆ Assistance from others
of success when rolling 1-10 dice. The third column shows ◆◆ Prayer and preparatory prayer (page 55)
the chance modified by praying to an Icon.
y GEAR
DICE CHANCE WITH PRAYER Good gear can give you positive modifiers – usually between
1 17% 29% +1 and +3. Lists of weapons and other gear can be found in
2 31% 50% Chapter 6. Modifiers to Medicurgy from medical gear are
3 42% 64%
listed on page 95.
4 52% 74%
y DIFFICULTY
5 60% 81%
The exact difficulty of your action is often not that important
6 67% 87%
– only challenging actions should demand dice rolls in the
7 72% 90% first place, after all. But there may be situations when the
8 77% 93% GM wishes to emphasize that some circumstance or other
9 81% 95% either makes your action harder or easier to do. Use Table
10 84% 96% 3.4 for guidance.
In combat (Chapter 5), the rules often give you modifiers,
for example, depending on the distance between your firing
position and your target, or when you set up an ambush for
your enemies. Some talents (Chapter 4) can also give you
positive modifiers.
y HELP FROM OTHERS

Other PCs or NPCs with at least a level 1 in the skill you are
about to test can help you succeed. They must state that they
are helping you before you roll the dice. It must also fit with
the story – the person assisting you must be where you are and
have a reasonable chance of affecting your action. The GM has
final say. For every person helping you, you get a +1 modifier.
A maximum of three people can help with any one roll, which
means that the highest modifier others can give you is +3.
Combat: Helping someone perform a slow action counts as

a slow action for you as well. Helping someone with a normal
or fast action counts as a normal action for you.
Command: The Command skill (page 63) can be used for

more effective assistance. Instead of the automatic +1, a
Commander provides a modifier equal to the number of
sixes on her Command roll – given that you follow her order,
that is. Commanding is always a normal action in combat.
58
SKILLS
NPCs can help each other just like PCs. Having NPCs act ZERO DICE
as groups rather than individuals is a good way to manage
large groups of NPCs in combat (Chapter 5). If your modifiers put you at zero dice or fewer, roll two
dice – but to succeed, both have to show sixes. Hard, but not
SIMULTANEOUS ACTIONS impossible!
You and the other PCs cannot help each other when you are
acting simultaneously, that is when you are performing the
same action at the same time – for example when you are trying
to sneak past a guard (infiltration), or when you walk into TABLE 3.4 DIFFICULTY
an ambush (observation). Then you must all roll separately.
If the outcome of your roll is really good, some skills allow DIFFICULTY MODIFIER
you to share your success with a friend, who in turn does Child’s Play +3
not have to roll. You can help someone this way even if that Effortless +2
person has already failed her roll. Easy +1
Normal 0
OPPOSED ROLLS
Demanding -1
Sometimes, a six will not be enough to pass a skill test. In
Hard -2
these cases, you also have to beat an enemy’s roll. This is
called an opposed roll. To win an opposed roll, you have to Insane -3
roll more sixes than your opponent. Each of your opponent’s
sixes cancels out one of yours. Only you (the attacker) can
pray to the Icons on an opposed roll. Sometimes, you and
your opponent will test different skills, sometimes the same.
Opposed rolls are always used when you roll for manipula-
tion or infiltration, and when someone uses these skills Example
against you. The GM can also call for an opposed roll when A while later, Sabah is desperately trying to shake off
he deems it appropriate, for example force vs force to a pursuing enemy, and attempts to climb over a wall.
resolve some armwrestling. She must test dexterity again, but the GM deems
the climb Hard (-2). Sabah has agility 3 and dexter-
Combat: In combat (Chapter 5), an opposed roll only counts ity 1, but gets only 2 dice.
as an action for you (the attacker), not for your opponent
(the defender).
Example
Sabah’s friend, the prospector Wali, helps her over
GENERAL SKILLS the wall. This gives Sabah 1 extra die to roll.
The following section will describe the eight general skills

that all PCs and NPCs can use. Each skill lists examples of
what a failure, a limited success and a critical success could
mean – but the exact details are up to the GM. The combat
skills melee combat and ranged combat are exceptions to
this – the effects of your level of success when testing these
are detailed in Chapter 5.
59
DEXTERITY (AGILITY)
When you jump, climb, sprint, or perform an action that
demands speed or coordination, you test dexterity.
y FAILURE
You fall or stumble and fail to reach your goal. Depending
on the circumstances, you run a high risk of taking damage.
See page 97 in Chapter 5 for rules about damage resulting
from falling.
y LIMITED SUCCESS
You manage to pull off the maneuver, but just barely.
y CRITICAL SUCCESS
You succeed with flawless skill, and you achieve some unex-
pected, positive side effect, like helping a friend or creating
an obstacle for an enemy. The GM decides the details.
FORCE (STRENGTH)
When you must lift something heavy, carry a wounded com-
rade or force shut an airlock by hand in a spaceship under
explosive decompression, you test force. If you are trying to
overpower another person, for example when arm wrestling,
it is an opposed roll.
y FAILURE
You give it your all, but you are not strong enough. Is there
another way?
y LIMITED SUCCESS
You beat the challenge, but just barely.
y CRITICAL SUCCESS
You beat the challenge, and receive some unexpected, pos-
itive side effect – for example wounding an enemy, helping
a friend or finding a new way ahead.
INFILTRATION (AGILITY)
Avoiding confrontation by sneaking around the enemy is
often the wiser choice. Test infiltration when you want
to move unnoticed, perform a sneak attack, or set up an
ambush (see Chapter 5). infiltration tests are opposed
rolls with your infiltration score against the observation
score of your opponent.
60
SKILLS
y FAILURE ◆◆ Your opponent is injured.

The enemy spots you or hears you. The element of surprise is lost. ◆◆ You have helped your opponent in the past.
◆◆ You present a strong case (GM’s judgement).
y LIMITED SUCCESS
You avoid detection, but are forced to take a detour to your You get a -1 for each of the following factors:
destination. An enemy might also sense that something is ◆◆ Your opponent has more people on her side than you do.
up and start looking for you. ◆◆ What you are asking for is expensive or risky for your opponent.
◆◆ Your opponent has nothing to gain from helping you.
y CRITICAL SUCCESS ◆◆ You and your opponent have trouble understanding each other.
Like a shadow in the night you approach your oblivious ene- ◆◆ The distance between you and your opponent is Short or longer
mies. You get a +2 on a sneak attack if you perform it directly (page 84).
after the infiltration test.
MANIPULATE (EMPATHY)
Lies, persuasion, threats, charm or seduction – there are many MELEE COMBAT (STRENGTH)
ways to make someone see things your way. You must beat The Third Horizon is a violent place. At times you will have
the opponent in an opposed manipulation vs manipulation no choice but to fight for your life. Test melee combat when
roll (see above). Your Leverage (below) and your Reputation either attacking someone or defending yourself in close combat.
modify the roll. Rules and details are found under melee combat in Chapter 5.
y FAILURE Weapons: You can use weapons in close combat – anything

Your opponent refuses to listen and won’t accept your from simple shivs and blunt instruments to advanced weap-
demands. She may even attack you if you provoke her. ons like Dura knives and Mercurium swords. Weapons will
give you a bonus and inflict more damage than an unarmed
y LIMITED SUCCESS attack. Read more in Chapter 5.
Your opponent must make a choice – either do as you want,
or attack you physically right now (with melee or ranged OBSERVATION (WITS)
combat). Even if she agrees, she can demand something of An adventurer in the Third Horizon must always be vigilant,
you in return – the GM decides what. You can either accept or she won’t live long. You test observation to spot some-
the deal or back off. one sneaking up on you (opposed roll, see above). You can
also test the skill when you spot someone or something at
y CRITICAL SUCCESS a distance if you wish to know more.
Your opponent is so moved by the strength of your personality
that she accepts your demands without asking for anything y FAILURE
in return. If you want to, you can also inflict stress points You can’t make out what it is, or come to a faulty conclusion.
(page 92) equal to the number of sixes you rolled. The GM gives you false information.
LEVERAGE y LIMITED SUCCESS

You can see what it is, but can’t tell much detail. The GM
When testing MANIPULATION , you get a +1 for each of the following gives you correct but brief information.
factors:
◆◆ You have more people on your side than your opponent does. y CRITICAL SUCCESS
◆◆ What you are asking for doesn’t really cost your opponent You see in detail what it is, and also discover a weakness (if
anything. enemy/obstacle) or a new route ahead.
61
REPUTATION
RANGED COMBAT (AGILITY)
With a Vulcan pistol, an accelerator carbine or a common throw-
Your Reputation score and that of your opponent will ing knife, you can stop an enemy at a distance, keeping the
affect your MANIPULATION roll. If yours is higher, you bloodstains off your caftan. Test ranged combat when firing
get a +1 for each step you outrank your opponent. If a ranged weapon at an enemy. Read more about ranged combat
your score is lower, you instead get a -1 for each step in Chapter 5. ranged combat is also tested when operating ship
of difference. Reputation will, however, only affect guns or launching torpedoes. Read more on this is in Chapter 7.
your roll in situations where your social standing in
the Third Horizon is relevant. The GM has the final Weapons: Firearms counts as gear, giving you a bonus to
call on this. your roll, just like weapons in close combat. The difference is
that a firearm is a direct necessity to even use the skill. Many
different firearms are described in Chapter 5.
SURVIVAL (WITS)
Surviving in the harsh landscapes of the Third Horizon is not
easy. The Horizon contains everything from steaming jungles
MANIPULATING GROUPS
and frozen tundras, to titanic mountains and bottomless
oceans. survival includes the knowledge about constructing
When you use MANIPULATION on a group of people, you shelters, finding food and water, and how to orientate oneself
normally engage with the group’s leader or spokesperson. using only the stars in the sky, as well as how to construct
Remember that you get a -1 for being outnumbered by your simple traps, how to fish and how to hunt. Test survival
opponent. If you reach an agreement with the leader, the when you travel in uncharted terrain on a planet’s surface.
group will usually accept this. If there is no clear leader,
things will be harder – every one of your opponents will y FAILURE
then act individually. You get lost, or are unable to find food or clean water.
y LIMITED SUCCESS
You find your way, find clean water, find food, or create a
simple shelter for yourself.
DON’T ROLL TO SPOT HIDDEN OBJECTS
y CRITICAL SUCCESS
In Coriolis, you don’t roll dice to find hidden objects, secret You find a shortcut to your destination, find clean water and
doors or clues. If you describe to the GM that you are food for yourself plus D6 others, or construct a sturdy shelter
searching in the correct spot, he should let you find it, if it that can be used again later.
can be found at all. Roll no dice.
62
SKILLS
ADVANCED SKILLS
This section describes the eight advanced skills that require DATA DJINN (WITS)
specialist training to use. If your skill level in an advanced skill Terminals, sensors and advanced data systems are all part
is zero, you don’t get to test that skill – you automatically fail. of everyday life in the Third Horizon. Most computers are
Just like with the general skills above, each skill below lists voice operated, but interaction through touchpads, data
examples of what failure, limited success and critical success stylus or via the user’s cybernetics is not uncommon.
could mean. The GM decides the details. Most people in the Horizon can use basic data systems,
but advanced operations require a data djinn test – for
COMMAND (EMPATHY) example entering protected systems, modifying or writ-
You are the leader of a ship or maybe a troop of soldiers. In ing new programs, or counteracting spyware and attack
a crisis, you call the shots, but you know that you are never memes. data djinn is also used to operate ship sensors
stronger than your unit. Your task is to make sure your com- (more in Chapter 7).
rades perform at their best. Unity is strength.
command uses different rules during space combat (Chapter y FAILURE
7), but can otherwise be used whenever you help others (page Something goes wrong, and the result is the opposite of
58) – the positive modifier your help gives the other person is what you had hoped.
equal to the number of sixes on your command roll, as long as
the other person follows your orders. command can also be used y LIMITED SUCCESS
to help others recover Mind Points – read more in Chapter 5. You reach your goal, but it takes longer than expected, and
some sort of complication arises along the way.
CULTURE (EMPATHY)
You are a person of wisdom, with insight into a wide array of y CRITICAL SUCCESS
subjects. You have studied the diverse cultures and peoples of the You reach your goal, and achieve some unexpected bonus
Horizon, and know of their traditions, faiths and superstitions. effect (up to the GM).
You are also familiar with their home planets’ beings and animals.
Test culture to see if you can recall something advanced, like MEDICURGY (WITS)
the proper greetings among the Sogoi of Kua, the trade routes Having this skill means that you are trained in the healing
across the Salam plains on Algol, or if bokor can be driven off arts, how to care for the ill and the wounded, and how to treat
through prayer. If you have access to old books, databases or psychic maladies. Skillful medicurgs also perform cosmetic
the Foundation’s infologs, you get a positive modifier. surgery and bionic sculpting. As a medicurg, you also know
how to use special medical equipment like med labs, spider
y FAILURE doctors and mobile trauma units.
You don’t know, or you are mistaken. The GM gives you The main use of medicurgy is stabilizing and treating
false information. wounded people – read more in Chapter 5. The skill can also
be used to recover Mind Points and to make diagnoses, for
y LIMITED SUCCESS example recognizing drug abuse or the effects of poison, and
Your knowledge is limited. The GM gives you correct but identifying injuries or psychic illnesses.
brief information.
y FAILURE
y CRITICAL SUCCESS You have no idea as to what is ailing the patient, or you
You know the subject like the back of your hand, and come make an incorrect diagnosis. The GM gives you partial or
to think of something that gives you an extra bonus. false information.
63
y LIMITED SUCCESS y LIMITED SUCCESS
You have a good guess as to what the problem might be. Through tremendous concentration and force of will, you
The GM gives you correct but brief information. activate the power.
y CRITICAL SUCCESS y CRITICAL SUCCESS

You make a correct diagnosis, and you remember something Mystical energies surge through your body, activating the
that gives you an extra bonus. power and triggering an unexpected but positive bonus
effect. Details are up to the GM.
MYSTIC POWERS (EMPATHY)
In the last few years, reports of mystics, people with special PILOT (AGILITY)
powers, have started to surface. The reaction didn’t take You are one with your ship. You pilot hundreds of tons
long – among the religious cults, mystics have either been of metal through the Darkness, you pierce ice winds and
murdered or worshipped as heralds of the Icons, depending mile-high sandstorms and make sure you all live to tell
on the cult’s beliefs. The Bulletin’s newscasts on Coriolis have the tale. Roll for pilot when you operate a vehicle – any-
reported from council meetings on the highest political level thing from hoverbikes and ground loaders to gravships
debating the legitimacy of the mystical powers. and space vessels.
To acquire this skill when creating your PC, you must pick The rules for using pilot in space combat can be found
the sub-concept Mystic (page 35). You can, however, acquire in Chapter 7. You will also test pilot when you operate a
this skill during play, regardless of concept – this means that normal vehicle and attempt a risky maneuver.
dormant powers within you suddenly manifest themselves.
Each mystic power counts as a separate talent (Chapter 4). y FAILURE
When activating a power, test mystic powers. Each activation You fail. Depending on the circumstances, the outcome can
gives the GM one Darkness Point. be anything from embarrassing to fatal.
y FAILURE y LIMITED SUCCESS

The power misfires somehow – giving you false information You perform the maneuver with the smallest margin pos-
or some other undesired effect. The GM decides the details. sible.
64
SKILLS
y CRITICAL SUCCESS
You perform the maneuver flawlessly, and you achieve an
unexpected, positive side effect, such as creating an obstacle
for an enemy. The GM decides the details.
SCIENCE (WITS)
You are an academic trained in the scientific tradition. You are
well-read on everything from astrophysics and geochemistry
to bionics and socio-arithmetics. Test science to see if you
can figure out something that requires advanced scientific
knowledge, like how to calculate a portal jump or where to
find xenon gas pockets on a frozen megaplanet. If you have
access to relevant databases, you get a positive modifier.
y FAILURE
You don’t know, or are mistaken. The GM gives you false
information.
y LIMITED SUCCESS
Your knowledge is limited. The GM gives you correct but
brief information.
y CRITICAL SUCCESS
You know the subject like the back of your hand, and come
to think of something that gives you an extra bonus.
TECHNOLOGY (WITS)
Others may view technical gadgets as almost magical, but
you understand their inner workings. The skill is used when
handling machines, mechanics, electronics and explosives.
You can repair anything from a small gadget to a spaceship
(Chapter 7). The skill is also used when blowing things up.
y FAILURE
Something goes wrong, and the result is the opposite of UNDERSTANDING ARTIFACTS
what you wanted.
You can come across strange artifacts on your adventures
y LIMITED SUCCESS in the Third Horizon. All artifacts have a knowledge requi-
You reach your goal, but it takes longer than expected, and site – certain skills or talents you must have to understand
some sort of complication arises along the way. the artifact. You must pass a SCIENCE test to understand
how to use the artifact (even if you understand what it is,
y CRITICAL SUCCESS your PC may not). Each PC can make one attempt. If you fail,
You reach your goal, as well as achieving some unexpected you must gather more information – or wait for another PC
bonus effect. or the GM to explain the object to you.
65
CHAPTER 4
talents
Afrimede – a mere whisper of the name chills the blood of regents and rulers
everywhere. Perhaps the most skilled hassassin of the Black Lotuses of Ahlam, she
has elevated her craft to a form of art. There are no known pictures of her, and she is
said to be a master of changing her appearance.
SECTS, CULTS AND SECRET SOCIETIES – Kalil Dalma
As a group and a ship crew, you will work as a unit. But your PC is also
unique, and has capabilities that no one else in the group has. In the game,
these abilities are called talents.
talents can change how you use your skills and how sculpts are talents that some concepts allow you to pick from
you recover from injury, or enable you to do things that are the start. Such a talent must be chosen both as a talent and
otherwise impossible. as a piece of gear.
STARTING TALENTS NEW TALENTS

When creating your PC, you get three or four talents: You can acquire new talents during play through Experience
◆◆ A group talent, that you choose as a group depending on your Points (XP). When you have collected 5 XP, you can trade
group concept (page 16). them in for a new talent. You can pick any talent, with the
◆◆ A personal talent, that you choose for yourself depending on following exceptions:
your character concept (page 22) . ◆◆ In order to gain new cybernetic or bionic implants, you need
◆◆ An Icon talent, connected to your personal Icon, determined to spend both XP and birr. The birr cost is shown in the gear
randomly (page 25). lists in Chapter 6.
◆◆ If you play a humanite (page 22), you get a fourth, special ◆◆ In order to gain a new group talent, everyone in the group must
humanite talent. spend 5 XP. You can only choose among the talents associated
with your group concept (page 19).
Mystical powers are a separate category of talents. In order ◆◆ You can never learn new Icon talents.
to learn these, you must have a skill level of at least 1 in the
skill mystic powers. Only once: As a rule, you can only take each talent once,
but there are exceptions to this. Remember to write down
Cybernetics and bionics: Cybernetic implants and bionic all your talents on your sheet.
TABLE 4.1 GROUP TALENTS
A Nose for Birr Master Scouts Survivors

Everything is for Sale A Friend in Every Port Truth Seekers
Quickest Route Assassins’ Guild Last Laugh
Assault Dancers of Ahlam One Last Birr
Charge Seasoned Travelers Mercy of the Icons
TABLE 4.2 ICON TALENTS
The Lady of Tears’ Talent The Merchant’s Talent The Messenger’s Talent
The Dancer’s Talent The Deckhand’s Talent The Judge’s Talent
The Gambler’s Talent The Traveler’s Talent The Faceless One’s Talent
68
TALENTS
TABLE 4.3 GENERAL TALENTS
Blessing Judge of Character Soothing

Combat Veteran Licensed Sprinter
Defensive Machinegunner Talisman Maker
Executioner Malicious The Hassassin’s Thrust
Exo Specialist Nine Lives Third Eye
Faction Standing Point Blank Tough
Field Medicurg Rapid Reload Wealthy Family
Gearhead Rugged Zero-G Training
Intimidating Seductive
TABLE 4.4 HUMANITE TALENTS
Pheromones Resistant Water Breathing
TABLE 4.5 CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
Accelerated Reflexes Endo Skeleton Targeting Scope

Active Sensors Language Modulator Voice Amplifier
Body Armor Lie Detector Water Breathing
Built-In Weapon Passive Sensors Weatherproof
Com Link Servo Locks
Cybernetic Muscles Skin Electrodes
TABLE 4.6 BIONIC SCULPTS
Beautiful Morph Regenerate

Built-In Weapon Nimble
Intelligent Quick
TABLE 4.7 MYSTICAL POWERS
Artificer Mind Reader Stop

Clairvoyant Mind Walker Telekinesis
Exorcist Prediction
Intuition Premonition
69
GROUP TALENTS
Your group gets to choose one talent connected to your toll officers or guards, and always get a +2 to manipulation
group concept. All the PCs can use this talent. It can be when you are bribing someone.
used individually by every PC unless explicitly stated
otherwise. y QUICKEST ROUTE
You find the quickest route. Travel takes half the amount
FREE TRADERS of time (page 138), or one encounter along the way may be
ignored. The GM gets 1 DP per use. One use per journey.
y A NOSE FOR BIRR
When trading, you get a +2 to manipulation. One use per MERCENARIES
session for the whole group (not once per PC).
y ASSAULT
y EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE You get a +2 to ranged combat, but only when everyone in
You have a knack for finding the most corrupt public servants, the group attacks the same target in the same turn.
70
TALENTS
y CHARGE y SURVIVORS
You get a +2 to melee combat, but only when everyone in You can get out of a dangerous situation somehow connected
the group, in the same turn, also spends at least one fast to nature, such as a brushfire or explosive decompression. The
action (1 AP) on movement. The bonus lasts one turn only. whole group escapes the danger. The GM gets 1 DP per use.
One use per session for the whole group (not once per PC).
y SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
You always know your surroundings, and get a +2 to obser- y TRUTH SEEKERS
vation when testing it to discover an ambush. You can find important information or get a clue from
the GM without rolling dice. The information must be
AGENTS important enough to enable you to overcome a minor
obstacle or a challenge in the scenario. The GM gets 1
y A FRIEND IN EVERY PORT DP per use. One use per session for the whole group (not
You can find a useful contact in a new place. The contact can once per PC).
protect you, lend you gear, or vouch for you with the local
rulers. The GM gets 1 DP per use. One use per session for PILGRIMS
the whole group (not once per PC).
y LAST LAUGH
y ASSASSIN’S GUILD You can get yourselves out of a pinch using your knack for
You can test infiltration instead of melee combat when entertainment. The GM gets 1 DP per use. One use per
you make a melee combat attack against an enemy who session for the whole group (not once per PC).
isn’t aware of you.
y MERCY OF THE ICONS
y DANCERS OF AHLAM When you are in a tight spot, the Icons will hear you. This
You can test dexterity instead of manipulation when means that you can cancel the effects of Darkness Points
trying to make a good impression. that have just been spent by the GM (Chapter 3). One use
per session for the whole group (not once per PC).
EXPLORERS
y ONE LAST BIRR
y SEASONED TRAVELERS You can make a living out of your craft or performances. Test
You can test manipulation instead of culture to understand dexterity instead of manipulation to find basic subsistence
a group’s customs. (food, drink, repairs – no new gear) when in a new place.
ICON TALENTS
As your PC is born under the sign of one of the Icons, she is or stress, and are immediately restored to 1 HP or MP (read
blessed by it. Icon talents are determined randomly when more in Chapter 5). Alternatively, you can choose to ignore
creating your PC and can never be learned during play. Icon the effects of a critical injury when you suffer one.
talents can be used once per session, and each use gives
the GM 1 DP. y THE DANCER’S TALENT
You can evade an incoming attack, taking no damage. You
y THE LADY OF TEAR’S TALENT can choose to activate the talent after a successful attack roll,
You can get back up after having been broken by damage but before you roll any cover or armor dice.
71
y THE GAMBLER’S TALENT y THE MESSENGER’S TALENT
You are incredibly lucky and can choose an automatic critical You can make someone obey you, through careful words and
success on a skill test of your choice. It counts as if you had actions, without having to test manipulation. Can be used
rolled three sixes. If it is an advanced skill, you still need a on both NPCs and PCs. Your wish must be reasonable, you
level of at least 1 in that skill to activate the talent. cannot, for example, force an NPC to act completely against
her own interests.
y THE MERCHANT’S TALENT
You can find a favorable loan enabling you to purchase an y THE JUDGE’S TALENT
expensive object or a ship module. The loan must then be You deal an automatic critical injury when your attack hits,
paid back within the agreed upon timeframe. regardless of whether the attack penetrated cover and armor.
Any other effects from the attack are resolved as usual.
y THE DECKHAND’S TALENT
If your ship drops to zero Hull Points or Energy Points, you y THE FACELESS ONE’S TALENT
can restore D6 points of either kind instantly. This requires no Fate is on your side, giving you the benefit of getting to
action from you – it is the Icons intervening on your behalf. change a single, concrete detail in a scene more to your
favor. It must be something that has a cosmetic or indirectly
y THE TRAVELER’S TALENT helpful effect – you cannot make an enemy disappear, but
You can ask the GM about a choice you have to make in the you can decide that there is a knife within reach, or that a
game. It has to be a choice with only two options. The GM window has been left open. The GM has final say on what
must then answer truthfully which of the two is most bene- is possible to accomplish with the talent. Remember, you
ficial to you, if that is at all possible to estimate. can only use the talent once per session.
GENERAL TALENTS
Below are all the general talents. They can be learned during y EXECUTIONER
play at a cost of 5 XP each. You know where to strike to make the enemy fall and not get
up again. Ever. When you inflict a critical injury, you can – if
y BLESSING you want to – switch the dice in the D66 roll, turning the
Once per session, you can bless another PC, giving her a +3 tens die into ones and vice versa. If your victim has the talent
to one action. The receiver of the blessing must be within Nine Lives, the effects cancel each other out – roll normally
Close range of you. In combat, imparting the blessing is a for the critical injury.
slow action. The GM gets 1 DP per use.
y EXO SPECIALIST
y COMBAT VETERAN You get a +2 to dexterity or force when handling an exo
You can make your initiative roll (page 82) with two dice, and of some kind – from loaders to battle exos.
choose the best one. If you also have Accelerated Reflexes,
you get to roll your initiative roll with three dice and choose y FACTION STANDING
the best one. You belong to a faction or a gang and can use its reputation
to get a +2 to manipulation when trying to scare or threaten
y DEFENSIVE someone – given that the person you are threatening knows
You are as nimble as a cat, and can easily evade close combat of the faction, and that the faction has some influence in the
attacks. You get a +2 to melee combat when defending (page 87). location where you are.
72
TALENTS
y FIELD MEDICURG y NINE LIVES

You know the delicate art of stopping a bleeding wound or No matter how bad it looks, you always seem to come out of
treating grave injuries. You get a +2 to medicurgy when situations alive. When you suffer a critical injury, you get to
treating someone who is about to die from a critical injury. switch the dice – turning the tens digit into the ones and vice
The talent has no effect on stress. versa (page 94). If your attacker has the talent Executioner, the
effects neutralize each other – roll the critical injury normally.
y GEARHEAD
You love tinkering with gear and equipment. With a successful y POINT BLANK
technology test, you can repair an item or jury-rig a one- When you shoot someone and hit, you automatically add an
use contraption for a specific task. The number of sixes on extra six to your roll – but only if you attack from Close Range.
your roll determines the gear bonus of the item.
y RAPID RELOAD
y INTIMIDATING You can reload a weapon as a fast action, rather than as a
You can test FORCE instead of manipulation when you are normal one (page 83).
threatening someone. If you achieve a limited success, you
don’t have to accept your opponent’s conditional demand y RUGGED
– your opponent may then refuse the deal, but if she does, You are used to extreme weather and other natural hazards
she must immediately attack you. (cold, storms, strong gravity, fire, etc.). The talent counts as
“armor” with an Armor Rating of 3 against natural damage.
y JUDGE OF CHARACTER
You can tell if someone is lying or telling the truth without y SEDUCTIVE
testing manipulation. It takes about a minute and you You have an eye for romance, and get a +2 to manipulation in
can’t tell any details, only whether the person is lying situations when you try to achieve something through seduction.
or not. Half-truths also read as lies. Each use gives the
GM 1 DP. y SPRINTER
Your Movement Rate (page 84) is increased from 10 to 12 meters.
y LICENSED You can learn this talent up to three times, for a maximum
You have the proper licenses to buy restricted gear and Movement Rate of 16 meters. This talent can be combined
weapons (Chapter 6). You can purchase the items if you with the Quick talent, but not with Cybernetic Muscles.
can afford them, and if they are available at your loca-
tion. Being licensed is not the same as being permitted y SOOTHING
to carry all kinds of weaponry in public, however. Local You read others as if they were open books, and possess a
regulations can still stop you from carrying weapons you natural quality that makes people open up to you. You get
are allowed to own. a +2 to medicurgy when treating someone who has been
broken by stress (page 92).
y MACHINEGUNNER
Firing full-auto is the only way to get the job done, in your y TALISMAN MAKER
opinion. Ignore the first 1 when rolling for automatic fire You know how to create and bless talismans. The process
(page 89). Firing a weapon with the High Capacity feature, takes D6 hours and requires a chapel or an altar. A talisman
you get to ignore the first two 1s. provides a +1 to one skill test, then the blessing wears off.
y MALICIOUS y THE HASSASSIN’S THRUST

When you successfully manipulate someone and inflict at You are a highly trained assassin. When you make a sneak attack
least 1 point of stress, she takes 1 additional point of stress. (page 85) using a small weapon, you get +2 to melee combat.
73
y THIRD EYE
You have the ability to sense an ambush, and once per ses-
sion you can avoid the effects of being surprised. The talent
also gives you a constant +2 to observation when trying to
detect a sneak attack or an ambush.
y TOUGH
You are used to taking a beating. You get 2 additional Hit Points.
y WEALTHY FAMILY
You can use the rumors of your family’s vast riches to give
yourself a +2 to manipulation in any situation where the
GM deems it relevant. Whether the rumors are true or not
doesn’t matter. You can only choose this talent if you come
from a Privileged background (page 21).
y ZERO-G TRAINING
Your sense of balance is well adapted to an environment
without gravity. You get a +2 to dexterity when in zero-G.
HUMANITE
TALENTS
The three talents below are unique to humanites (page 22).
They cannot be learned during play.
y PHEROMONES
You have the ability to transmit and receive pheromones via
enlarged dermal glands on your chest, neck or face. Your
pheromones spread through air and will not work in a vacuum
or affect people in exos. The pheromones make others obey
you – you get a +2 to manipulation. One use per session.
y RESISTANT
Your body can endure extreme weather and other natural
hazards. The talent counts as “armor” with an Armor Rating
of 6 against natural damage. You can combine Resistant with
Rugged, for a total Armor Rating of 9 against natural damage.
y WATER BREATHING
You can breathe normally under water.
74
TALENTS
CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS
Cybernetic implants will cost you both birr and XP. They y CYBERNETIC MUSCLES
also demand D6 days of healing after the procedure before Muscles enhanced with ceramic fibers make you an extremely
they can be used. fast and strong runner. Your Movement Rate is increased by
4 meters per fast action (cannot be combined with Sprinter or
y ACCELERATED REFLEXES Quick). The damage of your unarmed attacks is increased to 2.
Your nerves are cybernetically modified with extra wiring Cost: 7,000 birr.
and micro djinn, giving you superb body control. You get
a +2 to dexterity for acrobatic maneuvers, and you get y ENDO SKELETON
to roll your initiative with two dice and pick the best one An endo skeleton with powerful hydraulics and strong alloys
to determine your initiative score. If you also have the supports your body, making you considerably stronger than
Combat Veteran talent, you get to roll your initiative roll others – you get a +2 to force for heavy lifting. Your carrying
with three dice and choose the best one. capacity is doubled. You get 2 extra Hit Points.
Cost: 7,000 birr. Cost: 7,000 birr.
y ACTIVE SENSORS y LANGUAGE MODULATOR

Active sensors are implanted in your body. You can use them Your larynx and vocal chords have been replaced with a sound
like the active mode on a personal sensor whenever you wish. modulator and an interpreter unit. You can automatically
Details for personal sensors are found in Chapter 6. translate your speech to another language if you speak slowly.
Cost: 3,000 birr. The modulator supports up to five different language packs.
See Language Unit in Chapter 6.
y BODY ARMOR Cost: 12,000 birr.
You are cybernetically armored, giving you an extra Armor
Rating of 3 (page 92). The implant’s rating is added to any y LIE DETECTOR
other armor you may wear as well. The implants give you a -1 You have a built-in lie detector. To use it on someone, you
to dexterity for acrobatic maneuvers. must touch the person, speak to her, and look her in the
Cost: 6,000 birr. eyes. Test manipulation with a +2 (not an opposed roll). If
you pass, you can tell if the person is lying or not.
y BUILT-IN WEAPON Cost: 4,000 birr.
You have a built-in weapon. The weapon is hard to detect and
can only be discovered by someone actively searching for it. y PASSIVE SENSORS
The weapon itself must be bought separately. To “draw” a Passive sensors are implanted in your body. You can use
built-in weapon is a free action. them like the passive mode on a personal sensor when-
Cost: 3,000 birr. ever you wish. Details for personal sensors are found in
Chapter 6.
y COM LINK Cost: 2,000 birr.
You have a built-in communications device, similar to a
personal communicator. The benefit of the link is that it y SERVO LOCKS
is very hard to detect – you can verbalize your message The joints in your arms and shoulders have been replaced with
in your mind, and the receiver is jacked directly into your lockable servo units, enabling you to carry extremely heavy
auditory system. objects for short distances, and grapple people in combat
Cost: 1,500 birr. very effectively. You get a +2 to melee combat when your
75
opponent tries to break free from your grappling hold, and y VOICE AMPLIFIER
a +2 to force for heavy lifting. A resonance chamber with built-in loudspeakers in your
Cost: 4,000 birr. throat can amplify your voice. You get a +2 to command or
manipulation in situations where a loud voice is a benefit,
y SKIN ELECTRODES for example when intimidating someone.
Your palms are fitted with conductive surfaces capable of Cost: 2,000 birr.
transmitting powerful electrical shocks. After a successful
unarmed attack, you can choose to inflict 2 points of stress y WATER BREATHING
(page 92) instead of dealing damage. Each additional six Artificial gills allow you to extract oxygen from water. You
rolled inflicts 1 extra point of stress. can remain under water for as long as you like.
y TARGETING SCOPE y WEATHERPROOF

One of your eyes has been enhanced with a targeting You are heavily modified to withstand all climates, recycle body
scope. Makes it easier to hit with firearms (+1 to ranged fluids and conserve energy. The effect of this is that the time
combat) at Short range and above. Does not work for between each point of damage you suffer from thirst or hunger
quick shots (page 88). (page 98) is doubled – to 24 hours and 4 days, respectively.
BIONIC SCULPTS
Like cybernetics, bionic improvements of your body will cost y INTELLIGENT
you both 5 XP and birr. They also require D6 days of healing Your brain’s bio code and cognitive pathways have been altered
after the procedure, before they can be used. to make you cold and logical. You get a +1 to all science and
technology tests, but a -2 to manipulation.
y BEAUTIFUL Cost: 25,000 birr.
Your beauty is breathtaking. Whether by classical standards
or tasteful originality, you turn heads wherever you go. Your y MORPH
biosculpted looks give you a +2 to manipulation whenever Your body is sculpted so that your entire physiognomy is
they can affect the situation. People with the appropriate changed – you could have anything from wings to extra
sexual orientation tend to fall in love with you. If you are in limbs. This gives you obvious benefits, but could trigger fear
a place with different ideals of beauty, the GM may decide and disgust among common people, or even hate among
to ignore your modifier. fanatics. Your Reputation is lowered by 2. See the boxed text
Cost: 25,000 birr. on the opposite page for a list of known morphs.
Cost: between 30,000 and 60,000 birr.
y BUILT-IN WEAPON
You have a built-in weapon that counts as a primitive melee y NIMBLE
weapon (for example claws, a shorter blade or throwing knives). Your bionically enhanced nerves give you amazing agility.
The weapon is very discreet and only a thorough medical You get a +2 to dexterity for acrobatic feats and gymnastic
check-up can discover it. “Drawing” a built-in weapon is a maneuvers. The modifier also applies to dance and other
free action. physical activities.
76
TALENTS
y QUICK
Your muscles are bionically altered for incredibly explosive speed,
making you a fast runner. Your Movement Rate is increased by 4
meters (can be combined with Sprinter but not with Cybernetic
Muscles). You can jump 5 meters horizontally from standing still,
15 meters with a running start (slow action), and 2 meters vertically.
Cost: 10,000 birr.
KNOWN MORPHS
y REGENERATE
You heal fast, and recover remarkably quickly even from The Third Horizon is full of stories about monstrous mor-
grave injuries. The time to heal a critical injury (page 94) is phed humans. In the mausoleum of din Hrama, the captain
halved. You also get 2 extra Hit Points. of the guards is said to have an extended torso and an extra
Cost: 15,000 birr. set of arms. Some of the monks in the Temple of Anaspurna
on Amedo supposedly have wings. The nomads in the Kuan
Rimward Reach are often equipped with prehensile tails to
assist movement in zero-G, or so rumor would have it.
MYSTICAL ◆◆ EXTRA PAIR OF ARMS: You can perform an extra fast

action per turn, as long as you can use the extra arms
POWERS for that action.

◆◆ EXTRA FINGERS: You can use tools, make repairs, oper-
In order to learn a mystical power, you need at least skill ate computers or do other tasks that require fine motor
level 1 in the skill mystic powers. To activate a power, you skills with extraordinary ease. You get a +1 in situa-
must pass a MYSTIC POWERS test. In combat, this is normally tions where fine motor skills are paramount, such as
a slow action. A failed roll means that the power does not advanced MEDICURGY, repairing precision engineering
activate properly – giving you incorrect information or with TECHNOLOGY, or reprogramming a computer using
resulting in some other undesired effect. The GM decides DATA DJINN . Unfortunately, your brittle and sensitive fin-
the details. Each use of a power gives the GM 1 DP. gers give you a -2 to FORCE .
◆◆ WINGS: You can glide up to Long Range if you leap from at
y ARTIFICER least 20 meters up. Test DEXTERITY to land without taking
You can enter a trance to understand an artifact close to you, damage (failure means D6 points of damage). When on
and to determine its origin and use. the ground, you suffer a -1 to DEXTERITY, due to the size
of the wings.
y CLAIRVOYANT ◆◆ PREHENSILE TAIL: You get a +2 to DEXTERITY when climb-
You get visions of where an object or a person can be found. ing or moving around in low- or zero-G. The tail is easily
The GM decides what form the visions take, but as a rule of hidden under a coat or a caftan.
thumb, an object you once owned is easier to locate than an
object only described to you.
y EXORCIST
You can enter a trance and exorcise an intruding spirit from
someone.
y INTUITION
You get to ask the GM a simple yes/no question about anything
77
THE PROBLEM OF CLAIRVOYANCE
A PC with the Clairvoyant power can make a mess

of the GM’s plans. If the goal of the scenario is to
find someone or to reveal the identity of a killer, the
PC can just solve the puzzle right off the bat, using
this talent. Not fun. The best way to handle this is
to give the PC vague clues instead of hard facts -
mystical powers are not an exact science. Try to
give the PC a clue that feels valuable, but one that
won’t ruin the mystery.
in the game world. He must answer truthfully “yes”, “no” mysterious and ambiguous. An answer could also take the
or “maybe”. The GM can answer “maybe” even if he knows form of an omen, a sign of fortune or tragedy waiting around
the answer, if he thinks answering yes or no would upset the the corner.
game too much. Please note that neither truths nor lies are
universal – it depends on who is asking. Opinions, morals y PREMONITION
and worldviews can make something true to someone and In some mysterious way, you can sense impending danger.
false to someone else. The GM will have you test MYSTIC POWERS – if you pass, you
get a feeling of a looming threat, but no details about what
y MIND READER it might be.
You can read someone else’s thoughts for a minute or so.
You can only read surface thoughts; you can’t dig for any y STOP
deeper memories. Your target must be within Close Range. You can stop an NPC from performing an action she other-
wise would have. It must be something subtle, that can be
y MIND WALKER attributed to simple forgetfulness. Typical examples would be
If you focus your thoughts on a person you have previously that the NPC lets the PCs pass a roadblock without checking
met, you can tap into that person’s sensory input. You expe- their papers, or forgets her keys somewhere. The power
rience what that person sees, hears and feels in that exact cannot be used to stop an incoming attack.
moment, regardless of where in the Horizon she is. No
thoughts or emotions are transmitted. y TELEKINESIS
You can lift, move, turn or bend an object using sheer force
y PREDICTION of will. The item must be tiny – larger objects are beyond
If you conduct a séance, you can experience powerful visions your control. No dice roll is needed, unless you want to use
of the future. You ask the GM questions about yourself or the object for something demanding like moving a key to a
someone else taking part in the séance. The GM answers lock and then turning it. Then test any appropriate skill. The
as best he can. The answers should be short, preferably power cannot be used in combat.
78
TALENTS
79
CHAPTER 5
combat
Who the soldier was, we don’t know. We know no name, no age, no gender. Still,
the Unknown Legionnaire is perhaps the most famous soldier in the Horizon.
Killed during the infamous Tahura offensive, the Unknown Legionnaire
represents the ultimate sacrifice. A holy symbol to some, a representation of the
madness of war to others.
WAR AND CONFLICT, CC12–56 – Ebrah
The Third Horizon is a giant melting pot of different cultures and rivaling
powers, all set on dominating the stars. Sometimes these conflicts lead to
bloodshed. Sooner or later, someone will pull a gun on you – or you will pull
yours first, seeing no other way out.
But remember, combat in Coriolis is dangerous and can get you killed. So,
before resorting to violence, always ask yourself: is it worth it?
TURNS AND INITIATIVE ◆◆ You can use actions (below) to maneuver into a better position, raising
Combat begins when you attack an enemy, or when an enemy your initiative score. Your new score takes effect in the following turn,
attacks you. Begin by determining your initiative score. Roll and could change the turn order for the rest of the fight.
for initiative before testing any skills. ◆◆ Skill tests that you pass remarkably well can raise your initiative
score.
y INITIATIVE SCORE ◆◆ Weapons can give you an initiative bonus, but only a temporary
All participants in a fight, willing or unwilling, roll one die one. To gain the bonus, you must attack with the weapon in
each. The result of each die is the initiative score for that question. If you apply a weapon’s initiative bonus to your score
person. Leave the dice showing your individual scores on in a turn, you are required to attack with that weapon in that
the table during the fight. The GM rolls for NPCs. The turn – or perform no action at all.
scores of the combatants establish the turn order, where
a higher score goes before a lower one. In case of a tie, let y LOWERING YOUR INITIATIVE
chance decide (roll another die, no modifiers). When all When it’s your turn to act in the turn order, you can – instead
participants in the fights have acted, the turn is over and of taking any action – lower your initiative score to any number
another begins. Initiative rolls are only made for the first below your current score. This has the effect of allowing you
turn of combat; you keep your original initiative roll for the to simply wait and see how things unfold. When your new
whole fight, but it can be raised or lowered during the fight. score is up, you can choose if you wish to act or to keep
waiting, lowering your score further. Your new score is then
Time: One turn of combat in the game is approximately in effect for the rest of the fight; you cannot “return” to your
10–20 seconds long. original, higher initiative score.
Some bonus effects for successful attacks allow you to
NPC groups: For groups of NPCs sharing the same game lower an enemy’s initiative score.
stats, the GM can choose to make a single initiative roll for
them all. They all act at the same point in the overall turn ACTIONS
order, but the order in which the NPCs act at that point is When it’s your turn to act, you can perform actions. There
up to the GM. are four kinds of actions: slow, normal, fast, and free.
y RAISING YOUR INITIATIVE y ACTION POINTS

You never reroll your initiative score during a fight, but you You get 3 Action Points (AP) to spend each turn.
can raise your score in a number of ways. A slow action will cost you all 3 AP, a normal action will
◆◆ A surprise attack (below) gives you a +2 to your initiative score, cost 2 AP, a fast action will cost 1 AP, and free actions are just
but only in the first turn of the fight. that: free, costing zero AP.
◆◆ The talent Combat Veteran (page 72) lets you make your initiative In a turn, you can perform three fast actions, one normal
roll with two dice instead of one, and you choose the best result. and one fast action, or one slow action. You can make any
82
COMBAT
number of free actions. Usually, you will perform all your THE ICON CARD DECK
actions together during your position in the turn order, but
reactions are exceptions to this (see below). Your AP are Instead of rolling dice, you can choose to draw Icon
refreshed at the beginning of every turn, before anyone acts. cards from the Icon Card Deck (sold separately) to
determine the turn order. The “tens” number on
SLOW ACTIONS (3 AP)

the cards will determine your initiative scores. The
“ones” number will break ties. Keep the cards in
◆◆ Firing an aimed shot front of you to remember your scores.
◆◆ Firing full auto
◆◆ Administering first aid
◆◆ Tinkering with a gadget
◆◆ Activating a mystical power
NORMAL ACTIONS (2 AP)
◆◆ Attacking in close combat

◆◆ Firing a normal shot
◆◆ Reloading a weapon
◆◆ Ramming with a vehicle
FAST ACTIONS (1 AP)
◆◆ Sprinting a short distance (typically ten meters) Example

◆◆ Taking cover Sabah attacks a Sogoi warrior deep in the jungles
◆◆ Hitting the ground (makes you harder to hit, see page 88) of Kua. She rolls an initiative score of 6, and then
◆◆ Getting up off the ground adds +1 (i.e. the initiative bonus of her Dura knife).
◆◆ Drawing a weapon Her total initiative score is 7, and she gets to act
◆◆ Picking up an item first in the turn. She must attack with the Dura
◆◆ Parrying in close combat knife this turn, because she claimed the initiative
◆◆ Making an attack of opportunity in close combat bonus from it.
◆◆ Making a quick shot
◆◆ Going into overwatch
◆◆ Getting into a vehicle
◆◆ Starting a vehicle
◆◆ Driving a vehicle
TABLE 5.1 ACTION POINTS

FREE ACTIONS (0 AP)
ACTION ACTION POINTS
A free action is really no action at all. Most are passive dice rolls. Slow 3
◆◆ Using your armor against an attack Normal 2
◆◆ Defending in an opposed roll Fast 1
◆◆ A quick shout to a comrade Free 0
83
GROUP ROLLS FOR NPCS y REACTIONS
Generally, all your actions must be made at your initiative
Groups of NPCs working together can attack with score’s place in the turn order, but there are exceptions to
only one dice roll, instead of each one making an this. These exceptions are called ”reactions.” There are three
individual attack. This works like Help From Others different reactions in the game:
(page 58): each additional person, up to the max- ◆◆ Defending in close combat
imum of three, means a +1 to the attack roll. This ◆◆ Attacks of opportunity
makes the GM’s job a lot easier. ◆◆ Overwatch fire
How these reactions work are described below under Close

Combat and Ranged Combat, respectively.
In order to perform a reaction, you still need to spend AP.
If you perform reactions before your turn in the turn order,
you will have less AP to spend on your regular actions when
it is your turn. Further, to perform reactions after your turn
in the turn order, you need to have saved some AP while
performing your regular actions, and so have some AP left
over for this turn.
NPCs cannot perform reactions, unless the GM spends
Example Darkness Points (page 56).
Sabah has been broken, and her friend Wali attempts
to administer first aid using his M-Dose. He is not y HELPING OTHERS
a very good medicurg (medicurgy 2), so he asks the Helping someone perform a slow action counts as a slow
help of Cillah (medicurgy 2). When Wali tests his action for you as well. Helping someone with a normal or
medicurgy, he gets a +1 for Cillah’s help, and a +1 fast action counts as a normal action for you.
for the M-Dose. The effort counts as slow actions for
both Wali and Cillah. RANGE
In combat, the distance between you and your enemy is
divided into four categories.
◆◆ Close Range: up to about 2 meters
◆◆ Short Range: up to about 20 meters
◆◆ Long Range: up to about 100 meters
◆◆ Extreme Range: up to about one kilometer
BATTLE MAPS
MOVEMENT
Moving around in combat requires actions. One fast action
A battle map of a desert and a battle map of a bazaar are lets you move a number of meters equal to your Movement
available as PDFs from the Modiphius website. Use these Rate, which typically means ten meters. There are talents that
if you want to keep extra-detailed track of where all the increase your Movement Rate, and non-human creatures
combatants in a fight are positioned. Place tokens or min- and vehicles can both have higher Movement Rates than
iatures representing each of the fighters on the white dots a human PC. During combat, you will need to keep track
on the map. The white dots are two meters apart – that is, of where the different combatants are positioned. You can
at Close Range from each other. Two people cannot occupy keep this approximate, or you can use a battle map if you
the same dot. wish. The GM has the final say if there are any uncertainties.
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COMBAT
Terrain: In difficult terrain like dense jungle, deep snow, or

waist-high water, your Movement Rate is halved.
Crawling: If you crawl on the ground instead of running,

your Movement Rate is halved.
Sneaking: Sneaking takes time; if you sneak, your Movement

Rate is halved.
Darkness: If you are moving in complete darkness, you must

move carefully, so your Movement Rate is halved.
SNEAK ATTACKS AND AMBUSHES

The key to winning a fight is often to attack when the enemy
least expects it. There are several ways to do this.
Surprise: If you attack in a way that the GM deems surprising

to your enemy, you get a +2 to your initiative score. This can
only occur in the first turn of the fight.
Sneak attack: Sneaking up on someone and attacking without

them knowing is called a sneak attack. First, test infiltra-
tion. Roll only once, regardless of how far you are sneaking.
Your roll will be modified depending on how close you want
to get to your target (see table 5.2). If you want to attack in
close combat, you have to get within Close Range.
If you fail the test, you are spotted; now roll initiative scores
as you would normally. If you pass the infiltration test,
you get a normal action “for free” before rolling initiative.
You cannot “trade” your bonus normal action for two fast
actions. If several people wish to make a joint sneak attack,
they must test infiltration individually. If one or more of
the rolls fail, all the attackers are discovered; now roll initiative
scores normally.
Ambush: An ambush is a special kind of sneak attack. You

lie in wait for an enemy and then attack when she passes
you. All participants in the ambush must test infiltration
individually, as above, but each roll gets a +2 modifier because
it is the target that is moving, not the attacker.
MELEE COMBAT
When you are within Close Range of an enemy who is aware
of your presence, you are engaged in close combat. It doesn’t
85
matter if you haven’t attacked each other yet; as soon as you
are within Close Range, you are engaged in close combat.
When engaged in close combat, you can attack. This is
typically a normal action, and you test the skill melee combat.
The enemy then chooses if she should take the blow or attempt
to defend, which she can do if she has enough AP left. For
NPCs to defend, the GM also needs to spend 1 DP (below).
TABLE 5.2 SNEAK ATTACKS AND AMBUSHES
Standing up: To attack someone in melee combat, you must
RANGE MODIFIER be on your feet. If you are prone, you must first stand up (a
Close -2 fast action) before you can attack.
Short 0
Long +2 Weapons can give you extra dice to roll. The weapon’s Gear
Extreme +4 Bonus tells you how many extra dice you get
y BONUS EFFECTS
When your melee combat roll is successful, your attack
hits and you inflict your weapon’s Weapon Damage on your
enemy (see below). For each additional six rolled beyond the
first one, you can choose one of the following bonus effects:
86
COMBAT
◆◆ Increase Damage: You inflict 1 extra point of damage. This Note that you can perform a counterattack instead of stopping
effect can be chosen multiple times. your enemy’s attack. The outcome could be that you both hit
◆◆ Critical Injury: You inflict a critical injury on your enemy. This each other at the same time. Also note that each time you
effect costs extra sixes (beyond the first one) equal to your weap- defend is considered as a fast reaction, costing you 1 AP. To
on’s Crit Rating. By adding even more sixes, you can increase be able to defend, you must have either not yet acted in the
the severity of the critical injury. turn, or have AP saved up after performing your regular actions
◆◆ Strike Fear: You strike fear into your enemy. She takes 1 point this turn. If you are attacked multiple times in the same turn,
of stress (page 92). This effect can be chosen multiple times. you will eventually not be able to defend.
◆◆ Raise Initiative: You assume a better position for your next attack.
Your initiative score is raised by 2, taking effect at the beginning Weapons: If your enemy attacks you with a weapon, and you
of the next turn. This effect can be chosen multiple times. yourself are unarmed, you get a -2 modifier to defending.
◆◆ Disarm: Your enemy drops her weapon, or some other hand-held
item of your choosing. Picking something up again is a fast action. y QUICK MELEE ATTACK
◆◆ Grapple: You pin your enemy in a tight clinch. See Grappling, You can perform a quick attack in melee combat. This is at
below. the expense of accuracy; you get a -2 modifier to the attack
roll, but the attack counts as a fast action (1 AP) instead of a
y DEFENDING normal one (2 AP). Quick melee attacks can only be performed
Your enemy can attempt to defend against your attack, and with light weapons (or unarmed).
you can of course do the same if you are attacked. You must
state that you intend to defend before the enemy makes her y ATTACK OF OPPORTUNITY
attack roll. If an enemy who is engaged in melee combat with you attempts
Defending is a fast reaction (above). This means that you to move away, you can, if you wish, make an attack of oppor-
can defend even when it is not your turn in the turn order, so tunity against her. This works like any other melee combat
long as you have the AP required. Enemies can only defend attack, but counts as fast (1 AP), and you get a +2 to your roll.
if the GM also spends 1 DP. Attacks of opportunity are reactions (see above).
When you defend, you test melee combat. You and the
enemy roll dice at the same time, and compare the results. Movement: You also get to make an attack of opportunity
For each six you, the defender, rolled, choose an effect below. against an enemy who moves past you within Close Range.
◆◆ Decrease Damage: You neutralize one of the enemy’s sixes. The enemy’s movement must not start or end within Close
If she is left at no sixes, the attack misses. This effect can be Range of you – if she passes close enough during her move-
chosen multiple times. ment, you get to strike.
◆◆ Counterattack: You perform a counterattack, dealing Weapon
Damage to the attacker. You cannot spend additional sixes to y GRAPPLING
increase the damage of your counterattack. You can, however, As a bonus effect to a successful melee combat attack,
spend extra sixes to inflict a critical injury, but the Crit rating you can choose to pin your opponent. To break free, your
of your weapon is considered 1 step higher than normal. You enemy must beat you in an opposed melee combat roll.
can spend further extra sixes to increase the severity of the The opposed roll counts as a normal action for the person
critical injury. in the clinch, but as a free action for you. Until your enemy
◆◆ Disarm: You disarm your enemy, but only after her attack has manages to break free, she can perform no other actions.
been resolved normally.
◆◆ Raise Initiative: Your initiative score is raised by 2, taking effect Grapple Attack: While you are grappling with a pinned oppo-
this turn if you have not yet acted. Otherwise, the effect applies nent, grapple attacks are your only available actions. A grapple
at the beginning of the next turn. This effect can be chosen attack is like any other melee combat attack (a normal action),
multiple times, for additional effect. but with the following exceptions:
87
◆◆ You cannot use weapons (you inflict your unarmed Weapon
Damage, normally 1).
◆◆ You get a +2 modifier to the number of dice you roll for the grapple.
◆◆ Your enemy cannot not defend against the attack.
Example
Sabah attacks a Sogoi warrior with her Dura RANGED COMBAT
knife, and she rolls two sixes. She inflicts 2 points When attacking an enemy from a distance, test the ranged
of damage on the Sogoi with the first six (2 is her combat skill. You will need some form of ranged weapon,
Weapon Damage), and she spends her second six be it just a rock. The tables in Chapter 6 list the maximum
on pinning the now-bleeding warrior. The Sogoi range of different weapons – i.e. how far away your target can
attempts to break the clinch through an opposed be for your weapon to still be used effectively. You can fire
melee combat roll, but fails. In the following turn, your weapon at targets at up to one range step beyond the
Sabah makes a grapple attack, giving her a +2 mod- weapon’s maximum range, but you will suffer a -3 modifier.
ifier and a total of 8 dice to roll. She gets three sixes!
The pinned Sogoi cannot defend. Sabah spends both Cover: You cannot defend against ranged attacks. Instead, a
her additional sixes on extra damage, and the Sogoi smart move is to find cover (page 93) when the bullets start flying.
goes limp beneath her, broken after another 3 points
of damage. y TARGET SIZE
If your target is prone or small, you suffer a -1 modifier to
the shot. Tiny targets can give even bigger penalties. A large
target, such as a vehicle, instead gives you a +1. Huge targets
can give you +2 or more – this is up to the GM.
y RANGE MODIFIERS
The distance to your target will also affect your hit chance.
◆◆ When your target is at Long Range from you, you get a -1.
TABLE 5.3 RANGED ATTACKS
◆◆ At Extreme Range, you get a -2.
DISTANCE MODIFIER ◆◆ Within Close Range, you either get a -3 if you are engaged in
Close -3/+3 close combat with the target (the scuffle makes aiming very
Short 0 difficult), or a +3 if the target is immobile or unaware of you.
Long -1
Extreme -2 y AIMED SHOT
Beyond Weapon -3 If you take your time to aim carefully before squeezing the
Range trigger, you get a +2 to your attack roll. This makes your
attack a slow action (costing 3 AP) instead of a normal action
(2 AP). You cannot make an aimed shot against an enemy
with whom you are engaged in close combat – there is simply
no time to aim.
y QUICK SHOT
If there is no time for aiming, you can just shoot from the
hip. You get a -2 to your attack roll, but the attack is a fast
action (1 AP) instead of a normal action (2 AP). There are two
special rules that apply to quick shots.
88
COMBAT
◆◆ You can only fire a quick shot attack against enemies at Close
Range or Short Range.
◆◆ If you make three quick shots in the same turn, your clip is empty
or your cell depleted. You must reload your weapon.
y RELOADING
Most firearms have large enough magazines for you not to
need to worry about counting shots during a fight – just
reload when the fight is over. There are a few exceptions.
◆◆ Some primitive firearms like long rifles, bows, and rocket
launchers (see the weapon lists in Chapter 6) require reloading
after every shot.
◆◆ If you make three quick shots in the same turn, your clip is empty
or your cell depleted (this does not apply for mounted weapons).
◆◆ When you shoot full auto fire (see below), you run a great risk
of emptying your clip.
Reloading in combat is a normal action (unless you have the

Rapid Reload talent).
y BONUS EFFECTS
When your ranged combat roll is successful, your attack
hits and you inflict your weapon’s Weapon Damage on your
enemy. For each additional six after the first one, choose one
of the bonus effects below.
◆◆ Increase Damage: You inflict 1 extra point of damage. This
effect can be chosen multiple times.
◆◆ Critical Injury: You inflict a critical injury on your enemy. This
effect costs extra sixes (beyond the first one) equal to your weap-
on’s Crit Rating. By adding even more sixes, you can increase
the severity of the critical injury.
◆◆ Suppressive Fire: You force your enemy to keep her head down.
She suffers 1 point of stress (page 92). If you are shooting full
auto fire, she takes 1 additional point of stress. This effect can
be chosen multiple times.
◆◆ Raise Initiative: You assume a better position for your next attack.
Your initiative score is raised by 2, taking effect at the beginning
of the next turn. This effect can be chosen multiple times.
◆◆ Disarm: Your enemy drops her weapon, or some other hand-held
item of your choosing. Picking something up again is a fast action.
y AUTOMATIC FIRE
Some firearms are capable of unleashing deadly bursts of fully
automatic fire (see the weapon lists in Chapter 6). Full auto
89
fire differs from regular ranged attacks in the following ways:
◆◆ Your attack counts as slow (3 AP).
◆◆ Your target must be within Long Range or less.
◆◆ You get a -2 modifier to your attack roll.
Example ◆◆ Regardless of whether your initial roll is successful or not, you
In the Kuan Conglomerate, Sabah is suddenly can choose to keep rolling dice, one at a time. These extra dice
attacked by a group of mercenaries firing at her from are added to your first roll. However, as soon as you roll a 1, your
a rooftop. She returns fire with her Vulcan carbine clip is empty and you must reload (see above).
and rolls 7 dice (3 for Agility, 3 for ranged combat,
and 1 for the Gear Bonus of the weapon). She rolls Mounted Weapons: Many large mounted weapons have
two sixes, inflicting her weapon’s Weapon Damage magazines so big that they don’t need to be reloaded in
(3) on one of the mercenaries. She uses her second combat. Full auto fire with these weapons works the same as
six to disarm the mercenary, whose rifle drops to the with other weapons, but a result of 1 on the extra automatic
street below. fire dice instead means that the shooter loses control over
the weapon and must stop firing. No reloading is necessary.
Multiple Targets: When you fire full auto, you can choose to
Example distribute your dice – those in your original roll and/or the
Sabah is taking cover behind a wall when suddenly extra full auto dice – against new targets. You can do this
the mercenaries’ firing stops. War-crying, four of after rolling. The first six you roll for a new target means that
them come running towards Sabah’s hiding place, you inflict Weapon Damage on it. Additional sixes against the
giving her no choice but to fire a deadly burst of full new target mean bonus effects as usual. Every new target
auto fire against them. She rolls 6 dice (3 for Agility, you direct your fire against must be within Close Range of
3 for ranged combat, 1 for the weapon’s Gear Bonus, the previous target. You can fire at any number of targets,
1 for the support of leaning against the wall, and until the burst is cut off by you rolling a 1.
then -2 dice for firing full auto). She is out of luck – no
sixes! She sends a quick prayer to the Icons, giving y OVERWATCH FIRE
the GM a Darkness Point, and rerolls. Two sixes! She As a fast action (1 AP), you can assume an overwatch position,
uses the two sixes to hit two of her enemies, and then aiming in a specified direction. Your aim covers a 90-degree
starts rolling extra full auto dice. On the first one, fire arc with your line of sight in the middle. You cannot
she rolls a 4 – no hit, but she gets to keep on firing assume an overwatch position when engaged in melee combat.
because it wasn’t a 1. Next die shows another 4, but
she keeps going. Third die shows a 6, which she uses Effect: Overwatch means that you are ready to fire your weapon
to score a hit on a third mercenary. The fourth die in the direction of your aim any time during the coming turn
shows a 1 – her clip is empty and she must reload. (i.e. from now until your initiative score comes round again
Three of the mercenaries were hit by Sabah’s burst, in the next turn). During this time, you can fire a normal shot
each taking Weapon Damage. Time to see if their (costing 2 AP) whenever you want to, before any other actions
armor holds! are performed – even after they have been declared.
For example, if an enemy within your fire arc wants to
shoot at you, you can shoot him first. Your enemy cannot
change her declared action after your overwatch attack. If
you and an enemy both are in overwatch position and are
in each other’s fire arc, an opposed ranged combat roll (a
free action for both of you) decides who goes first.
90
COMBAT
91
Broken Overwatch: As soon as you perform any action other STRESS
than shooting at a target in your fire arc, your concentra- You start the game with a pool of Mind Points (MP) equal
tion breaks and your overwatch position is gone. This also to your Wits plus your Empathy. When you are attacked in
immediately happens if: combat or when someone tries to use manipulation on
◆◆ You become engaged in close combat. you, you might suffer stress (which lowers your number of
◆◆ You take damage. MP) from the mental strain. Contact with the Dark between
the Stars can also have this effect.
WEAPONS
Weapons make you more effective in close combat, and they y BREAKDOWN
are a direct necessity for ranged combat. Chapter 6 lists and If something puts you at zero Mind Points, you suffer a
describes common weapons in the Third Horizon. breakdown, collapsing from fear or anxiety. You can follow
simple commands but not take any action that requires dice
Bonus tells you what Gear Bonus modifier you get to your rolls. After D6 hours, you regain some control of yourself
attack roll (i.e. to the number of dice you can roll for your and 1 MP is restored; after that, you can begin to recover
attack). It can be positive or negative. the rest of your MP normally.
Initiative on a weapon modifies your initiative score – Skills: You can use either command or medicurgy to treat
on the condition that you attack with the weapon in the someone who has suffered a breakdown. If your roll is suc-
turn. If you apply the weapon’s initiative modifier to your cessful, the person you are calming down regains MP equal
initiative score, you must make an attack with the weapon to the number of sixes on your roll. Each attempt is a slow
during the turn. Other actions that somehow include action, and each person can try only once.
the weapon in question don’t count: to get the weapon’s
initiative modifier, you must attack with the weapon, or y RECOVERY
you lose all AP for the turn. You automatically recover 1 MP per hour when resting. If you
have suffered a breakdown, however (zero MP), you run a risk
Weapon Damage determines how many points of damage of permanent trauma. Roll one die. If the result is a one, your
are inflicted on your enemy if your attack hits. Extra sixes maximum total of Mind Points is permanently reduced by
on your attack roll can inflict more damage. one. If you drop permanently to a zero MP total, you become
a raving lunatic – time to create a new PC.
Crit tells you how many extra sixes beyond the first one you
need on your roll to inflict a critical injury on your opponent. DAMAGE
You run the risk of being injured in combat. Everything from
Range is the maximum range within which the weapon can exhaustion to bleeding cuts and broken bones is summarized
be used effectively. as damage. How much damage you can take is determined
by your number of Hit Points (HP).
Light Weapons require only half a row in the gear list on
your character sheet. Starting Hit Points: You start the game with a number of
HP equal to your Strength plus your Agility scores. Talents
Heavy Weapons require two rows in your gear list. can modify your HP total.
Automatic Weapons can fire in fully automatic mode. y ARMOR

To protect yourself from harm, you can wear armor (see
Special means special features and modifications, which are Chapter 6). The effectiveness of a piece of armor is described
found on some weapons. by its Armor Rating. You can only wear one suit of armor
92
COMBAT
at a time. When you take damage from an attack, roll a TRACK YOUR DAMAGE
number of dice equal to your Armor Rating. Each six you
roll lowers the damage by 1. The armor roll is a free action. When your PC takes damage, tick the corresponding
If the damage from the attack is reduced to 0, you escape number of boxes next to the Hit Points section on the char-
any critical injuries as well. acter sheet.
y COVER
In a firefight, taking cover behind something could save
your life. Choose something sturdy, like a metal doorframe Example
or a brick wall. Taking cover is a fast action, separate from A mercenary is firing a Vulcan carbine (Weapon
any movement required to reach the cover itself. Covers Damage 3) at Sabah. The mercenary rolls three sixes
also have Armor Ratings and work just like armor (above), and uses them all in order to maximize damage.
but they only work against ranged attacks. Cover and armor Luckily, Sabah is wearing an armored suit (Armor
can be combined. Simply add the dice together. Rating 3). She rolls 3 dice and gets two sixes, cancel-
ing 2 points of damage from the attack.
Fire Support: If you are behind cover, you can also lean on it
when shooting. This gives a +1 modifier, but not on quick shots.
Being Prone: If you are prone, enemies firing at you suffer

a -1 modifier. This can be combined with the effect of cover
(above). Also, you can claim the +1 fire support bonus when TABLE 5.4 COMMON COVERS
prone, even if you have no cover.
COVER ARMOR RATING
y BROKEN Divan 2
If you drop to zero Hit Points, you are “broken” – unconscious Table 3
or paralyzed with pain, and in no condition to keep fighting. Door 4
You cannot perform any actions and may not test any skills. All Inner wall 5
you can do is writhe in pain and cry for help. Further normal Outer wall 6
attacks that would put you below zero HP have no effect, but
Brick wall 7
you can still suffer additional critical injuries.
Foxhole 8
y GETTING BACK UP
Being broken is not fatal; only critical injuries can actually kill
you. There are two ways to get back up after being broken.
Example
First Aid: Someone can help you back onto your feet by Sabah is sneaking through a corridor on a spaceship
administering first aid to you. This is a slow action demanding when a corsair suddenly fires at her. The first shot
a medicurgy test of the helping player. The medical equip- misses, and Sabah takes cover around a corner in the
ment at hand determines what modifiers apply to the dice corridor (fast action) to return fire. In the next turn,
the player rolls (see below). Without any medical equipment, the corsair shoots again, hitting Sabah with two sixes.
the test cannot be attempted at all – you need to at least Given Sabah is in cover behind the corner (an inner
improvise something. If the roll is successful (i.e. if the player wall) she gets to roll 8 dice when testing her armor (5
rolls at least one six), you get back up immediately, regaining for the inner wall and 3 for her armored suit).
HP equal to the number of sixes on the medicurgy roll.
93
Administering first aid to someone who isn’t broken has no When you inflict a critical injury on an enemy, roll D66 on
effect – no HP are restored. Table 5.6 to see which critical injury you inflict. Note that a
critical injury won’t necessarily cause someone to be broken.
Pushing on: When you have been broken and no one is
around to treat you, you automatically recover 1 HP after D6 y SEVERITY
hours, and can then get back up on your own. If you have even more sixes to spend than those which you
need to score a critical injury, you can use them to increase
y RECOVERY the severity of the injury. For every extra six spent to increase
When you are no longer broken, you recover 1 HP per hour the severity of the critical injury, you get to reroll the D66 crit
until you are fully healed. Critical injuries can still affect you roll once. You need to determine how many sixes you want
after all your HP are restored, however. to spend on this before you start rerolling. You are allowed
to go back to an earlier result if you reroll.
CRITICAL INJURIES
Normal damage can be fatigue, bruises or smaller cuts – painful, y EFFECTS OF CRITICAL INJURIES
to be sure, but easily overcome. Critical injuries represent a much Most critical injuries have two effects – one immediate (such
more dangerous form of injury – these can maim or kill you. as making you fall over or being stunned), and one long term
When attacking an enemy, in melee combat or from afar, (usually giving you negative modifiers to one or more skills).
you can spend any extra sixes you rolled beyond the first one
to inflict critical injuries. How many sixes you need (beyond Stunned: The effect “stunned for one turn” means that you
the first one) depends on the weapon you are using. You must lose all your remaining AP in the current turn (if you have
spend sixes equal to your weapon’s Crit value. any left), or in the next turn (if you have none left this turn).
94
COMBAT
TABLE 5.5 MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
There are many kinds of medical equipment in the Third Horizon. More details can be found in Chapter 6. The skill bonuses below are not
cumulative.
EQUIPMENT BONUS COMMENT
Improvised -1 No effect on critical injuries or radiation

Doctor’s Bag 0 No effect on radiation
M-Dose +1
Ballistic M-Injector +1 Requires a Vulcan firearm, Short Range
Medkit +2
Med Lab +3 Ship module
T-Dose +2
Traumakit +3
Trauma Lab +4/+5* Ship module
C-Dose +1
P-Dose +2/+3* Automatically restores 2 HP with successful MEDICURGY
Spider Doctor - Has Wits 5, MEDICURGY 3, see page 113
Healing Scarab - Automatically restores 2 HP
*When treating a critical injury
Modifier to Skill: The listed modifier is in effect until the Instant kill: There are two critical injuries in the table – num-
critical injury is completely healed (see below). bers 65 and 66 – that simply kill you outright. If you roll one
of these two, the Lady of Tears has come to claim you. Time
y DEATH to make a new PC!
If you suffer a critical injury described as fatal in Table 5.6,
someone must give you first aid or you will die when the y HEALING
listed time runs out. First aid is a slow action and requires a Each critical injury below lists its healing time in days (usually
successful medicurgy test, modified by the available medical rolled with a number of D6). If someone gives you medi-
equipment (Table 5.5). cal treatment during your recovery time, that person tests
Note that some critical injuries are so severe that a neg- medicurgy, modified by the available medical equipment
ative modifier is applied to the medicurgy test. As long as (see above). If the roll is successful (i.e. if the roll includes
you are not broken (above), you can try to give yourself first at least one six), the remaining recovery time is reduced by
aid, but you get a -2 modifier to the roll. Each person who half. Earlier medicurgy rolls to stabilize a fatal injury or to
attempts to treat you can try only once – to get a second bring you back on your feet from having been broken don’t
chance, better medical equipment is needed. count – a new roll is required to shorten the recovery time.
Broken: If you are both broken and have sustained a fatal ATYPICAL DAMAGE
critical injury, two separate medicurgy rolls are needed: There are many ways to get hurt in the Third Horizon. Some
one to get you back on your feet, and another one to save examples of “atypical damage” are described below. As a rule,
your life. You can make these two rolls in whichever order atypical damage is determined through a dice roll where each
you prefer. six means you take 1 point of damage.
95
TABLE 5.6 CRITICAL INJURIES
D66 INJURY FATAL TIME LIMIT EFFECT HEAL TIME
11 Wind Knocked Out No - Stunned for one turn. -

12 Disorientated No - Stunned for one turn. -
13 Sprained Wrist No - Drops held item, then -1 to RANGED COMBAT and MELEE COMBAT. D6
14 Sprained Ankle No - Falls down, then -1 to DEXTERITY and INFILTRATION . D6
15 Concussion No - Stunned for one turn, then -1 to all advanced skills. D6
16 Bruised Lower Leg No - Falls down, then -1 to DEXTERITY and INFILTRATION . 2D6
21 Broken Nose NO - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to MANIPULATION . D6
22 Broken Fingers No - Drops held item, then -2 to RANGED COMBAT and MELEE COMBAT. 2D6
23 Broken Toes No - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to DEXTERITY and INFILTRATION . 2D6
24 Teeth Knocked Out No - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to MANIPULATION . 2D6
25 Groin Hit No - Stunned for two turns, then 1 point of damage per FORCE , 2D6
DEXTERITY, and MELEE COMBAT test.
26 Dislocated Shoulder No - Stunned for one turn, then -3 to FORCE and MELEE COMBAT. D6
31 Broken Ribs No - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to DEXTERITY and MELEE COMBAT. 2D6
32 Broken Arm No - Stunned for one turn, then -3 to RANGED COMBAT and MELEE 3D6
COMBAT.
33 Broken Leg No - Falls down, then Movement Rate halved, and -2 to DEXTERITY 3D6
and INFILTRATION .
34 Shredded Ear No - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to OBSERVATION . Permanent ugly 3D6
scar.
35 Gouged Eye No - Stunned for one turn, then -2 to RANGED COMBAT and 3D6
OBSERVATION .
36 Punctured Lung Yes D6 days Stunned for one turn, then -3 to DEXTERITY. 2D6
41 Lacerated Kidney Yes D6 days Stunned for two turns, then 1 point of damage per FORCE , 3D6
DEXTERITY, or MELEE COMBAT test.
42 Crushed Foot Yes D6 days Falls over, then Movement Rate halved, and -3 to DEXTERITY and 4D6
INFILTRATION .
43 Crushed Elbow Yes D6 days Stunned for one turn, then -2 to FORCE and MELEE COMBAT. No 4D6
use of two-handed weapons.
44 Crushed Knee Yes D6 hours Stunned for one turn, falls over, then Movement Rate halved, 4D6
and -3 to DEXTERITY and INFILTRATION .
45 Crushed Face Yes D6 hours Unconscious D6 hours, then -2 to MANIPULATION . 4D6
46 Pierced Intestines Yes D6 hours Stunned for one turn, then 1 point of damage per hour until first 2D6
aid is administered.
51 Broken Spine Yes D6 hours Unconscious D6 hours, then paralyzed from the waist down. 4D6
Unless medical aid is given during the healing time, the paraly-
sis becomes permanent.
52 Broken Neck Yes D6 hours Unconscious D6 hours, then paralyzed from the neck down. 4D6
Unless medical aid is given during the healing time, the paraly-
sis becomes permanent.
96
COMBAT
TABLE 5.6 CRITICAL INJURIES
D66 INJURY FATAL TIME LIMIT EFFECT HEAL TIME
53 Bleeding Gut Yes D6 minutes 1 point of damage per turn until first aid is given. D6
54 Internal Bleeding Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then 1 point of damage per FORCE , 2D6
DEXTERITY, or MELEE COMBAT test.
55 Severed Artery (Arm) Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -1 to DEXTERITY. D6

56 Severed Artery (Leg) Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -2 to DEXTERITY. D6
61 Destroyed Arm Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -2 to DEXTERITY. The arm is perma- 3D6
nently lost. No use of two-handed weapons.
62 Destroyed Leg Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -2 to DEXTERITY. The leg is perma- 3D6
nently lost. Movement Rate is halved.
63 Severed Jugular Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -1 to DEXTERITY. D6
64 Severed Aorta Yes, -1 D6 minutes Unconscious D6 hours, then -2 to DEXTERITY. 2D6
65 Pierced Heart Yes - Your heart beats one final time. Create a new PC. -
66 Crushed Skull Yes - You are instantly killed. Your adventure ends here. Create a -
new PC.
- Atypical Damage Yes Varies Unconscious until death, or until first aid is given. -
Atypical Weapon Damage: Atypical damage usually has a y DROWNING

Weapon Damage of 1 – the first rolled six causes 1 point of Swimming on the surface works just like movement on
damage – but in some cases the Weapon Damage can be land, but your Movement Rate is halved. If, however, you
2 or more. are underwater (by choice or not), you are “attacked” once
every turn. The GM rolls the attack at your turn in the turn
Critical injuries: Atypical damage can result in critical order, and before you get to act. He rolls a number of dice
injuries as well, but only if the attack leaves you broken. If equal to double the number of turns you have been under
you drop to zero HP and there are extra sixes left unused, water: two dice for the first turn, four dice for the second
check the Crit Rating of the atypical damage in question turn, and so on. As soon as you come up for air, the attacks
(below). If enough sixes are left, you suffer a critical injury. stop. Armor has no effect. You will continue being attacked
A critical injury from atypical damage is usually not rolled even after having been broken, which sooner or later will
on Table 5.6; instead, atypical damage has a special critical result in a critical injury. The Crit Rating of drowning is 2,
injury at the bottom of the table. The time limit until death and the time limit to death is D6 minutes.
varies, depending on the type of damage.
y FIRE
y FALLING If you are in, or within Close Range of, a large fire, you will
A fall of three meters or more ending on a hard surface suffer attack rolls once every turn. The GM rolls the attack
prompts an atypical damage attack roll. The GM rolls dice at your turn in the turn order, and before you get to act.
equal to the number of meters fallen -2. Armor may be tested. The size of the fire determines the number of dice on the
The Crit Rating of falling is 3. Roll critical injuries normally. roll, and that is up to the GM to decide. The number of dice
97
is then increased by one per turn. As soon as you suffer 1
or more points of damage from the fire, your clothes catch
fire, and you will continue to suffer the attack rolls even if
you get out of the fire itself. Putting out burning clothes
demands a successful dexterity test (you or someone else
within Close Range of you may attempt the roll). Armor may
be tested. You will continue being attacked by fire rolls even
after having been broken, which sooner or later will result
in a critical injury. The Crit Rating of fire is 1, and the time
BROKEN NPCS
limit to death is D6 turns.
NPCs can get broken, just like PCs. An NPC can give first aid y EXPLOSIONS
to a PC, and vice versa. When NPCs are treating each other, The strength of an explosion is measured in its Blast Power.
no dice roll is necessary; the GM can decide the outcome. When an explosive detonates, the GM rolls an attack with a
number of dice equal to the Blast Power once for each person
within Close Range of the explosion. Armor may be tested.
The Crit Rating of normal explosions is 2 (but see Shrapnel,
below). Critical injuries caused by explosions are rolled on
Table 5.6, like regular critical injuries.
Blast Radius: Powerful explosives, with a Blast Power of 7

or higher, may wound people beyond Close Range of the
explosion. Within Short Range, the Blast Power is lowered
by 6. If a lot of victims are within Short Range of the explo-
Example sion, the GM could make one attack roll against them all,
Sabah has suffered the critical injury “Punctured for simplification.
lung” and has been brought back to the group’s
medlab onboard their ship. The medicurg Vasil Shrapnel: The Crit Rating of normal explosions is 2, but
(Wits 4, medicurgy 2) first manages to stabilize her bombs containing shrapnel such as nails or ball bearings, as
wounds. Then he rolls again to shorten Sabah’s heal- well as some forms of grenades, are more lethal. Explosives
ing time. He gets a +3 modifier for the medlab, rolls that spread shrapnel damage have a Weapon Damage of 2
his nine dice, and succeeds. The recovery time for the and a Crit Rating of 1.
punctured lung, 2D6 days, is halved.
y HUNGER AND THIRST
Coriolis is not mainly a game about survival, but you could
well end up in situations where you don’t have enough food
or water. The GM decides when this is the case.
Thirst: If you lack sufficient water, you become dehydrated.

You automatically suffer 1 point of damage per 12 hours (no
attack roll is made). When dehydrated, you cannot heal any
damage or critical injury. If you become broken from thirst,
you immediately suffer a critical injury. The time limit to
death is D6 days.
98
COMBAT
Hunger: If you lack sufficient food, you will starve. You Radiation Level: When you are exposed to radiation, you
automatically suffer 1 point of damage every 48 hours. In all suffer Radiation Points (RP) that accumulate in your body.
other regards, see Thirst, above. Check off the RP boxes on your character sheet. The area’s
Radiation Level determines how often you get RP.
y COLD ◆◆ Weak Radiation: 1 RP per day
If you are in a cold environment without the necessary ◆◆ Strong Radiation: 1 RP per hour
gear to stay warm (the GM decides), you suffer attack rolls ◆◆ Extreme Radiation: 1 RP per minute
with six dice – the frequency of those rolls is up to the
GM. Around zero degrees Celsius, a roll per day should Effects: Every time you suffer an RP, you must roll a number
be enough, but on a blistering ice planet, you may have to of dice equal to your total current number of accumulated RP.
roll once per hour. The Crit Rating of cold is 1, and the time For every six in the roll, you take 1 point of damage. The Crit
limit to death is D6 hours. Rating of radiation is 1, and the time limit to death is D6 days.
y VACUUM Recovery: When you leave the irradiated area, you heal one
The Dark between the Stars is a cold and unforgiving place. RP per day.
Without the protection of an exo shell or the hull of a ship,
you won’t last long in the black void. If your ship suffers Permanent Radiation: There is a risk that the radiation will
explosive decompression or if you are thrown out of an air- permanently stay in your body. Every time you are about to
lock, your life is in extreme danger. The absence of pressure heal an RP, roll a die. If it shows a six, the RP is not healed but
creates gas bubbles in your blood, causing your whole body instead becomes permanent. Mark this with a line between
to swell up. This results in crippling pain, all while the raw the RP boxes on your character sheet. Permanent radiation
UV radiation from the nearest star sears your skin. You can’t can never be healed.
hold your breath – if you do, your lungs will collapse – so
after about ten seconds you lose consciousness from the VEHICLES
lack of oxygen. After that, you are maybe a minute or two The Third Horizon is home to many different kinds of vehi-
away from death. cles. Driving under normal circumstances requires no dice
Rules-wise, you must pass a force test every turn you rolls, but more advanced maneuvers demand pilot tests.
are without protection in a vacuum. The test is a free action, Note that pilot is an advanced skill; unless you have a skill
but you must pass it before doing anything else in the turn. level of at least 1 in pilot, you don’t get to roll for it and fail
The roll is unmodified for the first turn, but you get a -1 the test automatically. Entering or mounting a vehicle is a
modifier for the second turn; in turn three you get -2, and so fast action. Starting a motorized vehicle is also a fast action.
on. A failed roll means you drop directly to zero HP, become
broken and suffer an immediate critical injury. The time limit Gear Bonus: The modifier you get to your PILOT tests when
to death is D6 minutes. performing challenging maneuvers. Small, agile vehicles
Before going unconscious, you should put all your efforts generally have higher bonuses than large and heavy ones.
towards getting an exo shell on, if one can be found nearby.
Climbing into an exo shell in a single turn requires a suc- Hit Points (HP): How much damage the vehicle can take
cessful dexterity test. before becoming wrecked.
y RADIATION Movement Rate: The speed of the vehicle – how many meters
The Dark between the Stars contains many places where you the vehicle moves per fast action from the driver.
will be exposed to hard radiation – on a spacewalk near a
dying star, for example, or when you try to repair your ship’s Fuel: All vehicles require fuel, be it fusion batteries or bahtrol.
leaking reactor core. Table 5.7 lists which vehicle needs which fuel type.
99
TABLE 5.7 VEHICLES
NAME BONUS HP MOVEMENT RATE ARMOR PASSENGERS FUEL
Armored gravcraft 0 40 16 8 8 Fusion unit

Gravcraft +1 20 20 3 4 Fusion unit
Grav Bike +2 8 30 0 1 Fusion battery
Crawler 0 25 10 4 6–8 Fusion unit/bahtrol
Band Loader 0 20 7 2 8 Fusion unit
Example
Sabah is riding her grav bike through the
Conglomerate slums. She wants to ram a mercenary
from Short Range. She uses a fast action to get
Passengers: The number of people that can ride in the vehicle, within Close Range (the bike’s Movement Rate is
including the driver. 30 meters), and then her normal action to ram the
enemy. She rolls 7 dice (Agility 3, pilot 2, Gear Bonus
Armor: The Armor Rating of the vehicle. +2). After a quick prayer, she finally gets two sixes.
The mercenary is hit and takes 3 points of damage
y VEHICLES IN COMBAT (Weapon Damage 2 – the bike’s HP (8) divided by 5
Combat in a vehicle works just like combat on foot, but you and rounded up, +1 damage for the extra six).
use the vehicle’s Movement Rate instead of your own.
Ramming Enemies: Most vehicles can be used as weapons –

i.e. to simply ram your enemies. It counts as a melee combat Example
attack, but you test pilot instead of melee combat. Don’t An enforcer from the Syndicate fires a missile against
forget the vehicle’s Gear Bonus. The Weapon Damage is equal Sabah’s gravcraft. The attack hits and deals 6 points
to the vehicle’s HP divided by five, rounded up. of damage. Sabah tests the gravcraft’s armor (Armor
Rating 3), and rolls one six. The gravcraft takes 5
y DAMAGE TO VEHICLES points of damage.
Vehicles suffer damage just like people, each point of damage
lowering the vehicle’s total Hit Points by 1. When the vehicle’s
HP drop to zero, the vehicle is wrecked. Vehicles don’t suffer
critical injuries. Most vehicles have armor, which works just VEHICLES IN THE THIRD HORIZON
like armor does for people.
Planetside vehicles in the Third Horizon normally run on
Ramming Vehicles: You can use your vehicle to ram other vehicles wheels or graviton projectors. The former types of vehicle
as long as your vehicle has at least as many HP (starting value) are commonly referred to as “crawlers” and the latter types
as the enemy’s vehicle. Roll the attack like you would if you were as “gravs.” Most vehicles are powered by small fusion units
ramming a person. The damage from your attack is inflicted that run on water, or sometimes they run on rarer isotopes of
on the enemy vehicle. Passengers in the vehicle are only hurt if water. Smaller vehicles may run on fusion batteries or cells.
the enemy vehicle’s HP drops to 0, in which case all passengers Older, more primitive, vehicles sometimes run on alcohol, or
suffer the same amount of damage as the vehicle did. on petroleum products like bahtrol.
100
COMBAT
101
CHAPTER 6
weapons and equipment

There once lived a tailor in Paheve whose name was known far and wide, and
who was said to be the best in the Horizon. His name was Farazmon, and his
customers were pashas and sultans from every system. Farazmon’s clothes were
not only exquisite and beautiful, but also known to contain hidden pockets,
strange technology and protective plating.
ARTS AND CRAFT – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW – Sourush Bourka
The Third Horizon is one big bazaar of trinkets, art, vehicles, weapons
and technological marvels. Items like these can be the difference between
an affluent life in the Spire of Coriolis or dying from dehydration in the
salt deserts of Dabaran. This chapter describes all the kinds of gear and
equipment the PCs might need.
TECHNOLOGY TIERS gear can only be purchased by PCs with the Licensed
The technology of the Third Horizon is divided into different talent (see Chapter 4).
tiers: Primitive, Ordinary and Advanced, plus the mysterious
faction technology and whatever the Portal Builders left y FACTION TECHNOLOGY
behind, if it can be understood at all. Primitive technology is The technology of the factions, usually called Faction tech,
the remains of the tech brought by the first waves of Firstcome differs from Advanced technology mostly in its availability – or
colonists, adapted to local environments and materials. rather, lack thereof. Advanced technology can be purchased by
Ordinary technology is the bulk of everything produced and anyone on a core world with enough birr, but the faction tech is
used by ordinary people, with exceptions for the more bar- available only to a select few who have pledged their allegiance
baric areas or very poor colonies. Ordinary tech is produced to the agenda of the faction in question, or at the very least have
in modular designs to make repairs and modifications easy. formed a strong alliance with it. Huge amounts of birr will of
It is exported and imported all across the cluster. Advanced course also be necessary. Faction tech is not described in detail
technology is the high end of the tech available on the open in this book, as it will not be available to new PCs. The only way
market, as long as you can afford it, have the proper con- to come by it is through contacts in a faction, or theft.
nections and make the purchase in technologically advanced
places such as Coriolis, the Conglomerate, the Monolith or y PORTAL BUILDER TECHNOLOGY
other large trade stations and cities. Relics from the Portal Builders and other old artifacts are
only understood by a few people in the Horizon. Both the
y RESTRICTED ITEMS Foundation and the Special Branch are rumored to have
Certain items, regardless of the tech tier, are harder to cracked some of the secrets of the Portal Builders. For common
come by than others – they could require certain licenses, people, only the light globes and the healing scarabs are
be outlawed or just be available to those with friends in available, but very expensive. The PCs will most likely not
the right places. These items are marked with an asterisk know any more about artifacts than this, unless they are
(*) indicating that they are restricted items. Restricted professional archaeologists.
GEAR
All PCs can purchase extra gear at the start of the game (L) need only half a row on your gear list, heavy objects (H)
using their starting capital. Below are lists of items that can need two rows and tiny (T) take up no rows at all.
be found in the Third Horizon, divided by area of applica-
tion and sorted alphabetically. Each item will have a brief
description and modifiers (if any). It will also state its price COSTS OF LIVING AND EVERYDAY
and tech tier – Primitive (P), Ordinary (O) or Advanced (A), EXPENSES
and whether or not it is restricted (*). The lists also contain In Coriolis, there is a wide range of everyday consumables to buy,
costs, and the weights of the different items. Light objects as well as food and living expenses. This is not handled transaction
104
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
by transaction, but rather generalized as a monthly cost. You KNOWN FACTION TECH
don’t have to keep track of food and other consumables. Below
are some examples of common dishes, beverages and services, Despite the efforts of the factions to keep their
things the PCs could find on Coriolis and in similar places. technology secret, rumors about it are spread far
and wide. The Consortium are known for their tech-
EVERYDAY ITEMS nological wonders – gigantic combat exos called
Walkers that were field tested during the Uharu
y ARRASH (P) conflict, advanced warships and portal blades that
Strong stimulant with pain-relieving properties. Usually are said to cut through armored warriors like grass.
smoked in a hookah or added to so-called dream wine. The Order of the Pariah are known for their anima-
Leathery pieces of pressed arrash can be eaten directly, turgical skills, resulting in the animated armor suits
but this is considered a sign of strong addiction. The user and their antimatter tech. Most people also know
becomes drowsy and calm. -1 to all skill tests. about the Hegemony’s fearsome arachnid armors,
used by the Astûrban.
y CELL (O)
A hydrogen fuel cell, usually new, but refueled cells can also
be used. Refueling stations can be found here and there
on Coriolis and in other civilized places. A refueled cell is
unpredictable and the GM can deplete it at the cost of 1 DP. POSSESSIONS ON CORIOLIS
y CLOTHING (P/O/A) Some items can be found everywhere in the civilized parts
The fashion of the Third Horizon includes many different of the Horizon. Most people have somewhere to live and
garments: djellabas, gallabeyas, caftans, dhotis, kurtas, food on their plates, plus common items like tags, transac-
kameezes, casulas, coats, caps, uniforms, veils – and the tors and whatever gear they need for their profession.
list goes on, with every possible make, quality and cost.
y COMMUNICATOR (O)
A communicator can send and receive sound and video. It
can also be used to take pictures and record shorter film
segments. Sometimes called a com link.
◆◆ Personal (I): Communicator for short distances, about 10 kilo-
meters. Can be linked via other communicators for longer reach.
The standard personal com is no bigger than a wristwatch, but
some models are sewn into pieces of clothing or mounted into
jewelry and other gear. This type of mini-com cost twice as much
but has the same capabilities.
◆◆ Short range (II): Communicator for longer distances, up to 50
kilometers. This model is bigger, but usually still handheld. The
antenna design varies.
◆◆ Long range (III): Communicator for long distances, up to 100
kilometers. Usually handheld.
◆◆ Orbit (IV): Powerful communicator that can reach the orbit of a
planet. This model is so big it must be carried in a harness and
require cells to work.
105
TABLE 6.1 LIVING EXPENSES
LIFESTYLE PRIMITIVE ENVIRONMENT ORDINARY ENVIRONMENT ADVANCED ENVIRONMENT
Spartan 50 birr 500 birr 500 birr
Normal 100 birr 1,000 birr 2,500 birr

Luxury 500 birr 5,000 birr 10,000 birr
◆◆ System (V): The strongest communicator available, reaching A calm user will be assisted by the computer with whatever
anywhere within a system, with the delay times that comes she needs, but stress can make it more difficult.
with it of course. The signal travels at the speed of light. The
GM decides the delay times, which are usually a few minutes y HOLOGRAPH (A)
between planets up to at most an hour between the portals by The holograph can transmit and receive holographic mes-
the star and the outer rim of the system. sages. The holograms are detailed enough to show tiny text
◆◆ Pulse function (*): An add-on function available for all com- and detailed pictures, and can for example be used to see
municators. It collects all the data in a message and transmits through a disguise. Three-dimensional floor plans and maps
it in a short burst, making it harder to intercept, triangulate can also be transmitted.
and decrypt (-2 to technology). Pulse function is a restricted ◆◆ Personal: Holograph for short distance communication, about 10
technology. kilometers. Usually designed as a wristband or a tabula.
◆◆ Short, Long, Orbit, System and Pulse variants exists and work
y COMPUTER (P/O/A) the same way, but with ranges and cost increases equivalent to
Regular computers are voice operated and self-programming. communicators.
106
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
TABLE 6.2 FOOD, DRINK AND ENTERTAINMENT
FOOD DRINK SERVICE
Shish kabab Ayran Bath house visit
Lamb kofte Arrak Iconoscope or fortune telling

Aubergine stew Chai Courtesan
Chicken stew Kawah Poet
Falafel Kohôl Proxy
Moussaka Honey water Theater/stadium visit
Minced mushroom Wine Tabak
Algae cake Arrash
Baklava Opor
TABLE 6.3 EVERYDAY ITEMS
NAME BONUS COST WEIGHT TECH TIER
Arrash -1 25 Tiny P
Cell 50 Tiny O
Clothing 50-1,000 Tiny P/O/A
Communicator
– Personal (I) 200 Tiny O
– Short range (II) 500 Light O
– Long range (III) 1,000 Light O
– Orbit (IV) 2,000 Heavy O
– System (V) 5,000 Heavy O
– Pulse function 1,000 Tiny O*
Computer -3/-1/+1 10,000/15,000/20,000 Normal P/O/A
Holograph 1,500-7,300 Tiny-Heavy A
Kambra +1 250 Tiny O
Language unit 10,000 Tiny A
Library database +1/+3 1,500/2,000 Tiny A
Modulator 12,000 Normal A
Musical instrument +1 100-1,000 Light-Heavy P
Opor -2 50 Tiny P
Proxy helmet 500 Light O
Proxy trip -2 100 Tiny O
Tabak 25 Tiny P
Tabula 2,000 Light O
Tag 50 Tiny O
Talisman 50 Tiny P
Transactor 100 Tiny O
Voice amplifier 400 Light O
107
y KAMBRA (O)
A drug that induces a state of euphoria, making the user
charismatic and happy (+1 to manipulation) for a few hours,
followed by a bad day of hangover. The user suffers 2 points
of stress per use.
y LANGUAGE UNIT (A)

The language unit is worn as a heavy medallion around
one’s neck. If the wearer speaks slowly, clearly and with
pauses, the unit provides real-time translation to another
language. The unit can hold software for three different
languages. Tags with language software cost half the
price of the unit.
y LIBRARY DATABASE (A)

A specialized library database is an encyclopedia of informa-
tion relating to a specific, usually narrow, topic. It is used via
a ship computer or ship djinn to gain a bonus to science
or culture, between +1 and +3 depending on how narrow
the subject is.
y MODULATOR (A)
A communicator based on modulation – nanotechnological
representation of real objects. Has the performance of a
personal com (10 kilometers) and can both transmit and
receive perfect copies of objects and people. The modulated
object is tied to the plate-shaped modulator and cannot be
moved, but can be touched and turned as long as it stays
above the unit. The copied objects lack the functions of the
originals, but their weight and appearance are perfect down
to the molecular level.
y MUSICAL INSTRUMENT (P/O)

The Third Horizon contains many different musical instru-
ments, from Primitive flutes and drums to Ordinary cirras,
harps and chordophones. Gives a +1 to manipulation if
used for entertainment purposes. The GM has final say on
when this bonus is applicable.
y OPOR (P)
Synthetic arrash, stronger and more addictive. Usually smoked
in long pipes or burned on a plate, with the smoke being
inhaled under a rag. Can also be injected. Gives the user a
powerful high and -2 to all skills.
108
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
y PROXY HELMET (O)

A hood, helmet or some other headdress allowing the wearer
to experience other people’s recorded brain activity.
y PROXY TRIP (O)

A proxy experience from the streets, rarely morally accept- CELLS AND ENERGY
able but always very strong. Long term use is very addictive.
The user becomes distracted and gets a -2 to observation A cell is basically a small battery that can power a wide
for the duration of the trip. Requires a proxy helmet to range of portable tech. Refueling a cell with hydrogen can
be used. be done in most Ordinary environments for a small fee. In
weapons, the cells are usually built into the magazine. Heavy
y TABAK (P) weaponry may require several cells in series or parallel.
Mild stimulant with a sweet taste. Rolled, dried and ground
up to be smoked in a hookah. Essential oils are sometimes
added for a deeper flavor. In certain parts of the Horizon, it
is dried, rolled and smoked directly, or used to brew a bitter
and soothing tea.
y TABULA (O)
A tablet that can be operated by hand or using ornate stylus
pens. Everyday object used to gather information, keep a
diary or just to read the Bulletin’s news.
y TAG (O)
A crystalline memory stick for information or birr. Charged
at a terminal and not personal, which makes it hard to trace
unless you know its specific number.
COMPUTERS IN THE THIRD HORIZON
y TALISMAN (P)
Picture or symbol representing one of the Icons. Worn on Anyone who has grown up in an Ordinary environ-
the body or placed somewhere visible in a vehicle, spaceship ment will have a basic proficiency with computers
or shop to bring good fortunes and protect against dark and databases. All Ordinary computers are voice
influences. A blessed talisman grants a +1 modifier to one operated and self-programming, which means
dice roll (see the talent Talisman Maker). that they are ordered rather than programmed by
the user. DATA DJINN is tested to make a computer
y TRANSACTOR (O) perform tasks properly. Ordinary computers are
A personal identity card that can hold birr and credit as well harder to command (-1) than Advanced ones (+1).
as other information. Since it is personal, it is easy to trace The most difficult machines are the primitive
(+1 to data djinn if the tracer has access to the correct per- thought machines that must be operated using
sonal information). keyboards and programmed manually in obscure
code languages (-3). They still exist in certain prim-
y VOICE AMPLIFIER (O) itive parts of the Horizon in the forms of computing
The amplifier usually looks like a tube one speaks into, car- and punch card devices and other rudimentary
rying one’s voice up to 100 meters. processing units.
109
CLOTHES IN THE THIRD HORIZON
The peoples of the Horizon dress very differently.

The Firstcome tend to prefer loose-fitting garments
such as djellabas or gallabeyas, while Zenithians
prefer shirts such as the kameez or the kurta, as
well as vests and veils. Among space station and
ships crews, practical clothes with pockets are
common, along with tight coats and belts. The
fashion changes over time, and different groups
are influenced by foreign styles and designs, which
makes beautifully embroidered djellabas or gal-
labeyas common among important Zenithians and
wealthy merchants, for example.
◆◆ BURRA: A wide, straight skirt worn over pants by
both men and women. Common in dance rituals
performed by preachers or ascetics.
◆◆ DHOTI: A piece of fabric worn as a loincloth or
strapped on as pants. Common together with a
kurta or kameez. Mercenary in djellaba.
◆◆ DJELLABA: A full-length robe usually made from
cotton or wool. Certain local variations include
a hood. Belts are sometimes used to accentuate
the waist.
◆◆ DUPATTA: Long shawl that can be worn in many
different ways, usually tied around the head.
◆◆ GALLABEYA: A wide, full-length robe without
collar, and sometimes without buttons. The
sleeves are usually very wide and sometimes con-
tain small pockets. Most common in hot climates.
◆◆ GUTTRAH: A smaller piece of cotton fabric worn as
a turban-style headdress or fastened with black
string, called agal.
◆◆ CAFTAN: A long coat with wide sleeves. Commonly
not buttoned in the front but worn open or with the
front parts overlapping, sometimes with a belt.
◆◆ KAMEEZ: A long pull-on shirt, usually with
embroidery.
◆◆ KURTA: A knee-length, straight shirt or jacket with
a round collar.
◆◆ THAWB: A full-length robe with straight
sleeves and no collar. Usually worn with pants Courtesan with gallabeya and a guttrah headdress.
underneath.
110
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
Peddler in caftan and dupatta. Stevedore with coat. Pilot in kameez.
Criminal in kurta and dhoti. Archaeologist in kameez. Soldier in caftan.
111

TABLE 6.4 MEDICURGICAL TECHNOLOGY
Ballistic m-injector +1 1,000 Light O

Bio monitor 5,000 Light O
Doctor’s bag ±0 300 Normal P
Herbal remedy -1 50 Light P
Medkit +2 700 Normal O
M-dose +1 50 Light O
Medlab +3 5,000 - O
Mind-enhancing narcotics +1/-1 200 Tiny O*
P-dose +2/+3 1,000 Light F*
Poison 300-3,000 Tiny P
Spider doctor (Wits 5, MEDICURGY 3) 5,000 Heavy A*
Trauma kit +3 2,000 Normal A
Trauma dose +2 200 Light A
Trauma lab +4/+5 20,000 - A*
MEDICURGICAL TECHNOLOGY y HERBAL REMEDY (P)

A poultice preferably used together with a doctor’s bag. On
y BALLISTIC M-INJECTOR (O) its own, it gives a -1 to medicurgy to treat a broken person.
A medicurgical injector that can be fired with a Vulcan weapon Cannot be used to treat critical or fatal injuries.
to lend medical assistance from afar (Short Range). First, test
ranged combat to hit the target – if you hit, the injector y MEDKIT (O)
counts as an m-dose. Ordinary bag of medicurgical supplies for treating wounds,
poisonings, radiation damage or severe illness. Contains a
y BIO MONITOR (O) diagnostic unit, suture gun, pneumatic needles, bandages
Attached to the body. Monitors and stores data about the and other basic gear, as well as 10 m-doses. The medkit gives
wearer’s health. Includes a level II com link that can be activated a +2 to medicurgy. Bonuses from medical equipment do
to transmit the data to medicurgs not on site. This enables not stack – use only the highest bonus.
someone to assist with medicurgy from far away (see Help
From Others, page 58). y M-DOSE (O)
A one-use injector for stabilizing wounds or treating poison,
y DOCTOR’S BAG (P) disease or radiation damage. Called “life insurance” or “first aid”
Contains medicurgical equipment, needles, cauterization irons in soldier slang, although the Legionnaires are of the belief that
and herbal remedies for 10 treatments. Primitive medicurgical one’s carbine is the first aid, instead referring to the m-dose as
gear gives no bonuses when treating wounds, diseases or the “fuse” or the “last aid”. An m-dose should be used together
poisons. Has no effect on radiation damage. with a medkit; on its own it only gives a +1 to medicurgy.
112
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
y MEDLAB (O) icurgy rolls. Contains 10 trauma doses. Cannot be used

A complete med unit. Gives a +3 to all medicurgy rolls to without trauma doses.
treat wounds, diseases, poison or radiation. The medlab must
be resupplied after 100 treatments which costs half of the y TRAUMA DOSE (A)
original price. If the supplies from the lab are taken away to An Advanced version of the m-dose. One use. Preferably
be used in the field, they count as m-doses. A medlab takes used together with a trauma kit or trauma lab. Used alone
up space equivalent to one spaceship module. it gives only a +2 to medicurgy.
y MIND-ENHANCING NARCOTICS (O*) y TRAUMA LAB (A*)

These drugs come in a variety of forms and with many dif- A state-of-the-art med unit that gives a +4 to medicurgy
ferent effects. They can be ingested, injected or applied as rolls, or a +5 when treating critical injuries. The trauma lab
adhesive patches. The effects are very strong – one attribute must be resupplied after 100 treatments, at the cost of 15,000
is raised by 1 for D6 hours. The drugs come with serious birr. If the supplies from the lab are taken away to be used
fatigue after the high, however. When the PC comes down, in the field, they count as trauma doses. A trauma lab takes
she suffers 2 points of damage and a -1 to the affected up space equivalent to one spaceship module.
attribute for half a day.
TOOLS AND REPAIRS
y P-DOSE (F*)
The p-dose is the Order of the Pariah’s version of a regular y CUTTING TORCH (O)
m-dose. It is more potent but hard to come by, even in the Cell-powered cutting torch. Can cut through ship’s hulls and
places where it isn’t illegal. It is used like an m-dose but gives armored doors in a couple of minutes, creating a hole big
a +2 to the medicurgy roll when treating normal injuries and enough for a person without an exo shell. The cell must be
a +3 when treating critical injuries. changed before the torch can be used again.
y POISON (P) y SPARE PART, PRIMITIVE (P)

A poison that can be applied to a weapon, eaten or injected. Enough for one repair to Primitive technology. Used without
Common poisons have a strength of between 1 and 5, but tools, it gives a -2 to technology.
strong ones could have a strength of up to 8. The poison
attack is an opposed poison strength vs attribute roll (which y SPARE PART, ORDINARY (O)
attribute to test depends on which kind of poison it is). If Enough for one repair to Ordinary technology. Ordinary tools
the victim fails, she suffers damage or stress equal to the or better are required for the repair.
poison strength. If she wins the roll, she suffers only passing
symptoms (-1 to the relevant attribute for D6 hours.) y SPARE PART, ADVANCED (A)
Enough for one repair to Advanced technology. Advanced
y SPIDER DOCTOR (A*) tools are required for the repair.
An autonomous field medic unit with a spider-like design.
Diagnoses the patient, initiates treatment and reports to other y THERMAL CUTTER (A)
units via a level II com if needed. Applying a spider doctor A cutting torch with a thermal lance that can cut through
to a wounded person is a slow action, but after that it acts ship’s hulls, armored doors and similar things in one minute,
independently with Wits 5 and medicurgy 3. The spider has creating a hole big enough for a person in an exo shell.
a full trauma kit (no bonus). Powered by three cells that must be changed after each use.
y TRAUMA KIT (A) y TOOLS, PRIMITIVE (P)

An Advanced version of the medkit. Gives a +3 to all med- Simple tools for repairs. Spare parts are required to repair
113
TABLE 6.5 TOOLS AND REPAIRS
Cutting torch 800 Heavy O

Spare part, Primitive 50 Light P
Spare part, Ordinary 200 Light O
Spare part, Advanced 1,000 Light A
Thermal cutter 3,000 Heavy A
Tools, Primitive 100 Heavy P
Tools, Ordinary 500 Normal O
Tools, Advanced +1 1,500 Light A
Vacuum sealer 500 Light O
Workshop, Primitive +1 400 - P
Workshop, Ordinary +1 2,000 - O
Workshop, Advanced +2 15,000 - A
or create basic objects. Spare parts used without tools give y WORKSHOP, ORDINARY (O)
the user a -2 to technology. Enables repairs and construction of basic Ordinary items. Gives
a +1 to technology. Contains spare parts for 10 Ordinary
y TOOLS, ORDINARY (O) repairs. Resupplying the workshop costs 500 birr.
Multitools for all kinds of Ordinary repairs as long as the
proper spare parts are available. Gives no bonus, but are y WORKSHOP, ADVANCED (A)
necessary for the repairs. Gives a +2 to all technology rolls. Contains spare parts for 10
Advanced repairs. Resupplying the workshop costs 2,000 birr.
y TOOLS, ADVANCED (A)
Multitools for all kinds of Advanced repairs as long as the SURVIVAL AND COLONIZATION
proper spare parts are available. Gives a +1 to technology.
y ARTIFICIAL GILLS (A)
y VACUUM SEALER (O) The gills are worn around the neck and extract oxygen from the
The sealer looks like a big injector. It is used to seal up small water. The wearer breathes in the oxygen through a diver’s mask.
holes in exos or hulls. Advanced exo shells have built-in
sealers which increase their cost to twice the price of a y BALLISTIC CARTOGRAPH (A*)
regular sealer. The cartograph is a small unit connected to a computer or
a tabula. It comes with a pack of tiny missiles that fit Vulcan
y WORKSHOP, PRIMITIVE (P) weapons and spread a cloud of microsensors when they hit a
Gives a +1 to all technology rolls when repairing Primitive solid target. The sensors then transmit a 3-D map of everything
technology. Contains spare parts for 10 Primitive repairs. within Short Range of the impact back to the home unit. The
Resupplying the workshop costs 100 birr. missiles could also be programmed to detonate in mid-air in
114
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
order to provide a map view from above with a Long Range y EMERGENCY FLARE (P)
radius. There are 5 charges in the cartograph and reloading A flare shot up into the sky, where it burns in a bright color.
it costs 2,000 birr. They come in different colors if one needs to relay different
messages. Burn for one turn as they fall to the ground,
y BINOCULARS (P) dangling from little parachutes.
Optical aid to scouting at long distances. Gives a +1 to obser-
vation. y ENVIRONMENT SCANNER (O)
Scans the surroundings and reports any presence of dan-
y BOX TENT (A) gerous chemicals, biological threats or radiation. Gives a +2
A small, rectangular module that expands into a two-person to survival to spot environmental threats.
tent when activated. Solar panels on the roof power climate
systems in the tent that keep the inside temperature normal. y FILTER MASK (O)
A must-have for colonists. A simple rubber mask with a plastic visor and respirator that
protects against toxins that affect the respiratory system. The
y CHEM EXTINGUISHER (O) filter lasts for one to three days depending on the toxicity of
Neutralizes fire and burning or corrosive chemicals in one the environment before it needs changing.
turn. The extinguisher can put out one small fire.
y HYPER ROPE (O)
y COMPASS (P) A thin and incredibly strong rope that is 50 meters long. Can
Gives a +1 to survival when orientating in difficult terrain be fastened to most materials. Cannot be climbed without
– if the local magnetic fields allows it. The compass comes special hand and foot grips as the rope cuts like a knife. The
with a built-in altimeter to help when traveling through hills grips are included. Gives a +1 to dexterity when climbing.
and mountains.
y MOISTURE CONDENSER (O)
y DIVING GEAR (O) Gathers and condenses moisture from the surrounding air.
Helmet or diving mask connected to an oxygen tube (about In a normal climate, the unit can produce enough water for
50 x 25 x 10 cm) carried on the back in a harness. The oxygen two people per day, in a humid climate the water is enough
lasts for 2 hours of diving. for five people and in an arid climate, such as deserts or
115

TABLE 6.6 SURVIVAL AND COLONIZATION
Artificial gills 2,500 Light A

Ballistic cartograph 4,000 Tiny A*
Binoculars +1 100 Light P
Box tent 2,000 Normal A
Chem extinguisher 300 Normal O
Compass +1 100 Tiny P
Diving gear 1,000 Heavy O
Emergency flare 50 Light P
Environment scanner +2 400 Light O
Filter mask 300 Light O
Hyper rope +1 200 Tiny O
Moisture condenser 2,000 Tiny O
Nutrition pills 250 Tiny A
Nutrition recycler 3,000 Tiny A
Portable laboratory +2 2,000 Heavy O
Pressure tent 1,200 Heavy O
Spider suit +3 4,000 Light A*
Survival mask 500 Light O
Survival rations 100 Tiny O
Thermostatic suit +1 1,100 Normal O
Water purifier 1,000 Light O
tundra, it is enough for one person. The water is automatically waste and turns it into food. Used by expeditions, long-haul
purified. Powered by a cell that needs changing once a week. freighters or in prison camps to recycle all organic waste into
nutritious (if foul-tasting) food. For both taste and associative
y NUTRITION PILLS (A) reasons, the end product is appreciated by very few. Powered
One’s daily need of energy and nutrition compressed into by the reactor if on a ship or by a fusion battery if in a camp
three tiny pills, usually fruit or berry flavored and designed or ground vehicle. Produces enough disgusting food per
to provide the user with a sense of being full. Must be taken day to feed six people.
with at least half a liter of water or they will cause serious
stomach pains and massive constipation. y PORTABLE LABORATORY (O)
A portable lab unit that can be used for most analyses.
y NUTRITION RECYCLER (A) Comes with bio, rad, chem and spectral sensors. Gives a +2
Biomolecular de- or reconstruction technology that processes to science when analyzing foreign substances and objects.
116
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
y PRESSURE TENT (O) y SURVIVAL RATIONS (O)

A four-person tent that regulates pressure and gas levels to Bland but nutritious. Enough for one person for one day of
make the inside atmosphere pleasurable to humans. Comes hard work. Add half a liter of water per meal and it will cook
with enough oxygen for four people in a completely oxy- itself. Warm water will give a tastier meal, but cold water is
gen-free environment for one day. In low-oxygen surround- also fine.
ings, the oxygen will last proportionately longer. If the tent
absorbs some oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere, y THERMOSTATIC SUIT (O)
harmful substances are filtered out. A suit that monitors and chemically corrects the wearer’s
body temperature. No extra energy source is necessary.
y SPIDER SUIT (A*) Works between +70 degrees Celsius and -80 degrees Celsius.
The suit consists of gloves, boots and pads for elbows and knees Collects the wearer’s sweat and urine, purifies it, and fills
that stick to most materials, letting the wearer climb completely up an internal compartment with clean water. Gives a +1 to
flat surfaces and hang upside down from the ceiling. Gives the survival and supplies one ration of water per day.
wearer +3 to dexterity. The suit can be turned on and off.
y WATER PURIFIER (O)
y SURVIVAL MASK (O) Purifies water from toxins and chemicals as well as biological
Full-face mask connected to an oxygen tank. Recycles exhaled and radioactive threats. Can purify enough water for one person
oxygen and lasts for one hour in a completely oxygen-free per day. Powered by a cell that needs changing once a week.
environment and for one day in low-oxygen surroundings.
If the mask absorbs some oxygen from the surrounding EXOS AND VEHICLES
atmosphere, harmful substances are filtered out.
y ARMORED GRAVCRAFT (O)
An armored version of the gravcraft with more powerful
projectors, heavier hull and a wedge-shaped design. Usually
between 5 and 10 meters long. Can reach altitudes of about
twenty meters.
y CRAWLER (O)
Vehicle with wheels or tracks designed for difficult terrain and
hostile climates. A common version is one with tracks, a cabin
that can fit six passengers and an internal cargo capacity of 400
kilograms, plus an external platform in the back for another
400 kilograms. The cabin is thermostatic and can compensate
for temperatures of between -20 degrees Celsius and +70
degrees Celsius. There is a hatch in the ceiling that can be
opened with hydraulics to get out of a buried crawler, after a
sandstorm for example. The top speed is 80 kilometers per
hour on level ground, and about 50 kilometers per hour in
hilly terrain. Most crawlers are constructed or modified to run
on whatever fuel is locally available, but fusion batteries are
the optimal choice as they also make the thermostatic cabin
function better. Crawlers have level III com units and explosive
harpoons to fasten the crawler to the ground during a storm.
117
TABLE 6.7 EXOS AND VEHICLES
Armored gravcraft 40,000 - O

Crawler 6,000 - O
Drone 4,000 - O
Exo shell -2 2,000 - O
Grav bike +2 3,000 - O
Gravcraft +1 15,000 - O
Gravity belt 4,500 Heavy A
Ground loader 10,000 - O
Hand jet +1 700 Heavy O
Jet pack +1/+2 1,600 Heavy O
Loader exo +2 3,000 - O
Remote control module 2,000 Tiny O
Track loader 4,000 - O
Water jet +1 1,100 Heavy O
y DRONE (O) birr. They normally hover about one meter above the ground,
A small recon drone controlled from a computer or a but the projectors of some models can be pushed to perform
tabula. Unlike the smaller recon probe, the drone can jumps about ten meters high. The Miran Dhol is an open
interact with its environment using its tool arms. Many gravcraft, usually boat-shaped, that can reach the same
different models are available, tailored to different tasks heights as a grav bike, if not even higher.
and situations.
y GRAVITY BELT (A)
y EXO SHELL (O) A harness of belts and buckles crowned by a heavy pack
A shell suit to protect the wearer in vacuum and other danger- worn on the back. The belt normalizes the wearer’s gravity
ous situations. Contains oxygen for eight hours and vacuum to 1 standard G. Powered by a fusion battery also worn on
soles that stick to level surfaces such as ship hulls. Provides the back that lasts for about one hour.
a little protection against external violence (Armor 2) but is
difficult to move around in (-2 to dexterity). y GROUND LOADER (O)
A grav platform used to move heavy cargo. Operated from
y GRAV BIKE (O) a control panel onboard.
A one-person vehicle with graviton projection propulsion.
Can reach high speeds and an altitude of about 50 meters. y HAND JET (O)
Powered by a fusion battery. A handheld jet unit designed as an engine for one person in
zero-G. Gives a +1 to dexterity in zero-G.
y GRAVCRAFT (O)
Graviton projection vehicles, powered by either a small fusion y JET PACK (O)
reactor or a fusion unit. Usually designed as transport vehicles, A jet system worn as a backpack enabling rocket flight for one
but passenger versions are available to those with enough person. Works best in zero-G (+2 to dexterity) but can be
118
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
used in gravity as well, although with weaker speed and thrust NESTERA’S GRAV BELT
(+1 to dexterity). Must be refueled after one hour of flight.
Nestera’s grav belt is a very popular product with
y LOADER EXO (O) a very misleading name – it is actually anti-gravity
An exo reinforced with heavy-duty servos designed for heavy technology. The belt is based on the drop armors
lifting and loading. The wearer can lift up to 500 kilograms used by the Legion for quick deployment of a strike
without problems (+2 to force) but the exo is slow to maneu- team from above. It is especially popular in the
ver which makes it unfit for melee combat. The loader exo is so-called flying theaters on Mira, acrobatic perfor-
otherwise treated as a normal exo shell. mances that traditionally used complex systems of
ropes, pulleys and wires but that nowadays have
y REMOTE CONTROL MODULE (O) moved on to grav belts instead. The scene where
A control unit for a computer or tabula that allows for remote the Dancer comes flying across the stage in a red
control of a vehicle within Extreme Range by testing data kharonicle with flowing veils in “Jasmine Mourning”
djinn. has been described as magical by the theater critics,
and has given Nestera massive publicity on Mira.
y TRACK LOADER (O) Less romantic and artistic areas of use for the belt
A container rack platform running on tracks, between 30 and include morbid obesity, wall climbing or visits to
50 meters long. There is a small driver’s cabin in the front high-G worlds.
from which the operator directs the movement of the plat-
form. Radio beacons help the driver maneuver the enormous
platform in spaceports or other industrial areas, allowing the
vehicle to reach a speed of between 50 and 60 kilometers
per hour, but in settlements without beacons, the top speed
is about 15 kilometers per hour as manual navigation of the
platform is a very delicate affair.
y WATER JET (O)

A water jet propulsion system worn as a backpack. Gives the
wearer +1 to dexterity under water. Powered by a cell that
lasts for two hours.
RECON AND INFILTRATION
y CHAMELEON SUIT (A)

A suit that fools both sensors and the naked eye by evening
out signature differences between the wearer and the sur-
roundings. Gives a +2 to infiltration to hide and stay hidden.
y FIBERSCOPE (A)
A fiberoptic cable connected to a small tabula from which
the tip of the scope can be maneuvered. The cable is fed
manually and is five meters long. Can be used to scout
out a building through the vent shafts or to look around
a corner.
119
120
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
y LIE DETECTOR (A) to the user as it won’t reveal the user’s location (no bonus to
A small box with wires that when connected to someone technology to spot the sensor user).
who is being questioned can help the interrogator tell if
the subject is telling the truth or not (+2 to manipulation). y RECON PROBE (O)
A probe used to scout out the surrounding area. It hovers thanks
y MECHANICAL LOCKPICK (P) to a small grav unit. Powered by a cell that needs changing after
A lockpick for mechanical locks. Gives no bonus to tech- two hours of use. The probe can be remote controlled from
nology, but with improvised tools instead of a lockpick, up to Extreme Range. The operator’s observation score is
the user gets a -1. tested to determine how detailed the probe’s observations are.
y MODULATION MASK (A) y SECURITY TABLET (O)

A necklace that projects a modulated image in front of The security tablet is a codebreaker and an electronic lock-
the wearer’s face. This makes it easier to disguise oneself. pick, and it counteracts electronic and sensor-based traps.
Opponents get a -2 to observation to see through the ruse. Without the tablet, all of the above is difficult to handle (-2
to technology).
y PROXIMITY SENSOR (O)
The proximity sensor scans several spectra of the sur- WEAPON GEAR AND COMBAT
roundings and displays detailed live information about
terrain, vehicles and even individual persons in the area. y ADVANCED SCOPE (A*)
The information is not exact enough to identify someone An Advanced sensor scope with djinn protocols that calculate
or to make out more about a vehicle than type and model. recoil and the movement of shooter and target to provide an
The sensor has two modes: accurate firing solution. Makes it easier to hit with firearms
◆◆ Active mode: This mode covers Extreme Range in open ter- (+1 to ranged combat) at Short range and above. Does not
rain and forests. Hidden objects and threats require a skilled work for quick shots (page 88).
sensor operator to spot. The sensor allows the operator to test
technology to find hidden things in her surroundings. When y COMMAND UNIT (O*)
the sensor is in active mode, it is easy (+2) to discover it using The command unit allows an officer to issue orders to her
other sensor tech. squad from afar and coordinate the actions of the fighters. The
◆◆ Passive mode: This mode has Long Range but is less risky unit can also be used when exploring in dangerous or difficult
TABLE 6.8 RECON AND INFILTRATION
Chameleon suit +2 3,000 Light A

Fiberscope 3,000 Tiny A
Lie detector +2 1,800 Light A
Mechanical lockpick 50 Light P
Modulation mask 5,000 Light A
Proximity sensor 1,200 Normal O
Recon probe +3 2,000 Normal O
Security tablet 700 Light O
121
environments. As long as the unit is active, the person using as it could be cartridges, arrows, sling stones, or black
the controls can command the linked fighters from a distance. powder charges. A Primitive reload could be anything from
a magazine of bullets to a handful of arrows. If the weapon
y FUSION BATTERY (O) has the feature Single-shot (see below), every reload is one
A miniature fusion reactor that provides considerable amounts unit of ammunition.
of energy as long as it is fueled by pure hydrogen. Comes
with a multi-adapter that allows the battery to connect to y RELOAD (O)
most machines and thermal weapons. The battery counts Ordinary reloads are usually magazines or single missiles or
as three reloads in combat. grenades. If the weapon requires a cell, this is built into the
magazine. All weapons that use magazines have the weight of
y NIGHT SIGHTS (O) a full magazine included in the listed weight of the weapon.
A light-sensitive scope that lets the shooter use her weapon For special ammunition, see Weapons below.
in darkness without penalties.
y RELOAD – VIBRO (O*)
y OPTICAL SCOPE (P) These bullets are vibrating flechettes that cut through the
A scope that provides the shooter with an enlarged view of target rather than exploding like normal Vulcan rounds. They
the target and a crosshair for firing reference. Makes it easier are mainly used by hunters who don’t wish to ruin the hides
to hit with firearms (+1 to ranged combat) at Long range of their kills, but could also be used for assassinations as the
and above. Requires an aimed shot (page 88). Can also be rounds make very little sound, giving the weapon the feature
used as binoculars when scouting. Silent (p 133). Vibro ammo is very effective against unarmored
targets but has poor armor-piercing capabilities, which makes it
y RELOAD (P) safer to use in a firefight onboard a spaceship or space station
Ammunition for Primitive weapons is easy to manufacture than regular Vulcan rounds. The shooter gets a +1 to ranged
but generally not interchangeable between weapon types, combat, but all targets get a +2 to their Armor Rating.

TABLE 6.9 COMBAT GEAR
Advanced scope +1 5,000 Tiny A*

Command unit 2,300 Light O*
Fusion battery 3,000 Heavy O
Night sights 1,000 Tiny O
Optical scope +1 200 Tiny P
Reload, Primitive 5 Light P
Reload, Ordinary 50 Light O
Reload, Vibro +1 200 Light O*
Reload, Advanced 50 Light A
Sensor scope +1 2,000 Tiny O
Signal jammer 1,500 Light O*
122
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
y RELOAD (A) and other relevant facts. Makes it easier to hit with firearms
Advanced ammunition is completely cell-based. An Advanced (+1 to ranged combat) at Short range and above. Requires
magazine can be recharged at a charging station for 50 birr. an aimed shot (page 88).
Normal, “civilian” cells cannot be used in weapons as they
require specially made versions. y SIGNAL JAMMER (O*)
Generates interference across a specific range of com
y SENSOR SCOPE (O) frequencies, or generally across all bands. Affected coms
A passive sensor that reads the target and provides a firing require a successful technology test to be used despite
reference for the shooter as a small dot of light. The scope the jamming. The jammer has Extreme Range. Powered
adjusts contrast and gives information about range, wind drift by a fusion battery.
123
WEAPONS AND ARMOR
The history of the Third Horizon is a bloody one, and many SPECIAL VULCAN WEAPONS
places are still very dangerous to visit. The unrest caused by
the arrival of the Emissaries has made things even worse. ◆◆ VULCAN PISTOL ARAX OMIR: A big, heavy pistol with a nasty repu-
Weapons and armor are desirable objects in the Horizon, tation for causing wounds that heal slowly.
regardless of who you are or where you live. ◆◆ VULCAN SCORPION: A Vulcan pistol capable of automatic fire.
Popular among criminals but very difficult to handle.
WEAPON TECHNOLOGY IN THE HORIZON ◆◆ VULCAN PDW: A hybrid between a carbine and a pistol, produced
Just like regular gear, weapons and armor are divided into and marketed by Nestera as a “personal defense weapon”. Used
tech tiers – Primitive, Ordinary, Advanced and Factionary. by bodyguards as it is more discreet than a carbine.
◆◆ LEGIONNAIRE CARBINE DAYAL-3: A carbine produced and used by
the Legion. Comes with a built-in grenade launcher, Advanced
recoil dampeners and an extra-large drum magazine.
VULCAN WEAPONS
Vulcan weapons fire tiny rockets with explosive heads. Firing
and reloading is mechanical and the weapons require no
cells. Vulcan weapons have a low recoil to enable steady ACCELERATOR WEAPONS
automatic fire. As they are easily pirated, they are common Accelerator weapons utilize magnetic acceleration of tiny
everywhere in the Horizon, and so is the ammunition. projectiles, hence the name. They are almost recoil-free, but
their low rate of fire limits their military use. Thanks to their
excellent precision however, they are popular with colonists,
hunters and sharpshooters.
Partisans, rebels, and explorers all use Vulcan weapons, often

adorned with mythological or traditional images and pat-
terns. Apart from the explosive rounds, homing and vibrating
ammunition is also available, and come with cells built into The Zenithian Hegemony favors accelerator guns over Vulcans
special magazines. just for the sake of precision. Some accelerator weapons
have a “silent” mode, but this limits their capability to pierce
armor. Accelerator weapons are hard to copy, unlike Vulcans.
124
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
SPECIAL ACCELERATOR WEAPONS

created by a laser beam. This is very effective over short
distances when the shooter doesn’t wish to seriously injure
◆◆ TWIN CARBINE: A double barrel accelerator carbine. Both barrels the target. Zap tech is available as an add-on to all thermal
fire at the same time. Has a tendency to overheat easily, and the weapons and as separate weapons.
GM only has to spend 2 DP to cause a weapon jam.
◆◆ ACCELERATOR RIFLE NESTERA PAROX: Nestera’s flagship sniper
rifle, known for its tremendous penetrating power. Can even stop
an armored gravcraft.
PRIMITIVE RANGED WEAPONS

Blowpipes, bows and different kinds of long rifles are all
examples of Primitive ranged weapons. There are no uniform
principles followed by makers of long rifles, which means
that all ammunition is unique to one make of rifle.
THERMAL WEAPONS EXPLOSIVES

Thermal weapons fire a slug of superheated matter towards Explosives in the Horizon can be anything from Primitive
their target. This process requires huge amounts of energy, detonite capsules to Advanced thermobaric grenades. Detonite
which means that some thermal weapons even require fusion is a common explosive sold in standardized units (0.25 kilo-
batteries. The adapter between the battery and the weapon grams) with modular multi-function detonators, or as satchel
is heavy and cumbersome, and the battery itself must be charges. Larger so-called breach charges are specially con-
carried as a backpack. structed charges designed to destroy roads, bridges, buildinga
or slow and parked vehicles. Powerful charges can cause a lot
of smoke and tear up dust from the ground, especially in dry
environments. The smoke covers the same area as the blast
radius of the charge for one scene. Grenades are detonite or
thermanite charges with additives designed to create specific
blast effects.
The weapon still requires a magazine as hydrogen is needed
for the actual shot. Heavy weapons are exceptions to this as
they instead use big cassettes that are magazine and battery
combined into one.
MISSILE AND GRENADE LAUNCHERS

STUN WEAPONS Regular missile systems in the Horizon are mass-produced for
Stun weapons – popularly known as zap weapons – send military groups and factions. They are usually rocket-based
powerful electrical pulses through a corridor of ionized air and have explosive warheads that function like grenades or
125

TABLE 6.10 RANGED WEAPONS
PISTOLS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Vulcan cricket +1 +2 2 2 Short Light O 700

Vulcan pistol +1 +1 2 2 Short Reliable O 500
Vulcan pistol Arax Omir 0 0 3 2 Short +2 to MANIPULATION when O 1,200
threatening
Vulcan Scorpion -1 +1 2 2 Short Automatic fire O 1,000
Accelerator pistol +1 0 2 1 Long Silent O 700
Thermal cricket +1 +2 3 2 Short Light A 2,500
Thermal pistol +1 +1 3 2 Long A 2,300
Stun gun +1 +1 2 Stun Short Stun A 2,000
CARBINES BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Vulcan carbine +1 0 3 2 Short Automatic fire O 2,000

Legionnaire carbine +1 0 3 2 Long Automatic fire, High capacity, O* 3,000
Dayal-3 Built-in grenade launcher
Vulcan PDW +1 1 3 2 Short Automatic fire O 2,500
Accelerator carbine +1 0 3 1 Long Automatic fire, Armor- O 3,000
piercing, Silent
Twin carbine +1 0 4 2 Long Armor-piercing, Silent O 3,700
Thermal carbine +1 0 4 2 Long Thermal sweep A 6,500
GRAPE WEAPONS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Saladin grape gun +2 0 2 2 Short Single-shot P 200

Grape rifle +2 0 2 2 Short O 400
Sawn-off grape rifle +2 +1 2 3 Short O 400
Grape carbine +2 +1 2 2 Short Automatic fire O 600
RIFLES BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Long rifle 0 0 2 2 Long Single-shot P 100

Sawed-off long rifle 0 +1 2 2 Short Single-shot P 100
Accelerator rifle +1 0 3 1 Extreme Armor-piercing, Night sights, O 2,000
Silent
Accelerator rifle Nestera 0 0 4 1 Extreme Heavy, Anti-vehicle, Armor- O 3,000
Parox piercing, Night sights, Silent
Thermal rifle 0 0 5 2 Extreme Armor-piercing, Night sights A 6,000
HEAVY WEAPONS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Vulcan machine gun +1 0 4 2 Short Heavy, Bulky, Automatic fire, O* 6,500

High capacity
Accelerator machine gun +1 0 3 1 Long Heavy, Bulky, Automatic O* 10,000
fire, High capacity, Armor-
piercing, Silent
126
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
TABLE 6.10 RANGED WEAPONS
HEAVY WEAPONS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Accelerator launcher +1 0 Grenade 1 Long Heavy O* 8,000

Missile launcher 0 0 6 1 Extreme Heavy, Single-shot, O* 900
Anti-vehicle
Flamethrower 1 0 3 1 Short Heavy, Fire 3 O* 1,800
Grenade launcher 0 0 Grenade Grenade Long Single-shot O* 1,200
Thermal machine gun 1 0 4 1 Long Heavy, Bulky, Thermal sweep, A* 22,000
High capacity
WEAPON SYSTEMS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Missile system +2 0 Extreme Anti-vehicle O* 10,000

– Armor-piercing 5 1 Armor-piercing
– Blast Grenade Grenade
Thermal projector +2 0 4 1 Short Thermal sweep, Fire 5, Bulky A* 26,000
Firestorm system +1 0 5 1 Long Anti-vehicle, Slow, Fire 6, O* 18,000
Blast Power 5
OTHER BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH COST
Blowpipe 0 +2 1 4 Short Light, Single-shot P 50

Throwing knife 0 +1 1 2 Short Light P 50
Throwing spear +1 +1 2 2 Short P 150
Throwing axe 0 0 2 2 Short P 300
Spear-thrower 0 0 2 2 Short Heavy, Single-shot P 600
Harpoon +1 +1 2 3 Short Heavy, Single-shot P 200
Combat bow +1 +1 3/Grenade 2 /Grenade Long Single-shot O 2,000
are armor-piercing. So-called firestorm systems fire incen- ◆◆ SENSOR SMOKE: as above, but the smoke also blocks sensors and
diary warheads. makes them unusable within the smoke.
◆◆ FRAG: the grenade detonates with a small explosion but spreads
GRENADES
shrapnel.
◆◆ CONCUSSION: the grenade detonates with a powerful explosion.
The statistics for the different grenades are found in table 6.12 ◆◆ INFERNO: the grenade detonates with a very powerful but concen-
below. A grenade thrown by hand has Short Range. trated explosion.
◆◆ STUN: the grenade detonates with a loud bang and a blinding ◆◆ THERMAL: the grenade spreads a cloud of flames, setting fire to
flash. Deals stress instead of damage. people and gear caught by the blast.
◆◆ SMOKE: the grenade spreads thick smoke covering everything ◆◆ THERMOBARIC: the grenade detonates with a powerful explosion
within Short Range. and the shockwave spreads a big cloud of fire.
127
SALADIN GRAPE GUN
A version of the long rifle, but with the bullet

substituted for “grapes”, tiny pieces of metal that
expand in a cloud when the weapon is fired, which
makes aiming less important. The generous
spread of the grapes plus the impressive damage
it can cause in close combat makes the grape gun a
very imposing weapon.
MELEE WEAPONS
There is wide range of different melee weapons in the Horizon.
Only a handful of the primitive variants are described below.
Ordinary and Advanced melee weapons were engineered
for combat onboard space stations or spaceships, as an
alternative to firearms.
Ordinary melee weapons can be purchased from most mer-

TABLE 6.11 BREACH CHARGES
chants with flexible morals. Primitive weapons could be
anything from blunt instruments and broken bottles to
TYPE WEIGHT EFFECT/TARGET swords and axes.
Small About 5 Thin walls, normal vehicles
kilograms
Medium About 10 Thick walls, heavy vehicles
kilograms
Power weapons have hydraulic pistons that activate on impact
Heavy About 100 Entire houses, bridges
kilograms
for increased damage. Dura weapons have vibrating blades
made from duralite that give them better cutting capabilities.
Massive About 1 ton Roads, entire blocks.
Duralite blades are necessary to withstand the force of the
vibrations created by the weapon. Dura claws come mounted
on a glove and some models are retractable. Extending the
claws – “drawing” them – is a fast action. Both power and
dura weapons are cell-powered, and work like their Primitive
counterparts if the cells are depleted.
Stun weapons deliver powerful electric shocks in addition to

the damage from the actual blow (page 133). Energy weapons
release a thermic blast that is much more dangerous than
128
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

TABLE 6.12 EXPLOSIVES AND GRENADES
EXPLOSIVE BONUS INIT BLAST POWER DAMAGE CRIT RADIUS FEATURES TECH TIER COST WEIGHT
Breach charge 0 0
– Small 6 1 1 Close O 500 Heavy
– Medium 8 1 1 Short O 2,000 Heavy
– Heavy 12 1 1 Short O* 10,000 -
– Massive 16 1 1 Short O* 40,000 -
GRENADE BONUS INIT BLAST POWER DAMAGE CRIT RADIUS FEATURES TECH TIER COST WEIGHT
Concussion grenade 0 0 6 1 2 Close O 600 Light

Frag grenade 0 0 6 2 1 Close O 500 Light
Inferno grenade 0 0 9 2 1 Short A* 1,500 Light
Sensor smoke grenade 0 0 0 0 - Short Blocks vision O 1,000 Light
and sensors
Smoke grenade 0 0 0 0 - Short Blocks vision O 400 Light
Stun grenade 0 0 6 1 - Close Stun O 800 Light
Thermal grenade 0 0 6 1 1 Close Fire 2 A* 2,000 Light
Thermobaric grenade 0 0 9 1 1 Short Fire 3 A* 4,000 Light
the hit itself. A certain amount of force is required to trigger PERSONAL PROTECTION AND ARMOR
the thermic effect, a function that has been added to limit The inhabitants of the Horizon have always used body armor for
the risk of self-harm. Some energy weapons also come with protection, from simple leather suits to mechanized battle exos.
stun capabilities. Both stun and energy weapons require
cells. When a cell is depleted, the weapon works like its y PRIMITIVE ARMOR
Primitive counterpart. Primitive body armor is used only by the least civilized of
tribes and nomads. It is commonly crafted from organic
fibers, pelts, wood, bone or antlers. Jackets, coats and suits
of leather are common garments for travelers and could be
considered light Primitive armor.
Heavy Primitive armor is usually carbide or metal plates

Mercurium weapons are based on Advanced technology linked together and shaped based on the wearer’s body, or
where liquid metals in the hilt of a weapon are activated an armanite shell riveted onto flexible overalls.
and form a blade, after which they turn solid. Drawing and
activating a mercurium weapon is one fast action. A cell is y ORDINARY ARMOR
required to power the weapon. When the cell is depleted, Ordinary armor is designed to protect against the common
the blade is extended and stays in solid form. A recharged weapon types and is based on flexible but tough weaves of
cell used in a melee weapon can be force depleted by the armanite. The heavier models have extra carbide plating and
GM at the cost of 1 DP. duralite reinforcements in sensitive areas.
129

TABLE 6.13 MELEE WEAPONS
KNIVES AND SWORDS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Knife 0 +1 2 2 Close Light P 50

Sword +1 0 2 2 Close P 200
Dura knife 0 +1 2 1 Close Light, Cell-powered O 500
Dura sword +1 0 2 1 Close Heavy, Cell-powered O 1,600
Mercurium knife +1 +1 3 2 Close Light, Mercurium, Cell-powered A 1,500
Mercurium sword +2 0 3 2 Close Light, Mercurium, Cell-powered A 3,000
AXES BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Axe 0 0 3 2 Close Heavy P 150

Dura axe 0 0 3 1 Close Heavy, Cell-powered O 2,000
Halberd 0 +1 3 2 Close Heavy, Long P 300
Dura halberd 0 +1 3 1 Close Heavy, Long, Cell-powered O 2,500
BLUNT WEAPONS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Baton +2 0 1 3 Close P 100

Baton, expandable +1 0 1 3 Close Light P 200
Staff +1 +2 1 3 Close P 50
Staff, expandable +1 +2 1 3 Close Light P 250
Mace 0 0 3 3 Close Heavy P 100
Power sledge 0 0 4 3 Close Heavy, Cell-powered O 1,000
Power glove +1 +1 2 3 Close Light, Cell-powered O 1,500
STUN AND ENERGY BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH TIER COST
WEAPONS
Shock stick +2 0 1 Stun Close Stun, Cell-powered O 500

Shock whip 0 +2 1 Stun Close Light, Flexible, Stun, Cell-powered O 800
Energy staff +2 +2 2 3 Close Stun, Heavy, Cell-powered A 1,000
Energy stick +2 0 2 3 Close Stun, Cell-powered A 1,200

Energy whip 0 +2 2 3 Close Light, Flexible, Stun, Cell-powered A 1,800
Hand fan +1 +2 2 1 Close Light, Cell-powered A 2,500
OTHER BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Unarmed 0 +2 1 3 Close P -
Brass knuckles 0 +2 2 3 Close Light P 50
Claws 0 +2 1 2 Close P -
Dura claws 0 +2 1 1 Close Light O 600
Spear +1 +2 2 2 Close Long P 200
Whip 0 +2 1 4 Close Flexible P 50
130
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
Exo shells are space suits designed to protect against vacuum

and other hazardous environments, but they also offer some AHLAM’S HAND FAN
protection from violence, especially the heavier models. Exo shells
have an oxygen supply that lasts for eight hours and vacuum The courtesans of Ahlam’s Temple prefer subtle
soles that stick to level surfaces, such as ship hulls for example. energy weapons. Rumors accuse them of using
poison applied to hair needles, or that they use poi-
Protective clothing is made from thin armanite weaves and sonous lipstick and kiss their victims to death, they
are available as overalls, coats, jacket or pants. themselves being immune to the venom from slow,
gradual exposure. A weapon confirmed to be in the
Light armor is also made from armanite weaves. A light helmet courtesans’ arsenal is the hand fan, a weapon with
is included, with a visor that protects the eyes. Light armors Advanced energy technology. The tips of the fan dis-
are the standards uniform of the Coriolis Guard and many charge energy in silent bursts when the fan is open
freelance bodyguards and mercenaries. and quickly strikes at a target. The energy burns like
a very sharp knife through most known materials,
Heavy armor consists of thick armanite sheets or duralite and as long as they are fairly thin. Opening and closing
carbide plating fastened in special pockets sewn onto a regular the fan is a fast action. Opening it can be done in the
light armor. The helmet covers the entire head and has a full- same action as the weapon is drawn. The fan can
face visor. The armed forces of most of the factions wear heavy only be parried with if it is closed.
armor only if they expect combat.
Putting on the heavy plates takes several minutes which
means it cannot be done in combat. The soldiers of the Order
of the Pariah have special black armanite mail with duralite
reinforcements, easily recognizable from afar and associated
with both oppression and strength.
y ADVANCED ARMOR
Advanced armor is designed to protect against thermal attacks,
something other armors offer weak protection from. Advanced
suits of armor are expensive and hard to come by.
Ablative pads are materials that dissipate energy when hit by

high-power attacks, to make less energy penetrate and reach
the wearer. Ablative pads are add-ons to other armor and must
be renewed after every hit. Doing so requires a technology
roll and a space part (A).
Battle exos are massive things, designed only for storm troopers
and palace guards. They are based on a standard suit of heavy
armor mounted on an exo skeleton with reinforced servos. As
the exo gives the wearer extra strength and endurance, the
armor can be made very strong and heavy. A superconductive
mesh under the surface helps to spread out thermal attacks
over a larger area. The suit is vacuum-proof and has built-in
sealer technology that repair holes to keep the suit pressurized.
131
SHIELDS
Shields come in many forms, from simple leather and wood
BATTLE EXO XOAR JANISSARY
shields used by Sogoi tribes to armanite shields. Advanced
shields are only available as faction tech. The riot shield is
The Janissary exo is advertised as Xoar’s version of made from partly transparent armanite and is used mainly
the Order’s animated armor. Its quick spring servos, by riot police. Combat shields are expandable covers for one
vacuum suit, jet actuators and built-in weapons soldier, with small holes to fire a gun through and transparent
make it a monster on the battlefield. The sheer size armanite windows for scouting.
of the suit makes it unfit for use onboard ships or in
bunkers, however. The Janissary is equipped with a LICENSES
grenade launcher, the Xoar Pulse accelerator carbine Without the proper licenses, purchasing, using and producing
(bonus +1, Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 1) and a duralite weapons is illegal in the civilized parts of the Horizon. Without
axe blade (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 1). The exo is a license (or the talent Licensed, page 73), you can only obtain
used by the Hegemony’s janissary unit. weapons and armor illegally through contacts in the right
places or factions. Licenses purchased on Coriolis will be valid
in affiliated places as well, with some local variations. Most
space ports and portal stations have sensor equipment that
scan for weapons and contraband.

TABLE 6.14 ARMOR AND SHIELDS
ARMOR ARMOR RATING FEATURES EXTRA FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Light Primitive armor 2 Bulky 0 P 300

Heavy Primitive armor 3 Bulky 0 P 600
Flightsuit 1 - 0 O 500
Protective clothing 3 - 0 O 1,000
Exo shell 2 Bulky, Thermostatic suit, Vacuum suit, Oxygen 0 O 2,000
supply
Reinforced exo shell 3 Bulky, Thermostatic suit, Vacuum suit, Oxygen 1 O 3,000
supply
Light armor 4 - 1 O 5,500
Heavy armor 6 - 1 O 10,000
Ablative pads - Reduces damage from one hit by 3 0 A* 2,000
Armored exo 9 Thermostatic suit, Vacuum suit, Oxygen supply, 2 A* 25,000
Reinforced exo servos
Battle exo 10 Thermostatic suit, Vacuum suit, Oxygen supply, 5 A* 60,000
Reinforced exo servos
SHIELDS ARMOR RATING FEATURES EXTRA FEATURES TECH TIER COST
Shield 2 Heavy - P 100

Riot shield 4 Heavy - O 500
Combat shield 6 Heavy - O 800
132
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
WEAPON AND ARMOR FEATURES ◆◆ Single-shot weapons have no magazines and must be reloaded
EXPLAINED between each shot.
Weapons and armor can have different features and add-ons. ◆◆ Silent is a function that can be activated (a fast action) to
These are explained in detail below. Unique rules for specific make the weapon quieter and harder to detect when it is fired
models are explained in the descriptions above. (requiring an observation test). A weapon in silent mode
does -1 damage.
y WEAPON FEATURES ◆◆ Stun means that the weapon inflicts stress instead of damage.
The list below describes the different features a weapon ◆◆ Thermal sweep means that the weapon can fire a continuous
might have. thermal beam that can be swept across several enemies. This
◆◆ Anti-vehicle means that the weapon is designed to take out works like automatic fire above.
vehicles or fortifications. The weapon does +2 damage against
these targets. y ARMOR FEATURES
◆◆ Armor-piercing weapons fire very fast or extra heavy projec- Some armor suits listed above have one or more extra features.
tiles that penetrate armor more effectively, but tend to cause Choose the corresponding number of extra features from the
less damage to soft targets. The Armor Rating of the target list below.
is reduced by 2, but the damage is reduced by 1 if the target ◆◆ Built-in weapon: The armor has a built-in weapon – a pistol, dagger
has no armor. or short sword. The weapon must be purchased separately.
◆◆ Automatic fire means that the weapon is capable of fully auto- ◆◆ Bulky armor gives the wearer a -2 to dexterity rolls.
matic fire (page 89). ◆◆ Camouflage unit: When activated, the unit creates a camouflage
◆◆ Bulky weapons cannot be used standing up without a weapon field around the suit that makes it almost invisible and very difficult
harness, or the shooter will suffer a -2 to ranged combat. to detect (-3 to observation).
◆◆ Cell-powered melee weapons require a cell to function. Without ◆◆ High-density armanite: +1 to Armor Rating.
a cell, they are treated as their Primitive counterparts. ◆◆ Hydrostatic gel: +3 to Armor against explosions or falling.
◆◆ Fire makes objects and targets catch fire when they are hit by ◆◆ Oxygen supply: Eight hours’ worth of oxygen, in a closed helmet.
the weapon (see Fire in Chapter 5). The number tells you how ◆◆ Magnetic boots: The boots of the suit have electromagnets to make
many dice to roll for the fire each turn. them work in zero-G and stick to ship hulls.
◆◆ Flexible weapons, such as whips, can be used to pin an opponent ◆◆ Micro servos: Give a +1 to dexterity for jumping and running.
even without rolling extra sixes (see page 86) – the first six rolled ◆◆ Reinforced exo servos: +2 to force rolls. Throwing weapons have
can be used to achieve a grapple hold. their damage increased by 1.
◆◆ Light weapons only count as half an item in the character inventory ◆◆ Thermostatic suit: See details under Survival and Colonization
(page 27). They are also easier to carry concealed, requiring an on page 117.
observation test for someone to spot the weapon. ◆◆ Vacuum suit: Protects against vacuum and radiation.
◆◆ Heavy weapons count as two items in the character inventory. ◆◆ Zero-G jet: Tiny thrusters give increased maneuverability in zero-G
◆◆ High capacity weapons have extra-large magazines or extra (+1 to dexterity).
cells that enable the shooter to ignore the first 1 rolled when
firing fully automatic fire (page 89). y AMMUNITION, CELLS AND RELOADS
◆◆ Long weapons add a +2 to the weapon’s initiative bonus – but One unit of ammo is included when you buy a weapon. It could
only in the first turn of combat. be a magazine, a cell or just a handful of arrows or bullets. In
◆◆ Mercurium means that the blade of the weapon is hidden inside Coriolis, you don’t keep track of your ammo shot by shot, but
the hilt, requiring an observation test with a -2 modifier to you could still run out and need to reload. Extra ammunition
spot during a search. – abstracted as “reloads” – will cost you differently depending
◆◆ Reliable weapons are simple and robust, and will almost never on what weapon you are using. If you have purchased three
break. The weapon jam effect will cost the GM 4 DP instead of 3. extra units of ammunition for example, write “reload x 3” in
◆◆ Slow weapons can only be fired every other turn. your gear list.
133
CYBERNETICS
AND BIONICS
Many cultures in the Third Horizon regard the body as holy,
a vessel the Icons have blessed with a soul. Thanks to this,
many see cybernetic or bionic modification as something
bad, or even blasphemous. Extremists on the matter include
the Zenithian Hegemony, whose members are obsessed
with blood purity, and certain Icon cults such as the Face
of Truth on Sadaal.
To many colonists and mercenaries, however, cybernetic
prostheses and mods or bionic sculpts could be the difference
between life and death. To the Legionnaires, it is even a status
symbol to have prosthetic limbs, cybernetic modifications
and scars from wound staples. It also makes them look more
menacing – an important trait in their line of work.
Specific cybernetic implants and bionic sculpts are handled
as both equipment and as talents, and they are described in
detail in Chapter 4.
BIO SCULPTING
Just like cybernetics has its place within certain groups in
the Horizon, so does bionic sculpting – although bigots
and the narrow-minded strongly disagree. Tattoo Alley
next to the Ozone Plaza on Coriolis houses several bio
sculptors’ shops. Most customers come for small cos-
metic sculpts such as eye shadows, longer eye lashes or
more accentuated cheek bones, but sometimes also for
more controversial things like longer legs, micro hearts
or other exotic mods.
Bio-sculpting thrives more openly on the independent
station Ahalimm and among the nomads, and even sculpts
as absurd as wings, tails and gills can be found out in the
fringes of the Kua system – things that would cause riots or
even lynchings in the core.
CYBERNETICS
Cybernetic implants are treated as both talents and gear.
They will cost you both XP and birr, and require healing
after the procedure. During the healing process, the painful
wounds give the PC a -2 to all skill tests. All cybernetics are
Ordinary technology.
134
WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT
TABLE 6.15 CYBERNETIC IMPLANTS

PCs with cybernetic implants will likely look heavier and
larger than others, move somewhat mechanically or stand TALENT EXAMPLE OF COMMERCIAL NAME
out in some other way. Cybernetics are hard to hide. If the ACCELERATED Celer-Delekta Flexplant
PCs encounter an NPC with cybernetics, it will probably be REFLEXES
fairly obvious to them that the person is modified in some ACTIVE SENSORS Nyala Sonar Implant Exxis
way. Some people, such as legionnaires, choose to make BODY ARMOR Nestera Bio Armor MK II
their implants extra visible. ENDO SKELETON Tilides EndoX
BUILT-IN WEAPON Xoar Thermal Wrist Indigo
BIONICS WEATHERPROOF Celer-Delekta Endothermic
Bionic sculpts are treated as both talents and gear. They Capsule
will cost you both XP and birr, and require healing after the SKIN ELECTRODES Xoar Shockhand
procedure. During the healing process, the painful wounds COM LINK Hyperion Head Link MK I
give the PC a -2 to all skill tests. All bionics are restricted LIE DETECTOR Hyperion Linguistic & Socio-
Advanced technology. Arithmetic Unit
Sculpts are subtler than cybernetics. Close observation of a CYBERNETIC Celer-Delekta Sprintplant
person over time is often required to spot the extraordinary MUSCLES
abilities. There are many different sculpts with many different TARGETING SCOPE Nestera AccVision
purposes in the Horizon. The sculpts described here have PASSIVE SENSORS Nyala Thermo Sensors
both their talent name and a commercial name listed, given VOICE AMPLIFIER Hyperion Larynx Implant MK II
to them by the company or the sculptor. SERVO LOCKS Tilides ServoX
LANGUAGE The Foundation’s Linguist Base
MODULATOR
WATER BREATHING Nestra Aqualung Dipridon
THE FURY OF THE MOB TABLE 6.16 BIONIC SCULPTS
The Horizon is not always a place of enlightened dialogue. In TALENT EXAMPLE OF COMMERCIAL NAME
some places, divergence is something foul that should not REGENERATE Yahmin’s Closing Wounds
be allowed to exist. A PC with one or more visible implants BUILT-IN WEAPON Hamurbi’s Bone Claws
or sculpts might be subjected to threats and verbal abuse, or INTELLIGENT Doctor Zvijamin’s Logic
sometimes even violence. A society’s technological level will MORPH Afrat’s Winged Morph
affect the population’s view on implants and sculpts, as will the NIMBLE Djimad’s Refined Touch
context of the situation – whether the PCs talk to a fiery end-of- QUICK Bio-Nerves of the Jaguar
days preacher or a forgiving beggar matron will likely have a
BEAUTIFUL Nefriti’s Grace
drastic impact on the way they are treated
135
CHAPTER 7
spaceships and
star travel
Each culture of the Horizon has its own tradition for spacecraft construction.
Firstcome shipbuilders, like the Cheleb dockyards on Mira, construct elegant craft
with flowing, soft silhouettes, while the Darkos docks and other Zenithian builders
tend to put function before form, their ships all sharp angles and massive hulls.
THE VOIDFARERS – Biez Tulsa

In Coriolis, your PCs will travel
the stars in a ship of their own.
This chapter details star travel in
the Third Horizon, how to create
your own spaceship, and how
space combat works. THE BULLETIN’S ASTROSTRADIUM
The section of the Consortium tasked with gath-

STAR TRAVEL IN THE THIRD HORIZON ering information about star systems is called
Star travel in the Third Horizon requires both steady nerves the Foundation, but it is the Bulletin, through its
and plenty of time – how long the trip will take can be Astrostradium, that supplies captains with data
affected by anything from corsair attacks and asteroid about routes, portal stations, space ports, astro-
fields to the immense distances of binary or trinary star nomical anomalies and other useful information.
systems. No captain should leave port without doing solid For a small fee, any ship can update its astronical
research about the route. Help is provided by the Bulletin’s database at a portal station. Unfortunately, the data
Astrostradium – an enormous database describing a large is not always up to date, and an unlucky crew could
number of routes, coordinates and space stations all across find itself in an ion storm or a corsair ambush even
the Horizon. Interplanetary travel times can also vary greatly on a “safe” route.
depending on the orbit of the planet you are traveling to.
Chapter 12 describes the minimum distances from the
sun to the planets in the Kua system. Spaceflights are rarely
longer than the shortest distance between the planetary
bodies, as the pilots will chart courses toward their destina-
tions’ approaching orbits. Thus, the ship and the planet are
moving towards each other. Calculate travel times using the
shortest distance listed between two planets.
TRAVEL BETWEEN SYSTEMS

Travel between systems is via the portals – mysterious
wormholes left behind by the Portal Builders (read more in
Chapter 13). The portals are found close to the sun of each CALCULATING TRAVEL TIMES
system, closer than any of the planetary orbits. Some stars
have more than one portal, each one leading to a different Interplanetary distances are measured in Astronomical
system. The entry field into a portal is not the same as the Units (AU). The distance between two planets is calculated
exit field; they lead to and from the same destination but like this:
are separate from each other. ◆◆ SHORTEST DISTANCE: The difference between the planets’
Travel between two portals in a system takes about one individual distances from the sun.
day, and the preparations before the jump also take about ◆◆ FARTHEST DISTANCE: The sum of the planets’ individual
a day – usually spent waiting for a convoy to come along to distances from the sun.
split the jump fee with. The jump itself is instantaneous. ◆◆ Divide the distance in AU by the spaceship’s speed to get
Heavily trafficked systems like Kua usually see one or two the travel time (in number of days).
convoys per week, while convoys in the outer systems could
be whole segments (p 232) apart.
Bulk haulers are the highest priority for the portal stations
138
SPACESHIPS AND STAR TRAVEL
PORTAL JUMPING
◆◆ FEES AND CONVOYS. For a price, the portal stations can calculate
COMMUNICATION DELAYS
the portal fields’ movements and current size, making the jump
relatively safe. The fees are usually high, between 5,000 and
Communication waves travel at the speed of light, 10,000 birr, which means most skippers prefer to share the cost by
which is roughly one AU per eight minutes – thus, forming convoys and jumping together. Portal jumps with coordi-
getting a reply to a question takes at least 16 min- nates calculated for a convoy gives a +3 to the pilot’s PILOT test.
utes per AU between you and the other party. No ◆◆ BULK HAULERS. Another way to jump is to wait for a bulk hauler
communication waves can pass through portals. to come by and jump alongside it. The haulers always get their
Instead, a ship or a probe must make the jump and coordinates and entry vectors on approaching the portal station,
then transmit the message on the other side. This and tagging along with them is free, but requires an Easy (+1) PILOT
leads to great communication delays between sys- test. Unfortunately, bulk hauler jumps are few and far between.
tems. The Bulletin keeps multiple probes ready on ◆◆ SOLO JUMP. The broke skipper’s last resort is to have the ship’s
every portal station, and anyone can pay to use them crew itself make all jump calculations. This takes about four hours
to send information. This is both expensive and not and requires a successful SCIENCE test. Each extra six reduces
without risk however, as you never know who might the time by one hour (to a minimum of one hour). The jump itself
be listening on the other end. requires a PILOT test at -1.
◆◆ JUMPING BLIND. The truly desperate, often corsairs on the run
and other criminals, can choose to jump blind, without any
astronical calculations. This requires an unassisted PILOT
test at -3.
and are cleared to jump straight away. They usually arrive Advanced mathematics are necessary before any portal jump
at Kua once per segment, on the way to or from either Mira to compute the field’s current size, and a safe entry vector.
or Dabaran. One in five bulk haulers have Kua as their final Without such calculations, there is a great risk of only partly
destination, the rest only pass through. Smaller ships dock hitting the field – for the unlucky crew this means an instant
and unload some of their cargo as the space hulks pass by. of bright light, after which the ship simply disappears, or at
The Kua portals are 3 AU apart, a journey the bulk haulers the very least suffers enormous damage.
make in three days, but smaller vessels do much faster. No human can travel through a portal field while awake.
The crew must be put in stasis (cryogenic sleep), or they
PORTAL JUMPS will suffer terrible mental and physical trauma (called
Jumping through a portal means traveling into the portal “bad stasis”, “hyper sickness” or “frostbite”), if they are
fields close to the sun of the system. Exactly how the portal unlucky enough to survive. On voyages through several
fields function is unknown, but their proximity to the stars systems, most of the crew is left in stasis for the entire
would indicate that they are powered by the stars’ radiation time and only woken up at the final destination. In dan-
or gravitation. The portal fields themselves are in constant gerous systems, such as Odacon, all of the crew is woken
movement, seemingly connected to the phases of their suns. up after clearing the jump.
139
TABLE 7.1 JUMP MODIFIERS
FACTOR MODIFIER
Prayer and sacrifice +1 (takes about four

hours)
Chapel onboard +1
Anointed priest onboard +2
TABLE 7.2 FAILED PORTAL JUMPS
Roll on the table when a portal jump fails. All results but
the last one mean that the ship remains in the system it
attempted to leave. If you failed when jumping blind, add a
+1 to the die showing the tens.
PLANETSIDE LANDING D66 OUTCOME
Making a trip from orbit down to a planet’s surface usually 11-14 The ship enters the field at its very edge, causing
takes one to a few hours. All ships must make preparations explosive decompression in a random module.
for atmospheric entry or take-off. This includes warming up 15-22 The field absorbs the energy of the ship’s reactor.
The ship is disabled, requiring D6 days of repairs.
the graviton projectors, securing the cargo and adjusting
23-26 The ship enters the portal but is flung out again,
heat shields. Most freighters in the Third Horizon are too after taking D6 points of damage.
big for it to be practical for them to land planetside, instead
31-34 The ship is hit by powerful discharges from the
docking with space stations in orbit above the planet where portal, suffering a -1 to Maneuverability until
they unload their cargo to smaller vessels. Orbit ports are repaired in a dockyard.
found above most planets with large enough populations, 35-44 The ship collides with another ship or some
debris on its way into the portal. This has the
while systems with fewer inhabitants instead rely on space- same effects as ramming (page 169).
ports on the portal stations.
45-53 The ship enters the portal and is lost there for
In the orbit ports, cargo from the bulk haulers is redistributed D6 hours. Then it returns, now haunted by some-
to smaller spaceships and then brought down to the surface thing from beyond the Darkness. The GM decides
the details.
below. Some cargo is put up for auction (usually in planetside
54-61 The ship disappears into the portal for D6 days,
souks) where free traders bid on contracts for transporting but is then spat back out in the system it tried
it to colonies and space stations farther from the hub of the to leave. One PC onboard suffers a Mania (page
337).
system. Systems on the periphery of the Horizon, outside
of the circle of Dabaran and the Miran chain, are not visited 62-66 The ship disappears into the portal for D6
months, but is then spat back out in the system it
by bulk haulers at all. tried to leave.
71-76 The ship enters the portal, but exits it in a random
system.
140
SPACECRAFT
IN THE THIRD
HORIZON
A multitude of different types of spacecraft travel the Horizon.
Most have been constructed recently, albeit using plans and
traditions centuries old, but some routes are still traveled by
old, pre-Zenith vessels. Thanks to the Consortium’s rapid
expansion, the shipyards of the Horizon are coming back to
life. New types of simple but robust ships are being produced
modularly, and then fitted for different purposes. Warships
are built in only a few shipyards, and the larger ones are
generally hundreds of years old, predating even the Portal
Wars. All ships in the Third Horizon are divided into classes
by their size, each class having its own set of game stats, as
described in the adjacent boxed text. Modules are chosen
when the ship is constructed, but can also be added later on.
Features are minor additions that improve the ship.
SHIP STATS
◆◆ CLASS is a measure of the ship’s size, from a small scout ship or

fighter (class I) to a bulk hauler (class V). Class determines how TABLE 7.3 SHIP CLASSES
much energy is needed to power the ship.
◆◆ MODULES indicate how many optional modules the ship can hold, Below are the different ship classes and some examples of
beyond the three required modules of bridge, reactor and gravi- corresponding spaceships. Class 0 are spacecraft so small
ton projector. they should be handled using the vehicle rules in Chapter 5.
◆◆ ENERGY POINTS (EP) is a measure of the strength of the reactor
– how much energy there is to distribute between the different CLASS EXAMPLE
functions of the ship. (0) Drone, space scooter, probe, torpedo, grav bike
◆◆ HULL POINTS (HP) determine how much physical damage the ship I Breach torpedo, fighter, ground loader, gravcraft
can take.
II Torpedo ship, armored hovercraft, shuttle
◆◆ MANEUVERABILITY indicates how agile and easy to maneuver the
III Light freighter, patrol ship, gunship, courier
ship is. ship, destroyer
◆◆ SIGNATURE determines how difficult the ship is to detect by IV Heavy freighter, cruiser, salvage ship, mining
others. ship
◆◆ ARMOR tells you how many dice you get for your armor test. V Battlecruiser, bulk hauler, portal station
◆◆ SPEED is used to calculate travel times in number of days, by
dividing the distance (in AU) by the ship’s speed.
◆◆ COST is the base price of the ship, without any features or extra
modules.
141
TABLE 7.4 SHIP TYPES
CREATE YOUR
SHIP
SHIP TYPE CLASS APPROPRIATE GROUP
CONCEPT
System Shuttle II Agents

Torpedo Ship II Mercenaries When creating your group of PCs, you also get to choose
Light Freighter III Agents, Free Traders, a spaceship. Each group concept lists options, which are
Explorers, Pilgrims
detailed in the table to the left. Plans showing the layout of
Medium Freighter* III Free Traders, Explorers some of these ships can be found at the end of this book. If
Courier Ship* III Agents, Free Traders, you don’t want to choose one of these, you are free to create
Explorers
your own spaceship by following these steps:
Express Freighter* III Free Traders
Patrol Ship* III Agents, Mercenaries,
Pilgrims CREATE YOUR OWN SPACESHIP
Gunship III Mercenaries

1. Decide what kind of spaceship you need.
Assault Ship III Mercenaries
2. Determine its class and its origin shipyard.
Blockade Runner* III Mercenaries 3. Pick a ship problem.
Pleasure Cruiser* III Agents 4. Pick modules.
Flying Circus* III Pilgrims 5. Pick three features.
Mining Ship* IV Explorers 6. Modify the ship’s game stats according to the modules and fea-
Repurposed Space IV Explorers tures you chose.

Station 7. Calculate the group’s debt.
Passenger Ship* IV Pilgrims
*Premade ship plans available
A ship needs a crew, and the crew’s minimum size is deter-

mined by the class of the ship. Certain positions must be filled,
either by real people or by advanced computers (see Features,
below). Some very small ships are crewed only by a pilot.
TYPE AND CLASS

Your first choice is what type of ship you have – a fast courier
vessel, a trusty freighter or a rugged gunship? Decide on
what you need in terms of cargo space, torpedoes, defense
systems, etc. Use the premade ships on page 158 for inspi-
ration if you want. Class III is usually a good fit for a normal
group of players. Table 7.5 details the starting game stats
for the different classes. The game stats can be modified
by your choice of modules and features.
SHIPYARDS IN THE HORIZON
◆◆ CHELEBS – Mira: Beautiful, lean and fast ships. +1 to

Maneuverability, but +1 to Signature. +5% to base price.
142
◆◆ HARIMA – The Monolith: Fast ships designed for pursuit or courier

missions. Luxurious. +1 EP, but -1 HP. +5% to base price.
◆◆ KARRMERRUK – Zalos: Pariah ships, antimatter propulsion.
Unlocks the feature Antimatter Rockets. No price increase
unless you pick this feature.
◆◆ DARKOS – Kua Asteroid Belt: Practical, armed freighters. +1 HP,
but -2 to armor. +5% to base price. Example
◆◆ HALGRIA – in orbit between Coriolis and Kua: Cheap freighters of Sabah’s group is about to create their spaceship. They
low quality, also bulk haulers. -1 to Maneuverability, but +(Class) want something fast, and with the ability to land
extra modules. -5% to base price. planetside. They find a small courier vessel they like,
◆◆ DAHARAB – Sadaal B (the Syndicate/Ferekam): Freighters and and name it Narzalus.
battleships with illegal armaments. -1 to extra modules, but
+(Class) modules reserved for weapons. +5% to base price.
Example
The ship Narzalus is built in the Chelebs shipyards
THE SHIP’S PROBLEM on Mira, and is therefore slim and streamlined.
To make your ship feel more unique, you should give it a Its starting game stats are modified with a +1 to
problem. The problem will not always be active – the GM Maneuverability but also a +1 to Signature. The
can activate it using his Darkness Points. Choose from the Narzalus is a class III ship and its starting stats are
examples below or use your imagination. as follows: Maneuverability +1, 5 EP, 6 HP, Signature
◆◆ faulty thrusters: The ship’s thrusters are unreliable, especially +1, Armor 5, Speed 2 and up to 10 extra modules.
when under stress. When the problem is activated, the ship suffers
a -1 to Maneuverability, lasting during a combat encounter or
some other event requiring dice rolls, such as docking.
◆◆ curse: The Icons have turned their gaze away from the ship,
making portal jumps and longer space travel dangerous.
When the problem is activated, you get a -1 when rolling
for a portal jump, and space travel counts as one danger
level higher (page 140).
TABLE 7.5 SHIP CLASSES
CLASS MANEUVER MODULES EP HP SIGNATURE ARMOR SPEED TYPES
I +2 3 3 2 -2 3 4 Fighter, space scooter

II +1 6 4 4 -1 4 4 Shuttle, torpedo ship
III 0 10 5 6 0 5 2 Light freighter, courier ship, gunship, patrol ship,
medium freighter
IV -1 20 6 9 +2 7 1 Heavy freighter, mining ship, passenger ship
V -2 40 7 12 +3 9 1 Battlecruiser, bulk hauler
143
◆◆ unreliable sensors: The sensors of the ship are of poor
TABLE 7.6 COST
quality. When the problem is activated, all data djinn sensor
CLASS BIRR rolls suffer a -1 during a combat encounter or some other event
I 100,000 requiring dice rolls.
II 200,000 ◆◆ worn-out ship computer: The ship’s computer has seen better
III 1,000,000 days. When the problem is activated, all pilot rolls suffer a -1
during a fight or some other event requiring dice rolls.
IV 2,000,000
◆◆ slow accelerator: The grav projector’s accelerator unit is slow
V 10,000,000
and unresponsive. When the problem is activated, moving the
ship in combat costs one extra EP.
◆◆ obvious signature: The hull reflects radiation, making it easy
to spot on sensors. When the problem is activated, all opponents
get a +2 to their data djinn rolls to detect the ship.
◆◆ eccentric ship intelligence: Requires the feature Ship
Intelligence. When the problem is activated, the intelligence will
Example refuse to perform a specific task and instead begin to protest
The group thinks that a bickering ship intelligence loudly over the ship’s intercom. The effect lasts during a combat
seems fun, and therefore pick “eccentric ship intelli- encounter, or a few hours.
gence” to be the problem of Narzalus.
MODULES
A ship has a number of modules, each one supplying some
important function. All spaceships in the Third Horizon have
three required modules:
◆◆ Bridge
◆◆ Reactor
◆◆ Graviton Projector
USING DARKNESS POINTS ON SHIPS
Darkness Points can be used during travel and combat in All other modules are called optional modules. How many
space. Below are effects that the GM can trigger: of these that can be fitted on a ship depends on the ship’s
◆◆ BROKEN SYSTEM: A system onboard stops working. It class. The starting number of modules can be modified by
could be anything from a weapon system to life support. the feature Extra Modules (see below). To serve its purpose,
A TECHNOLOGY or DATA DJINN roll is required to repair it. different ships need different combinations of the modules
Costs 3 DP, or 1 DP if the system in question was poorly listed below. Small ships can fit few modules, while larger
tended to. ships usually have plenty of space. The cost of optional mod-
◆◆ SHIP PROBLEM: The ship’s problem is activated. Details ules is added to the ship’s base price – see the adjacent list.
are specified in the list of problems above. Costs 2 DP.
◆◆ OVERLOAD: A system is overloaded, either from neglected REQUIRED MODULES
upkeep or a temporary malfunction. The system stops
working for three turns (see Service, below). Costs 1 DP. y BRIDGE (O)
The bridge is the brain of the ship, housing the stations of
the captain, the pilot and the sensor operator. Sensors and
propulsion are controlled from the bridge, and from here,
you can gaze out into the Dark between the Stars. On small
ships, the bridge is called a cockpit.
144
TABLE 7.7 MODULES
MODULE BONUS FUNCTION BIRR MODULE BONUS FUNCTION BIRR
Salvage Station Salvaging wrecks 55,000 Escape Pods Abandoning the ship 20,000
and debris
Mining Station Mining for gas and 75,000
Docking Station Docking with other 15,000 minerals
ships
Service Station Used for ship repairs 45,000
Hangar Harboring other 10,000 and maintenance
ships
Smuggler’s Stash Hiding contraband 5,000
Cabins – Coffins Cramped sleeping 15,000
spaces Stasis Hold Needed for portal 25,000
jumps
Cabins – Standard Decent living 25,000
quarters Torpedo and Mine Storing and firing 20,000
System torpedoes/mines
Cabins – Suite Luxurious living 40,000
quarters Weapon System Destroying enemy Varies
ships
Chapel +1 Worship of the Icons 10,000
Workshop +1 Fixing broken gear 7,500
Cargo Hold Storing cargo 5,000 and systems
Medlab +3 Tending to the 10,000
wounded
145
y REACTOR (O)
Almost all ships in the Third Horizon use hydrogen based
fusion reactors to power their engines. Each ship class has
TECH LEVEL
its own reactor size. There are features that increase reactor
output.
Just like regular gear, ship modules and features
have a tech level (page 104). Usually, spaceships and y GRAVITON PROJECTOR (O)
their associated technology is of Ordinary tech level A large generator and an exhaust system, ejecting gravitons
(O), but some modules and features are Advanced that push against nearby gravity fields, thus propelling the
(A), and some rare ones even Factionary (F). Some spaceship forward. The graviton flow can be directed in
modules are restricted (marked *) – to purchase different directions, enabling the ship to maneuver. The
these, someone in the crew must have the talent exhaust stream can cause gravitational phenomena – the
Licensed (page 73). gravity closest to the projector exhaust is severely increased,
followed by dangerously violent shifts in the gravity farther
away. The area around a craft about to take off is generally
cleared out in advance, and the pilot will slowly turn up the
projector’s effect. The graviton projector is generally located
at the rear of a ship.
OPTIONAL MODULES
y SALVAGE STATION (O)

To be able to salvage wrecks and space junk, you will need
lots of empty space, a system of derricks, some mechanized
grabber arms and a good hull cutter. The salvage module
can be used to salvage debris or ships up to one class below
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCKING STATIONS
that of your own ship.
The Docking Station module, while optional, is almost a y DOCKING STATION (O)
necessity for ships above class II. Without it, you won’t The ship has a docking hatch and extendable tunnel that
be able to dock with space stations or other spaceships, enables you to dock with other ships. The station includes
and thus you will need to land in a hangar to enter or exit an airlock that can perform rudimentary decontamination of
the ship. visitors and foreign objects. A ship without a docking station
must land inside a hangar, or let smaller ships into its own
hangar, for the crew to enter or exit the ship.
y HANGAR (O)
Being able to let smaller spaceships into one’s own ship has
many advantages. How big a ship the hangar will fit depends
on the class of your ship – the ship entering the hangar can be
two classes below that of your ship at the largest. Normally,
only one ship at a time can be in the hangar, but for every
additional step of class difference, the number of ships the
hangar will fit is multiplied by four. Thus, a class V ship
146
CLASS COFFINS STANDARD SUITE

hangar will fit one class III vessel, four class II ships, or 16
class I vessels. You can have more than one hangar on a ship. I 1 - -
Hangars are very handy when it comes to repairs (page 168). II 4 1 -

III 16 4 1
y CABINS (O) IV 64 16 4
Cabins for crew or passengers. The passenger capacity depends V 256 64 16
on the type of accommodation, but also means different
levels of comfort – and in turn what kinds of people might y CHAPEL (O)
see the ship as a viable mode of transportation. An area reserved for worshipping the Icons, with eight visible
◆◆ coffins: Small, coffin-like compartments in rows and layers. Icons, and an asymmetry in their placement (or an empty
A shared hygiene unit. alcove) for the Faceless One. Grants a +1 to the prayer reroll
◆◆ standard: Personal cabins of about 3x2 meters. Each cabin has for the entire crew (page 55), as well as a bonus to portal
a bed and a hygiene unit. The module contains a shared small jumps (page 139).
recreational space with a table and chairs.
◆◆ suite: A big suite with an enormous bed and spaces for hygiene y CARGO HOLD (O)
and recreation as large as possible on a spacecraft in the Horizon. The area has atmosphere and climate control systems for the
cargo to survive the journey. How much of a load the cargo
The passenger capacity per module depends on the type of hold can take depends on the class of the ship. See the table
accommodation and the ship’s class: on the next page.
147
CLASS LOAD/MODULE
y SMUGGLER’S STASH (O)
I 1 ton A hidden compartment for sensitive cargo. Since the stash
II 5 tons needs to stay hidden, most of the actual module is filled with
III 50 tons something else – perhaps a relaxation unit or just ordinary
IV 250 tons cargo. The hidden stash can hold only 20% of the weight
V 1000 tons that a regular cargo hold can hold (above). Finding a hidden
stash requires a successful observation test.
y MEDLAB (O)
The medlab is a module used when treating wounds. Read y STASIS HOLD (A)
more in Chapter 5. The stasis hold contains beds for cryogenic sleep. Without
stasis, portal jumps are basically suicide, or at the very least a
y ESCAPE PODS (O) one-way ticket to chronic hyper madness. Stasis is sometimes
These “lifeboats” allows the crew of a doomed ship to also used during long interplanetary trips. Ships with a desti-
escape certain death. Activating a pod is a normal action. nation several jumps away usually won’t wake passengers or
The pods contain oxygen and supplies for a week, and non-essential crew until after the final jump is completed. The
are sometimes equipped with exo shells, medicines and number of stasis beds is determined by the class of the ship:
other useful items. An emergency transmitter is installed CLASS STASIS BEDS
in every pod, but they lack any means of propulsion. The I 1
number of emergency pods per module is determined II 4
by the class of the ship. Class I ships are too small to fit III 16
any pods at all.
IV 64
CLASS PODS/MODULE
V 256
I -
II 1 (4 people)
III 2 (8 people) y TORPEDO AND MINE SYSTEM
A module for storing and firing torpedoes and mines. Can
IV 4 (16 people)
hold up to four torpedoes or eight mines (a mine counts as
V 16 (64 people)
half a torpedo). The actual torpedoes and mines need to be
purchased individually. A critical hit in the torpedo room destroys
y MINING STATION (O) all of its torpedoes, and could be disastrous to the whole ship.
This module is a necessity for a crew who wants to prospect
for valuable gases and minerals. It contains drills, ore nets, y WEAPON SYSTEM (O/A/F*)
some smaller magnet trawls and equipment for the crew – Weapon systems are not bought like other modules. Each
handheld drills, vibro picks, and pry bars for manual labor. system is a separate module, with its own cost in birr – see
To store the findings, you need a cargo hold. table 7.9. Torpedoes and mines are not a weapons system
as such. They require a torpedo and mine system, and each
y SERVICE STATION (O) torpedo/mine needs to be purchased separately.
The service station is a non-pressurized cargo unit loaded
with whatever the ship might need in terms of repairs. y WORKSHOP (O)
The module aids the engineer with repairs during travel. This module is a complete workshop for making repairs onboard.
Crews that travel far across the stars would do well to keep The module gives a +1 to all technology rolls, including
a fully stocked service station on their ship. Read more in repairs of the ship itself. The workshop can only be used for
the sections Service & Maintenance (page 155) and Ship repairs of up to Ordinary level equipment (but see the feature
Combat (page 162). Advanced Workshop).
148
TABLE 7.8 WEAPON SYSTEMS DESCRIPTIONS
Countermeasure A powerful sensor buoy launched from the ship to lure away incoming torpedoes. A ”hit” firing this weapon
Dispenser means that the target torpedo misses its target. May also be used for defensive fire (page 170).
Data Pulse A pulse of harmful data that damages the systems of an enemy ship. Inflicts systems damage instead of hull
damage.
Data Meme A meme, a self-learning program, is broadcast into the systems of an enemy ship. A data meme attack has two
stages. First, the sensor operator (page 169) analyzes the ship. This counts as an action in space combat, costs
1 EP to perform, and requires a DATA DJINN roll, modified by the Signature of the enemy ship. The target doesn’t
need to be locked. If the roll is successful, the sensor operator learns what modules are present on the enemy
ship. The second stage is launching the meme itself. Only a ship that has been analyzed can be attacked. This
also counts as an action in space combat, costs 1 EP and requires a DATA DJINN roll, modified by the Signature
of the enemy ship. Targeting lock is not needed. The sensor operator chooses which module on the enemy ship
to target. If the attack is successful, the targeted module is disabled, as if critically hit (page 172). The three
required modules bridge, reactor and graviton projector cannot be targeted by a data meme.
Ion Missile A missile that on impact delivers a powerful ionized discharge. Deals equal damage to both systems and hull.
Accelerator Cannon A powerful magnetic railgun that fires metal projectiles at high velocity.
Meson Cannon A cannon that fires disruptor beams. Ignores the effects of armor.
Thermal Cannon A cannon firing rays of superheated plasma.
Heavy Accelerator A cannon with a longer and bigger accelerator, dealing more damage.
Cannon
Autocannon A small Vulcan cannon used to counter boarding attempts or incoming torpedoes. Can be used for defensive fire
(page 170).
Ion Cannon A cannon firing beams of ionizing radiation. Deals equal damage to both systems and hull.
Nestera Mangler An accelerator cannon with a high rate of fire and explosive slugs for very high damage.
Torpedo A conventional torpedo.
Plasma Torpedo A torpedo with a plasma warhead. Reduces the Armor Rating of the enemy ship by 1 until repairs are made.
Ion Torpedo A torpedo with an ionized warhead. Deals equal damage to both systems and hull.
Antimatter Torpedo A torpedo with an antimatter warhead. The detonation deals damage to all ships within Short range of the blast.
Nuclear Torpedo A torpedo with a nuclear warhead. The detonation deals damage to all ships within Contact range of the blast.
Mine Conventional mine.
Antimatter Mine A mine with an antimatter warhead. The detonation deals damage to all ships within Short range of the blast.
Nuclear Mine A mine with a nuclear warhead. The detonation deals damage to all ships within Contact range of the blast
FEATURES y ABLATIVE ARMOR (A)

The last step in creating your ship is picking features. You Reduces the damage of one hit by 3. The hit disables the armor
will start with three features, but you can add more later. which must be repaired by an engineer to function again.
There is no limit to how many features you can have, except
your personal financial limits. The cost of features depends y ADVANCED COUNTERMEASURES (O)
on the size of the ship. A feature will have its cost listed as a Countermeasure dispensers with smart jammers, duralite
percentage of the ship’s starting cost, usually 10%. Two features shrapnel and thermal globes. Gives +1 to using counter-
results in a cost increase of 20% and so on, see table 7.10. measures.
149
TABLE 7.9 WEAPON SYSTEMS DATA
WEAPON BONUS RANGE DAMAGE CRIT TECH COST SPECIAL
Countermeasure +2 Short - - O 5,000

Dispenser
Data Pulse 0 Long 1 - O 50,000 Armor has no effect.
Data Meme 0 Long - - A 75,000 See page 149.
Ion Missile +1 Short 1 3 O 7,500 Inflicts both system and hull damage.
Accelerator Cannon +1 Medium 1 2 O 25,000
Meson Cannon 0 Short 2 1 F* N/A Inflicts both system and hull damage. Armor has no
effect.
Thermal Cannon +1 Long 1 1 A* 70,000
Heavy Accelerator +1 Medium 2 1 O 40,000
Cannon
Autocannon +2 Contact 2 3 O 15,000
Ion Cannon +1 Medium 1 2 O 40,000 Inflicts both system and hull damage.
Nestera Mangler +1 Medium 1 1 O 50,000
Torpedo +2 Long 2 2 O 5,000 Moves 2 CU/turn. Price listed is per individual torpedo.
Plasma Torpedo +2 Long 1 2 A* 10,000 Moves 2 CU/turn. Degrades armor.
Ion Torpedo +2 Long 1 2 O 8,000 Moves 2 CU/turn. Inflicts both system and hull damage.
Antimatter Torpedo +2 Extreme 4 1 F* 400,000 Moves 2 CU/turn. Price listed is per individual torpedo.
Nuclear Torpedo +2 Long 3 1 A* 30,000 Moves 2 CU/turn. Price listed is per individual torpedo.
Mine 0 Contact 2 2 O 3,000 Price listed is per individual mine.
Antimatter Mine 0 Contact 4 1 F* 300,000 Price listed is per individual mine.
Nuclear Mine 0 Contact 3 1 A* 20,000 Price listed is per individual mine.
Plasma torpedo
Torpedo
150
Ion missile
TABLE 7.10 FEATURES
FEATURE EFFECT COST INCREASE
Ablative Armor Reduces damage by 3 for one attack only. 10%

Advanced Countermeasures Gives +1 when launching countermeasures. 10%
Advanced Targeting Gives +1 when locking onto targets. 10%
Computer
Advanced Torpedoes Gives -1 to the target ship’s countermeasures. 10%
Advanced Weapon System Gives +1 when firing a specific weapon system. 20%
Advanced Workshop Can repair Advanced technology. 10%
Antimatter Rockets Maneuverability +2. 20%
Arboretum Helps the crew to recover Mind Points. 5%
Atmospheric Entry Land on/take off from planets. 10%
Blessed Ship Bonus +1 to portal jumps. 5%
Bonus Modules Increased capacity for carrying extra modules. 20%
ED Fields Protects against explosive decompression. 20%
Ejector Escape pod on the bridge. 10%
External Cargo Cargo on the outside of the hull, in vacuum. 10%
Heavy Armor Armor Rating +1, Maneuverability -1. 10%
Library Database Gives you +3 to CULTURE or SCIENCE rolls. 5%
Precise Thrusters Bonus +2 to PILOT when docking or landing. 10%
Reactor Burst Gives +3 EP when overloading reactor. 10%
Research Computer Gives +1 to SCIENCE for analyses. 5%
Robust Hull Gives +1 Hull Point. 10%
Salvage Unit Enables salvaging. 10%
Sensitive Sensors Gives +1 to all sensor rolls. 10%

Ship Intelligence Versatile AI, all attribute scores 1, relevant skill levels 3. 30%
Ship System Replaces one crew member, attribute 3, skill level 3. 20%
Stealth Technology Decreases ship Signature by 1. 20%
Supercharged reactor Gives the ship +1 Energy Point. 10%
Super Sensors Increases range of ship sensors to Extreme. 20%
Trauma Lab Gives bonus to MEDICURGY rolls. 10%
Tuned Accelerator Bonus +2 to the advance/retreat action. 10%
Turbo Projector Gives +1 to Maneuverability and Speed. 20%
151
y ADVANCED TARGETING COMPUTER (O) spheric entry, enabling it to land on, and take off from, planets.
An advanced computer with dedicated djinn systems for Ships without this feature must stay in orbit and use shuttles
active locking. Bonus +1 when locking onto targets. to descend to the surface. All ships can make an emergency
planetside landing, but without this feature they will be stuck
y ADVANCED TORPEDOES (O/A/F*) where they land as their construction will make taking off
Torpedoes fitted with their own djinn intelligence, and blessed again impossible.
by the docks priest just in case. Gives -1 to the enemy’s
countermeasures. y BLESSED SHIP (P)
Some event in the past has resulted in the ship being blessed
y ADVANCED WEAPON SYSTEM (O/A/F*) by the Icons. +1 to all pilot rolls when portal jumping or
A system with smart targeting algorithms, modified cobalite traveling long distances.
rounds (accelerator cannon) or perhaps bigger lance chambers
(thermal cannon). Bonus +1 to the weapon system in question. y BONUS MODULES (O)
The ship has an additional five extra modules. This feature
y ADVANCED WORKSHOP (A) can be purchased several times for larger ships:
A cutting-edge workshop with all the latest tools such as CLASS MAXIMUM NUMBER
nanite saws, mercury jets, intelligent tools etc. Enables repairs I 1
of Advanced level equipment. II 2
III 4
y ANTIMATTER ROCKETS (A)
IV 8
The ship utilizes antimatter rocket propulsion, a technology
V 16
demanding advanced antimatter control systems so far only
mastered by the Order of the Pariah. The antimatter rockets
require less space than other propulsion systems – since no y ED FIELDS (O)
reactor is necessary, and the rockets only occupy the space ED fields are force fields designed to plug hull breaches,
normally reserved for the graviton projector, the ship can reducing the effect of explosive decompression (page 99).
hold one additional extra module. The Order’s fighters and ED generators are installed all over the ship, and are auto-
gunships are small and lightning fast compared to those of matically engaged if the hull is breached. Ships without this
other factions, and gains a +2 to Maneuverability when it technology must repair all breaches manually, which means
comes to acceleration. The downside of the antimatter rockets that the collapsed module cannot be used without exo shells
is of course that they need refueling with pure antimatter until the damage is repaired.
instead of hydrogen, and that a critical hit in the rockets
module counts as a critical hit in a reactor. The rockets are y EJECTOR (O)
also expensive, more so than a normal reactor and projector This feature means that the work stations on the bridge are
combined. built into escape pods, automatically ejected from the ship
in case of a catastrophic systems failure. This feature is most
y ARBORETUM (O) common on ships designed for combat, such as fighters,
A garden of green plants, a small hydroponic system and but could be installed on any ship. The size of the ejector
perhaps even fauna. The crew can recover stress here twice depends on the class of the ship and can fit as many crew
as fast as normal (2 MP/hour) and the arboretum supplies members as the bridge can.
emergency food for a few days.
y EXTERNAL CARGO (O)
y ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY (O) The ship is modified to carry external cargo, using a system
The ship has been streamlined and fitted to withstand atmo- of grabber arms and magnetic hooks. For each cargo hold
152
on the ship (see above), specify if it is an internal or external y PRECISE THRUSTERS (O)
one. External cargo holds can hold four times the tonnage The thrusters have been fitted with brand new magnet flux
of internal ones but lack atmosphere – put an exo on if you cores and nanite membranes. Nimble and easy to maneu-
need to visit them. ver, the ship gains a +2 to docking, landing and evasion (see
Space Combat).
y HEAVY ARMOR (O)
The ship’s armor is reinforced with duralite sheets and y REACTOR BURST (O)
sometimes even nanite patterns modeled after the Order’s The reactor can be pushed to its very limits, giving an automatic
martyr armors. Gives +1 to the ship’s Armor Rating, but also 3 extra EP when overloading the reactor (page 168), plus any EP
decreases Maneuverability by 1. The feature can be purchased from sixes on the roll. The ship takes 2 points of hull damage
three times. from this, regardless of whether the roll succeeded or not.
y LIBRARY DATABASE (A) y RESEARCH COMPUTER (A)

A database giving you a +3 to culture or science within The ship computer has been upgraded and now contains tools for
one defined area, for example astronics, humanities or measuring. Gives +1 to science when measuring something and
artifacts. analyzing the results. Can be combined with a Library Database.
153
y ROBUST HULL (O)
The beams and joints of the hull have been replaced with
duralite and smart nanites. Gives +1 Hull Point.
Example
The group is equipping their ship Narzalus with y SALVAGE UNIT (O)
extra modules (other than the three fixed modules of This feature enables you to salvage ships up to two classes
bridge, reactor and graviton projector) and chooses below your that of your own ship, using a mining station.
the following: cabins (4 standard cabins), a chapel, a
medlab, a service station (as they expect to be trav- y SENSITIVE SENSORS (O)
eling to primitive planets), a stasis hold (to be able The sensors of the ship are extremely fine-tuned. Each tier
to portal jump), a workshop (to analyze artifacts of this feature gives +1 to all sensor rolls. Can be bought up
and other findings), a cargo hold, a countermeasure to three times.
dispenser and an accelerator cannon. They also pick
the following features: Atmospheric Entry, Ship y SHIP INTELLIGENCE (A)
Intelligence and Turbo Projector. The Turbo Projector The ship’s main computer is very capable and verbal. It can
gives the Narzalus Speed 3 and Maneuverability +2. perform any function on the ship with a 1 in the attribute and a
3 in the skill relevant for that function. It can perform only one
function at a time, cannot replace more than one crew member
at a time, and cannot help (page 58) crew members with their
rolls. Some ship intelligences become eccentric over the years,
acting erratically and refusing to carry out certain commands.
y SHIP SYSTEM (A)

One crew position on the ship is replaced by a dedicated
computer system. The system has a 3 in both the attribute
and the skill relevant to the position. More than one ship
system can be installed – all crew positions can be automated
except for the captain.
LIVING WEAR AND TEAR y STEALTH TECHNOLOGY (A)

The ship is fitted with the latest in high absorbent duraceramics
While the ship is getting worn down, lots of less and zero-signature radiation shields. Gives -1 to Signature.
essential systems will also start to malfunction. The ship can disappear during combat (page 169).
While not always giving penalties in the game
mechanics, they can add some color to the game and y SUPERCHARGED REACTOR (O)
help create drama – airlocks closing just a little too The fuel rods in the reactor use hydrogen isotypes with higher
slow, flickering lights, unresponsive landing gear, energy output. Gives the ship +1 Energy Point.
doors refusing to open etc. These problems can be
activated using DP (page 56). y SUPER SENSORS (A)
High output sensor cores, reinforced sensor chambers, and
nanite membranes. Increases the sensor range to 8 Combat Units.
y TRAUMA LAB (A)

The medlab has been upgraded to a trauma lab (see Chapter 6).
154
y TUNED ACCELERATOR (O)

The accelerator core powering the graviton projector has
advanced exhaust controls and djinn intelligences for
higher effect. Gives a +2 to the pilot roll for the advance/
retreat action.
y TURBO PROJECTOR (O)

The projector’s graviton coils have been reinforced. Gives TABLE 7.12 SHIP WEAR
+1 to Maneuverability and Speed. Can be purchased twice.
2D6 SYSTEM EFFECT
SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE 2-3 Sensors -1 to sensor rolls

Your adventures will sooner or later start to wear down 4-5 Reactor -1 EP
your spaceship – micro meteorites or frost damage, a 6-7 Thrusters -1 to PILOT rolls
clumsy docking or maybe an uncontrolled landing – it will 8-9 Weapon System -1 to RANGED COMBAT rolls
happen to even the best of crews. Servicing your ship (a 10 Graviton Projector All actions in space combat
technology test) also resupplies food, drink and other cost 1 extra EP.
consumables, as well as reactor isotopes, antimatter etc. 11-12 Random Module -1 to use if applicable, other-
Your service roll is modified depending on where you are. wise reduced functionality
decided by the GM.
If you fail the roll, you still pay half the listed cost (table
7.11). You should service you ship after any longer space
travel (10 AU or more), short travels that include portal
jumping and after every completed scenario.
If you have a service station onboard, ignore the penalty
for doing service in primitive environments. If you have
the antimatter rockets feature, service costs are doubled.
If you choose not to service your craft, or if you fail the
roll, the ship will start to break down – roll on the table
to the right to see which systems are affected. For each
missed tune-up, the wear effects stack. If you roll the same
system twice on the table, it breaks down completely and
the ship is disabled until repaired (page 172).
TABLE 7.11 SERVICE COSTS
ENVIRONMENT MODIFIER COST
Smaller space station or space port in primitive settlement, for example on remote, -3 1/500 of ship value
uncivilized planets or farthest out on the system arms.
Standard space stations or space ports in ordinary settlements, for example portal 0 1/1,000 of ship value
stations or systems with only sparse traffic.
Large space stations or advanced space ports, for example Coriolis +1 1/2,000 of ship value
155
LIGHT FREIGHTER, SCARAB FACTS
◆◆ CLASS: III
◆◆ SHIPYARD: CHELEBS, CC 46
◆◆ CREW: 5
◆◆ LENGTH: 49 M
The bug-like scarab freighter with its round shapes is a common sight in the Horizon. Many
skippers praise it for its spacious build, reliable projectors and all-round usefulness. The latest
model introduced a both beautiful and practical onboard garden, making the Scarab even
more popular in the free trader community.
STANDARD MODEL PASSENGER SHIP BLOCKADE RUNNER

ENERGY POINTS: 5 ENERGY POINTS: 5 ENERGY POINTS: 5
HULL POINTS: 6 HULL POINTS: 6 HULL POINTS: 6
MANEUVERABILITY: +1 MANEUVERABILITY: +1 MANEUVERABILITY: +2
SIGNATURE: +1 SIGNATURE: +1 SIGNATURE: 0
ARMOR: 5 ARMOR: 5 ARMOR: 5
SPEED: 2 SPEED: 2 SPEED: 3
MODULES: Docking station, cabins x2, MODULES: Docking station, cabins x 4, MODULES: Docking station, cabins,
stasis hold, chapel, cargo hold x2, stasis hold, chapel, cargo hold, medlab, stasis hold, chapel, cargo hold, medlab,
medlab, accelerator cannon, counter- countermeasure dispenser. accelerator cannon, countermeasure
measure dispenser. dispenser, data pulse.
FEATURES: Arboretum, Atmospheric
FEATURES: Arboretum, Atmospheric Entry, Blessed Ship. FEATURES: Tuned Accelerator, Turbo
Entry, Precise Thrusters. Projector, Stealth Technology.
EXTRA GEAR: None.
EXTRA GEAR: None. EXTRA GEAR: None.
PROBLEM: Unreliable sensors.
PROBLEM: Worn-out ship computer. PROBLEM: Curse.
COST: 1,465,000 birr.
COST: 1,435,000 birr. COST: 1,560,000 birr.
156
GUNSHIP, AZUK ◆◆ FACTS

◆◆ CLASS: III
◆◆ SHIPYARD: DAHARAB, CC 32
◆◆ CREW: 5
◆◆ LENGTH: 48 M
The Azuk is one of the Horizon’s true work horses. Originally designed and constructed at the
Daharab dockyards on Sadaal B in CC 32, it has been a favorite among mercenaries and mili-
tary adventurers ever since. Its heavy weaponry, thick armor, powerful Berdal projectors and
swiveling engines strike fear in the hearts of even the most dreaded of corsairs.
STANDARD MODEL PATROL SHIP MODEL FLYING CIRCUS

MANEUVERABILITY: 0 MANEUVERABILITY: +1 MANEUVERABILITY: 0
SIGNATURE: 0 SIGNATURE: +1 SIGNATURE: +1
MODULES: Docking station, hangar, MODULES: Docking station, hangar, MODULES: Docking station, hangar,
cabins, medlab, stasis hold, counter- cabins, cargo hold, medlab, stasis cabins, cargo hold, medlab, stasis hold,
measure dispenser, accelerator cannon, hold, accelerator cannon, data pulse, accelerator cannon, torpedo room,
autocannon, torpedo room. countermeasure dispenser. countermeasure dispenser.
FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Robust FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Turbo FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry,
Hull, Heavy Armor. Projector, Tuned Accelerator. Advanced Torpedoes, Tuned
Accelerator.
EXTRA GEAR: Space scooter. EXTRA GEAR: Space scooter.
EXTRA GEAR: Space scooter.
PROBLEM: Obvious signature. PROBLEM: Obvious signature.
PROBLEM: Obvious signature.
COST: 1,685 000 birr.
157
COURIER SHIP, ORYX FACTS
◆◆ CLASS: III
◆◆ SHIPYARD: CHELEBS, CC 33
◆◆ CREW: 5
◆◆ LENGTH: 49 M
The slim Oryx turns heads wherever it docks. Its elegance and beautiful hull patterns are typi-
cal of the famous models produced by Chelebs during its golden thirties. Fast, nimble and with
excellent capabilities for atmospheric flight, the Oryx is a true classic.
STANDARD MODEL PATROL SHIP MODEL EXPRESS FREIGHTER

MANEUVERABILITY: +2 MANEUVERABILITY: +1 MANEUVERABILITY: +2
SIGNATURE: 0 SIGNATURE: 0 SIGNATURE: 0
MODULES: Docking station, cabins x 2, MODULES: Docking station, cabins, MODULES: Docking station, cabins,
chapel, medlab, cargo hold, stasis hold, chapel, medlab, stasis hold, workshop, chapel, medlab, cargo hold x2, stasis
workshop, countermeasure dispenser, countermeasure dispenser, accelerator hold, workshop, countermeasure dis-
accelerator cannon. cannon, torpedo room. penser, accelerator cannon.
FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Turbo FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Sensitive FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry, Sensitive
Projector, Supercharged Reactor. Sensors, Advanced Accelerator Cannon. Sensors, Turbo Projector.
EXTRA GEAR: None. EXTRA GEAR: Space scooter. EXTRA GEAR: None.
PROBLEM: Unreliable sensors. PROBLEM: Slow accelerator. PROBLEM: Faulty thrusters.
COST: 1,610,000 birr. COST: 1,710,000 birr. COST: 1,600,000 birr.
158
SALVAGE SHIP, KAMRUK FACTS

◆◆ CLASS: IV
◆◆ SHIPYARD: DARKOS, KUA, CC 41
◆◆ CREW: 5
◆◆ LENGTH: 75 M
The long and heavy Kamruk is a common sight in the asteroid belts and ship cemeteries of
the Horizon. Although designed as a salvage ship, the Kamruk is just as often used by mining
crews or scrappers. Its long grabber arms, large empty spaces and sturdy build makes it a
vessel fit for demanding jobs far from civilization. Comfort was not a priority for its design-
ers, and many Kamruks look like scrapyards on the inside as well.
MINING MODEL SALVAGE MODEL FLYING CIRCUS

MANEUVERABILITY: -1 MANEUVERABILITY: -1 MANEUVERABILITY: -1
SIGNATURE: +2 SIGNATURE: +2 SIGNATURE: +2
MODULES: Mining station, docking MODULES: Salvage module, docking MODULES: Docking station, hangar,
station, hangar, cabins x2, cargo hold station, hangar x2, cabins, cargo hold, cabins x4, cargo hold x3, medlab,
x3, medlab, escape pods, stasis hold, medlab, escape pods, stasis hold, escape pods, stasis hold, service sta-
service station, workshop, accelerator service station, workshop, accelerator tion, workshop, accelerator cannon,
cannon. cannon. countermeasure dispenser.
FEATURES: Research Computer, Ship FEATURES: Ship System, Robust Hull, FEATURES: Blessed Ship, Robust Hull.
Intelligence, Sensitive Sensors. External Cargo.
EXTRA GEAR: Shuttle.
EXTRA GEAR: Shuttle. EXTRA GEAR: Shuttle.
PROBLEM: Slow accelerator.
PROBLEM: Curse. PROBLEM: Obvious signature.
COST: 2,810,000 birr.
159
OTHER SHIPS
SPACE SCOOTER SHUTTLE
A small, slim craft for travel between larger ships or for longer A ship used for transport down to the planet’s surface. Most shut-
space walks. Fits 2-4 people. tles hold 6-8 people.
CLASS: I CLASS: II
ENERGY POINTS: 3 ENERGY POINTS: 4
HULL POINTS: 2 HULL POINTS: 4
MANEUVERABILITY: +2 MANEUVERABILITY: +1
SIGNATURE: -2 SIGNATURE: -1
ARMOR: 3 ARMOR: 4
SPEED: 4 SPEED: 4
MODULES: - MODULES: Docking station, cargo hold.
FEATURES: - FEATURES: Atmospheric Entry.
PROBLEM: - PROBLEM: -
COST: 100,000 birr. COST: 235,000 birr.
FIGHTER CORSAIR SHIP
A cheap ship, using its small size and speed to engage enemies at close No two corsair ships are the same, but their crews usually prefer
range. Come in many models, some with heavier weaponry. Crewed by speed to heavy weapons and armor.
a pilot only.
CLASS: III
CLASS: I ENERGY POINTS: 5
ENERGY POINTS: 3 HULL POINTS: 6
HULL POINTS: 3 MANEUVERABILITY: +1
MANEUVERABILITY: +2 SIGNATURE: 0
SIGNATURE: -2 ARMOR: 6
ARMOR: 3 SPEED: 3
SPEED: 4 MODULES: Docking station, hangar, cabins, medlab, stasis hold,

countermeasure dispenser, accelerator cannon, autocannon,
MODULES: Autocannon.
torpedo room.
FEATURES: Ejector, Tuned Accelerator, Robust Hull.
FEATURES: Heavy Armor, Turbo Projector.
PROBLEM: -
PROBLEM: -
COST: 145,000 birr.
COST: 1,450,000 birr.
160
AVERAGE CORSAIR CREW

POSITION ATTRIBUTE SKILL
Captain EMPATHY 4 COMMAND 3
Pilot AGILITY 3 PILOT 4
Sensor Operator WITS 3 DATA DJINN 3
Gunner AGILITY 4 RANGED COMBAT 4
Engineer WITS 3 TECHNOLOGY 3
DESTROYER
A fearsome sight for both corsairs and free traders on the run. A
skilled destroyer crew is a formidable foe to practically any ship.
CLASS: IV
ENERGY POINTS: 6
HULL POINTS: 10
MANEUVERABILITY: -1
SIGNATURE: 2
ARMOR: 8
SPEED: 2
MODULES: Docking station, hangar x2, cabins, medlab, stasis

hold, countermeasure dispenser, accelerator cannon x2, auto-
cannon, torpedo room, escape pods, data pulse.
FEATURES: Heavy Armor, Turbo Projector, Sensitive Sensors,
Robust Hull, Super Sensors.
EXTRA GEAR: Shuttle.
COST: 4,015,000 birr.
AVERAGE DESTROYER CREW

POSITION ATTRIBUTE SKILL
Captain EMPATHY 4 COMMAND 5
Pilot AGILITY 4 PILOT 4
Sensor Operator WITS 4 DATA DJINN 4
Gunner AGILITY 4 RANGED COMBAT 4
Engineer WITS 4 TECHNOLOGY 4
161
SPACE COMBAT Space travel in the Third Horizon is generally peaceful. The
long distances in the Dark between the Stars are usually
just monotonous and claustrophobic. However, the time
may come when you are met with hostility and must defend
yourselves. This section deals with space combat, and
describes how to play out a violent encounter in the void.
SCALE CU can be tens or even hundreds of miles. The

The system described below is designed to combat area is divided into segments. On the
manage combat between only a few ships per space combat map (in the back of the book, and
side – the most common combat encounter is available for download from our website), the space
a one-on-one ship duel. Large battles between between each horizontal line is one segment. The
whole armadas are a part of the history of the distance between each segment is one CU. All
Third Horizon, but are very rare nowadays. movement in space combat is handled by moving
between the segments on the map. The rules
CREW POSITIONS manage movement in space in only one dimen-
All spaceships have specific crew positions that sion – an abstraction of the three-dimensional
must be covered. Small vessels can be con- movement that is actually taking place.
structed so that the same person can perform
several function at once, while large ships may Movement: In space combat, the “terrain”
have many crew members per position – more between the combatants is not important – the
on this below. The five crew positions are: Dark between the Stars is endless. What matters
◆◆ Captain is the relative distance between the ships. To move
◆◆ Engineer one CU towards or away from an enemy ship, test
◆◆ Pilot PILOT (more under Crew Positions, below). The
◆◆ Sensor Operator movement roll can be modified negatively (-1 or -2)
◆◆ Gunner by obstacles in the segment you intend to reach,
such as asteroids, space junk or gravity wells.
As soon as you have acquired your spaceship,
you should decide within the group who should y RANGE
do what job onboard. When the torpedo alarm Just like in ground combat, the range between
warns of imminent attack, everyone must know you and your enemy is divided into four steps:
exactly what they are supposed to do. In the ◆◆ Contact: 0 CU (the same segment). Ramming
Icon Card Deck, each crew position has a cor- and boarding possible.
responding crew card detailing the actions of ◆◆ Short: 1 CU (adjacent segment). Visual contact limit.
that position. The crew cards are not needed to ◆◆ Medium: 2 CU. Passive sensor limit.
play, but they are helpful. ◆◆ Long: up to 4 CU. Active sensor limit.
◆◆ Extreme: up to 8 CU. Extreme sensor limit.
DISTANCE AND SEGMENTS
The distances in empty space are huge, too vast SENSORS AND SIGNATURE
for it to be meaningful to keep track of the exact When you approach another spacecraft, the ques-
distance between two ships. Instead, the game tion is who detects the other first. Sometimes,
uses the abstract term Combat Units – CU. One this can determine the outcome of the entire
162
battle. How far away you can detect other spaceships depends GAME AIDS
on your sensors, and how you use them.
Space combat is a little more complicated than plan-
Passive Sensors: This is the standard setting on any sensor. etside combat. To help you keep track of things, the
The sensor range is Medium (2 CU) and your Signature is following game aids can be useful:
unaffected. ◆◆ THE SHIP SHEET – found in the back of the book and
can be downloaded from our website.
Active Sensors: The sensors are set to maximum effect. The ◆◆ THE CREW CARDS – included in the Icon Card Deck,
sensor range is Long (4 CU), but you get +2 to your Signature. which is sold separately.
The active sensor mode costs 1 EP per turn (see below). ◆◆ THE SPACE COMBAT MAP – found in the back of the
book and can be downloaded from our website.
Extreme Sensors: If you have the feature Extreme Sensors,
your sensor range in active mode is increased to Extreme (8 How to use these aids is described below.
CU). Otherwise, they work like normal active sensors.
y TRANSPONDERS
All spaceships are required to travel with their transponders
switched on – this is both the law and common courtesy.
The transponder transmits data about the ship’s position,
name, class, home docks and destination. A ship with an
active transponder is automatically detected as soon as it
enters sensor range. YOU AND THEM
y SILENT RUNNING AND SIGNATURE The rules in this chapter are written from the point of view
Traveling with your transponder switched off is regarded with of your PCs and their ship, but they apply for NPCs as well –
extreme suspicion – only smugglers and military vessels do unless stated otherwise.
that. If a ship with its transponder switched off enters your
sensor range, it is not automatically detected. The GM will
ask your sensor operator to test DATA DJINN . The roll is mod-
ified by the Signature of the target (page 162), the distance
between the ships and other factors (table 7.14), as well as
some ship features.
The same applies if you are the ones traveling without an active
transponder and enter another ship’s sensor range. If both you
and the enemy ship are traveling without active transponders, TABLE 7.13 SENSORS
and have the same sensor range, you both roll simultaneously
SENSORS RANGE SIGNATURE EP COST
to detect the other when you get close enough.
Passive Medium 0 0
Radio Silence: If the enemy ship does not adhere to radio Active Long +2 1
silence – it is in some way using its off-ship communications Extreme Extreme +2 1
– you get a +2 to your detection roll.
Reactor Shutdown: A ship that really wants to avoid detection

can perform an emergency reactor shutdown. The operation
163
requires a successful technology test by the engineer of
the ship. To determine how many minutes the shutdown
takes, roll a number of D6 equal to the class of the ship. Only
TABLE 7.14 SHIP DETECTION
one person at a time may attempt the shutdown, but several
attempts can be made.
CIRCUMSTANCE MODIFIER
With the reactor shut down, the ship is “dead” – you lose
Contact Range +4 all your Energy Points and cannot change course, use weapon
Short Range +2 systems or active sensors. The artificial gravity onboard is also
Medium Range 0 lost. The reserve batteries power passive sensors, emergency
Long Range -2 lights and life support systems – but only for a number of days
Extreme Range -4 equal to the class of the ship. Restarting the reactor requires
another technology roll. To determine how many hours the
No Radio Silence +2
restart takes, roll a number of D6 equal to the class of the ship.
Reactor Shut Down -3
Weapons Fire Automatic Detection
Success: If your sensor roll is successful, you detect the
enemy ship and may now engage with it. Your level of suc-
cess determines how much information you get (table 7.15).
You can of course contact the ship and inquire after more
details, but whether or not they reply is up to the captain of
that ship. You get to make another sensor roll only when the
circumstances change (see below).
Failure: If your sensor roll fails, you detect nothing. The GM

reveals no information. The sensor operator gets to roll again
when the circumstances change in your favor, for example
if the enemy ship moves a range step closer to you, makes
an active sensor sweep, uses its radio etc.
Avoiding Contact: If you detect the enemy ship, but remain

SPACE COMBAT MAP
undetected yourself, you can choose to change course and
avoid contact. If you move a range step closer to the other
The space combat map is found in the back of the ship – or takes some other action that makes your Signature
book, and can be downloaded from the Free League more noticeable – its sensor operator will get to make another
website. Use any markers you like to represent the attempt to detect you.
ships involved in the battle. Please note that the
space combat map is used only when two vessels Confrontation: When you have detected an enemy space-
have detected each other and engage in combat. ship, you can choose whether or not to attack it. If you in
Only then are PILOT rolls needed to move towards or turn also have been detected, roll your initiative scores and
away from the enemy ship. Before both parties have place your ships on the ship combat map. If the enemy has
detected each other, the GM only needs to determine not detected you however, you get what is called a free turn
the range between the ships. – read more below.
Instead of attacking, you can choose to hail the captain of
the other ship using your radio system. This will of course
cost you the element of surprise if things turn violent later on.
164
Disappearing: When you have been detected, you will remain

on the enemy’s radar screen as long as you stay within their
sensor range, unless your ship is equipped with stealth tech-
nology (see below) – if it is, your sensor operator can make TABLE 7.15 SENSOR ROLLS
you disappear from their screens.
DEGREE OF SUCCESS INFORMATION
TURNS AND INITIATIVE Limited (1-2 sixes) Distance in CU, current course
Space combat is divided into turns just like ground combat Critical (3+ sixes) Distance, class, course, weapons
(Chapter 5), but a turn in space is longer – usually several
minutes.
y INITIATIVE
Initiative scores are determined at the beginning of the fight THE ICON CARDS
just like in ground combat, but in space, only the captains
of the engaged ships roll. They each make a command roll. You cannot use the Icon deck (page 83) to substitute the ini-
The highest die each captain rolled will be her ship’s initiative tiative dice in space combat. You can use the cards to keep
score for the rest of the battle. The scores can be changed track of the turn order, however.
during the course of the fight, just like in ground combat.
In case of a tie, the number of dice showing the highest
number determines who goes first – two fives beat one five,
for example. A second tie is broken by the highest command
165
skill level among the captains. If that still leaves some com-
batants tied, chance decides who goes first.
Example y TURN PHASES

Narzalus is en route to the Djachroum station and One turn of space combat is divided into five phases –
has to pass through the Corsair belt. The crew opts to one per crew position. All pilots act in the pilot phase, all
run silent, turns the transponder off to avoid detec- engineers in the engineer phase, and so on. The turn order
tion and sets their sensors to passive mode. The GM within each phase is determined by the initiative scores of
has decided that the corsair vessel Tigris, also silent the captains. The five phases are detailed below, but here
and with its sensors set to passive mode, is out hunt- is a brief overview:
ing in the belt as the Narzalus passes by. When the 1. Order Phase: All captains choose their orders secretly, and roll
two ships are two CU from each other, their sensor command.
operators both test data djinn to detect the other 2. Engineer Phase: The engineers distribute their ships’ EP, and
ship. The GM (the operator onboard the Tigris) gets a perform any necessary repairs.
± 0 because of the Medium range, and a +1 because of 3. Pilot Phase: The pilots maneuver to get either closer to, or farther
the Tigris’ sensitive sensors. The roll shows one six, away from, their enemy ship.
and the Narzalus shows up on the screens. Sahab, the 4. Sensor Phase: The sensor operators lock onto targets, break
sensor operator on the Narzalus, rolls an unmodified locks on their own ships, and perform data attacks.
sensor roll, succeeds, and detect the Tigris. Time to 5. Attack Phase: The gunners fire their weapon systems, including
take out the space combat map and place the ships countermeasures.
two CU from each other. This space combat example
continues on page 173. In each combat phase, crew members on a certain posi-
tion get to perform one action. The available actions are
described below. Unlike regular combat, actions in space
combat are not divided into slow, normal and fast actions
– there is only one kind of action, and you get one action
per turn.
1. ORDER PHASE
During the first phase of the turn, the captains act. The
STARTING PLACEMENT
captain’s action is to give orders. A captain cannot force crew
members to obey her, but by following the given orders,
When two ships engage in combat with each other, place the other crew members can get positive modifiers later
ship tokens on the space combat map. Make sure to place in the turn.
the tokens the correct distance from each other. Which seg- ◆◆ Repair! Grants a bonus to ship repairs (Phase 2).
ments on the map you choose is not important – try to place ◆◆ Evade! Grants a bonus to evasive maneuvers (Phase 3), and to
the ships equally close to the center of the map. attempts at breaking an enemy lock-on (Phase 4).
◆◆ Retreat! Grants a bonus to movement away from the enemy
ship (Phase 3).
◆◆ Attack! Grants a bonus to movement towards an enemy ship
(Phase 3), and to all attacks (Phase 5).
Giving Orders: The captain chooses her order without showing

it to the other captains (usually only the GM). Write down
166
your order on a piece of paper, without showing it to the

opposing captain. The other captains do the same, and then GROUND COMBAT AND SPACE COMBAT
you all reveal your orders at the same time.
When you have revealed your order, and it is your turn to Ground combat and space combat can happen at the
act, test command. If you pass, your order gives a positive same time. Perhaps a firefight breaks out on your
modifier equal to the number of sixes on your roll. If your ship while it is at the same time engaged in space
ship can perform more than one action of the same kind combat. For simplicity, we recommend that you alter-
(for example more than one attack), the modifier applies to nate between the two – one turn of space combat,
all of these actions. then one turn of ground combat, space combat,
Your crew are free to follow your order (benefiting from ground combat, and so on. You cannot be an active
the modifier) or to disregard it (forfeiting the bonus). combatant in both fights at the same time. If you are
engaged in ground combat in a turn, you cannot par-
Other Instructions: Your function as captain is, as far as ticipate in the space combat in that same turn.
the rules are concerned, only to give one of the four orders
above, but there is nothing stopping you from giving other
orders as well – how the engineer should distribute the EP,
or which target the gunner should attack, for example. Your
crew is then free to obey you (or not) as they see fit.
2. ENGINEER PHASE
The second phase in the turns belongs to the engineers.
Their actions are not chosen secretly – one engineer at a time SURPRISE ATTACK
performs her action, in the established turn order.
If you attack an enemy ship that has yet to detect you on
Energy Distribution: The most important task for the engi- its screens (see above), your attack counts as a surprise
neer is to distribute the energy from the reactor. The power attack. In the first turn of the battle, only you get to act – this
generated is not enough for all systems all the time, mean- is called a free turn. After the first attack, you are automat-
ing that the engineer must prioritize. In the game, this is ically detected, and all parties roll initiative scores like you
represented by Energy Points (EP). Each ship has a pool of normally would, and the fight continues normally.
EP to spend every turn. If your ship takes damage, the EP
pool can decrease – read more under Ship Damage, below.
Each turn, the engineer distributes the entire EP pool to
the other crew members. To keep track of EP, you can use
any token you like, and place them on the respective crew NPCS AND EPS
cards (if you have access to the Icon Card Deck). EP pools
are refreshed at the beginning of each turn. EP cannot be The GM distributes EP to his ships just like the players do.
saved between turns. If you have the Icon Card Deck, use the GM crew card – it
As a rule, all actions in space combat performed by a crew holds up to four ships.
member cost 1 EP, but there are some exceptions:
◆◆ Captain’s orders (Phase 1) cost no EP.
◆◆ Overloading the reactor (Phase 2) costs no EP.
◆◆ The pilot’s actions (Phase 3) cost a number of EP equal to the
class of the ship.
◆◆ Firing a torpedo (Phase 5) costs no EP.
167
Overload: If a crew member gets additional EP to spend on cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part. Without a
an action, the action becomes more effective. Each additional service station, you get a -2 to the roll.
EP above the base cost of the action gives a +1 bonus to the ◆◆ Repair Critical Damage: A successful roll repairs one critical
roll. Three extra EP means a +3 modifier, for example. damage, provided the ship has not been vaporized. A failed roll
has no effect.
The Engineer’s Actions: Distributing EP is no action per se, cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part. Without a
and requires no dice roll. After the EP have been distributed, service station, you get a -2 to the roll.
the engineer can perform one of the following actions (all ◆◆ Repair Module: A successful roll restores a disabled module to
demanding technology tests): working condition. A failed roll has no effect.
◆◆ Overloading the Reactor: A successful roll gives you extra EP cost: 1 EP. Requires one ordinary spare part (page 113).
equal to the number of sixes on your roll. Distribute the extra Without a service station, you get a -2 to the roll.
EP immediately. The ship suffers 1 point of HP damage per ◆◆ Open an airlock to an enemy ship that the pilot has docked with
extra EP generated. A failed roll means 1 point of HP damage. in the previous turn. See Boarding (phase 3), below.
cost: 0 EP. cost: 1 EP.
◆◆ Repair Hull Damage: A successful roll restores Hull Points equal
to the number of sixes on your roll. A failed roll has no effect. 3. PILOT PHASE
cost: 1 EP. Requires one Ordinary spare part (page 113). The pilots all act in the third phase. This phase in played
Without a service station, you get a -2 to the roll. openly, just like Phase 2. The pilots act one by one, in the
◆◆ Repair System Damage: A successful roll restores lost EP equal established turn order. The pilot can perform a variety of
to the number of sixes on your roll, taking effect at the beginning maneuvers, each one requiring a pilot test. Each maneuver
of the next turn. A failed roll has no effect. is modified by the Maneuverability of the ship (page 141).
168
A failed roll means that the intended maneuver is not per- A successful roll means that the target is now locked, giving
formed. Unlike other crew members, the pilot can perform a positive modifier to attacks against this target equal to the
multiple actions at once – if she has been allotted enough number of sixes on the roll. Note the lock strength down or use
EP. Each additional action after the first one gives a -2 to all a die to indicate it. Torpedoes cannot be used at all without first
actions. The pilot chooses the order of her actions. These locking the target. Other weapon systems can be used without
are the available actions: a lock, but suffer a -2 modifier. Only one target at a time may
◆◆ Position: The pilot attempts to move into a better position. be locked – if you establish a new lock, the previous lock is lost.
Each six on the roll raises the initiative score of the ship by one cost: 1 EP.
for the coming turns. ◆◆ Breaking Target Lock: To avoid attacks, the sensor operator may
cost: EP equal to the class of the ship. attempt to break an enemy lock on the ship. The is modified
◆◆ Advance/Retreat: The ship moves one segment on the map in negatively by the strength of the enemy lock. A successful roll
the direction of your choice. For each additional six on the roll, breaks the lock.
you can move one extra segment. cost: 1 EP.
cost: EP equal to the class of the ship. ◆◆ Pulse and Meme Attacks: The operator launches a data pulse
◆◆ Evasive Maneuver: An unexpected maneuver that gives a penalty or meme attack against the opponent. The roll is modified by
to all attacks against the ship for the rest of the turn, equal to the enemy’s Signature. Pulse attacks deals EP damage (not HP
the number of sixes on the roll. damage). Read more about meme attacks on page 149.
cost: EP equal to the class of the ship. costs 1 EP.
◆◆ Ramming: If the ship is in the same segment as an enemy ship ◆◆ Disappear: If the ship is fitted with Stealth Technology (page
(Contact Range), the pilot may attempt to ram the enemy. The 154), the sensor operator may attempt to drop from the ene-
action is an opposed pilot roll for the two pilots. It counts as mies’ screens. If the ship has a lock on it, the roll is modified
an action for the attacker, but not for the defender. Both rolls negatively by the strength of the lock (the highest value in the
are modified by the Maneuverability of the ships. Read more case of multiple locks). A successful roll ends the combat. The
about ramming on page 171. enemy ship may of course try to detect you again.
cost: EP equal to the class of the ship. cost: 1 EP.
◆◆ Boarding: If the ship is equipped with a docking station, the pilot
may attempt to dock with an enemy ship to send a boarding party 5. ATTACK PHASE
over. Just like ramming, this is an opposed pilot roll modified In the last phase, the gunners get to act. Their actions are
by Maneuverability. The attacking pilot suffers a -2 however, as declared openly, as in Phases 2-4. One gunner acts at a
docking during combat is incredibly difficult. If you win the roll, time, in the established turn order (with a few exceptions,
the engineer may (in the next turn) test technology to open see below). The gunner fires the ship’s weapon systems.
an airlock into the enemy ship. Once the docking is complete, If there are more than one weapon systems onboard, the
the target ship cannot Retreat from the attacker. gunner must choose which system to fire. The attack roll is
cost: EP equal to the class of the ship. a ranged combat test.
◆◆ Fire Weapon System: The attack is modified by the bonus of
4. SENSOR PHASE the weapon system, certain features (above), and by the strength
The sensor operators act in Phase 4 – openly, just like Phases of the lock on the enemy ship. Firing without a target lock gives
2 and 3. One operator at a time performs her action, in the the gunner a -2 to the roll. Incoming torpedoes may also be
established turn order. The sensor operator can perform targeted. On a successful roll, the target suffers damage (below).
one of several key actions during a fight, all requiring data cost: 1 EP.
djinn rolls. ◆◆ Launch a Torpedo: Like the action above, but requires a lock
◆◆ Target Lock: To attack the enemy effectively, the sensor operator on the target. Torpedoes don’t hit their targets immediately –
should attempt to lock the targeting computers on the enemy they approach them at a speed of 2 CU per turn, including the
craft. The roll is modified by the Signature of the enemy ship. turn they were launched. Use a token of some sort to represent
169
the torpedo on the combat map. Torpedoes can be fired upon onboard must declare at the beginning of the turn in which
and destroyed by the defender. A ship can carry only a limited phases she intends to act. The initiative roll is not an action.
number of torpedoes. A single person could try to manage a ship designed for a
cost: None, but extra EP may be spent for a bonus. crew of five, but if she wants to act in every phase, all her
◆◆ Defensive Fire: A ship equipped with an autocannon or a counter- actions carry a -8 modifier.
measure dispenser can fire defensive fire against an incoming
torpedo, even if the torpedo is launched from 2 CU or less (and Ship Systems: A ship with the features Ship System or Ship
thus strikes in the same turn). The defensive fire is rolled for Intelligence can have these features cover some positions.
right before the torpedo strikes, and is considered to occur att Read more on page 154.
Contact range. The defensive fire replaces any offensive fire by
the gunner in the same turn. Thus, a gunner on a ship acting y LARGE CREWS
early in the turn order will need to hold off on firing offensively, Large ships may have more than five crew members. There
if she wants to retain the option of defensive fire later in the turn. can only be one captain, but you may have more than one
If the ship has multiple gunners (and weapon systems), if can of the other positions.
fire offensively and defensively in the same turn. The defensive
fire roll is modified by the strength of the enemy’s target lock. A Pilot: Only one person maneuvers the ship in combat, but
successful defensive fire roll means that the torpedo is destroyed a co-pilot can take over when necessary.
or misses its target.
cost: 1 EP. Engineer: Only the head engineer gets to distribute the EP,
but all engineers get an action during Phase 2. Each individual
y SMALL CREWS action may only be attempted once per turn, however. Extra
On smaller ships, designed for fewer than five crew members, engineers can also help (page 58) each other with an action.
the crew positions are changed:
◆◆ Four (class II): The pilot takes on the captain’s role as well. In Sensor Operator: Extra operators can be used to get more
phase one, the pilot rolls the initiative score, but is unable to give actions in the sensor phase. Each individual action may only
orders that carry positive modifiers. be attempted once per turn. Extra operators can help each
◆◆ Three (class II): The engineer takes on the sensor operator’s other with an action.
role as well. The data djinn and technology rolls are rolled
normally. The engineer simply gets two actions per turn. Gunner: Ships armed with multiple weapon systems may use
◆◆ Two (class I and II): The pilot takes on the gunner’s role as well. more than one gunner to make extra attacks. Each gunner
The ranged combat attack rolls are unmodified. The pilot gets one attack. Two gunners may not use the same system.
simply gets two actions per turn. Remember that only one target may be locked at once – if
◆◆ One (class I): The pilot covers all crew positions, getting four the gunners wish to fire at multiple targets, all but one of
actions per turn. them must fire without the guidance of a target lock (at -2).
All of the changes above stack – on a ship crewed by three SHIP DAMAGE
people, the pilot also acts as captain, and the engineer acts Spaceships take damage just like people, but the scale is
as sensor operator. different. Ships can suffer two kinds of damage: hull damage
and systems damage. Hull damage decreases the ship’s Hull
Lost Crew: The above only applies to ships designed pur- Points (HP), which are a measure of how big and robust the
posefully for the specified number of crew members. If a ship ship is. Systems damage decreases the ship’s Energy points
designed for a larger crew loses some members, the roles (EP), which are a measure of the reactor’s output. EP are
are still combined as above, but for every extra action a crew used to power the different systems of the ship, as described
member performs, she gets a -2 to all her actions. Everyone above. When a ship suffers EP damage, its effectiveness drops.
170
Systems damage first eliminates EP not already spent in the

turn, and after that destroys EP already used.
y HULL DAMAGE
When a ship is hit by an enemy weapon system, it suffers
damage just like people do in ground combat: One six on SHIP RAMMING
the roll inflicts hull damage equal to the weapon’s Weapon
Damage. Some weapon systems inflict EP damage instead When one ship rams another (see the pilot phase, above),
of HP damage, and some systems inflict both HP and EP both ships suffer damage – each ship takes damage equal to
damage. For each additional six after the first one on the the class of the enemy ship. The defender then suffers extra
gunner’s attack roll, she gets to choose a bonus effect: HP damage equal to the number of extra sixes on the attack-
◆◆ More Damage: The target takes one additional point of damage. er’s roll (after the sixes necessary to win the opposed roll).
This effect may be chosen multiple times.
◆◆ Critical Hit: The target suffers a critical hit. This costs a number
of sixes after the first one equal to the weapon system’s CRIT
rating (page 150). If even more sixes are rolled, the severity of the
critical damage may be increased. More on critical damage below.
y ARMOR
The armor of a spaceship works exactly like body armor in
ground combat. If you take a hit, roll a number of dice equal
to your Armor Rating – for each six you roll, lower the damage
by one. This roll is not an action for any crew member.
Critical Damage: If the armor roll reduces the damage suffered

to zero, any critical damage is also eliminated. The attacker
must declare whether or not she intends to score a critical
hit before the armor roll is made. DAMAGE TO CREW
y DISABLED SHIP If the bridge, or some other module where crew

When a ship drops to either zero HP or zero EP, it is disabled. members or passengers are located, is destroyed,
its occupants risk grave injury. The attacker rolls
Hull Collapse: On a ship reduced to zero HP, the reactor and six dice for each person in the module. The roll
all weapon systems stop working, and the ship also suffers works like a normal ranged attack, but skill level
explosive decompression – time to get to the escape pods or and weapon bonus are ignored. Use the weapon
into an exo! Read more on page 99. A disabled ship is not blown system’s weapon damage and CRIT value (the scale
to bits, however – it can be repaired using the right equipment. of the damage is of course off, but the person is not
hit with full force).
Systems Collapse: On a ship reduced to zero EP, the reactor Torpedoes explode when they hit their target,
stops working. The life support systems will keep function- causing more shrapnel damage than other weap-
ing, but no system that requires EP can be used. The ship ons. On a torpedo hit, roll nine dice against each
is dead in space, continuing on its present course with its person in the module. On top of the risk of being
present speed, and will be lost in the darkness unless towed killed in the blast, the destroyed module also suf-
to safety or repaired. fers explosive decompression (page 99).
171
y CRITICAL DAMAGE be repaired by the engineer. The feature Ship System can
Critical damage will seriously affect some of the core functions also repair destroyed modules.
of the ship. Roll 2D6 to determine the effect.
y SHIP REPAIRS
Severity: If you have more sixes to spend than those which you Repairing a damaged ship requires technology rolls, tools
need to score a critical injury, you can use them to increase and spare parts. Read more under the engineer phase on page
the severity of the injury. For every extra six spent to increase 168. Ships are usually made up of Ordinary technology, and
the severity of the critical injury, you get to reroll the 2D6 crit can therefore be repaired using Ordinary spare parts (page
roll once. You need to determine how many sixes you want 113). Some modules and features are Advanced tech however,
to spend on this before you start rerolling. You are allowed requiring Advanced parts. Repairs are easier to perform while
to go back to an earlier result if you reroll. in dock or in a space port. Repairs during travel or combat
suffer a -2 to the roll, unless the ship has a service station.
Cumulative Effects: All effects from critical damage that
modify skill tests stack – if the ship suffers the same critical Disabled Ship: A ship that has been disabled from either zero
damage again, add the modifiers. HP or zero EP requires more extensive and time-consuming
repairs. For every HP or EP you want to restore to the ship,
Destroyed Modules: Modules destroyed by a critical hit can you must spend a whole day on repairs.
TABLE 7.16 CRITICAL SHIP DAMAGE
2D6 CRITICAL DAMAGE
2 LIMITED DECOMPRESSION. The integrity of the bridge or some other populated module is breached, venting oxygen into space. Roll
a die at the beginning of each following turn – on a six, the module suffers complete explosive decompression (page 99). The engi-
neer can repair the breach in the engineer phase.
3 STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. The Armor Rating of the ship is reduced by 2, and Signature is increased by 2 until the damage is repaired.
4 DAMAGED SENSORS. The sensor operator gets a -2 to all her rolls until the damage is repaired.
5 DAMAGED THRUSTERS. The ship becomes harder to control. Maneuverability is decreased by 2.
6 DAMAGED POWER COUPLING. The power flow from the reactor to the rest of the ship is reduced. The ship’s EP pool is decreased by 2.
7 DESTROYED MODULE. A random module is destroyed – it cannot be used until the damage is repaired. Use dice to randomly deter-
mine which module is affected. The three required modules bridge, reactor and graviton projector cannot be hit (they have their
own critical damage rules). If the module is populated, its occupants risk injury (see the box on the previous page).
8 DISABLED WEAPON SYSTEM. One of the weapon systems on the ship is hit and stops working. If you have more than one weapon
system, determine which is hit randomly. If the ship has no weapons at all, reroll this result.
9 DISABLED GRAVITON PROJECTOR. The ship loses its propulsion. It continues forward at a constant speed. The pilot can no longer
perform any actions.
10 DESTROYED BRIDGE. The ship can no longer be maneuvered. The captain, pilot and sensor operator can no longer perform their
actions. The engineer and gunner stations are normally not on the bridge, so they can act normally. Everyone on the bridge risks
damage, and the module suffers explosive decompression.
11 CHAIN REACTION. Roll twice on the table.
12 REACTOR DETONATION. A critical hit in the reactor is the worst possible outcome. Reactors in the Third Horizon generate enormous
amounts of energy, and a critical hit in the reactor releases all this energy at once. The effect is disastrous – the ship is broken
apart and lost forever. Everyone onboard risks serious damage (see the boxed text), and are of course subjected to immediate
explosive decompression.
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SPACE COMBAT EXAMPLE

The PCs’ vessel the Narzalus and the corsair vessel the The Tigris will have a +1 bonus for moving towards the
Tigris have detected one another and the battle has Narzalus as well as to any attack rolls for the rest of the
begun. The distance between them is two CU. The cap- turn. Nikodema tests her command but fails. She chooses
tains roll their initiative scores, a command roll. They not to pray to the Icons for a reroll, so the PCs will not get
both get one six. Both their command skill levels are 3, any modifiers from Nikodema’s order.
so chance determines who goes first. The GM rolls the
highest – the Tigris is first up. Both ships have an initia- TURN 1 – engineer phase
tive score of 6. The EP of the two ships are now being distributed. Both
are class III vessels with unmodified reactors – that means
TURN 1 – order phase they have 5 EP each. EP distribution is done openly. The
Both the GM and Nikodema, captain of the Narzalus, GM spends 3 EP on the pilot, 1 on the sensor operator and
secretly choose their orders, and then reveal them. They 1 on the gunner. The engineer on the Narzalus, Nima,
have both chosen the Attack! order. The GM tests com- spends her EP the same way. None of the engineers wish to
mand for the captain of the Tigris and succeeds – one six. perform any actions.
173
TURN 1 – pilot phase secretly. The GM has picked “Attack!” again. Nikodema
The pilots openly declare their actions, the GM going chooses “Retreat!”. The GM rolls command and gets two
first as he has the initiative. The GM chooses to advance sixes. The Tigris will get a +2 to movement towards the
towards the Narzalus, and tests pilot with a +1 because Narzalus and to all attacks. Nikodema rolls command,
the pilot follows the Attack! order given by the captain also scoring two sixes, which means that the Narzalus will
in Phase 1. The GM gets one six and moves the Tigris one get a +2 to movement away from the Tigris.
segment closer to the Narzalus. The ships are now only one
CU apart. Onboard the Narzalus, the pilot Jovun attempts TURN 2 – engineer phase
an evasive maneuver (with no bonus). This costs 3 EP. She This turn, the GM spends 3 EP on the gunner, 1 on the
gets two sixes on her roll, which means that all attacks engineer and 1 on the sensor operator. The engineer on
against the Narzalus suffer a -2 this turn. the Tigris uses the EP for the action “repair structural
damage”, but fails the technology roll. Nima of the
TURN 1 – sensor phase Narzalus spends 3 EP on the pilot, 1 EP on the engineer
Time for the sensor operators to act. The GM is up first, and 1 EP on the gunner. Nima then attempts the “repair
and chooses to attempt target lock (1 EP) on the Narzalus. critical damage” action, and succeeds – the thrusters are
The GM tests data djinn and gets one six. There is now now working again.
a lock on the Narzalus with a strength of 1. The sensor
operator on the Narzalus, Sabah, immediately attempts TURN 2 – pilot phase
to break the lock (1 EP), and tests data djinn with a -1 The GM didn’t spend any EP on his pilot, who in turn can’t
(the strength of the enemy lock). Sabah succeeds with two perform an action. Pilot Jovun on the Narzalus chooses
sixes. The lock is broken. to obey Nikodema’s “Retreat!” order, getting a +2 to her
pilot roll. Despite this, she fails, and the distance between
TURN 1 – attack phase the two vessels remains the same.
The GM begins, activating the Tigris’ gunner. He chooses
to use the advanced accelerator cannon that costs 1 EP, and TURN 2 – sensor phase
tests ranged combat with a +2 from the weapon (+1 for The GM once again chooses to try and establish a target
the cannon and +1 for the “advanced” feature), +1 for the lock on the Narzalus. He tests data djinn and gets one six.
Attack! order, -2 for the evasive maneuver performed by A strength 1 lock is now in place on the Narzalus, to aid the
the pilot of the Narzalus, and finally -2 for not having a lock gunner of the Tigris in the coming phase.
on the target – resulting in a total modifier of -1. Still, he
is triumphant – three sixes – and spends two of them on a TURN 2 – attack phase
critical hit. The PCs test the Narzalus’ armor, but rolls no The GM has prepared a mighty attack for the gunner of
sixes. The Narzalus suffers one point of HP damage, as well the Tigris. He chooses to launch a torpedo. He gets a +7
as the critical damage “damaged thrusters”, giving her a to the ranged combat roll (+1 for the torpedo, +2 for the
-2 to Maneuverability. Now, it is time to return fire. As the “Attack!” order, +1 for the target lock and +3 for the extra
PCs are fewer than five, they have equipped the Narzalus EP allotted to the gunner). The torpedo is launched and hits
with the feature Ship Intelligence that acts as gunner, firing its target. The GM rolls two sixes, inflicting three points
their accelerator cannon. It rolls for ranged combat with of hull damage. The PCs test their ship’s armor and get one
a +1 from the weapon bonus. This costs 1 EP. The roll suc- six, but still suffer two points of hull damage. The Narzalus,
ceeds, showing two sixes, and after the GM fails his armor now down to three Hull Points, fires its accelerator cannon
test, the Tigris suffers two points of hull damage. again, testing ranged combat with a +1 from the weapon
bonus, and gets one six. The GM tests the armor of Tigris
TURN 2 – order phase and gets one six – the attack doesn’t penetrate the thick
The GM and captain Nikodema choose their orders duralite hull of the Tigris. The battle continues!
174
175
THE HORIZON
CHAPTER 8
the third horizon

From Zalos to Menkar, the Horizon is full of wonders. The Crater Dome on Algol,
the Eye of Ekharan, the Icon City on Mira - these are only some examples of holy
places to which pilgrims flock by the thousands. Yet Kua, most holy, the star at
the center of the Horizon, shines the brightest – a beacon of civilization, defiant
in the endless black.
THE THIRD HORIZON, AN ASTRONICAL OVERVIEW – Elder Maehad
THE HORIZON
The Third Horizon is the game setting of Coriolis, a cluster of thirty-six

star systems connected by ancient portals. From the hub, the cosmopolitan
space station Coriolis, to the far reaches of Menkar and Eanu, the peoples
and societies of the Third Horizon are all linked by fate.
this book will present the Third Horizon in all its multifac- will describe the different cultures and peoples of the Horizon,
eted glory. We will begin with the history of the Horizon, then as well as the key star systems. The last chapters – only for the
move on to describe the current political tensions and take an GM’s eyes – describe the creatures and secrets that lurk in the
in-depth look at the dominant factions. After that, this book Dark between the Stars as well as the introductory adventure.
THE HISTORY OF THE HORIZON

Your story in Coriolis will take place in the network of star into something else. Few details have survived to this day,
systems called the Third Horizon – or, more commonly, just but it is clear that a schism arose between the two Horizons.
the Horizon. Via the ancient portal fields, interstellar travel Eventually, a Third Horizon was discovered, giving hope of
connects the people of the Horizon through commerce and refuge to those who wanted to escape the older Horizons'
cultural exchange. Mankind has called the Horizon its home increasingly monolithic cultures.
for five centuries now, and since the Portal Wars ended just
over a hundred years ago, its only home. Songs, poems and THE FIRSTCOME
books still recount the memories of what came before, however The first to arrive in the Third Horizon were fortune seekers,
- the Third Horizon is not the first place mankind colonized. religious dissidents and rebels – none of them had any love
for the empire-builders of the First Horizon, or any means of
THE THREE HORIZONS competing for resources in the rapidly overcrowding Second
When mankind left Al-Ardha, taking its first hesitant steps out Horizon. Some of them would permanently put their mark
into the universe, hundreds upon hundreds of simple vessels on the Third Horizon: the group that eventually became the
departed for unknown destinations beyond the big black. Most Order of the Pariah, the colonists who founded the beautiful
were never heard from again, a few reported having found only cities on Mira, and the Odacon dynasty are some examples.
empty star systems or uninhabitable planets, their missions fail- The Firstcome laid the foundation for the Third Horizon of
ures. But then, a lone ship returned with the news that they had today, colonizing the larger systems, building magnificent
found a strange artifact of unknown construction, and the fate cities and creating a free and tolerant new order. It was the
of humanity was forever changed. The expedition, the names of Firstcome who introduced the Third Horizon to the Icons
its crew long lost in the fog of the past, had found a star portal. and the Dark between the Stars; today it’s the region’s largest
When the full importance of the discovery became clear, religion. It was a civilized era. There was peace and commerce
new worlds suddenly lay before the feet of mankind. The between the peoples, cultures flourished and evolved. But
cluster of stars that waited only a portal jump away was named like all good things, the peace couldn't last forever.
the First Horizon. The ruling powers of Al-Ardha wasted no
time – one by one, the newly accessible stars were colonized. THE PORTAL WARS
Earth-like planets were discovered. Humanity established How and why the Portal Wars began, no one really knows
itself as a spacefaring civilization once and for all. A while anymore. Some historians believe that rebel groups wished
later, the Second Horizon was discovered. A new wave of to end the imperialism of the First Horizon, others that the
colonists conquered it, world by world. Centuries passed, wars were only a tragic side effect of a conflict between the
and what had started as a new golden age slowly turned two older Horizons. There are even those who claim that the
180
THE THIRD HORIZON
First and Second Horizons started the wars together, with

the intention of isolating the Third Horizon and leaving it
to crumble in the empty void. When the wars began, the
armadas and servants of the first two Horizons were spread
all over the Third Horizon, but after a long and bloody cam- THE PORTAL BUILDERS
paign, the peoples of the Third Horizon, with the fleets of
the Order of the Pariah leading the charge, managed to push The origins of the portals and their creators are unknown.
their remaining enemies into the affluent Odacon system. That the portals were engineered by some highly intelli-
The final battle above Odacon ended in disaster – whole gent beings is beyond questioning, but no remains found
fleets and eventually the entire system were destroyed. The anywhere give any clues as to the hidden architects'
Order and the Third Horizon emerged victorious, but paid appearance, or even when they lived. The Portal Builders,
a terrible price for it: the portals back to the older Horizons as they are usually called, are veiled in mystery. Many
collapsed, ending communication and trade forever. The theories exist of course, substantiated to varying degrees.
peoples of the Third Horizon were now alone. A recession Some researchers believe them to be an ancient human
followed immediately after the end of the war. With the civilization, others that they were envoys of some omnipo-
supply of important resources from the older Horizons cut tent intelligence.
off, general standards of living plunged.
THE LONG NIGHT

An age of darkness, isolation, and decay began. The portals
connecting the systems of the Third Horizon still worked, but
trade diminished rapidly. Many cultures became planet-bound.
The dream of the stars that had been realized for such a short
time was again just a dream. The advanced technology that
many of the Horizon's wonders relied upon was forgotten, cities
and outposts fell, and civilization receded. The Long Night,
as this period is known today, was an era without progress MEMORIES OF HORIZONS LOST
and with a declining population. Here and there, lights in the
darkness struggled on: the university in the Icon City that never Few, if any, today still remember the First or Second
shut its doors, the temple city of Lotus in perpetual bloom, Horizons. Rumors would have it that some ascetics,
the Order's regime on Zalos that held their own against the like the God Child of the cliffs of Garuda, are old
dark with vigilance and strict discipline. But these are the enough to tell stories of the lost Horizons, but most
exceptions – the story of the Long Night is one of famine, people in the Third Horizon nowadays are too busy
plague and despair – whole cultures vanished in the sands of with current affairs to fantasize about the old days.
time. The peoples feared that darkness had arrived to stay – Not even the crew of Zenith can really say much –
until a strange ship suddenly arrived in the Dabaran system. the portals were not even discovered when they left
their dying world. The songs about Al-Ardha, the
ZENITH AND NADIR lost home, are few but colorful – they tell of cities
Over a millennia ago, the desperate rulers of Al-Ardha gazed covering whole continents, towers so high they
dreaming towards the distant stars, and one of those stars reached the atmosphere and an impossibly blue sky,
was Dabaran. Two gigantic ships took off, headed for the red beautiful beyond description.
giant. The twin colossi were named Zenith and Nadir, and
onboard they carried colonists meant to settle in the system
now called Dabaran. The colonists were in stasis, cryo-sleep,
181
THE HORIZON
182
THE THIRD HORIZON
several hundred thousand per ship. The fate of the crew was their ship in orbit above Kua as the discussion intensified.
different however – through the generations they remained The heart of the issue was what to do now that their
awake, tending to the ship and its sleeping passengers in the colonization directive seemed pointless. The crew kept the
quiet, starry night. colonists in stasis as they debated their future. The captain
From time to time, the crew would also go into stasis for family, the Quassars, proposed to carry out the mission
a few years, but essentially they lived and died at the post to despite the new situation, while others, led by the Yriedes
which their family had been appointed. The captain family family, argued that everyone should be free to decide for
Quassar, the helmsmen of the Yriedes clan and many other themselves – the directives were redundant and thus, the
families in essential crew positions, saw birth, life and death contract void. A third faction within the crew lost patience
on the bridge of the Zenith. Their voyage lasted nearly a full as the discussions dragged on, and woke the colonists from
millennia, and at some point towards the end, contact with stasis on their own. The traitors, now called the Draconite
Nadir was lost. Alone, Zenith finally arrived in the Dabaran faction, left the ship in the chaos of the awakening.
system to assess the conditions for colonization. They found
that the system definitively could support human life – and THE FOUNDING OF CORIOLIS
that it already did. Mankind had already colonized the systems Complete disorder seemed imminent, and the captain of the
around the red giant more than five hundred years earlier! Zenith, Abarren Quassar, responded to the threat of mutiny by
offering all crew and colonists the choice to go wherever they
THE ZENITHIANS pleased and to bring with them the resources they needed for
What the astounded crew of the Zenith discovered were survival at their destinations. The Quassar family themselves
thirty-six linked star systems, homes to a myriad of scattered descended to the planet below and founded a colony there,
outposts and colonies. The cults, orders and tribes that lived on and around the Monolith. The newly awakened colonists
across the Horizon were largely without interest in com- quickly formed gangs and groups, choosing leaders mainly
municating with each other, or lacked the technology to do from the crew, who had more knowledge of the situation.
so. The occasional contact that did occur was mainly in the Some factions left to found colonies in other systems, but
form of repression or outright war. The crew of the Zenith, many remained in the Kua system. The remains of the Zenith
called the “Late-come” by the old colonists and “Zenithians” became the basis for the construction of a giant space sta-
by themselves, traveled the Third Horizon for a long time tion – Coriolis – dominated from the very beginning by the
while trying to agree on what to do next, eventually putting Yriedes clan and their faction, the Consortium.
THE NEW ERA

In the wake of the expeditions suddenly departing for destina- a regular sight in both these systems. With travel suddenly
tions all across the Horizon, the Consortium began opening accessible again, the traditional pilgrimages resurged, and
the trade routes again. Their proud bastion, Coriolis station, holy sites such as Lotus and Dabaran, the Icon City on Mira
became a place where the Firstcome groups, long isolated from and the Dome of the Icons on Coriolis were soon flooded
each other, could meet, and interact with the newcomers, the with believers from every system. The Monolith, home of
Zenithians. Powerful groups that had up until now lacked both the Quassars, quickly joined the flow of commerce through
the incentive and the resources to communicate off-world its dominance over the booming economy on primitive Kua.
now suddenly had both. Soon, the courts of Dabaran traded Goods from the surface of the planet were transported up
as much with the theocrats of Sadaal as they did with each to Coriolis and unloaded for distribution on the Net – the
other, all thanks to the Consortium, and convoys from Mira, spindly skeleton of the Zenith, orbiting Kua as a sister satellite
packed with supplies from their rich home world, became to the space station.
183
THE HORIZON
THE COUNCIL OF FACTIONS political council to try and influence the fragile, reborn
With the opening of the Horizon, other factions, less locally Horizon to their factions' benefit. This became the foun-
and more ideologically based, re-entered the stage. From dation of the Council of Factions. The recent arrival of the
their remote headquarters, possessing strange knowledge and Emissaries has brought the stability of the Council into
mythical technology to back up their ideological strength, question, and only time will tell how many of the faction
many factions and cults sent representatives to Coriolis. members will continue to place their trust in its ability to
With few exceptions, they all bought seats on the station's keep the peace.
THE HORIZON TODAY

As Coriolis – The Third Horizon begins, a series of desta- danger. Mystics who wish to live stay silent and disappear while
bilizing events have shaken the Third Horizon to the core. fear and hate has the Horizon in a stranglehold.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE EMISSARIES THE ZALOSIAN CONFLICT

With the new age, balance and the grace of the Icons has When the Emissary on the Foundation station at Xene declared
returned to the Horizon. Trade and new Zenithian ways have itself the Judge incarnate – an Icon – the Firstcome factions
replaced armed conflict and isolationism. Ancient traditions were outraged by the blatant heresy. The Order of the Pariah
have been abandoned, which upset some of the factions. Luckily, threatened to leave the Council, but was persuaded to stay.
the Council of Factions seemed to live up to its civilized repu- Instead, the Order closed their home system and stopped all
tation, and careful negotiations resolved issues that in the past traffic through the Zalos system, effectively shutting down
would have resulted in bloodshed. And then, the Emissaries the pilgrims' route to Mira. This also threatened the trade
arrived. It started with reports of faint sensor echoes from the flow vital to the Consortium, which has responded by posing
depths of the gas giant Xene, and then they emerged – ghosts an ultimatum – reopen the routes or the Legion will be sent
from another world. They arrived at the Foundation's research in to deal with the situation. The Order says that they will
installation monitoring the gas giant, numbering five, and on keep the system closed until the blasphemous emissary is
an unknown mission. One of them remained at the station, extradited to Zalos to stand trial. The other factions watch
three set off into the Horizon and the last one headed straight and wait, the Council does nothing. A secret arms race begins.
for Coriolis to demand a seat on the Council. Docks on Kua and Sadaal increase their production. The
Consortium sends spies and agents all across the Horizon
THE BIRTH OF THE MYSTICS for information. Zalos remains silent.
When the Emissaries arrived, so did something else – ordinary
people suddenly began changing. Minds twisting, rampant THE TAOAN DISTRESS CALL
madness, but worst of al – mystical powers, thought only to Suddenly, something happened. A distorted distress signal
exist among the ascetics of the Circle of Seekers, were suddenly arrived from one of the Colonial Agency's largest settlements,
manifesting themselves at random. From prince to beggar, Tsubari on Taoan – a desperate cry for help. Only a fragment
Firstcome to Zenithian – anyone could suddenly fall victim to of the whole message had gotten through, but it spoke of
the illness, known as Mystic's disease, or simply the Blight. an attack. The Zenithian factions convened and assembled
The medicurgs of the Foundation compete with the Order's a rescue mission. The fleet departed for Taoan only to face
prophets to try and explain the phenomena as either a mind death and destruction – just a handful of ships returned.
meme or an evil curse from beyond the darkness. People with Silence descends upon the Horizon yet again, but something
mystical powers are being hunted and killed – even just sus- stirs beneath the surface. The prophets and astronics read
picions of the illness are enough to place someone in mortal terrible omens in the stars – or in the Dark between them.
184
THE THIRD HORIZON
Monastery Cruiser Hamijara of the Order of the Pariah.
185
CHAPTER 9
factions
Kua is the seat of power, Coriolis its focal point and the Consortium its
uncrowned emperor. There can be no doubt about the fact that the Zenithian
faction is the largest organization in the Horizon, but there is no shortage of
aspiring usurpers either. The dethroning is coming. May the Icons have mercy.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CONSORTIUM – POLITICAL LANDSCAPES OF THE THIRD HORIZON – Zidaldin Zou
THE HORIZON
The Horizon is not dominated by a single power, but instead a wide range
of groups struggle to claim the title – these are the factions. These mono-
lithic organizations are divided into two groups, fighting economic, cultural,
and military wars among each other to further their individual agendas.
the horizon is full of large corporations, institutions and precision in the shadows, often together. They are also the
orders, but only a few – those with strong enough ancestry and most ideologically flexible of the Zenithian factions, open to
political power – are called factions. Despite some disagree- negotiations and compromises for mutual benefit with the
ment on the issue, the general consensus is that there are ten Firstcome factions.
active factions in the Horizon today, divided into two groups:
Firstcome and Zenithian. The dividing line between the early FIRSTCOME FACTIONS
colonists and the late-come Zenithians is the Third Horizon’s Unlike their Zenithian counterparts, the Firstcome factions
most prominent cultural conflict, taken to its extreme in the place great belief in religious and mystical ideas about destiny
power play of the factions. The Firstcome share a strong belief and morality – in the legendary words of Icon Mother Saresha:
in the Icons, while the Zenithians base their ideology on the “Without the Icons, the suns would go out. Without prayer, the
austere pragmatism introduced by the arrival of their arkship, Horizon would stop.” Faith and morality can be discussed just
Zenith. There are some exceptions: the Church of the Icons as intensely before drafting a new trade agreement as when
is a young faction, but counts as Firstcome thanks to their debating whether or not humanites have souls. The Firstcome
strong religious foundation. The Legion on their hand have factions are known for their inability to agree with each other,
a Firstcome history, having fought together with the Order often leaving it to the Zenithians to mediate between them. Only
of the Pariah at Odacon, but counts as Zenithian because of on one occasion have the Firstcome factions joined forces to
their current alliance with the Consortium. achieve a common goal:
when they crushed the
ZENITHIAN FACTIONS Nazareem’s Sacrifice.
The Zenithian factions, headed by the Consortium, all promote There is no obvi-
the pragmatic Zenithian culture and focus on function and ous leader among
effectiveness. They acknowledge the Icon faith, and many the Firstcome fac-
Zenithians have adopted the Icons as their gods, but view tions, but as far as
religion as something separate from politics and refuse to let wealth and size goes,
the Icons influence their ideology. Their common goal is to the Church of the
consolidate their power in the Horizon and act as guardians Icons and the Order
and shepherds for the Zenithian peoples as they believe this of the Pariah are
to be the way into a new golden age. the strongest. With
The Zenithian factions have a natural leader in the the Order’s recent
Consortium, who through their myriad subsidiaries and seclusion and the
trade networks have gathered riches and resources second Church of the Icons
to none. Thanks to their alliance with the Legion they also lack of any real mil-
possess considerable military strength, dominating Coriolis itary strength, the
and controlling large territories throughout the Horizon. Not Firstcome factions
all Zenithians are happy with their leadership, however – the are more divided
proud Zenithian Hegemony regards themselves as the true than ever.
rulers of the Zenithians and they are steadily growing stronger.
The smallest factions, the Free League and the Syndicate,
have less direct power on the political scene, but work with
188
FACTIONS
ZENITHIAN FACTIONS
NAZAREEM’S SACRIFICE
◆◆ The Consortium
◆◆ The Free League Factions are mighty, but not invincible. Nazareem’s
◆◆ The Legion Sacrifice was a cult-like faction of great power, until they
◆◆ The Syndicate were wiped out in a single, devastating blow and erased
◆◆ The Zenithian Hegemony from the annals of the Horizon. Not much is known of this
Firstcome faction, other than that they were hunted down
by their brothers and sisters in the Order of the Pariah and
FIRSTCOME FACTIONS
the Draconites, supported by the other Firstcome factions
and the Legion. The history of the Nazareem is more or less
◆◆ Ahlam’s Temple taboo to discuss, but there are of course many theories,
◆◆ The Draconites most of which agree that the Nazareem turned to the Dark
◆◆ The Church of the Icons between the Stars, thus sentencing themselves to death.
◆◆ The Order of the Pariah
◆◆ The Nomad Federation
189
THE HORIZON
THE CONSORTIUM “Expansion is life.”
The Consortium is the largest faction in the Third Horizon.

It consists of a group of large corporations which
together dominate trade, manufacturing, media, science
and colonization.
the consortium and the Coriolis station are areas of production, save perhaps the food industry
one – so closely tied together that most people where they are represented only by the Parr bio
in the Horizon can’t tell them apart. Coriolis was sculptors’ ready-made meals. They have many
constructed using materials from the dismantling famous products on the weapons market, manu-
of the Zenith, on the orders of the Yriedes family, factured by Xoar, Dayal, Tilides or Nestera all over
the seconds-in-command. The Yriedeses had the Horizon. Entertainment and information is
a vision that became the Consortium’s motto: handled by the Bulletin and Exeter, while compa-
“Sell everything to everyone”. The Yriedes clan, nies like the Foundation, Celer-Delekta and Nyala
together with the families Parr, Nestera and dominate virtually all advanced manufacturing
Evgeni founded the core group of companies and research. The industrial corporations have the
that now, some sixty years later, have grown greatest amount of autonomy within the faction,
into one huge faction. The Consortium of today often acting as a counterweight to the three largest
consists of about twenty larger companies, all members. They are also the ones who are spread
owning installations and factories throughout the the farthest across the Horizon, Alkarra’s Daharab
Horizon. Most production facilities are located on dockyards on Sadaal and Xoar’s research center in
Kua or in the larger systems, but new colonies are Trigon, Mira, being clear examples of this.
established all the time. The larger corporations External security is handled by the Legion with
have representatives on the board of directors, their mighty star fleet and fearsome Legionnaires.
the faction’s governing body, and the three larg- Most of the big companies have private corporate
est ones – the Bulletin, the Foundation and the brigades however, such as the Nestera brigade who
Colonial Agency – each have their own seat at the cleared the Conglomerate of rebel elements, or
Council of Factions. The current faction director the Colonial Rangers, the Agency’s tactical teams.
and council member is Tiera Yriedes, closely Police matters are handled by the Coriolis Guard
associated with the military industrial trinity with the help of the Judicators, hired from the
Parr-Nestera, Tilides and Xoar, and a personal Hegemony. They are not trusted with internal secu-
friend of Legion general Ekaterina Hierida. The rity however – this falls under the jurisdiction of the
new, aggressive policies promoted by Tiera have intelligence service, the top secret Special Branch.
begun to escalate conflicts across the Horizon. Very few within the Consortium know any details
A storm is coming. about the affairs of the Special Branch, but they
are said to have access to all of the Foundation’s
y THE COMPANIES OF THE CONSORTIUM latest research and the corporations’ most
The companies of the Consortium cover most advanced technology.
190
FACTIONS
THE BULLETIN PRODUCTION

The largest news agency in the Horizon is the Bulletin,
a Coriolis-based media conglomerate. Their motto is The production units of the Consortium are spread
“Newsworthy and Accessible”, something that colors both across the entire Horizon. How they operate dif-
their news coverage and their other programs. Being Coriolis- fers, from simple factories of the Conglomerate to
based, both news and other programs are mainly from the more advanced orbital facilities on dedicated space
station itself, or from the portal stations, most of which stations. Modular production of things like Vulcan
have some degree of Bulletin presence. They do of course weapons, tags and m-doses runs continuously,
send correspondents to the far reaches of the Horizon if while larger and more expensive items are only
some event there is sensational enough, and to the sites made-to-order, for example ships of the heavier
and planets most visited by pilgrims. They usually contract classes, advanced weapon systems, reactors etc.
freelancers for the most remote jobs – this keeps both the Things like these are huge investments, which is
costs and the risks to a minimum. why the Consortium also has a large network of
Other than news and entertainment, the Bulletin also offers banks for financing and risk diversification.
a post and courier service called the Ermes Courier. Ermes
ships carry mainly the Bulletin’s own news, but also other
messages and information, and, in rare cases, physical mail.
y THE FACES OF THE BULLETIN

A sure ticket to fame in the Third Horizon is to become a TABLE 9.1 THE LARGEST CONSORTIUM COMPANIES

known face on a Bulletin broadcast. Jalab Korihan, the star
anchor, and morning hostess Nana Elide, who hosts her shows
COMPANY MAIN INDUSTRY
from the top of the Spire, are famous throughout the Horizon
Alkarra Larger ships
and their take on current affairs carries great weight. Jasmin
The Bulletin Information, entertainment
Amliki, star of the popular series “The Plantation Owner’s
Celer-Delekta Cybernetic prosthetics, bionics,
Daughter”, and Hija Tara Kono from the fashion show “Gilded medicurgy
Veils” are other examples of Bulletin celebrities. The out-of-
Exeter Reactors, cruises, tourism
system correspondents are few but well known, like Alandro
Hyperion Bulk haulers, logistics, freight
Shanatar on Mira or the recently jailed Yvev Dakour in the
The Colonial Agency Mineral prospecting, mining
Zalos system. The Bulletin runs the only real media school operations, colonization
in the Horizon – the Lyceum of Propaganda on Coriolis. This Nestera Advanced body armor, ground
is where the reporters and show hosts come to train, but the vehicles
school has also seen spies, diplomats, and a few successful Nomo Graviton generators, inertia
private detectives pass through its halls over the years. As dampeners
of late, the Bulletin has become troubled with an increase in Nyala Computers, hardware, software
independent voices challenging their media dominance – the Parr Intermediate goods (foods), ship
armor
Red Spider out in the Rimward Reach, Zuraya in the Sadaal
Parr-Nestera Accelerator weapons, body
system and the Freedom Call on Algol. The recent jailing of armor
the Bulletin’s correspondent to Zalos has led to a diplomatic The Foundation Research, education
crisis between the Consortium and the Order. Tilides Exo suits, smaller ships, probes,
torpedoes
THE FOUNDATION Vulcanor Vulcan weapons
The secular Foundation is the part of the Consortium Xoar Advanced body armor, shock
mainly concerned with research and development. They weapons, thermal weapons
191
THE HORIZON
are known for their starkly rational and scientific – that is y NEW SCIENCES
to say, Zenithian – view of the world. To the Firstcome, the Socio-arithmetics is a field of study in which mathematical
Foundation is a bastion of non-believers and is shameful to algorithms are applied to whole populations to make mac-
the entire Horizon. The company is, as the name suggests, ro-political predictions. The Foundation claims that their
run as a foundation, selling and leasing their breakthroughs methods are accurate, but their critics present the fact that
to third parties. Most production methods and patents they failed to predict the arrival of the Emissaries as proof of
used by Consortium companies were developed by the the opposite. The professors at the Foundation’s Mathematical
Foundation. The Foundation rediscovered the algorithms Institute say that not every individual can be accounted for in
necessary to understand and use the portal fields, and due their studies as a response to the criticism. The Bulletin has
to this is a strong presence within the Consortium. This had great results when using the methods to tailor programs
knowledge was at the time only in the hands of the Order more to the preferences of their viewers.
and the Nazareem, and they kept it a secret. The fields of xeno- and portal archaeology receive huge
Apart from portal field and astronics research – which backing from the Foundation. Several expeditions are launched
takes place at institutes spread all across the Horizon, like the each year, usually in association with the Colonial Agency,
Kander-Mall in the Rimward Reach for example – the main to explore ruins, remnants of Portal Builder technology or
areas of research for the Foundation are socio-arithmetics, other artifacts. The biggest site is off-limits to the expeditions
intelligence research, portal archaeology and bionics. The however – the inside of the Monolith, closed to rival factions
intelligence research is mostly focused on ship intelligences by order of the Astûrban, the Hegemony’s secret police.
and is highly classified, conducted only in secret units under The Foundation’s College of Engineers on Coriolis offers the
the supervision of the Special Branch. The bionics research on best natural science education in the Horizon. The generous
the other hand is completely open for review in an effort to scholarships offered to promising scientists and students
challenge the Order’s monopoly on hospitals and sanatoriums. also add to its reputation.
192
FACTIONS
THE COLONIAL AGENCY y A HATED FACTION

When the Horizon was new and unknown to the Zenithians, Being a colonial agent is a responsibility that comes with
the Yriedes family started an agency tasked with financing, many perks, but also risks. Many view the Colonial Agency
launching and establishing new colonies. Nowadays, they as an exploitative, parasitic corporation, thieves that ship
rarely find new colonies themselves, and the Colonial Agency, resources off-world and pocket the profit – especially so on
through its extension the Colonial Bank, has shifted its main Algol, where they are strong but despised. They are accused
focus to financing, educating and tech leasing to indepen- of having caused a terrible natural disaster in which an entire
dent entrepreneurs looking to start mining operations, ocean was drained in the search for precious minerals on
colonies and factories. They also run a school on Coriolis, the ocean floor.
the Colonial Agency’s Higher Education Center, where they The most reputable agents are celebrities whose advice
train the Horizon’s best scouts, explorers and colonists. The is sought before any large project. Ares Kleon, who found
top students are recruited to the Colonial Rangers – special the Uharu-12 diamonds, or Minna Jifha, who discovered
ops teams used to secure sensitive investments that require the silk fields on Menkar and mapped the monolith there,
a little more finesse than the blunt fist of the Legion. are names that often come up in connection with new
Through investments in the Consortium’s heavy industry, expeditions and Bulletin reports. Compared to them,
the Agency has access to dust trawlers, mining drones, mobile the Agency’s council member, Desaron Kai, is a relatively
smelters and other heavy machinery that an entrepreneur anonymous figure.
might need to lease. Hyperion shuttles and bulk haulers handle The one area the Agency stays clear of is archaeological
transportation. expeditions. After the catastrophic failure on Menkar when
The Zenithians and the Consortium are not the only ones who the monolith there crumbled and fell, all such undertakings
employ the Agency – many Firstcome rulers and merchants, are left to the Foundation, although joint efforts are not
including recently the Iconocrate of Sadaal, are clients here. uncommon.
193
THE HORIZON
THE FREE LEAGUE “Unity is strength.”
The Free League organizes the small actors on the other-

wise Consortium-dominated market. Having access to a
skilled workforce in spaceports and souks, they offer a
service the Consortium cannot.
the league, as it is commonly called, was connection between itself and the Syndicate
originally created as a counterweight to the – something widely proclaimed by the
Consortium, but had no way of competing in Consortium. The League’s council member,
the beginning. They tried to perform the same Jesibel Niales, has time and again repudiated
functions as the Consortium, but have over the accusations in very vivid language. To quiet
time changed their attitude towards nurturing the rumors, the League has begun hiring bounty
a more symbiotic relationship instead. The hunters to go after corsairs, smugglers and
fact of the matter is that without the League’s even the Algolan slavers.
deckhands, pilots and engineers, all of the Another fly in the ointment is that the League’s
Consortium’s ships and haulers would wait in own so-called Night Hands, the paramilitary
dock, their cargo unloaded, and without the wing of the organization previously reserved
free traders, Consortium commerce wouldn’t for dealing with scabs and disloyal members,
reach as far out on the star arms as it does. seems to have become more autonomous.
In the shadows, both parties are still trying to The leader of the Night Hands, the stevedore
out-maneuver the other, however. Zahria, is often seen around the dodgy parts
When it comes to free traders and markets of the Ozone Plaza and is rumored to have
outside of the core systems, the League is dealings with the Syndicate.
practically in a monopoly position. The risks It is not all bad for the League of course –
compared to the calculated profit are too great living astrogator legend Ehina Kuma still joins a
for any of the major Consortium companies to new crew before every trip, bringing the Icons’
get involved. The League runs several auction benevolent grace with her. Other celebrity
houses and souks in the outer systems, as well members include Baris Khan, head pilot on
as a few on both Kua and Coriolis. the Net, and shipless captain Fatma Boroudi
The current goal for the League is to keep its who takes jobs wherever a captain is needed.
control of the outer markets, and to improve Some regard it as a bad omen when she comes
the living conditions of its members. No other walking through a port looking to ship out.
faction is as open about its membership as the The League is actively recruiting among the
League – counting official members, the Free plebeians in the Conglomerate, something
League is the Horizon’s largest faction. the local elite, the factory owners and the
Consortium are less than happy with.
y THE LEAGUE’S DIRTY LAUNDRY Some even say that the League supports
The League’s biggest problem is the alleged some of the uprisings in the Conglomerate.
194
FACTIONS
MEMBERSHIP
The faction is based on paid membership. Every

The Slum Queen Yjala Baktou has previously been a League member must pay a license fee of 100 birr per
member, but now fights against the Zenithians in the Ara-Ara CC, and in return, she is protected by the League
borough close to the Monolith. through legal counsel, insurance and, perhaps most
importantly, the right to bid on auctions. Through
y THE LEAGUE BOROUGHS better working conditions, higher salaries and
In the last few cycles, The League has begun organizing better insurance policies, the League makes life
itself in different neighborhoods in the larger cities of the better for its members every day. They also run a
Horizon. In metropolitan areas, such as Akhandar, Cimoran school in Coriolis, free for members since they still
and Daharab, new boroughs with their own militias, hospi- have to work while they study. A new academy for
tals, schools and even sanitation, water and energy plants captains and astrogators has just been opened on
have formed. The League seems to be on a quest for urban Coriolis, something the Foundation has protested
colonization across the Third Horizon, something that the loudly as they claim the sole rights to all portal sta-
other factions will likely not accept in the long run. tions and the crewing of them.
195
THE HORIZON
THE LEGION “The best must die so the rest can live.”
The Legion is comprised of a diverse collection of

mercenaries and armed skippers, gathered around the
remnants of a fleet squadron from the Portal Wars.
the legion is the youngest of the Firstcome y LEGION ORGANIZATION
factions – so young that it is usually considered The Legion of today is still centered on the two
Zenithian, albeit this is mainly due to their flagships, but is otherwise organized as three
close ties to the Consortium. Some say that separate branches: the fleet, the companies and
they might as well just join the Consortium, the Guard. To many, the fleet represents the
but this would not be in the corporations’ best true Legion. Even though one of the flagships
interest – it would mean one less Zenithian has gone missing – or is away on a secret mis-
vote on the Council. sion – the fleet is growing, new ships coming
The two flagships Shahrazad and Dunyazad in from the docks on Sadaal and many other
and their escort, the only survivors from yards. The exact size of the fleet is unknown.
Shadussar’s 2nd Fleet after the Portal Wars, Supposedly, the Legion still has access to secret
founded the Legion. When the fleets from bases all over the Horizon left behind since
the First Horizon were about to attack Mira, the chaotic years, but no one knows for sure.
some of Shadussar’s forces were diverted to set The Consortium is the only faction who uses
up an ambush there, but as the enemies took the fleet today.
the Odacon route – and were destroyed there, The companies are the everyday faces of the
along with the rest of Shadussar’s fleets – they Legion. Many different factions employ this
survived. During the chaotic years that followed branch for all sorts of missions. The companies
the end of the war, the survivors traveled the are not a uniform army as much as they are a
Horizon as warlords and corsairs. Many of the jumbled mess of mercenary groups who can
horrors perpetrated during those years can be access lucrative jobs through their membership
traced back to the Legion – something they in the Legion. The faction has strict rules that
refuse to acknowledge today, of course. detail how a mission should be carried out, and
W hen the Zenith ar r i ve d and the all member companies must obey the rules or
Consortium was founded, this new and pow- face expulsion and have their leaders hunted
erful employer suddenly meant new possibili- down and executed. This makes for plenty of
ties. The Legion of today was born. They were jobs available to free companies – they get paid
originally hired by the Consortium to wipe less, but have no rules to follow.
out the fleets of the Zenithian Hegemony, but The Coriolis Guard is the branch with the
suffered terrible losses and retreated, instead lowest reputation. They answer directly to the
being tasked with hunting corsairs, greedy governor of Coriolis and are responsible for
nobles or any other who would threaten the keeping the peace on the station, but they
Consortium’s interests. are too corrupt to be any good at it. Other
196
FACTIONS
Legionnaires view them as fake mercs or proxy Legionnaires.

Woe to the unlucky Legionnaire who gets injured badly
enough to be demoted to the Guard.
y HEROES OF THE LEGION

Suhaima Taslim, the disabled Legionnaire who represents the THE FLEET
faction at the Council, is but one of many war heroes who
pride themselves on sporting the Legion’s skull tattoo. Jasma Few know how large the fleet of the Legion really
“Kyber” Palu is a heavily modified soldier with both visible and is. The larger ships are well documented by both
hidden cybernetics who leads the half-crazed Steel Skulls unit. the Special Branch and other factions, but the dis-
She gladly accepts dangerous jobs that come with high risk appearance of Shahrazad and the rumors of hidden
of injury, and thus, a good chance of new mods. The skipper bases beg the uneasy answer that the size of the
Skalide dol-Gana in her fast fighter Xantus is famous for her fleet may have been underestimated. Only two other
skills as a blockade runner and corsair hunter. Anyone would factions have war fleets of their own: the Zenithian
be lucky to have her as escort out on the star arms. Hegemony and the Order of the Pariah.
Rumor has it that the Legion gets their new tech from
Consortium companies like Celer-Delekta, NimaBionics
and Industrial Algebra. True or not, it is evident that many
Legionnaires have implants that are unavailable on the open
market, sometimes even strange bionic sculpts that cause
the faithful to make the sign against the Dark between the
Stars when the soldiers walk past.
197
THE HORIZON
THE SYNDICATE “They have what you need – we have what you want.”
Organized crime in the Third Horizon is controlled by a

handful of families and their respective street gangs. The
faction is based on Coriolis, but has no seat on the Council,
much to their chagrin.
the syndicate was founded at the same time operations. They operate above the gangs, orga-
as Coriolis, and is viewed by many as the illegal nizing things like smuggling and drug production.
shadow of the Consortium. The faction is made The only areas the Syndicate stays away from are
up of a group of wealthy families from the crew slave trading and the smuggling of faction tech.
of the Zenith who joined forces with Firstcome Unfortunately, other players are less scrupulous.
criminal groups on Algol, Sadaal and Zalos.
Together, they took control over the street gangs y THE FRONT
that had started to form on Coriolis. The Syndicate’s contact with the legitimate econ-
The Syndicate wants their operations to run omy is handled by front men in the Consortium
smoothly, and this requires a certain level of companies, bureaucrats on Sadaal, drug cartels
law and order. They cooperate with the Guard on Algol and supposedly even the rebels on
to combat petty crime because it disturbs their Zalos-B. These contacts are used for smug-
more lucrative forms of business: protection gling, drug production, proxy trips and illegal
rackets, gambling, pimping, drugs and smug- research – sometimes with human subjects.
gling. In the first decades after its birth, the The Syndicate is not considered to possess any
Syndicate grew to own almost the entire Guard faction technology of its own, with the possible
through threats and bribery. exception of the rumored “black ships”.
The courts and the governor needed a dras- The biggest concern for the Syndicate today
tic change, and asked the Zenithian Hegemony is the rumors going around that they have
for help. The Hegemony created the Judicators. begun to associate with the Algolan slavers,
This new tool of law enforcement decimated which has led to a renewed interest from the
the Syndicate’s lower levels, especially the street Judicators. Both the Church of the Icons and
gangs. Soon, however, the crime families learned Ahlam’s Temple have, unsuccessfully, tried to
to adapt, and balance returned once again. Today, fight the Syndicate’s power.
the Judicators are less involved with the Syndicate
and focus their resources on other forms of crime. y THE CHALLENGERS
The basis of the Syndicate is the gangs that The Syndicate is the largest criminal organi-
run the different plazas on Coriolis. Things get zation in the Horizon, but not the only one.
violent from time to time, as the gangs’ methods There are three rising threats to their power
include a certain level of territorial disputes and in the Horizon: The Serpent, the Slavers and
revenge. Outside of the station, the middle layers Ferekam, criminal groups dealing in slave
of the organization, the so-called charpurs, run the trade and gun running.
198
FACTIONS

TABLE 9.2 FAMILIES AND GANGS THE BLACK SHIPS
FAMILY ORIGIN GANG TURF DISTINGUISHING

Recently, stories have begun to surface about oddly
MARKS
shaped ships that sensors can hardly detect, and
Adibal Sadaal Faris Mulukhad Dresses in garish
colors that suddenly vanish in a burst of static. Some crews
Afyana Algol Ganiya Spice Plaza Secret handshake claim to have spotted the ships near the smug-
gling routes, most frequently around the moons of
Birbasil Zenith Lama Ozone Plaza Lips tattooed black
Transsurha in the Kua system.
Intisaar Zalos Izza Spring Plaza Scarification on
their backs
Rafa Algol Wark Market Secret handshake
Plaza
199
THE HORIZON
THE ZENITHIAN HEGEMONY “As it once was, so shall it be again.”
The aristocrats of the Zenithian Hegemony are the elite of

the Monolith on the planet Kua, and are very clear about
their intentions to expand their control, first to Coriolis
and then to the entire Horizon.
members of the captain’s family and other the best. The Zenith Aviation Academy in the
high-ranking officers of the crew of the Zenith Monolith is generally considered the best in the
founded the Hegemony after the schism onboard. Horizon, and a long line of popular holo dramas
Captain Abarren Quassar together with the has elevated the academy to a legendary repu-
Cabinet of Thousands from the Monolith officially tation. The Sky City in the Monolith also houses
rules the faction, but a divide has been growing elements of the Salakhad flotilla, known as the
within the organization. De facto, there are two best corsair hunters in system with their elite
factions within the Hegemony: the Hegemonists Nighthawk squadron. Just recently, the patrol
and the neo-Zenithians, the former led by the routes of the flotilla have been extended and some
Quassar family and the latter by Arianites. Both ships have been tasked with hunting Syndicate
groups share the view that the Hegemony is the smugglers. The Arianites family is believed to
rightful ruler of the Third Horizon and destined control the fleet, but this has not been proven.
to lead its peoples to greatness, but they disagree The Hegemony has many famous members
on how to get there. The Hegemonists are elitist throughout the Horizon apart from Captain
and unforgiving, while the neo-Zenithians prefer Quassar himself and the faction’s council
cooperation, mainly with the Consortium, but also member, Johara Quassar. The duelist Mehot
with other factions. Both groups act as patrons for ar-Hrama, a Hegemonist, is notorious for her
middle class Zenithians through scholarships, as skills with the mercurium sword and the ritual
mentors for entrepreneurs, and invest heavily in skafe dagger. From the neo-Zenithians, com-
Zenithian projects, industrial as well as research. mander Ehene ar-Eusidia, a Nighthawk squadron
The two groups both control a few key institu- fighter ace personally responsible for several
tions within the faction each. The Hegemonists corsair kills, is among the best known.
control the infamous secret police, the Astûrban, The Hegemony runs two schools of great
while the neo-Zenithians founded the Judicators reputation, the Aviation Academy in the
and dominate the mighty fleet. The two police Monolith and the Judicator’s Forensics Institute
forces aside, the different families keep house on Coriolis. People from all over the Horizon
guards of their own. come to the system to apply, but the school
rules allow only Zenithians to become students.
y THE PRIDE OF ZENITH
The fleet of the Zenithian Hegemony is neither y THE BLOOD CULT
the biggest nor the most powerful in the Horizon, The bloodlines mean everything in the
but when it comes down to quality, it might be Hegemony. The ruling class is obsessed with
200
FACTIONS
ASTÛRBAN
one thing above all others: the preservation of the genetic
unity of the survivors from the Zenith. Their worldview is The Astûrban is both secret police and intelligence
centered on what crew position your family had, and how agency, watching over the Zenithians from their for-
closely related you are to the original crew. The great phi- tress in the Monolith. The name literally means “eye
losopher Merkedsar Konstantinides spoke of “the sanctity of Astir” – the Astir family want everyone to know
and perfection of the Zenithian blood” and argued that the the power they hold as founders and supervisors of
Zenithian civilization could only achieve true greatness if the organization. What was once the security staff
they protected their bloodlines from the evil forces that onboard the Zenith has now evolved into one of the
had caused the Third Horizon to fall into darkness. Certain most competent, and ruthless, intelligence agencies
positions are therefore reserved for “pure-bloods” only, in the Horizon. The Astûrban is very set in the old
and “defiling” one’s family could be grounds for expulsion ways, seeing themselves as protectors of Zenithians
from the faction. everywhere, regardless of whether they support the
The idea of Zenithian supremacy has spawned a stubborn Hegemony or not. Astûrban agents are no strangers
search for proof of earlier Zenithian settlements in the Horizon. to carrying out raids on rival factions in what they
Some patriotic historians claim that the second arkship, Nadir, call “self defense”, something the Council have con-
reached the Third Horizon before the Portal Wars and founded demned repeatedly.
a colony. Several expeditions have searched the Horizon for
the remains of this mythical settlement.
The Hegemony controls the Monolith and the surround-
ing metropolis, the Conglomerate. They have made huge THE FAMILIES
investments in the different districts and factory islands, but
leave most of the daily affairs to hired Algolan colonists, who HEGEMONISTS NEO-ZENITHIANS
in turn rule the plebeians and slummers with an iron fist. Quassar Arianites
This practice has resulted in the Free League beginning to Din Hrama Laskarid
recruit in the factories and slums, which has led to clashes Konstantinides Vanna
between the two factions, sometimes involving both house
Zenone Din Eusidia
guards and mercenaries.
Astir Aristides
201
THE HORIZON
THE DRACONITES “Through conflict, the truth.”
The Draconites hide their egocentrism behind intricate

rituals and imposing robes – if their opponents are to be
believed.
few factions have such an air of mystery as even alliances with creatures beyond human
that which surrounds the Draconite order. They comprehension. The Draconites themselves
are renowned for their fearlessness in both say nothing.
combat and diplomacy, and are said to make The organization of the order is secret,
no distinction between the two. The faction but they would seem to operate in cells cen-
originated in the part of the crew of the Zenith tered on strong leaders, with a minimum of
that valued resolve and willpower above all contact between the individual groups. Or
else. They viewed the commanding Quassar perhaps someone, or something, is pulling the
and Yriedes families as too entrenched in the strings from the shadows, guiding the faction
discussions about what to do with the colonists towards some obscure goal. The only thing
in stasis, and instead went ahead and woke known for certain is that they have a system
them up on their own. They were among the of apprentices, where a senior member guides
first to leave the Zenith after the awakening, and educates a younger novice through the
disappearing into the dark. Whatever it was mysteries of the order. Some people believe
that they found out there among the debris that the order is made up of a series of circles,
and ruins on abandoned worlds no one knows, with the members all seeking entry to the
but they quickly became the stuff of legends, next circle and the next, advancing towards
ghosts seldom seen but intensely discussed. the inner sanctum at the center. The select
The stories claim that their travels in the Dark outsiders who have witnessed the arcane rit-
between the Stars turned them into something uals where a Draconite warrior appears to
cold and purely egotistical. When they reen- be transcending to a higher form of wisdom
tered the light of civilization, they did it as a supports the latter theory.
disciplined faction of warrior philosophers, The philosophy of the order is the subject
possessing secret truths the other factions of much debate and the most outlandish of
could only dream of. theories. That they emphasize conflict as a
metaphysical concept is clear to anyone. They
y THE SECRETS OF THE DRACONITES regard it as a form of both personal and col-
The Draconites wield advanced technology lective growth. Even though most would think
with obvious elements of the lost wisdom of this a very violent approach to the world, some
the old Horizons. How they have acquired say that it is just as much about inner conflict,
this technology is unknown, but whispers in about the perpetual struggle with the impure
the shadows tell of unspeakable pacts with parts of the self, and that the Draconites seek
hidden orders from before the Portal Wars, or to confront and defeat their inner demons,
202
FACTIONS
no matter the cost. This is in many ways reflected in the Horizon, but usually only with one or a few members.
order’s worship of the Lady of Tears in her cold and strict There is much speculation about the order’s actual size
form, the Executioner. Her sword is sharp and always ready and distribution. They were recently offered a seat at the
for whoever breaks the traditions or codes of the order, Council of Factions, perhaps motivated by the Consortium
but also for the weak of heart. The Executioner protects sticking to the logic of “keep your friends close but your
any and all who are in control of their own lives and who enemies closer”.
choose their own death. Only one Draconite is known to reside on Coriolis, the
council member Mandragor Ho, who, despite a plain appear-
y NO HOME OR HEARTH ance, can make the most seasoned of Bulletin reporters
No one knows the location of the Draconites’ headquar- shake in their shoes. The exact role of the spokesperson
ters. The order is present in many places throughout the is unclear.
203
THE HORIZON
“There is only one salvation, and only nine ways that

THE CHURCH OF THE ICONS
will lead you there.”
The movement called the Church of the Icons is a faction

both old and new, resting on a basis of ancient cults, but
founded in the modern age, preaching the modern ways of
the faith.
the exact origin of the Icon faith has been y THE CIRCLE OF SEEKERS
lost to time, but everyone knows that it was The Circle of Seekers remain, but are the
introduced to the Third Horizon by cultists strongest on Sadaal, on Mira and her sister
and believers from the First Horizon. All but systems, and on Dabaran, where they have both
one of these cults, the Circle of Seekers, are the Temple of the Circle and a monastery school
dead today but their religious practices have in Lotus, the holy city. The Seeker title is only
been all but abandoned by the general pop- awarded someone upon initiation into one of
ulation. Instead, the Church of the Icons has their monasteries, which are always shaped like
become the dominant religious faction. They circles. It is said that the Seekers possess the
are the Horizon’s youngest faction, and have same mystical powers as those afflicted with
grown strong through collecting, canonizing the mystic’s disease, but that they are in full
and institutionalizing the wide, sprawling control of them.
faith that has existed in the Horizon for cen- The Seekers have a reputation for being skillful
turies. During a live Bulletin broadcast in CC negotiators. They have often been called upon
49, the nine sacred rites were put in writing to end bitter conflicts, such as the Geselem riots
in the Icon City on Mira, where the Church on Algol and in the aftermath of the bloody
originally grew into a faction to begin with, massacre on the Moon of Menkar. Apart from
during the darkness of the Long Night after this, the Seekers generally keep a low profile. On
the end of the war. A ruling matriarch and Coriolis and in other places, they run meditative
patriarch, assisted by an assembly of clergy, stone gardens where believers and Seekers can
head the new faction. Today, the Seekers, come to find peace.
whose presence was also strong on Mira,
have been marginalized, looked upon as wise y THE MISSIONARIES
ascetics and prophets rather than actual fig- The Church of the Icons’ calling is to unite
ures of power within the faction. all the peoples of the Horizon in the one true
The key difference between the Church’s doc- faith, and the mission is therefore the first of
trine and the Iconic folklore is that the faction the sacred rites. Missionary expeditions depart
denies the duality of the Icons’ temperaments regularly from the core systems out to the
and vengefulness. Instead, the Church preaches star arms, often carrying both missionaries
that evil exists within humans themselves, and and Seekers.
that it is released when the Dark between the The most famous member of the Church is
Stars enters someone’s life. not the matriarch or the patriarch as one might
204
FACTIONS
expect, but the council member Wasimah Umm, a former

Seeker turned Arch Herat. She has openly declared her views
on many difficult questions of morality and ontology, the
latest one being the intense debate about whether humanites
have souls or not. Aside from Wasimah, the prophet Yesiel
Marcos is a well-known face as he frequently appears on the
morning shows of the Bulletin with a loud opinion on the
“the Blight” and its impact on the Horizon. The father of THE SACRED RITES
the mission, Sharif Afta on Coriolis, has initiated the most
missionary expeditions, and just recently came back alive ◆◆ The mission ◆◆ The confession
from the disaster at Taoan. ◆◆ The life bond ◆◆ The pilgrimage
◆◆ The creed ◆◆ The giving of alms
y TALISMANS ◆◆ The blessing ◆◆ The prayer
The faithful often carry a talisman representing their favorite ◆◆ The fast
Icon, something the Church has been trying to change,
instead encouraging believers to carry a silver sideways eight,
the symbol of the Church. The sideways eight symbolizes
the eight visible Icons, with the empty spaces representing
the Faceless One, but it is also the symbol of infinity in
Dabaran mathematics.
205
THE HORIZON
AHLAM’S TEMPLE “Every human is a world of its own.”
The faction of Ahlam’s Temple is a systematic explorer of

the mysteries of experience and the senses. To the public,
the faction is best known for their inimitable courtesans.
like the seekers, Ahlam’s Temple is an old age. Only the best students complete the pro-
cult, but instead of the religious traditions of the gram and get their titles. On Coriolis and in
Seekers or the Church, the Temple’s foundation other metropolises, true courtesans are in high
is the eternal importance of the present. To the demand. In some places it would be unthinkable
Temple, the Icons represent the human soul’s to enter the political arena without a courtesan
different positions, both spiritual and physical. by one’s side. Wealthy families and recently even
Just like the Church of the Icons, the Temple seeks the big corporations employ a personal aesthete
to spread their philosophies. The knowledge of to show off their status. A part of the Temple
the purity of the present will help the people of less spoken of is the Black Lotuses, courtesans
the Horizon lead better lives. The teachings of who have been trained in the ninth art – the
Ahlam are applied to everything from dance and pleasure of death.
art, to judiciary theory and politics. The Judicators’ These assassins played a crucial role in the
interrogation methods, which don’t use torture, destruction of the Nazareem’s Sacrifice, but
are based on an Ahlamite theory. The origins of how active they really are today is uncertain
the teachings stem from Miran temple dances and to outsiders.
poems from before the Portal Wars. Esteemed Aside from Terminos Lete, the faction’s coun-
philosophers like Haraman Hassam and poets cil member, the Temple is home to famous
like Jasmine Sidat developed the heritage into people like Hija Goua, the bi-gender cour-
the Temple of Ahlam of today. tesan from Menele, the war dancer Palmira
Ferex from Mira, and Darkes Lamann, the
y THE COURTESANS slum poet who in his wall poems mocks rulers
The Temple is mainly famous for the courtesan and plebeians alike. The Temple possesses an
academies they run on Coriolis and Mira. The ancient technology – the proxy technology. It
education there is completely focused on the was designed for therapeutic and educational
eight arts of pleasure. Apart from the courtesans, purposes and lets you share another person’s
many influential rhetoricians, prophets, enter- experiences and knowledge. Unfortunately, the
tainers and officers have attended the academies. Syndicate has stolen the technology and uses
Both the Zenithian Hegemony and the Bulletin it to manufacture so-called proxy trips. These
regularly send employees and aristocrats to are usually of an erotic nature, but rumors are
the academies to be taught the mysteries of going around about “moru trips” that let you
subjectivity and sensory input. experience someone else’s death. The Temple
True courtesans are only taught in the acad- is fighting to get their technology back, but
emies, and begin their education at an early have had no success so far.
206
FACTIONS
y AHLAM’S MEMATURGY
Aside from the proxy technology, rumors say that the phi-
losophers of the Temple can create memes of their own.
By manipulating light, sound and bio signals the so-called
mematurgs can make people believe or do things that are
not true to their nature. THE LOTUS DEAL
For the philosophers and teachers of the Temple, the
use of memes is just a means to an end, a way to achieve A “lotus deal” is a common idiom in the Horizon and
enlightenment, although the same memes could be used describes secret problem-solving or underhanded
to control people. It is not without reason that the saying negotiations. It can also be used to insinuate that
goes “a courtesan’s whisper is a bond for any man or someone has gone to bed with someone to get a
woman.” Rumors say that the Black Lotuses of the faction position or a favor.
are trained to use simple verbal memes. Other examples
exist of mematurgs, such as the famous tyrant Dziban,
who controls parts of the Dziban system with his followers.
Tales of the Djinni also say that they can sow thoughts into
the minds of people.
207
THE HORIZON
THE ORDER OF THE PARIAH “The end is near.”
The Order of the Pariah has an ambivalent reputation in

the Horizon. On the one hand, their work with the sick and
the poor on Coriolis is greatly lauded, but at the same time,
people whisper about their bloody war crimes during the
Portal Wars and their crusade against dissidents in their
home system, Zalos.
on coriolis, the Order is known as the Martyrs and have an entirely different reputation.
Samaritans. They run a hospital, a sanatorium Their symbol, the martyr’s crown, stirs feelings
for the hyper sick, a poor house, several soup of unease in almost everyone. Stories from the
kitchens and a renowned medical school. The Portal Wars speak of the Order as fanatic Martyr
medical students become neophytes of the Order worshippers, merciless in combat and without
and their education is heavily influenced by the any concern for their own lives. Their enormous
faction’s religious views, but all the students are monastery cruisers are said to have carried both
offered generous scholarships for the duration crusaders and flagellants into battle, a rumor
of their training. When they graduate, they are that is still prevalent.
often offered employment by groups who are The Order of the Pariah is of Firstcome descent,
otherwise less than friendly towards the Order, and worships the Martyr (the icon commonly
a good indication of the quality of the school. known as the Judge). They were an active party in
The Samaritans appear the perfect believers, the Portal Wars, and closed their home system,
helping their fellow human beings out of the Zalos, at the end of the war, not opening it until
kindness of their hearts. This reputation is kept many years later, when the Consortium dis-
intact on Coriolis thanks to the Samaritan part patched the Legion to demand passage. This
of their work – the memories of the Order’s pattern is now repeating itself – Zalos has been
involvement in the atrocities of the Portal Wars closed once again since one of the Emissaries
are not something the station’s mainly Zenithian proclaimed itself the Judge incarnate, a sacri-
population keeps alive. lege according to the Order. It is likely only the
The council representative for the Order of the fact that the space station at Xene is owned
Pariah is Sister Almas, headmaster of the medical by the Foundation, and thus by extension the
academy. She is just and resolute, both as a teacher Consortium, that has kept the Order from show-
and as a politician. Her students claim that she ing their more aggressive side in the Kua system
never sleeps, but instead spends her nights before as well. A certain amount of fear always arises
a statue of the Martyr, deep in prayer. when their ships dock at Coriolis however, their
hulls depicting cataclysmic scenes of war, and
y THE MARTYRS the dockworkers whispering about onboard
Outside of Coriolis, the name Samaritans is ossuaries filled with the sacred bones of mar-
frowned upon. Here, the Order is known as the tyred warriors.
208
FACTIONS
y THE ORDER’S BIONICS AND FLEET

Another reason for concern is that the Order possesses a ANIMATE ARMOR
unique form of biotechnology that, among other things,
enables the creation of the animate suits of armor their The holy warriors of the Order cover themselves in
elite holy warriors use. The first reports of this armor came adaptive armor that makes their bodies stronger.
from Bulletin correspondents who smuggled information The armor also “learns” from hits taken, adjusting
out of Zalos about the Order’s relentless hunt for religious itself for better protection, which means you gener-
dissidents. The technology has again become a topic of dis- ally only get one shot at taking down a Martyr war-
cussion on Coriolis as more and more people expect the day rior. This has spawned the saying “Like the first hit
when the Legion will turn their weapons against the Order on a martyr”, describing an action that has no effect.
is fast approaching. How large a fleet the Order commands
is unclear, but given the fact that the Consortium has yet
to order the Legion to open the route through Zalos with
force, it is thought to be of considerable size.
209
THE HORIZON
THE NOMAD FEDERATION “We know the secrets of the void.”
The Nomad Federation is a collective of nomadic fleets

from across the Horizon, all of whom, in different ways,
have come under pressure from the aggressive expansion
of other factions.
the federation is a jumble of different families, the popular assembly on Coriolis, the nomads
clans, bloodlines, alliances and tribes all claiming have argued that the Zenithians must start
nomad heritage. Most nomads in the Federation respecting old laws and decrees, but up until
are from the Quadrant of the Pillar, the Rimward recently, the Zenithian factions have responded
Reach or Nharmada, but the Kyhber swarm from to the demands without interest – something
Algol, the salvage nomads from Odacon and the they are now beginning to regret. Suddenly a
Jebel and Chambi clans from Melik are also rep- powerful force in the popular assembly, the
resented here. The prime goal of the faction is to nomads have demanded a seat on the Council
strengthen the nomads against the other factions of Factions – or else. Their threats include the
whose claims in the Horizon have grown consid- disruption of Consortium trade in the Quadrant
erably, especially since the founding of Coriolis. of the Pillar and Free League activities in the
The spokesperson for the Federation on Nharmada system, and a collective strike against
Coriolis is Abyeia Goharshûd, a proud Quadrant the prospectors in the Rimward Reach. Thanks
mogul descendant of Housyan blood. She was to the impressive armada the nomads could
originally a member of the Free League and tried scramble if they wanted to, the threats are taken
to lobby for the nomad cause there, but after very seriously.
a falling out, she and her nomad allies left the
League and worked independently for a while y A TROUBLED FEDERATION
on Coriolis. The nomads’ need for a represen- The giant federation faces a huge internal prob-
tative at the Council was becoming increasingly lem. Not only can they rarely present a unified
urgent, and bit by bit, rival clans and families front – bad blood passed down through gener-
came together in support of Goharshûd and ations of feuding tribes makes sure of that – but
the campaign to get her a seat on the Council. they also support the ways of old that would
see the faction itself divided into different social
y NEW POLICIES strata with conflicting class interests. These
What kind of issues the faction would address pre-war alliances and divisions give Goharshûd
at the Council is uncertain, but it is likely that a difficult faction to unite.
they would demand that the nomad culture The nomads from the Quadrant of the Pillar,
be treated as equal to that of other peoples, spoken for by Osman Naqsh-i-Jahan, have turned
and act as political opposition to the Zenithian out to be less than inclined to engage in politics
factions – after all, it is they, not the nomads, that won’t directly affect the Miran route, but
who are the newcomers in the Horizon. In are more than willing to close the portals to the
210
FACTIONS
Consortium between Kua and Altai if their sovereignty isn’t same way about the nomads, however. The Order of the Pariah
recognized. The Rimward Reach swarms, represented by and the Federation are not officially speaking to each other after
Urcia Kabu, have witnessed first-hand how the Zenithians in the attack on the nomad Tanziamat clan on Zalos-B.
the Consortium can affect whole systems with their insidious The Zenithian factions are not happy with the Federation’s
schemes. They say the time has come to mobilize the fleet new demands. The Consortium and, to some extent, the Free
unless the Federation is invited into the Council of Factions. League, both trade oriented groups, are suspicious towards
The envoy for the Housyan line, Qur Farabi the Blind, seeks these potential competitors, and the Legion is uneasy with
the aid of the Free League to set up trade agreements with the the Federation’s naval strength. The Zenithian Hegemony has
Consortium. Moreover, they advocate that the nomads should yet to air an opinion either way about the nomads. Politics
approach the other cultures of the Horizon through education is a game of shah, after all.
and compassion. Whose voice is the loudest at any given time
could be hard to discern for an outsider. The nomads are also y THE MIGHTY FLEET
troubled by language confusion within the faction. The Nomad Federation controls the by far the largest fleet in
the Horizon, although a great part of it consists of civilian ships
y SUPPORT AT THE COUNCIL and it is spread over many systems. Recent reports suggest
The so-called “nomad question” has become increasingly that the nomads have begun forming larger armed convoys.
inflamed, largely due to the Emissary being offered a seat as Suhaima Taslim spoke with force on a Bulletin show, saying that
observer on the Council of Factions, something the nomads if the militarization of the nomad fleet continues, the Legion
have never even been close to. The Nomad Federation has will have to respond. Goharshûd countered, saying that more
many allies among the Firstcome factions, who think that the corsairs are stalking the nomad routes than before because
Federation should have been on the Council since its inception. the Consortium’s bulk haulers have begun reaching the poorer
Ahlam’s Temple and the Draconites support the Federation’s systems where they drive out the local traders, forcing ordinary
claims. These two factions have enjoyed good trade with the people to turn to piracy. The relations between the Federation
nomads for a long time. Not all Firstcome factions feel the and the Legion have since then been frosty, to say the least.
211
THE HORIZON

TABLE 9.3 FACTIONARIES
Well-known factionaries on Coriolis and in the Third Horizon.

D66 NAME CAREER QUIRK GOAL FACTION
11-12 Yasmin Yriedes Diplomat Hoarse voice Improve the rep of... the Consortium
13 Wali Nimatallah Bionic Migraines Secure bionics for... the Consortium
14-15 Heroc Eliades Reporter Famous relatives Get a top scoop for... the Bulletin
16 Jira Hamura Actor Vain Improve the ratings of... the Bulletin
21 Ares Kleon Prospector Hubris Secure new resources for... the Colonial
Agency
22-23 Minna Jifha Colonist Gloomy Map a new sector for... the Colonial
Agency
24 Yusef Kander Astronic Cautious Get more funding from... the Foundation
25-26 Ioanna Kouma Engineer Practical Start new engineering the Foundation
projects for...
31 Niha Salumar Stevedore akbar Never stops talking Improve working conditions for... the Free League
32-33 Abdelar Zula Free trader Cross-eyed Get better free trader contracts for... the Free League
34 Jasma Palu Mercenary Cybernetic Take high-risk jobs for... the Legion
35-36 Skalide dol-Gara Corsair hunter Quick Get more ship kills for... the Legion
41 Ghano Birbasil Gang akbar Suspicious Spread the influence of... the Syndicate
42-43 Cyrus Izza Spice peddler Tattooed Acquire new trade partners for... the Syndicate
44 Ariana Quassar Bureaucrat Whispering voice Undermine the enemies of... the Zenithian
Hegemony
45-46 Chemona Ex-judicator Burn marks Fight corruption within... the Zenithian
Arianites Hegemony
51 Hija Goua Courtesan Bigender Sign treaties for... Ahlam's Temple
52 Darkes Lamann Slum poet Tattered clothes Spread poetry for... Ahlam's Temple
53 Zamira Algrides Archaeologist Cybernetic eye Secure dangerous artifacts for... the Draconites
54 Jassar Gherdo Medicurg Bites lip Prevent the spread of dangerous bionics the Draconites
for...
55-56 Yesiel Marcos Bulletin prophet Loud Stop the mystic's disease for... the Church of the
Icons
61-62 Sharif Afta Missionary Always smiling Spread the true faith for... the Church of the
Icons
63 Balthuzar Mifti Martyr prophet Misanthropic Stop the Emissary for... the Order of the
Pariah
64 Hadassah Arias Diplomat Voice like honey Hinder rival factions for... the Order of the
Pariah
65 Yineve Siflak Warrior Proud Strengthen... the Nomad
Federation
66 Herodes Gharifa Mystic War paint Reveal the powers for... the Nomad
Federation
212
FACTIONS
THE SMALL PLAYERS

The small players are groups and organizations operating sometimes resulted in the gang feuds spilling over into the
one level beneath the factions. The factions may be the market and that captains have been forced to carry extra cargo
true rulers on the Horizon, but they cannot run everything by the gang controlling their khabara. The higher-ranking
themselves and some areas of business are, at least offi- Syndicate members try to keep this from happening too
cially, better left to players of more questionable repute. often. The equivalent of the Souk Alesh can be found in
The small players operate on the level between the people almost every spaceport and caravan seraglio, usually under
and the factions and handle all sorts of things, from far- the name Souk Eswad.
world trade and fringe bazaars to secret missions, detective
work and security details. y “LAST CHANCE” MARKETS
Farthest out on the star arms, in the rim systems or around
FREE TRADER MARKETS remote sister stars where the trade routes terminate, you
Markets where free traders and peddlers meet up to do will find the so-called “last chance” markets. The two
business exist all across the Horizon. Larger companies best-known ones are on Eanu and Menkar, and they are
trade directly with their clients and use faction-run logis- also the wildest. No one sets foot there without packing
tics, but this is not an option for smaller groups and crews a Vulcan or bringing a bodyguard. Trade missions to and
who instead must find contracts locally in the spaceports from the edges of civilization can bring huge profit, but
they visit. Traditionally, the free trader markets all look the unfortunately, not only desperate free traders visit the
same. Merchants and free traders gather in a square or last chance markets – corsairs, warlords, local tyrants and
some other open space, clustering around the often loud the like flock to these markets to get supplies or new tech
and charismatic contract brokers, the khabaras. The khabara from the core systems, sometimes leading to captains or
will then auction off the different trade missions – tonnage, whole crews being kidnapped. The last chance market on
prices, destinations and delivery times are discussed loudly, Eanu is located in an open olive grove outside the Yivem
and the captains offer their ships to the merchants. The spaceport with a clear view of anyone coming and going
khabara gets a small broker’s fee for each deal closed. The for just this reason.
cost of the jobs is settled publicly on the market so that
none of the parties can change the deal afterwards without FREELANCE AGENCIES
losing their reputation. While the competition between For groups of freelancers or agents, jobs will not be as easy to
the free traders can be fierce, some captains and ships come across as for free traders or mercenaries. The well-paid
are famous enough to ask a higher price and still get the jobs will most likely be handled by the intelligence agencies
job – in return, the merchant has a higher chance of a safe that rarely accept external help. Detective work – anything
and speedy delivery. from missing persons to industrial espionage – is generally
managed privately and discreetly, and many detective agencies
y SOUK ALESH can be found through the infonet. On Coriolis, the best way is
Souk Alesh is the free trader market on Coriolis, located to register your business via the Bulletin on the infonet. There
in the heart of the Core, and functions as both bazaar and are a few larger freelance firms on Coriolis who sometimes
auction house. The large hall is filled with stalls, podiums, hire experts for certain tasks. The largest firm is Under the
crates and all sorts of rubble, and everywhere, khabaras are Lotus, who, despite their name, has nothing to do with the
calling out contracts, some from the station itself, some Temple. They specialize in missing persons and suspicions of
from the Net and some from Kua below. The open secret adultery or other indiscretions, and have a large numbers of
about the Souk Alesh is that the Syndicate gangs control the lawyers and bureaucrats on retainer to resolve the conflicts
khabaras and that the Guard looks the other way. This has that often arise as side effects of the detective work itself.
213
THE HORIZON
SPY NESTS
Some places in the Third Horizon are more filled with lies and
intrigue than others, places where the intelligence services
gather to hunt for information and secrets. The world of
secrets is of course always in motion, but given the infight-
THE SMALL PLAYERS AND THE GROUP
ing in the Council of Factions and the mounting political
tensions in the Horizon, some places are safe bets – the
The small players are designed as potential employ- City of Foreigners on the moon of Karrmerruk, Zalos, for
ers for the PCs. They will run smaller missions, example. Spies, company mercenaries, correspondents and
have ties to local patrons and sometimes act as freelancers flock to the city in the hopes of finding secrets,
envoys for factionaries. precious cargo or valuable contracts. A new hotbed for the
intelligence community is the asteroid station Djachroum in
the Rimward Reach, Kua, in which the Order of the Pariah have
suddenly shown a great deal of interest. The Consortium’s
Special Branch also maintains a visible presence here with a
high security prison, some Foundation research installations
and a Legion base. To the common people, Dabaran is the
capital of intrigue, with its lords, dars and emirs locked in
a constant and very public dance of espionage, murder and
negotiation. Freelancers are in high demand on Dabaran as
the royalty can deny any knowledge of them if they are caught.
214
FACTIONS
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES COURIER MISSIONS

The larger factions have their own intelligence agencies, Sending messages and information across the Horizon is a phys-
both internal and external, and most large corporations ical affair that requires a ship since no signals can pass through
have counter-espionage departments. The largest and best the portals. The largest player on this market is Ermes Courier,
known, thanks primarily to a series of Bulletin movies, is run by the Bulletin, but people with high secrecy demands
the Consortium’s Special Branch. They often use free- often choose smaller firms instead, making for a large market
lancers, many of whom are later incorporated into the for independent courier crews. Courier missions are common
organization. The Special Branch has spread to almost in the free trader souks, where a crew can make a good profit
the entire Horizon and deal in everything from espionage, running a courier mission alongside regular cargo. As the souks
the securing of resources and assassinations to political are public places, mercenaries usually escort sensitive information,
blackmail, artifact hunting and sabotage. The runner up but this is not very anonymous. Seeing a demand with no supply
is probably the Order’s intelligence service, but not much here, Captain Masomola Kifri started “Kifri’s Courier Bureau” -
is known about it, and the Black Lotuses are also rumored or just “the Bureau” - a few cycles ago. The Bureau works like
to run a spy network. a mercenary agency, with full client anonymity. The business
Many factions and regimes also have secret police forces, is excellent, and their new offices on an artificial island in the
Sadaal and Zalos for example, and the Zenithian Hegemony Spire are well attended. The Bureau supplies encrypted tags,
has the fearsome Astûrban. They are not prone to hiring bags or other larger vessels to secure the secrets of their clients.
freelancers, but it happens, if unofficially. The larger com-
panies – the Colonial Agency, the Bulletin, Nestera, Nyala MERCENARY AGENCIES
and Celer-Delekta for example – hire freelancers for all sorts The mercenary market works similarly to the courier market.
of investigative missions. Although the Legion is almost the only player here, there are

TABLE 9.4 MERCHANTS AND TRADING COMPANIES
Use the table to roll trading partners for the PCs to interact with.
D66 NAME AND COMPANY TRADING IN REPUTATION
11-12 Aldair Jubal, Jubal Exports & Imports Spices, drugs, weapons No scruples
13-15 Abdul Nasr, the Free League Technological artifacts Good smuggler contacts
16-21 Lea Marhoun, Zenithian Trade Alliance Antiquities and archaeological findings Good customer network
22-24 Mukthar Sawalla, Hyperion Logistics Bulk hauling Syndicate middleman
25-31 Jiamina Mafout, Kuan Transports Lumber, semi-intelligences, livestock Fair trader
32-34 Azura Behroz, Karrmerruk Spices Spices, grain Blunt
35-36 Darya din Kouf, Monolith Lux Luxuries, art Tries to scam everybody
41-43 Bahram Karebadja, Algol Exports Ore, industrial products Alleged drug runner
44-45 Hashmari Nifara, Chelebs Gravity projectors, hi-tech Always looking for fac-tech
46-52 Nikodreas Ferhad, Hazeram Trade Noble gases, ship tech Always masked
53-54 Amarata Yelizina, Dari Yeliz Exports Wine, luxuries, foods Posh
55-56 Heliotres din Nestera, Nestera Foods Foods, luxuries, medicines Contacts in the weapons industry
61-62 Mustafar dol-Hrama, MustafarTrade Ore, chemicals, hi-tech Hegemonist intermediary
63-64 Hatima Shamaz, ShamazXport Hi-tech Artifact smuggler
65-66 Chelona Mirou, Xpress Metals, minerals, art Fast ships
215
THE HORIZON
TABLE 9.5 FREELANCE AGENCIES
The table lists a few examples of freelance agencies doing courier, detective or investigation work. Roll or pick a suitable employer.
D66 AGENCY CONTACT JOBS
11-12 Under the Lotus Hamira Jedres Missing persons, adultery

13-14 Kifri's Courier Bureau Masomola Kifri Sensitive information
15-16 Ermes Courier Irfan Yriedes Express deliveries
21-22 Zark Detectives Danyala Zark Discreet investigations on Coriolis
23-24 Mimosa Problem-solvers Mara Mimosa Industrial espionage for sale
25-26 BlackLion Aslan Ferred Discreet courier missions and break-ins
31-32 Algol Express Marida par-Chouli Express passenger and animal transport
33-34 the Yasara Firm Yasara Salmi All kinds of investigations
35-36 Parrah Security Memra Parrah-Kesbouli Security and crime proofing
41-42 Nevos Surveillance Alexindra Illudires Patrol missions and personal security during travel
43-44 the Archaeology Bureau Sahab Bouri Legal aid and equipment lending
45-46 Tekne Fihaz Nimatallah Technical surveillance/espionage
51-52 Hexagon Express Bel Djabir Fast interstellar courier missions
53-54 Quiro Amado Quiro Hacking and security
55-56 Farrukh Cartographics Farrukh Hasra Cartography and building inspections
61-62 Free Astrogation Ninive Kalistides Travel planning, freelance captains and pilotage
63-64 Xuro Security Amra Xuro-Dhal Cargo protection and planetary courier missions
65-66 Last Chance Harra Corena Courier missions to unsafe systems
certain jobs they cannot take, because of the risks or nature of the quiet – surveillance-proof according to a small plaque above
missions. Furthermore, their fleet is used only for Consortium the door. The Black Skull specializes in operations in the Kua
missions, meaning that the market for escorting, corsair hunting system, but have contacts on Algol, Dabaran and Sadaal as
or sabotage is completely open to other mercenaries. Hubs like well. If needed, the agency can also coordinate ship and
Coriolis, Akhandar-O-Sharif and Tirgonum have big mercenary shuttle transport for ground companies.
agencies run privately but on Legion contracts – and probably
under the supervision of several intelligence agencies. In offices y ALKABAR’S ASSISTANCE
like these, mercenary groups can sign up and list their ships, Near the center of Akhandar-O-Sharif, the firm Alkabar’s
resources and expertise – sharpshooting, explosives, data djinn, Assistance resides in a shiny new ebony and white skyscraper.
infiltration or whatever it may be – and the prospective client Elegant panorama windows with views toward the northern
can anonymously pick the company that seems the best fit for dust seas provide a striking setting for the contract sign-
the mission. Contract and negotiation meetings are then set ings between the clients and the mercenaries. Alkabar’s is
up by the agency. a big name in both ground and space escorting, and can
bring in many different companies and ships, led by special
y THE BLACK SKULL assistance coordinators, if necessary. The coordinators are
Just off the Ozone Plaza on Coriolis, a modest building dec- often ex-Legionnaires or soldiers or officers from the larger
orated in black lotuses and skulls houses the Black Skull. The mercenary groups. Alkabar’s also have offices on Coriolis
name and exterior aside, this is not the Legionnaires’ favorite – in the nicer parts of the Core – and on Mira, Dabaran,
bar, Cranium, but a mercenary agency. The house is dark and Sadaal and Zalos.
216
FACTIONS
TRAVELERS AND SPACE CARAVANS living modules. In the aft of the ship there are endless
Since the Zenithians opened the Horizon, and especially corridors of stasis beds. Anyone is welcome to join the
since the Church of the Icons declared the pilgrimage a caravan as long as there is a free stasis bed. Smaller ships,
sacred rite, travel has multiplied many times over. Both together called the Star Flowers, help out with logistics
plebeians and lords travel, if under different circumstances. within the caravan and protection if needed, but the Icons
The rich travel onboard Exeter luxury liners or on their seem to be watching over the caravan, and corsairs have
own private yachts. The poor can travel the Horizon by never tried to attack it. Similar caravans of skippers who
working on the ships, or go on the cheap stasis freighters have banded together can be found all across the Horizon
that some of the larger shipping companies run – to still – the Rimward Reach nomads, the Birbadir trio and the
turn a profit, the stasis beds themselves are part of the Aiwaz star sailors on the Sadaal route to name a few. The
cargo. Another way is to hitch a ride with nomads, expe- Pilgrim is a repurposed heavy freighter on loan to the
ditions or caravans. Church of the Icons that help pilgrims travel nonstop
between Kua and Mira.
y OFLIONA’S CARAVAN
For almost ten cycles, captain Ofliona of the Flower of y MARMARA’S FLYING CIRCUS
Ibsalim has traveled the Temple route between Mira and Several entertainment groups have begun traveling the Horizon
Dabaran via Aiwaz and Kua. Over the cycles, other ships over the last few cycles. They are courtesan ships, circuses, the-
have formed a convoy around the giant freighter, whose ater troupes or artists and they all share the routes between the
cargo hold has been rebuilt into a large bazaar lined with core systems, landing in ports, markets and bazaars, especially

TABLE 9.6 CONFLICTS
Current conflicts in the Third Horizon that could serve as mission destinations for mercenaries.
D66 CONFLICT PARTICIPANTS LOCATION
11-12 The Slum rebellion 3rd Popular Brigade and Nestera defense forces The Conglomerate, Kua
13-14 The Jungle war Mercenary group Azza and the Legion Kua
15-16 The Uharan offensive Mercenaries and the Legion The forest moons of Uharu
21-22 Haven General Yihanna, the Alkarra army and the Colonial Agency Algol
23-24 The Marrab cluster The nomad swarms and the prospector clans Border Space
25-26 The Quiet war Djachroum and the Consortium/Legion Border Space
31-32 The War on Heresy The Order of the Pariah and the Zalos-B heretics Zalos-B
33-34 The Bahtrol revolt The nomads of Lubau and the Colonial Agency Lubau
35-36 The Slaver hunt The Slavers and the Consortium Tanzim, Algol
41-42 The Bokor plague The Bokor corsairs and mercenaries Anaspora
43-44 The Hydran uprising The Hydra flotilla and the Legion The circle of Dabaran
45-46 The Water wars Countess Evarides and the Pasha of Dar Bhouti Dabaran
51-52 The Iron conflict The Tufsur emirate and the Consortium Algebar
53-54 The War of Honey Sadaalian free skippers and Dziban the Mematurg Errais asteroid belt
55-56 The marsh conflict The swamp nomads and the Iconocrate Sadaal
61-62 The Fire graves Mercenaries and the Legion Pyre, Uharu
63-64 The Ordana occupation The Leopards of Ayyutta and the Ayuin cartel The Quadrant of the Pillar
65-66 The Corsair crisis The Altai corsairs and the Consortium The Quadrant of the Pillar
217
THE HORIZON

TABLE 9.7 LEISURE TRAVEL AND PILGRIMAGE
The following is a list of suggested destinations and events for leisure travel or pilgrimage. Traveling just for fun is mostly reserved for
the very rich, however.
D66 DESTINATION KNOWN FOR
11-12 The Sofia Gora monastery, Border Space A glass mosaic that is a mathematical wonder
13-14 The Icon City on Mira The floating Icon dome on Huraba's Blessing
15-16 The Temple City on Dabaran The oasis garden in the holy temple of Baryla
21-22 The Crater Dome on Algol The prayer tower designed by Yassa dol-Gardi
23-24 The Dome of the Icons on Coriolis The Ghoasan mud temple under the dome
25-26 Mount Arjjat in Ordana B The slumbering prophet at the mountaintop
31-32 The Stairs of Kensa on Zanjire in the Altai system The bleeding preachers of Darikos
33-34 Cala Duriha in orbit above Jina Gambling den and theater asteroid
35-36 Ahm-Salim on Kua Beach resort for vacationing Hegemonists
41-42 The Quassars' opera house, the Monolith Blood operas, ”Nadir” being the most famous
43-44 The Cloud City on Dabaran Hovercraft racing, shah tournaments and gambling
45-46 The white island temple on Amedo Hike and boat pilgrimage with refreshing baths
51-52 The emerald Korruvat lake on Sadaal Healing hot springs
53-54 The Alburz Icon on Sadaal Masked dancers and long parades
55-56 The bazaar of Akhandar on Algol The elephant market and the fire festival
61-62 The Graveyards on Lubau Exo jumping, grav surfing and injector racing
63-64 The festival of the nomads on Djachroum Gambling, comedy and showmanship in the Cave of Bridges
65-66 The Yamra bazaar in Dar Sour Beautiful fabrics, luxuries and fantastic cuisine
during festivals. Marmara’s Flying Circus is one such group, Agency sponsors exploratory voyages anymore. Smaller
traveling between Coriolis, Kua, Lubau and the outer colonies institutes are left to seek funding from wealthy patrons or
in the system. The par-Noftim family, headed by the matriarch local lords. Independent skippers with small ships are hired
Yevina Noftima, commands the circus, which is made up of a for the expeditions, plus some mercenaries if the job involves
large freighter and a few smaller shuttles. They specialize in risks. In the Hegemony and the courts of Dabaran, funding
acrobatics and exotic animals – their stars are the domesticated expeditions is popular and considered a very noble act.
dirhad from Lubau. The freighter Marmara is in constant need
of repairs, and their stops become longer and longer. y FERMAL-GAROUD’S MATHEMATICAL INSTITUTE
Despite the name, Fermal-Garoud’s in Daddah, Dabaran,
RESEARCH INSTITUTES is not working only with mathematics, but also have facul-
Scientists and explorers often join an academy or a larger ties for applied sciences like astronics, portal mathematics,
faculty to get their work funded. The colleges run by the xenobiology and xenoarchaeology. Every year they launch
Foundation are the most popular and have the best resources. expeditions to famous Portal Builder remains in the Horizon
Portal- and xenoarchaeology is the latest trend, fueled by the and examine the sites using the latest passive sensor technol-
pseudo-documentary “Tracking the Scarabaeus” about a witty ogy. The institute’s main sponsor, pasha Nouli-dol-Arahin,
archaeologist searching for Portal Builder ruins in the cold also funds independent archaeologists and scientists with
Dabaran desert. The Foundation and the major universities interesting ideas. Institutes like Fermal-Garoud’s exist in
are reluctant to fund expeditions and not even the Colonial many places, funding all sorts of scholarships and expedi-
218
FACTIONS
tions. The Nestera School of Archaeology, Konstantinides’ can reveal rumors of hidden installations. Freelance and
Astronics Academy focusing on deep space phenomena and mercenary expeditions to the outer systems is another way.
space archaeology, and the College of History in Tirgonum, To minimize risks for the company, freelancers run the
Mira, are a few examples. expeditions, but a company agent or scientist goes with
them to secure the findings. Both Nestera and Nyala are
CORPORATE EXPEDITIONS very interested in ancient technology and portal artifacts.
Some of the larger companies are always on the prowl Celer-Delekta sponsor expeditions to look for pharma-
for forgotten technology. This is done in a number of ceuticals and medicinal herbs, just recently on the Uharan
ways. Historical research into old tomes and databases forest moons.
TABLE 9.8 EXCAVATIONS AND EXPEDITIONS
D66 DIG OR EXPEDITION RECENT EVENTS
11-12 The Foundation's research expedition to Z-29, Zhau Professor Gifri has found something in Area Xertes. The site
has been locked down.
13-14 The Kheram dig, led by Reader Seccra of the Foundation's Corsairs have raided the site. The survivors await rescue.
Archaeological Institute
15-16 The Harballa massif expedition on Surha The expedition was lost in an ice storm
21-22 The Foundation's second attempt at an astro-archaeological Native colonists sabotaged the expedition's base camp to try
expedition to the Menkar monolith and stop them
23-24 ARRCA sponsored investigation of the Awadhi Sunfan Freelancers with powerful sensors have breached the no-fly
zone several times
25-26 The Quassar institute's survey of the fusion spheres in A sphere has just imploded, causing much distress on the
Anaspora nearby asteroid stations
31-32 Sensor measuring on the Net veil that surrounds Izar in the Local fanatics jam the sensors supported by the Order of the
Erequ system by the research vessel Doctor Zvijamin Pariah through Faysal's Veil
33-34 The Darba Institute's expedition to the Amedo-B stone figures One of the figures seems to be collapsing after an experiment
on the site
35-36 Markadus' excavations in the Merkabra ravine on Dabaran The local nomads have begged the nearby dar to stop the dig
41-42 The Zenithian Hegemony's excavation of the Monolith The project has been permanently canceled since one expedi-
tion team disappeared
43-44 The Foundation and the Colonial Agency's digs in the ruined city Dig Chief N'issa Khaba has gone missing in the jungles
of Kah in the Kuan jungles
45-46 The lava fields on Ghoasa being excavated by the Church of the The camp has been sabotaged. The Church blames the Order
Icons of the Pariah.
51-52 Spectrosensory measuring of the Wound from the Madaba An unknown group has kidnapped Chief Surveyor Janos
research dome on Dabaran Mediz
53-54 The expedition to the Kuan north pole to research the energy The expedition's funding has been suspended, rumors say on
sphere, sponsored by the Foundation's Astronics Institute Consortium orders
55-56 The investigation of the round temple on Ahm-Salim by The Hegemonists and the Astûrban have harassed the
Industrial Algebra expedition
61-62 The excavation of the perfect labyrinth in the Kuan Heera crater Three archaeologists have disappeared in the maze, leaving a
by Fermal-Garoud's Mathematical Institute from Dabaran curious artifact behind
63-64 The excavations of the sand fields near the Mahanji oasis on Prospectors have discovered a petroleum field right next to
Lubau the dig site
65-66 Astro-archaeological investigations of the Armada of the First- The Legion have set up a blockade around the entire ship
come in the Border Space cemetery
219
CHAPTER 10
the people of
the horizon
The Sogoi of Kua live in almost perfect harmony with the rain forest in a primitive
fertility cult. Despite having lost all civilization, the Sogoi culture has much to offer
modern Zenithians – exotic cuisine, herbal remedies, and of course their colorful
clothing.
SOGOI – BARBARIAN OR BEAST? – Dahamin dol-Quassar

THE HORIZON
The people of the Third Horizon are often divided into Firstcome and
Zenithian, but reality is of course much more nuanced – hardened colonists,
nomads, biosculpted humanites and, at least according to some, even semi-
intelligences all make up the vibrant bustle of people inhabiting the cluster.
a long time ago, the Third Horizon was silent. In the ruins Firstcome people, the nomads are clan oriented with
left behind by the Portal Builders lived only semi-intelli- large families, passing down a profession through gen-
gences, more animal than human. Eventually, the original erations. From your early years, you will be an apprentice
colonists from the First Horizon arrived through the portals, pilot, hydroponic farmer, life support engineer, security
in self-imposed exile or through forced displacement. They guard, or maybe an exo warrior. The clan organizes all of
settled on Algol, later spreading to Mira, Zalos, Kua, Sadaal, society’s functions.
and Dabaran. Space stations were constructed, grand palaces Since the arrival of the Zenithians, the nomads are increasing
erected, new colonies founded. The early colonists spread in numbers, probably due to the fact that ships are easier
across the Third Horizon like seeds on the wind. They bore to come by and that the best planets are quickly becoming
many names but most have been forgotten. Today, they are crowded. Many people are faced with the choice of moving
remembered only as the Firstcome. away and becoming colonists or making the stars their home,
and choose the latter. The nomads fear nothing. They know
THE FIRSTCOME death is waiting on the other side of the hull and that the
The Firstcome are a diverse group of people that migrated smallest mistake could lead them to it. On the other hand,
to the Third Horizon in great colonization vessels in many they are freer than any other people – they can go any-
waves, countless years ago. The order of their arrival has
been forgotten, but tradition names Algol as the first planet
they settled on. Starting out as a rather homogenous group
regarding language and culture, they slowly grew apart over the
centuries. Today, almost every system has its own language,
although migrants and colonists spread the tongues within
the Horizon – the Conglomerate on Kua has a large Algolan
speaking minority, for example. The Icon faith is the one
constant across all the Firstcome peoples, albeit with many
different variations in practice. The Firstcome societies tend
to be centered on the extended family or the clan, but this
is beginning to change.
For a long time, the Firstcome lived only in the core systems,
but when time turned colonists into natives, new waves of
pioneers colonized the systems farther out. The war against the
First and Second Horizon stopped the spread and laid waste
to vast territories however, and the population declined during
the Long Night. Today, the Firstcome are expanding again,
as a reaction to the arrival of the Zenithians and their trade.
THE STARFARERS
The space nomads travel the Horizon in ancient ships,
often heavily modified and jury-rigged, using whatever
spare parts their engineers can get hold of. Just like other
222
THE PEOPLE OF THE HORIZON

LANGUAGE
The language of the Zenithians, Zeni, has grown into the

lingua franca of the Horizon today, as trade and commerce
are dominated by the Zenithians. Most travelers (and PCs)
speak Zeni in addition to their native tongues.
LANGUAGE SPOKEN WHERE?

Zeni Coriolis and the entire Horizon
Dabari Dabaran and in many of the systems
along the Dabaran circle
Miri Mira and Aiwaz
Kuan Kua and Coriolis
Algolan Algol, Kua, and in many systems along
the Algolan route
Zalosi Zalos
Most Firstcome today live as planet side colonists, plebe-

ians, or slummers, although a sizeable part of the popula-
tion are space nomads or stationaries, living in fleets and
swarms or on lonely space stations.
where, jump as they please, and lead adventurous lives. The

saying “a drop of nomad’s blood in you” is used to describe
wild or impulsive people. Most nomadic groups keep to
one route or territory, usually remaining within one system.
There are reports indicating that more mystics have appeared
among the nomads than elsewhere, something that would
support the theory that it is the Dark between the Stars that THE BERI NOMADS
is the source of “the Blight”.
The Beri nomads live in the relatively temperate
THE HUMANITES desert regions of Lubau’s northern hemisphere,
The humanites are a scorned and despised group. They are riding their dromedons between the oases that
modified humans created to perform certain functions or surround lake Mnembau. The Beri are suspicious
endure certain hardships better than base humans. Even toward new things, and only a few members speak
the plebeians, whose work is almost the same as that of the Zeni or own technology more advanced than a long
humanites, look down upon them. rifle. They lead a good life regardless of this, mas-
The humanites often live isolated lives, in remote colonies ters of the desert in black caftans. Outside of Lubau,
on hostile worlds or distant space stations, like the Sirb for they are mainly known for their hot chili stew with
example. Some humanites live as nomads after their employ- chicken and eggs.
ers or masters have disappeared, like the Xinghur on Lubau.
Recognizing a humanite without advanced sensors and bio-
metric scanners can be hard. Tiny sculpts like reptilian third
eyelids, extremity hearts, or modified glands are invisible
223
THE HORIZON
to the naked eye, while larger modifications usually are the

result of cosmetic sculpting on Coriolis, the independent
THE PEOPLES OF THE RIMWARD REACH
station Ahalimm or in the Algolan meat district. According to
the stories of some of the more primitive peoples, there are
The three nomad swarms in the Rimward Reach humanites that have lost almost all their humanity and have
are a motley group without a clear common agenda. become more like animals. Rumors claim that the nekatra
They are basically self-sufficient but trade when are actually the result of the Legion experimenting with
they need to, and run some rudimentary mining lupine biocode.
operations. They control a large number of ships,
but are spread across all of the Rimward Reach as THE ZENITHIANS
the new colonists have outmatched them in forming The popular saying “Everyone is a Zenithian and everyone
permanent settlements. “Swarm” is the nomadic is not” describes how many regard the Zenithian people
term for a group of space ships with a common or themselves. No one in the Horizon, with the possi-
ancestry. A swarm is normally spread over several ble exception of the hemographers in the Hegemony,
AUs. Individual vessels can leave the swarm for knows exactly how many Zenithians there actually are. It
short periods of time, but it is rare for a ship to is however obvious that a lot more people call themselves
change swarm. The three swarms of today are the Zenithians than the Zenith brought with her. Data from
warmongering Mehtar, the secretive Badjao, and the Mathematical Institute in Daddah show that there are
the Yahin-Kabu, the traders. A fourth swarm, Ahilar, more Zenithians in the Horizon than there possibly could
was lost at the beginning of the Marrab conflict, a be, given the size of the arkship. This is because many call
schism that affected the entire Rimward Reach. themselves Zenithians without actually being one.
Two generations have passed since the arrival of the
Zenith, some 60-odd cycles of marriages and couplings
between Firstcome and Zenithians that have created a
Horizon far less divided than it appears to be at the Council
of Factions.
KNOWN HUMANITES IN THE HORIZON
Although the Foundation’s biocode census indicates that as

much as 10% of the Horizon’s population carries humanite
biocode, only a few humanites are publicly known. One
known group is the Sirb, usually found on remote space sta-
tions or mining vessels. The Sirb have the ability to live as
a group without conflicts arising and can emit scent signals
that affect feelings and behaviors. The technically skilled
Xinghur have an unknown origin, but are in several ways
adapted to hot desert climates, and seem to have relatives
in the Algolan deserts. The Ichtar, who live on the Kuan
north cap, are extremely cold resistant. The Nerids in the
oceans of Sadaal can breathe under water and are used by
the Iconocracy as workers in the heavy industry located in
the planet’s oceans and marshes.
224
The Zenithian Hegemony claims to speak for all Zenithians

and offers assistance whenever it is in the faction’s inter-
ests, whether the help is appreciated or not. The best-
known example of their aid is probably the storming of THE EXPATRIATES
the Autumn Palace on Dabaran where a Zenithian noble
had applied for asylum with the emir. According to the On Amedo, far from the hub of the Horizon, lies the
press release to the Bulletin, he had been “brainwashed by dome city Xhi, home of the expatriates, on the for-
anti-Zenithian interests”. During the storming, led by an ested slopes of the Alantides. The expatriates are
Astûrban strike team, the emir and all of his family were a cult that claims direct descent from the mighty
killed, and the fleeing nobleman was escorted back to families the Zenithians left behind on al-Ardha,
the Monolith. Those who call themselves Zenithians feel but who later joined the colonists who became the
more modern than the Firstcome, although they are still Firstcome. Xhi is sponsored by the Hegemony and
Icon believers. Zenithians in other systems than Kua are has been approved as a true Zenithian colony by
often connected to colonies from Coriolis or Kua, or to a the faction. The expatriates follow the Hegemony
Consortium corporation. Some cities have whole districts with slavish discipline, and many lower-ranking
populated by Zenithian exiles, such as Little Zenith in Astûrban troopers are recruited from Xhi.
Alburz, Sadaal, or the round Par-Corioli block in Tirgonum,
Mira. The Zenithians are generally of a more pragmatic
nature than the Firstcome, and have replaced family ties
with corporations, factions and birr.
225
THE HORIZON
DAILY LIFE IN THE HORIZON

Life for the inhabitants of the Third Horizon is governed just A DAY IN THE SWARM
as much by the Icon faith as it is by location and situation. For the nomad, every day is a journey, or so the saying goes.
Most people share roughly the same daily routines and the The nomads work just as hard as the colonists and station-
division of the day into four watches: morning, day, evening aries, but enjoy the freedom of waking up to new valleys,
and night. The morning and day watches are devoted to oases, moons, or systems, depending on how the group
work and the evening watch to one’s family, the Icons, or travels. The day is not structured around the watches like
leisure. During the night watch, decent people sleep, but that of other people, although the care for the life support,
the party life continues for the privileged, students and the hydroponics and the reactors is very strict. The available
criminals. True believers start each watch with prayer, but entertainment is often indigenous to the swarm, such as
visits to a chapel or shrine usually take place at the end of leather ball, storytelling, dancing, or tarrab performances.
the day watch or during the evening. In the larger cities and News and information are acquired at stops along the way,
on Coriolis, life is rather easy in regards to supplies, food, and “what you don’t know, you don’t know”, as the smiling
entertainment and information, but the lives of colonists, efrite would say.
stationaries, nomads, and slummers are harder as one or
more of these resources may be scarce. A DAY IN THE CITY
In the cities, your social status determines everything, from
A DAY IN THE COLONY the slummers at the bottom of the ladder to the privileged
Planetside colonists struggle each and every day. Keeping the at the very top. In between the two live the plebeians, the
colony safe requires constant work on domes, survival tents, entrepreneurs and the bureaucrats. A day in the life of a
or longhouses. Resources must be gathered and stockpiled, slummer is a naked fight for survival. Whether it is about
regardless of whether it is lumber, xenoanimals, minerals, finding food, shelter, or a safe place to sleep, it never ends.
or artifacts. The day usually starts with communal breakfast Alms from the faithful make it easier, but never easy.
and prayer before the arduous labor begins. There is hardly The slummers’ perfect opposites are the privileged – rich
anything in the way of entertainment, apart from what can business owners, emirs, factionaries, and high-ranking officials
be imported by free traders – holo stories, news or, at best, who live off their savings – for whom a day is usually spent
macro tags with some Bulletin shows. The night is spent trying to expand one’s personal wealth, power, or influence.
guarding the colony against external threats. The privileged are the only ones in the Horizon who have
proper leisure time, perhaps devoted to hunting, racing or
A DAY ON THE SPACE STATION just partying. Some of the privileged apply themselves to
A day in the life of the stationary is similar to that of the studying, research, or exploration, although usually as patrons
colonist, but is centered on the space station’s endless for others who are less well off.
cycle of docking, loading, repairs, and service. The cold of Between the two extremes are the “plebeians”, the day
space, vacuum, radiation storms, and many other threats laborers, those who make sure the wheels keep turning.
force the stationaries to live and work in shifts during all From the lowliest factory worker, the carriers in the jungles
watches. When one group begins their morning watch, and mountains, and the palace cleaners, to plantation
another group crawls into bed. The lack of space onboard workers, light globe divers, and dockworkers – they are
means that food and supplies must be rationed. Perishable the ordinary people of the Horizon’s cities. Their days are
goods, other than what can be grown in the hydroponic filled with hard work from morning to evening, inter-
greenhouses onboard, are rare luxuries. The supply of news rupted only by short breaks and silent prayer. Sleeping
and entertainment such as holo dramas is usually good, is everyone’s favorite hobby, with holo dramas and drug
unless the station is very remote. use being the runners up.
226
TECHNOLOGY IN
THE HORIZON ITEMS EVERYBODY OWNS
Some items can be found everywhere in the civi-

The Third Horizon is full of technological marvels, from lized parts of the Horizon. Beggars and slummers
the primitive shepherds’ flutes found on Zamusa to the aside, most people have somewhere to live and
advanced grav belts the Miran dancers use. The most food on their plates, plus common items like tags,
basic technology is called primitive, found generally on transactors, and whatever gear they need for their
the fringes of civilized space, in the lost colonies or with profession. Transactors and tags are common meth-
certain planetside nomads. The technology that came ods of payment on Coriolis, on space stations, and in
with the Zenith is called ordinary, and the same goes larger cities. The difference between the two is that
for most of the Firstcome tech. Spaceships, exo shells, a transactor is locked to its owner’s biocode while
and grav crafts are ordinary technology. The technology a tag is anonymous, only protected by a numeric
necessary for portal jumps, such as stasis beds and com- code. Direct transfers between bank accounts are
plex ship computers, is called advanced technology. The of course available in hubs like Coriolis, but other
advanced tier also includes the different life lengthening methods are required when one is out traveling. If an
inventions, such as bio sculpting, body part cloning, and even higher level of anonymity is required, one can
certain cybernetics. use physical birr, printed by the company banks, the
factions and some of the royal courts. Birr are used
A tag for small purchases – using large sums of cash will
look suspicious, and some systems have outlawed
it all together. To gather information, take notes, or
just to read the Bulletin’s news, merchants and other
wealthy people use tabulas instead of actual paper.
A tabula is a tablet in mimetic glass that can be oper-
ated by hand or using a fancy stylus pen.
EVERYDAY TECHNOLOGY
Inhabitants of the Third Horizon interact with ordinary tech-
nology every day, using devices such as tags, transactors,
communicators, and tabulas. Only primitive tribes and back-
water colonies lack this sort of tech.
BIRR AND BIRR
TRAVEL AND SPACESHIPS
Travel, once reserved for a select few, is now blooming across Birr is the currency of the Horizon, but is actually several
all the systems. Planetside transportation varies between different currencies mixed together. Electronic transac-
the worlds – people use river barges on Kua, shuttles on tions are equal everywhere, but physical money – bills,
Dabaran, and trains on Sadaal, for example. Before the Miran Icon coins, Algolan gem spheres – vary in worth
Zenithians opened up the Horizon again, there were only depending on where you are. Locally, cash money is gen-
a handful of spaceships in operational condition, and they erally equivalent to tag-based birr, but this may not be true
belonged to larger powers such as the Order, royal courts when you travel to another system. The peddler Erbulas
in the fringe systems, or to ruthless corsairs. Interplanetary learned this the hard way when he tried to purchase Kuan
trade was rare and existed in only a few systems. The new lumber using Algolan gem spheres – in the end he lost his
era is boiling with free traders. The most heavily trafficked ship, and the spheres became ballast on a river barge.
227
THE HORIZON
The freighter Zarileh docking in port Neoptra
ARRCA STELLAR A&W DIVISION

route is that between Mira and Dabaran, a trip the bulk
haulers make regularly each segment. Big cruise liners with
The Arrca Stellar Archaeology and Weapons Division thousands of stasis beds follow the same route, but not as
– commonly just “Arrca” – is an offshoot of the often, maybe once per triad. Yachts, pleasure sloops, and
Foundation’s regular science divisions. The Arrca emirs’ cruisers carry rich passengers between safaris and
institute’s origins are somewhat mysterious, possibly exotic shopping on distant worlds, but the masses travel for
indicating that the Special Branch might have been business or for their faith. Pilgrims make up a large portion
involved in its founding. Exactly what research they of the Horizon’s travelers.
conduct and who their clients are is also unclear, but
the corporate emir, Davo par-Allalti, is often seen in COMMUNICATION
the company of Consortium factionaries, and the new To communicate in a city or on a station, most people use
Arrca base in Awadhi is under the protection of the messengers, or communicators if they can afford them.
Legion fleet. Arrca is generally considered the source Space stations have relay transmitters onboard that make
of much of the Horizon’s advanced technology. sure all communicators can reach each other, as long as
The faction technology is even more complex and their users have the identification codes necessary to find
usually kept secret. Examples of this tech are the the intended receiver. Newer cities usually have enough
antimatter rockets of the Order of the Pariah, the relays to make communicators fairly reliable, although the
Draconites’ meson weapons, and the experimental variation between cities or systems can be big. Supposedly,
giant exos being developed by the Consortium. The Lord Yionid pas-Dasmaku had to wait three whole days to
last technology tier is the glyphs and artifacts left get an audience with the matriarch of Mira because his
behind by the Portal Builders – everything from communicator was unable to reach the guard towers in
sugar globes and healing scarabs to the soletta in the Icon City.
Menkar or the fusion spheres of Anaspora. Some
Portal Builder technology is entirely incomprehen- TERMINALS AND THE NET
sible and hints at an alien physiognomy. On Coriolis and in cities with a strong Consortium pres-
228
INTELLIGENCES AND THE NET

ence, you will find the Bulletin’s terminals, connected
through the encrypted infonet. Notable exceptions include Scientists from the Foundation, the Daddah insti-
Karrmerruk on Zalos, the City of Prophets in Alburz, and tute, and other elite academies have developed
some of the more conservative dars on Dabaran. The infonet advanced intelligences that can control ships,
can also be used by computers, tabulas, and advanced drones, and other complex systems. Their inven-
transactors for information sharing, data storage or birr tions are based on old ship intelligences from
transactions. The Syndicate has just started to realize Firstcome ships and from the Zenith. According to a
that the infonet is a new arena for profit making. Apart hypothesis presented by the mathematician Ibrahim
from the infonet, smaller networks using power lines or Hadrogas, these intelligences will spontaneously
relay towers exist in the modern districts of Algol, Mira, evolve into true intelligences equal to humans and
and Dabaran, as well as on larger space stations such as humanites. This will also, Hadrogas argues, result
Djachroum. These networks are usually less reliable than in them getting a ghost or soul, which is the essence
the Bulletin’s infonet. The Algolan Zou bank was declared of being human according to the Church of the Icons.
bankrupt a few cycles ago after an overload in the AYM Networks such as the infonet are what will act as a
network fried the intelligence that administered all of the catalyst for the intelligences, says Hadrogas. This
bank’s transactions. worries some orthodox believers and several info
terminals on Algol, among other places, have been
NEWS AND COURIERS vandalized.
News has always been distributed by word of mouth in
the Horizon. Nomads, merchants, or tarrabs all spread
the news on their travels, albeit for different reasons.
The larger cities have newspapers, either in printed form
or on tabulas. When the systems began communicating
again, the free traders were the first to start spreading
news and rumors between systems, but it was the Bulletin THE BULLETIN’S COM BASE
which really organized interstellar communication when
it started supplying the portal stations with their probes. So, how does a communicator work? Personal communicators
Their ownership of the probes also means that they are the have specific codes that the caller must know in order to
ones who determine which news to spread. The probes go reach you. Some communicators are linked to the bio code
through the portals, and relays on the other side transmit of their owners, and newer ones may even be voice operated,
the data to new probes by the next portal, and so on. This like computers. Com codes are usually delivered in person
way, the news is spread through roughly one system per or on tags via messengers. On Coriolis, the Bulletin sup-
day, at least along the route between Mira and Dabaran. plies a registry on its infonet where com codes may be
Farther out, where the portal stations are less secure, stored through any info terminal. Similar code bases can
information is usually recorded on tags and carried by free be found in most larger cities or stations where the Bulletin
traders or the Ermes Courier, the Bulletin’s own courier has a network of terminals in place, such as AYM, the main
service. Sending mail is generally a slow affair. With a chain districts of the Conglomerate, the Icon City, Dar Bahri, and
of free traders eventually getting from sender to receiver, Alburz, to name a few. The wealthy have personal couriers to
a package usually takes a week, sometimes a whole seg- send messages in cities or on stations, sometimes even off
ment, to arrive at its destination. For speedy deliveries, world. This type of courier services can usually be bought
one must hire a fast courier vessel, an Ermes ship perhaps, from freelancers as well. Dignitaries and the very rich can
or one of the many other players on the courier market. also afford the powerful planetary or system communi-
Couriers are costly but fast, usually making it through a cators, with the latter working even in systems without
system in two days. satellite relays.
229
THE HORIZON
CULTURE IN THE THIRD HORIZON

The Icons and nothing else are what keep the Horizon together, one has time to spare. The privileged make sure to always
at least according to the old Firstcome proverbs, followed keep books around their homes, and some even have special
by culture and family. Yesef Megnolim, the famous agitator, reading rooms, or balconies with special light reflecting fields
summed it up well when he said “The Icons first, family around them. The very rich employ courtesans or readers to
second, and games for the people”. The different systems perform the stories for them. On Coriolis, the well-off often
share some cultural references, but what counts as good or get together to “kawah read”, meaning that they listen to a
popular differs from system to system, or even from faction to storyteller while enjoying kawah, chai, dates, and sweet fruit.
faction. The blood operas are appreciated almost exclusively The most famous writer in the Horizon is without a doubt
in the Zenithian Hegemony, while conservative factions such the secretive Mazelman, allegedly living somewhere in the
as the Order hold chant choirs in high regard. Rimward Reach to research his next book. His earlier works
The Siren’s Call, The Nightingale, and Stories From a Lost Age
MUSIC AND SONG are must-reads among the upper classes. The so-called tag
The cirra is a string instrument played all over the Horizon, its stories are very popular among the plebeians and the poor.
bright notes elevating baria ballads as well as Algolan round They are short, adventurous stories, often about brave heroes
dance. Apart from the cirra, the Horizon contains a myriad of and captains who defy evil factionaries, bureaucrats or the
instruments with local variations beyond counting, from wooden rich. The series about Captain Imsalima of the Lotus Leaf is
flutes on Mira and Algol to mechanical music machines on a best seller, and comprises about twenty parts to date with
Dabaran. The nine-string Charou lyre is a legendary instrument many shadow writers working on the project.
mastered almost only by Ahlam’s courtesans, who can bestow
both ecstasy and torment on the listener. There are two major HOLO, PROXY AND PICTORIAL MEDIA
styles of singing: the baria, melancholy and portentous, and The technology used to spread news across the Horizon is also
the kabbah, which is more dance oriented and backed by used by the entertainment industry. The Bulletin is a market
computer organs. The kabbah is all the rage in the clubs in leader here as well, through their Seven Stars studio, and people
the Core of Coriolis and in the dars of Dabaran where popular everywhere follow their popular holo dramas The Plantation
musicians such as the Gouri Brothers, the Cirras of Dartarlides Owner’s Daughter, Guesthouse Brahima, and the comedy show
and Hala-hal perform it. The stars of the baria include Honna The Avant-Kuarde, centered on the mischief and escapades of
Ibrim, Aicha, and modern legend Sani Sowal. A more obscure the students living in the Mulukhad district. Other players also
song style is the prophet songs popular on and around Mira produce and market holo films – the Iconocrats on Sadaal and
and Zalos – six bar stanzas about the words of the Icons, visions a few Algolan trade houses for example – but they are rarely up
of the future or passages from the holy scriptures. A Zalosian to Bulletin standards. The theater is very popular throughout
version of the prophet songs are the chant choirs, although the Horizon, from the street corner puppet shows on Algol to
they often end in revels of flagellation. The blood operas of the the acrobatic Miran theater. The proxy media has spread to
Zenithian Hegemony are the complete opposite – extravagant the public thanks to the Syndicate’s illegal erotic proxy trips,
compositions with huge orchestras, elevating Zenithian order but more and more proxy novellas are beginning to circulate.
and reason over the Icons. They are often of impressive quality, which hints at a big corp
or faction sponsored production.
LITERATURE AND STORYTELLING
Storytelling is just as strong a tradition as singing in the HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS
Horizon. The champions of the craft are often the tarrab, Most holidays in the Third Horizon are of a religious nature and
people similar to traveling poets or bards. Literature is also celebrate the glory of the Icons in one way or another. Since the
popular and reading is considered a noble pursuit, a sign that founding of Coriolis and the Church of the Icon’s Declaration
230
of the Sacred Rites, the dominant Icon holidays have spread to

almost the entire Horizon. Local traditions are still upheld of
course, such as the Elephant festival on Algol and the Day of
Flowers on Mira. The three big holidays in the Horizon are the
Cyclade, the Founding, and the Pilgrimaria. The Cyclade takes
place on the last day of the current year or cycle. Big parties
are organized and resolutions for the future are made. Many
choose to enter their life bonds on this day, or sign important
trade agreements. To be born during the Cyclade is considered
a sign of good fortune in life. The Founding is a day the faithful
spend in prayer, praising friends and benefactors but also passing
judgment on liars and traitors. Feuds between families, clans,
or business competitors should be settled on this day. After
sundown, processions carrying statues of the Judge and the
Gambler parade through the cities, villages, and stations. The
faithful end the day in quiet reflection.
The Pilgrimaria is the proper day to start one’s pilgrimage. For
those who have already completed theirs, or who are unable to
travel, the day is devoted to remembering the dead. In recent
years, the Algolan tradition to sculpt skulls out of fruit, sugar, or
colored clay has spread to the rest of the Horizon and what used
to be a very solemn celebration is now more festive. Dancers
with skulls painted on their bodies dance in the Core to the
sounds and flashes of firecrackers. Big fireworks shows are
common in planetside cities.
MIRAN ACROBATICS
For as long as anyone can remember, acrobatics, dancing, and

martial arts have been a part of Miran culture. The flying theaters
– acrobatic performances traditionally using advanced systems of
ropes and pulleys – tell the stories of King Macaque, Sah Mahib, the
Dancer’s incarnate, and many other often-humorous adventures.
The theaters use grav belts instead of ropes nowadays and this has
propelled the art form to new aesthetic heights. The scene where the
Dancer comes flying across the stage in a red kharonicle with flowing
veils in “Jasmine Mourning” has been described as magical by the-
ater critics, and it gave Nestera, who manufactures the grav belts, Proxi star Zhila Zaandian, most
massive publicity on Mira. famous for The Algoli Butterfly.
231
THE HORIZON
ICON BELIEF Mankind’s existence on scattered oases in the endless dark-

ness is an almost unfathomable mystery. The Icons are what fill
the void and provide comfort in the absurdity of life in the dark.
THE NINE ICONS

It is not clear exactly where the Icons come from; to the Church of Icons, they are still the same
this knowledge was lost during the exile from Icons. The nine Icons and their followers are
Al-Ardha. The Zenithians can shed no light on presented below.
the matter, but this is of no consequence to the
faithful – the fact that the Icons exist is enough. CALENDAR
The Icons link everyday life with spirituality In the Third Horizon and on Coriolis, time is
in many ways. The figurines on the altars of usually measured in cycles – or Coriolis’ Cycles,
people’s homes, the talismans on dashboards CCs – instead of years, as the length of a year
and bridges, the temples and chapels along the differs from system to system. One CC is the
trade routes, in the villages, and on the space length of a Kuan year and is divided into three
stations – all are links between the individual triads of three segments each. Each segment
and eternity. The nine Icons are worshipped is dedicated to one Icon. There is one odd day
differently depending on profession, faction and between each of the triads. These odd days are
personal beliefs. In some places they are even special holidays and are celebrated in a fashion
praised under different names but, according reflecting the coming triad’s Icons.
The Cyclade
The
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232
THE ICONS
DAR SALUB’S GRIEF
ICON SYMBOL
The Messenger Scroll Legend has it that the sultan Dar Salub on Dabaran
The Dancer Sweeping Shawl sent his son on an important diplomatic mission
The Gambler Dice during the Water Wars, but offered no tribute to the
The Deckhand Key Messenger. The son was supposed to hoist white sails
The Merchant Chalice upon his return, but forgot, and was shot down by the
sultan’s accelerator batteries. The bereaved ruler
The Judge Sword
ordered the construction of a gigantic sailing palace
The Traveler Ship
in which he had himself immured as an offering in the
The Lady of Tears Tear
hopes of good fortunes for his son in the afterlife.
The Faceless One No symbol
THE MESSENGER
The fleet-footed Messenger brings news, prayers, and omens
to wherever the faithful might be. The Messenger is por-
trayed as a pale boy with a stern face and flaming eyes. He
is sometimes depicted holding a winged messenger rod, and The Messenger
in some places he himself is portrayed with wings, such as
in the Hafra chapel on Algol, for example. He is sometimes
called the Whisperer, the one who knows all your secrets, or
the Seducer who drives people mad. Many view the Messenger
as the Icon that escorts your ghost to the afterlife when your
body dies, often as a host of sparrows or some other small
birds. Sacrifices to the Messenger are often made when a
message must be delivered or cargo secured, or together with
intercessory prayer to bring someone good luck. A common
sacrifice is the burning of a prayer written on a piece of paper
or putting a small vessel carved out of sugar in the alcove
of the Messenger in the temple. Woe to all who neglect the
temperamental Messenger.
THE DANCER
The Dancer is the Icon of inspiration and perseverance.
Sometimes woman, sometimes man, but most often
androgynous and ungendered like the hijras. The Dancer
represents the bond formed in the life union between two
lovers, but also unbridled lust when appearing as the Musician,
playing a nine-string lyre or a cirra. Darker folklore speaks of
the Beast, representing mankind’s true nature and, according
233
THE HORIZON
to some, her inherent evil. The Beast has no place in the

temples, but some of Mira’s forest nomads worship it as the
THE AFTERLIFE
Icon of strength and portray it as a dragon-like creature with
fur and nine eyes. Sacrifices to the Dancer are a small but
Philosophers, priests, and prophets everywhere exquisite meal, a dance, or a beautiful song, but preferably
debate the nature of life beyond the corporeal. To all three combined.
common people, the afterlife is a heavenly place,
reminiscent of Al-Ardha before it was destroyed THE GAMBLER
by industry and progress. Ascetics in the Circle of For the adventurous, the intelligent, and the gifted, the
Seekers dispute the existence of an afterlife alto- Gambler is a perfect fit. Curious children who speak the
gether, instead believing that the spirit is reunited truth as they see it and think quickly on their feet are the
with the Icons in the eternal Aoum. The Church of Icon’s protégées. The Icon is often pictured as a young
the Icons has no official view on the afterlife, but man stretching his hand towards you, urging you to take a
has denied all claims that the ghost or soul of a risk, to roll the dice. Myth and folklore across the Horizon
deceased can be trapped in the Dark between the usually describe the Gambler as a trickster, such as in the
Stars and transformed into a dybbuk, a sarcofagoi, forms of the Laughing Hyena on Algol, King Macaque on
or some other mythic creatures. Mira, or as juggling tarrab. The darker aspect of the Icon is
surrounded by stories of monsters and the Dark between
the Stars. On Mira, one incarnation of the Gambler is the
Ensnarer who comes for the cowardly and the weak that are
afraid to take risks in life. The Gambler appreciates simple
offerings, such as dice, Gambler cards from an Icon deck,
a mug of wine or some other kohôl. Lingering memories
from the Long Night speak of goat blood sacrifices, and
ever fouler things.
OFFERINGS
A suitable sacrifice can be just about anything one has at hand – as

long as the act of faith itself is pure – but trading in offerings is
nevertheless a lucrative business. Outside larger domes, chapels,
or temples there is usually a row of traders selling myrrh, tabak,
or olibanum incense sticks, tiny sugar sculptures holding bowls of
vinegar, bone fragments, dice, cards, decorative rope work, Algolan
paper sculptures – basically everything even faintly faith related.
The Church of the Icons has not done anything about this yet, but
concerns are being raised about the dangers of commercializing
the faith, the “Zenithism” of it all.
THE DECKHAND
The Deckhand is usually portrayed as a tired boy holding
a broom or a switch key. The Deckhand can bless homes,
The Dancer
234
ships, and stores, if they’re well-kept and the right offerings

have been made. The Deckhand protects the unfortunate
as the folklore always depicts the Icon sharing their fate –
tricked out of a well-earned reward. Some stories describe
the Deckhand a bit differently, as a rascal that disturbs
commerce, destroys electronics on ships, or makes sure the
shelves in the shops are dusty and crooked. This aspect of the
Deckhand is called the Waba, or the Fox. The best sacrifice
to the Deckhand is a well-kept shop, balanced accounts, and
meticulous service to one’s ship. In the chapels, a common
offering is to wash the altar of the Icon and read a fairytale
for the tired boy.
THE MERCHANT
The portly Merchant, an older man dressed in embroidered
silk robes, is the Icon of prosperity, forward thinking, and
success. The kind and generous side of the Icon is often
depicted as an elderly, smiling woman giving alms to the
poor. She is revered by colonists who live off the land The Gambler
and plantation owners and farmers who pray for a good
harvest. The darker side of the Merchant is the Miser who
can be found in caricature form in many plays and holo
dramas. The Miser has an insatiable lust for birr, precious
stones, and power, and is oblivious to the consequences.
Commonly, a sacrifice to the Merchant is birr (although
sometimes gold leafed sugar birr) or fancy raw materials,
delicacies or cut crystals.
THE JUDGE
An old matriarch with a grave face and a sword at her side
is the common way to picture the Judge. The Judge’s realm
is that of justice and due punishment, hence the name.
Early Icon myths name the Icon either as The Blind or the
Warden, and many believe that it is the Judge who pre-
sides over the afterlife, accompanied by the Gambler and
holding a pair of scales. The famous mosaic in the Sarras
temple on Menau depicts the Judge together with the
hyena-headed Gambler who is trying to lead the ghosts of
the dead astray. The Martyr is another aspect of the Judge
and the most important Icon to the Order of the Pariah.
The Martyr accepts unjust punishments, such as in the
story “The Woes of Chigas” where the Martyr takes Chigas’
place when Kahaz, the monster of the deep, is coming to
devour her. The only sacrifice the Judge desires is confes-
The Deckhand
235
THE HORIZON
The Merchant
sion of one’s failings and lies, and remorseful penance.

Flagellation in honor of the Martyr can be appropriate
under certain circumstances, but is almost exclusively
practiced by the Order.
THE TRAVELER
For free traders, caravaneers, explorers or colonists, the
Traveler stands for protection. The Traveler is often a man
with his eyes on the horizon, holding a walking stick, a
compass or maybe an astrograph. A Firstcome variation of
the Traveler is the Star Singer, who is a spreader of wisdom
and who anchors reality with song and story. Yet another
aspect is the Demiurge worshipped on Menkar, believed
to be the original portal creator. In this origin story, the
Portal Builders never existed, but instead it was the Icons
themselves who wove the network of gates between the
Horizons. The malicious side of the Traveler is the Spider,
who controls the web of star ways and traps reckless ship
crews in the darkness between the portals. Offerings to the
Traveler are usually a knotted hemp rope or crude string,
a figurine of a ship, a dromedon, a horse or some other
transportation craft.
THE LADY OF TEARS

The Judge On their way toward the Judge’s justice, the Lady of Tears
accompanies the dead. She also consoles the ones still
living. The Lady of Tears is a woman dressed in the white
of mourning, traces of tears still on her cheeks, but with
a mysterious smile. Her element is fire, the cleansing fire
that destroys the body to set the spirit free. A dark aspect
of the Lady is the Butcher or the Executioner, who cuts or
hacks off body parts until nothing is left, but still leaves the
ghost trapped. A less grim incarnation is the Lady of Tar,
who covers the pyre and the corpse in pitch for a quick and
intense fire. The Lady of Tears is praised with offerings of
burning myrrh, white candles, or small fires – not inside
the chapel, though.
MOURNERS AND PYRES
It is customary in the Horizon to hire mourners for the funerals

of loved ones. Preferably, one should endeavor to hire courte-
san-trained mourners, with their beautiful white silk dresses,
carrying palm leaves and flowers of the light. Mourners are a
236
The Traveler
high status profession and they are believed by many to have

a mystical contact with the Icons thanks to the nature of their
craft. Iconoscopes written by a mourner always seem to come
true. Funeral pyres or cremation is the main form of funeral rite
in the Third Horizon. According to Foundation historians, this is
probably related to the practical benefits of these methods to life
on spaceships or space stations, but the Firstcome scoff at such
heathen theories – fire is the only thing that can release the spirit
from the body, hence the tradition. Only the most holy of bones
are spared from the flames, as this will keep their saintly spirits
in the Horizon where they can continue their righteous work.
Myths about sarcofagoi who feasts on corpses – or even worse,
about bokor or necrographers who reanimate the deceased as
their slaves – is likely a part of the explanation as well. Only a few
asteroid communities or very remote space stations keep from
burning their dead, instead letting the station’s recycling sys-
tems take care of the corpses, but this is a custom of bad, almost
unholy, repute.
THE FACELESS ONE

The Seeker among the Icons is never pictured. In temples
and on Icon walls there is instead an empty place or alcove,
or an asymmetry in the placement of the other Icons. Not The Lady of Tears
so long ago, many did not even know of the existence of
the Faceless One, but the rise of the Church of the Icons
changed that. On stage, the Faceless One is portrayed
as a masked figure all in black that sneaks about the set,
rearranging the props and giving or taking away objects
from the actors. The most common aspect of the Icon is
the Shadow, although for a long time many thought of it
as an evil spirit rather than an Icon. The Shadow brings
madness by luring the soul out into the Dark between the
Stars. The anonymity of the Faceless One makes for few
sacrifices in its honor, except by those who have known and
revered the Icon for a long time, such as the Black Lotuses
of Ahlam’s Temple or the Karvor nomads in Aigi, Uharu.
A proper offering is often a mask, black or white stones,
or a drop of blood from the believer. Unsubstantiated
but persistent rumors claim that certain unsavory cults
on Mira and Dabaran worship a perverted aspect of the
Faceless One with human sacrifices to quench the Icon’s
thirst for souls.
237
THE HORIZON
THE CHURCH OF THE ICONS

The rise of the Church of the Icons has changed the way the y THE BLESSING
Icons are worshipped in the Horizon. Through the canonizing Blessing one’s home, ship, shop, or other business is done
of the holy scriptures and the Declaration of Sacred Rites, the by all believers. The blessing is especially important before
faith has been formalized in a way it never was before. The going traveling or at the start of a new year or cycle.
dark aspects of the Icons have officially been cast out, but
still remain among most of the general public. From Mira, y THE FAST
Coriolis and Dabaran, the matriarchs and patriarchs rule the During the segment of the Merchant, between dawn and
Church, living in life bonds with one another but without dusk – during the morning and day watch – the faithful
children, as they are firmly devoted to the Icons only. The must abstain from food and drink. Children and the sick
pinnacles of the faith are the sacred rites and they are equally are excused from fasting. The purpose of the fast is to
important to all believers, although local customs may weigh cleanse body and soul, but also to serve as a reminder of
in depending on system, culture and clan. material necessity.
THE SACRED RITES y THE CONFESSION

There are nine sacred rites, just like there are nine Icons, but To purify the mind, the faithful should confess their sins once
many hold prayer and blessing as the two most important per segment, preferably to an anointed priest or priestess, but
ones. The Order has their own version of the blessing, a missionary, preacher, or pilgrim could also do. No believer
incorporating elements of flagellation and martyrdom. is free from mistakes and lies, which makes the confession
a very important sacrament.
y THE MISSION
The mission is what separates the new faith from the old y THE PILGRIMAGE
ways found on Mira, Zalos, and Sadaal. The mission rite There are two holy sites that the faithful should visit at
requires a believer to leave her home and travel the Horizon least once during their lives – the Dome of the Icons
for one segment, spreading the faith. Low-ranking preachers on Coriolis and the Icon City on Mira. Many regard the
or prophets are often sent to the fringes of civilization to temple city Lotus on Dabaran as an even holier site and
serve in a chapel or monastery there, sometimes for a the Church has come under pressure to include Lotus in
whole triad. the pilgrimage.
y THE LIFE BOND y THE ALMS-GIVING

At some point during one’s lifetime, one should form a life bond Giving alms to the poor pleases the Icons and should be
with someone of the same or opposite gender. The orthodox done once per segment. A ninth of one’s income is to be
believers meant that the purpose of the life bond was to pro- given away. The alms-giving is considered one of the most
create, but this is possible regardless of gender in the Third important sacred rites on Mira.
Horizon, thanks to advanced technology such as nutri-wombs
and cloning. Divorce is forbidden. Widows and widowers are y THE PRAYER
supposed to live out the rest of their lives in mourning. The faithful should pray twice a day, at dawn and dusk. This
rule can be broken if the believer’s life is in danger or for
y THE CREED other special occasions. It is common across the Horizon
Once a year, during the Cyclade, a believer should openly for people to gather at prayer plazas and pray together. The
declare her faith by reciting the creed together with others praying person should be on her knees, and preferably on
in a temple. a prayer rug.
238
CHAPELS AND HOLY SITES ICON WALLS AND RELIQUARIES

The Horizon is full of chapels, temples, Icon walls, and sculp- In places where a chapel cannot be built for some reason,
tures. Much of the worship takes place at these sites, in you will commonly find Icon walls instead. They are simple
homes, or at spiritual focal points such as the Lotus Rock on brick walls with alcoves for the Icon statues. Icon walls are
Dabaran or the Holy Grove in Alchai. Pilgrims flock to three often built on holy sites, such as on top of the remnants or
major holy sites: the Dome of the Icons on Coriolis, the Icon catacombs of an earlier temple. Some of the older temples
City on Mira, and Lotus on Dabaran. The Crater Dome on have vast networks of catacombs underneath them where
Algol is smaller and mainly visited by local pilgrims, but the holy bones are buried. These catacombs may also contain
news of its holiness is spreading. hidden reliquaries where precious gift or offerings are kept,
usually under guard by preachers, warrior monks, or just
THE ICON CHAPEL
the watchful eyes of the Icons. On ships and stations, there
may not always be room for a proper chapel, but there is
The typical chapel is an open, octagonal building with eight or nine almost always a prayer room or an Icon wall onboard. Many
alcoves in a large room. The alcoves contain statues of all the Icons believers would not set foot on a ship that didn’t have some
except the Faceless One. The chapels usually have high ceilings, form of space dedicated to the Icons, which makes such
supported by a pillar in each alcove, and it is common that they have ships rare. In the fifth L-point above Melik lies the temple
an opening in the ceiling where the sun or the stars can be seen. of Horizon’s End, which its proprietors claim to be unique
The local priest or preacher will usually live in a building adjacent in all the Horizon: the visiting pilgrims can meditate and
to the chapel, although only missionaries or pilgrims tend to very pray with only an ED field between them and empty space,
remote sites. No matter how small the dome, chapel or temple is, under the flames of the Melik sun.
they always contain a common room where the faithful can relax
and spend time together, with food, chai, hookahs, or just a few SPIRITUALITY AND SCHISMS
chairs. Many chapels also have fountains or, in the Algolan fashion, Despite the Church’s efforts, the Icon faith is not a uniform reli-
raked stone gardens. Special courtesan temples exist on Mira gion but filled with variations, deviations, and schisms. Common
where more intimate acts are allowed, something the modern parts people regard the Icons as multifaceted and unpredictable,
of the Church want to ban. capable of both blessings and curses. This is firmly denied by
the Church of the Icons through all the teachings of their mis-
sionaries, preachers, and prophets – nothing bad can come from
TABLE 10.1 SACRED RITES ACCORDING TO THE CHURCH OF THE ICONS
SACRED RITE ICON FREQUENCY
The Mission The Messenger Once in life, during at least one segment.
The Life Bond The Dancer Once in life.
The Creed The Gambler Each year during the Cyclade.
The Blessing The Deckhand Each year during the Cyclade.
The Fast The Merchant From dawn to dusk during the segment of the Merchant.
The Confession The Judge Each segment.
The Pilgrimage The Traveler Once in life.
The Alms-giving The Lady of Tears Each segment.
The Prayer The Faceless One Twice daily.
239
THE HORIZON
the Icons, mankind itself and the Dark between the Stars are the
roots of evil. At present, there are two major schisms dividing
the faith: the Emissary from Xene and Oikoumene as Nadjim.
THE CATACOMBS OF ZARANDJ
y THE TROUBLESOME EMISSARY
The Zarandji catacombs on Dabaran are said to con- The ghosts from the gas giant Xene, often described as either
tain rich offerings made by the wealthy neighboring spirits or spectral phenomena, have recently declared themselves
dars before the temple was destroyed in the Portal the “emissaries” of Xene. There are officially five of them, but
Wars. Many archaeologists and grave robbers have rumors claim that there are really nine altogether and that the
gone in search of the fabled riches but have come Foundation and the Consortium are hiding the truth. One of
out empty-handed – if they were lucky enough to the Emissaries has named itself the Judge incarnate, which
come out at all. the Order of the Pariah views as heresy since the Judge – in
its Martyr aspect – is the only Icon they worship. The Order
has put the Foundation and the Consortium under pressure to
extradite the Emissary, threatening to send their antimatter
armed warships to the Kua system.
240
y OIKOUMENE AS NADJIM THE FAITH OF THE FACTIONS

In the last few cycles, a new subject has sparked debate The religious practices of the factions differ greatly. The
among philosophers and preachers, especially in the Rimward Firstcome factions are all dominated by religious and mys-
Reach in the Kua system. The matter concerns whether or tical ideas but in different forms. Two factions praise only
not humanites are the spiritual equals of base humans. The one Icon – the Draconites who worship the Executioner, and
issue was first brought up when new colonists questioned the Order of the Pariah who bow only to the Martyr. There
the nomads’ religious rhetoric. The prophet Ndina addressed are even some different practices within the Church of the
the issue in a sermon, and the five head preachers in the Icons, where the marginalized cult of the Circle of Seekers
Rimward Reach were quick to outline new teachings for the view the Icon faith as a rough but practical simplification of
nadjim, the humanites. An ecumenical assembly, Oikoumene the great mystery of life, and that each Icon is its own way to
as Nadjim, is being organized to establish that there is no enlightenment. The Zenithian factions distance themselves
spiritual difference between humanites and base humans. from the Icons, but not openly – for strategic reasons. An
Invitations to the assembly have been sent out to knowledge- exception to this is the Foundation, which is in direct opposition
able preachers and prophets across the Horizon, as well as to a worldview where the Icons have any power at all. Their
to the matriarch and patriarch of Mira. So far, there is no hardline scientific convictions have put them on a collision
consensus on the matter. course with the Order of the Pariah.
241
THE HORIZON
THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE

To most of the Horizon’s inhabitants, the Icons are a real force or its symbol. Just like offerings, talismans can be bought in
to worship and placate in order for life to function. Many the street markets outside most temples and chapels. The
people have their own favorite Icon – one that has helped Talisman Market in Icons City is known for its many differ-
them through hard times or brought them luck. A sacrifice ent and exotic interpretations of the Icons. Many pilgrims
can be made to one’s favorite Icon before an important wish to return from their pilgrimage with a talisman that
event that normally wouldn’t fall under that specific Icon’s has been blessed in the Dome of the Icons. For a talisman
general niche – praying too often to a multitude of Icons is to have holy power, it must be blessed in a temple before
said to bring bad luck and to nourish the Dark between the the right Icon, accompanied by the proper offerings. The
Stars. Common people believe that the Icons – contrary to talismans are usually left in the temple for one whole day,
the Church’s rhetoric – have more than one face, and are as and to take a talisman during this time is one of the stron-
prone to anger as they are to generosity. Sometimes, it can gest taboos in the Horizon. It is common for people to put
be wise to honor an Icon with offerings just to ward off its their talismans back on the altar during religious festivals
gaze. Take care not to treat the Judge this way however: the to recharge their holy power.
Judge is an Icon that doesn’t take kindly to false worship.
ICONOSCOPES AND PROPHECIES
THE UGLY ONE
For each of the Icons, there is a segment in the calendar and
in the sky. The constellations of an Icon can vary between
There is an old story about a peddler who tried to trick the Merchant systems, as some of them are so far apart that the night sky
in order to turn a greater profit. With offerings and wailing prayers shows different stars. It is widely accepted that Iconoscopes
he purported to be on the brink of financial ruin. This was a lie, and – descriptions of how the stars in the segment of one Icon
instead he made huge amounts of money selling the cargo that was or another interact with other stars along the ecliptic – can
bestowed upon him. The Merchant eventually found out and was predict someone’s future. Iconoscopes are personal and
very angry. A fire broke out on the peddler’s ship that destroyed centered on the most important Icon in someone’s life.
half of his face. To this day, “The Ugly One” is said to be traveling the Crafting an Iconoscope is a complex process with more
Horizon as a prophet, warning of the righteous wrath of the Icons. exceptions than rules. The techniques vary between systems
and cultures, and a sibyl or oracle from one system may have
a difficult time trying to read the stars in another system.
Making an Iconoscope for someone who didn’t ask for it is
TABOOS taboo, as is trying to read one’s own future. There are also
There are many taboos in the Horizon, connected to the methods of soothsaying that don’t involve the stars. Using
Icons’ vengeful tendencies. Certain things must not be done, an Icon deck to read the future in the cards drawn is one
or even mentioned – to speak of the Dark between the Stars method, while arithmetic is popular on Dabaran. Arithmetic
is among the worst things one can do, for example. Instead, is the art of using unworldly numbers and algorithms to
people use metaphors or euphemisms. Other taboos include predict the future. The true mathematicians of Dabaran
certain foods, not showing generosity or hospitality, refusing regard arithmetic with disdain, but the practice is in wide
to accept gifts, and speaking ill of the Icons. circulation on the planet.
TALISMANS LOCAL ICONS

Believers often carry talismans representing their favorite Almost wherever you go, you will find local Icon variations
Icon or the Church of the Icons. Talismans are holy items not acknowledged by the Church or orthodox believers. In
and are often miniature sculptures or portraits of the Icon some systems, one Icon takes precedence over all others –
242
such as the Martyr on Zalos – and in some places, important

figures in society have been elevated to an almost god-like
position, such as Iconocrat Aremerat on Sadaal for example.
Certain primitive Firstcome tribes interpret elemental beings,
strange phenomena, or wild spirits as Icons, of which the
Azaäleans in the Kuan jungles, Ba-yinn the Star Snake or the
Ouroboros all are examples. The Kandah cloud in the Rimward
Reach and the winking pulsar outside of Algebar are both
considered holy by nomads. Regardless of local customs,
the nine Icons exist in every system, albeit under different
names. Only in a few cases has a local Icon replaced one of
the original nine – an important ancestor, some lesser deity
or even a spirit or djinn. In the Yastapol system, Ekaterina,
a dead malika, has replaced the Judge. Ekaterina represents
justice, but also fertility.
SPIRITS
AND MYTHS
Superstition is common everywhere in the Horizon. With
the possible exception of the most ardent disbelievers in
the Foundation, the Dark between the Stars makes every-
one nervous. Stories of black magic, necromancy, and dark
covenants involving blood-curdling rituals or mechanical
cadaver clocks are common among the Firstcome people.
Some scientific studies have even found signs of similar
mythology among semi-intelligent species such as ekilbri
and skavara. The universe is also thought to harbor many
other things that the Foundation’s sensors and tomographs
cannot explain. Black birr, hadra clouds, djinni, and maajib
are all signs that the world is not at all simple or easy to
comprehend.
DJINN
The djinn turn up in almost all Firstcome fairy tales and
myths, although sometimes as yin, jinni, janna, or bokor.
Djinn are thought to be unpredictable spirits, full of tricks.
In folklore, the djinn are sent by the Icons to assist heroes
or punish tyrants and liars. They often show up as mirages,
whirlwinds, or just a shimmering in the air, but they are said
to be able to take human form, or even the forms of snakes
243
THE HORIZON
or winged creatures, visible only at the corner of your vision

THE SMILING EFRITE
as they shoot past you. The djinn are thought to be able to
possess humans and control their actions. It is believed that
There is one exception to the common myth of the it was a malicious djinn who caused the prophet Maluk’s
evil efrite – the tale of how the smiling efrite met the madness, in which he slaughtered his whole congregation.
storyteller Salimede. The efrite was so enchanted The most dangerous of the djinn, according to the prophet
by her stories, and the fact that she gave him her Hauram, is the efrite, who seeks out catacombs or space
little finger as a gift, that he promised to only help stations where corpses aren’t cremated in order to possess
people from that day forward, as long as they told their inhabitants – living or dead.
him a good story. The smiling efrite is said to show As mentioned, not all djinn are evil – some of them can
up around festivals or circus visits, but you just even be of great help. The Nine Muses, masters of all the arts
might find him in a quiet cantina as well, waiting for of pleasure, are spirits often worshipped by courtesans who
a story. In return, the efrite will make the storytell- pray for success in their profession. The marids, or maajib, are
er’s travels easier. arrogant djinn with almost Iconic powers who are said to grant
wishes, if you can pay the price. The Silver Fox is a trickster
spirit, thought by many to be an aspect of the Deckhand. It
is said to dwell among forested hills, where it takes the form
of a beautiful man or woman to lure unsuspecting travelers
down into its hole. The guests are offered cups of chai or
kawah and then bewitched, or possessed. Judicator Ahmedi
testified to finding the bodies of several children in a hole
in the ground just outside of the Conglomerate when the
SYMPTOMS OF A POSSESSION
serial killer Atali roamed the planet. The hole also contained
fox droppings. Ahmedi was so shaken by the whole affair
When an evil djinn possesses a human, there is precious that he turned in his badge and went to lead an ascetic’s
little time to call for a preacher to perform an exorcism. The life in the jungle.
signs of a possession can be many, but in some cases it is
only a high fever. SORCERERS
Apart from spirits and djinn, there are many other stories
SYMPTOMS: about the dark arts in the Horizon. Parents on Kua and Coriolis
◆◆ Lingering pain in different parts of the body, even though scare their children with tales of the man-eating spirits that
the medicurgs can find nothing wrong. primitive Firstcome called sarcofagoi. In other versions, the
◆◆ Hallucinations. sarcofagoi are spirits who infiltrate spaceships on long hauls,
◆◆ Depression. turning the crew against each other and sowing madness.
◆◆ Cannot stand to hear the holy scriptures or the creed When the crew has finally killed each other in their mania,
being recited. the sarcofagoi feast on their corpses. Other sorcerer figures
◆◆ Constant nightmares, for example about black dogs, in folklore are the bokor, who can reanimate dead cadavers.
cats, snakes etc. They are said to hang around slums and tent towns in cities
◆◆ Mood swings. such as Akhander-O-Sharif and the Conglomerate. When it
◆◆ High fever and disorientation. comes to the now extinct faction, the Nazareem’s Sacrifice,
the worst evils imaginable are mixed with a certain amount
of truth. It is commonly believed that they practiced human
sacrifice, performed dark rituals, and formed unholy alliances
with evil spirits and djinn.
244
BAIJAM’S FALSE FACE
Baijam’s False Face is a well-known myth in the

Third Horizon. It is a story about the ability to change
one’s face, which is an act most believers would think
utterly depraved and heretical. Some religious ideas
locate a person’s spirit or ghost in the lines of the
face, or as Hauram’s third book declares: “Without
your eyes and your smile, you are alone before the
Icons”. Some say that Baijam is a darkmorph, a
daimon, djinn, or diyub, that through changing the
face of its possessed host can steal the ghost. Others
believe that Baijam is actually one of the black sec-
tor’s most successful biosculpts, designed for infil-
tration and assassinations. The fact that Bajiam is an
anagram from Maajib, which means both “shadow”
and “master” and happens to be the name of the
biocode magistra from Ahalimm that recently went
missing only serves to further the whispered
speculations. It is rumored that Maajib created the
sculpt for a traveling tarrab, as a masterpiece to
complete her training under master Herodes Afrat.
245
CHAPTER 11
coriolis
Coriolis! Jewel and beating heart of the Horizon, cradle and holy shrine of the
Zenithian civilization. Only the Icons themselves can outshine this, the most
glorious wonder under the stars. O, Coriolis, your palaces are magnificent and
your halls regal – you are my greatest love!
ODE TO CORIOLIS – Galbarul

THE HORIZON
The Coriolis space station is the hub of the Third Horizon, in more ways
than one: it was from this place that the Zenithians brought the Horizon
back to life. The station lies at the intersection of all the major trade
routes, and houses both the Council of Factions and many other rulers.
when the zenithians stripped their arkship for parts and ◆◆ GOVERNANCE: The Governor rules the station with the help of the
created the colossus that would become Coriolis station, Council of Factions and the will of the taxpayers through the 2,001
they had no idea what it would mean to the Horizon. During seats of the Popular Assembly. Taxes are optional, and are usually
the first cycles of the station’s existence, many areas were paid collectively by a company, clan, or other group to get a vote on
empty and uninhabited. Over time, the station filled up with the Assembly, but a number of wealthy individuals also hold seats
activity and experienced a cultural boom – while decaying – 732 people as of CC61. The price of a vote on the Assembly was
at the same time. From the deep echoes of the Cellar to the 9,000 birr in CC61. The Popular Assembly votes on issues where
floors in the Spire mimicking real planetary nature under blue the Governor and the Council need the support of the people. The
holo skies, the Coriolis of today is a melting pot of Algolan Assembly always gets to vote in legislative matters.
refugees, masked Sadaalian bureaucrats, and wealthy pashas
from Sivas and Dabaran.
FACTS ABOUT THE STATION

HISTORY
The Coriolis station was constructed from the corpse of the
◆◆ POPULATION: According to the census of CC61, Coriolis has arkship Zenith that arrived in the Third Horizon some 60
521,465 permanent residents. The number of occupants with cycles ago. Portions of the Zenith’s components and gear
temporary residence permits was at the time of the census were taken by the Quassar family down to the Monolith on
189,453. Semi-intelligences and slummers in the Cellar were Kua, and some went with the Draconites when they broke the
not included in the census, but their numbers are kept low by the chain of command onboard and vanished into the void. Left
purges of the Coriolis Guard. in the remnants were the seconds-in-command, the Yriedes
◆◆ PHYSICAL DATA: The station measures 6,136 meters from the clan, and the newly awoken colonists who together formed
Cellar to the top of the Spire. The diameter of the Ring is 3,540 the Consortium. Coriolis was constructed as a signal to the
meters and that of the Core is 1,500 meters at its widest point. entire Horizon that a new era was dawning – and because
The four larger plazas are 604 meters in diameter. it was a practical use of the Zenith’s cadaver. The leftovers
◆◆ CALENDAR: One Coriolis Cycle is divided into 336 days. Each day became the Net, the reloading port that floats outside the
is divided into watches of six hours each – morning, day, evening, station. In a show of Zenithian fellowship, Coriolis was parked
and night. The cycle is divided into nine 37-day segments, each in a geostationary orbit above the Monolith, with the Spire
devoted to one Icon. Each segment ends with an extended rest pointing towards the top of the black column below. This is
period, and after each triad – three segments – a special holiday how it all began.
is celebrated. The three holidays are the Founding, the Cyclade
(or New Year’s Eve), and the Pilgrimaria. TIMELINE
◆◆ LAW AND ORDER: The Coriolis Guard is the keeper of the peace,
CC EVENT
both on the station and in the surrounding space, and is under
the direct control of the Governor. The Judicators, who have -5 The Zenith arrives in the Dabaran system.
extensive authority to investigate, make arrests, and, in some 0 The Consortium begins the construction of Coriolis.
Desmond Yriedes becomes the station’s first Governor.
cases, punish the guilty parties at the scene of the crime, handle
5 The fleets of the Legion and the Zenithian Hegemony
serious criminality. The Judicators answer to the courts, who are
engage in combat in the Hamura system with none of
independent from the Governor and the Council, but who rule in the combatants gaining the upper hand. Tere Mezzina
accordance with the laws of the station. becomes the second Governor of Coriolis.
248
CORIOLIS
7 The Legion and the Consortium form a defense pact.

8 The Legion and the Zenithian Hegemony signs a treaty
to form a non-aggression pact.
10 Construction of the Coriolis station is completed.
14 The Free League faction is founded as a partner to the
Consortium.
17 Moratio Ischara becomes the third Governor of Coriolis.
21 All other factions are invited to send representatives to the
Council of Factions.
26 Absina Lekteli becomes the fourth Governor of Coriolis.
34 The main trade routes through the Horizon are secured by
the Legion. The Governor of Coriolis signs the Free Trader
Treaty that gives anyone the right to use the star portals
and forbids any one group from seizing control of a portal.
36 Xander Korrida becomes the fifth Governor of Coriolis.
41 The Order of the Pariah blocks the portals in their home
system Zalos, but after being pressured by the other
Council members, they back down and guarantee that
the Free Trader Treaty will be respected. Ships can pass
through Zalos again, but are heavily escorted and not
permitted to dock. Reports slip out of the system about
horrible events on Zalos, but the Order has no comment on
the matter, as it is an internal affair. The Council has had to
accept the situation since the Order lifted the blockade.
42 Nihara Korinth becomes the sixth Governor of Coriolis.
51 The Order of the Pariah opens the Samaritan Medical
Academy on Coriolis, as well as launching a poverty relief
program and a sanatorium for the hyper sick adjacent to
the school.
52 Jalaman Ho becomes the seventh Governor of Coriolis.
58 There are riots in the streets, started by unpatriotic groups
backed by anti-republican interests. The Guard restores
order, but is unable to arrest the real instigators.
59 The Judicators are formed with the aid of the Zenithian
Hegemony, and go to work supported by new legislation
against organized crime and anti-patriotic activity. The
Popular Assembly removes Jalaman Ho as Governor
through a vote of no confidence. Iria Shuliamaran
becomes the eighth Governor of Coriolis.
60 The ghosts from Xene are discovered, and the
Foundation makes the first formal contact with the
spectres from the depths of the gas giant. The Governor
orders the Guard to perform a series of purges of the
Cellar, as it has become a hiding place for slummers
and semi-intelligences that refuse to accept the laws
of the station. Kemal Dargosian becomes the ninth
Governor of Coriolis.
61 Emissary Alam from Xene arrives at Coriolis and is granted
observer status on the Council. Contact with the colonies in
the Taoan system is lost and the Consortium, the Colonial
Agency, and the Foundation organize a rescue mission.
249
THE HORIZON
CORIOLIS STATION Coriolis is divided into three parts, not counting the Cellar.
From the top down they are the Spire, the Core, and the
Ring. Each part has its own distinctive style and atmosphere,
but the friendly and welcoming Coriolis residents are
everywhere. The three parts are described below, from
the point of view of the arriving traveler.
THE RING
The Ring of the station is huge, and running rity checkpoints and three customs stations.
along its whole extent is the Promenade, the Customs officers and members of the Guard
bustling street of boutiques and shops that keep close tabs of everyone entering or leaving
characterizes Coriolis. The Promenade is best the station – travel papers are scanned with
accessed from one of the four plazas located tabulas and luggage is inspected. The customs
where each of the four spokes connect to the station is where you pay for weapon licenses and
Ring. Taking a taxi or a grav chair is an excellent livestock or semi-intelligences import fees, and
way to get there, if you can pay. The Promenade they can be used as quarantine stations in the
is usually very crowded, making grav chairs, event of disease. There are heavily reinforced
rickshaws, or walking the best modes of trans- bulkheads between the customs stations and the
portation. rest of the station that can be closed in case of
a threat, but they have never been used so far.
NEOPTRA SPACEPORT Many of Coriolis’ residents work in the Neoptra
The largest of the four commercial spaceports port, and some even live there – beggars, cour-
on Coriolis is the Neoptra, located on the Ring tesans, and one or two prophets. The port is also
just below the Spice Plaza. Each of the plazas frequented by several chambalas, con artists who
connects to one of four larger spaceports, but make their living pestering naïve travelers. The
there are many private ports as well, especially balcony at the very top of the port is called the
in the Spire. The Neoptra is usually the first Balustrade. Fancy ships that can’t afford their own
impression a visitor gets of Coriolis, and the private docks use this level, which also houses a
current Governor has had it modernized and walkway with a mighty view of Kua through a
renovated with shining floors in white Kuan sapphire glass window, like a lush, green sun in
marble and beautiful bas-reliefs on the sturdy the emptiness.
pillars that support the many balconies that
make up the space port’s different levels. The y STEVEDORE CENTRAL
outer parts are still kept practical of course, Below the ground floor of the spaceport runs
strictly armanite bulkheads and riveted plating. the maze of corridors and loading bays used
Inside the crescent-shaped balconies that follow for storage and distribution of imported goods,
the arch of the outer hull is a large terminal commonly known as Stevedore Central. The
full of small cantinas, shops, market stalls, and slightly larger bays used by the loaders who
carts – a sort of miniature of the larger plazas. work the Net are also found here. Stevedore
The terminal has several large exits with secu- Central is shot through with crawlways, ladders,
250
CORIOLIS
and vent shafts running like ant trails below the spaceport.
The stevedores who work here can find their way through
these secret passages and get between the loading bays and
the port above, but an outsider would become lost almost
immediately. MISSING CARGO
THE PROMENADE During the last few segments, cargo has gone miss-
The Promenade is a walkway running along the entire Ring, ing from the warehouses below Stevedore Central,
full of both living modules and shops. Family-run businesses usually small quantities of luxuries such as fresh
are common, and many people live where they work, or close foods or delicacies. No one knows who the thief is,
by. The Promenade itself is wide, with high ceilings, almost but one of the stevedore aqbars, Xiu XiCharma from
reaching the top of the Ring. Bridges, wires, and the occasional Lubau, has been tasked with finding out. She has
grav chair cross between the walls above the crowd as some been unsuccessful so far and is considering looking
of the higher levels have balconies with smaller walkways, for external help. The skavara Rauw, the stevedores’
shops and cafés. Public transportation in the Ring exists in mascot and lucky charm, has also gone missing – is it
the form of the Ring tube, a fast cablecar service. There is a all somehow connected?
tube station at each of the four plazas as well as one in the
Core. The tickets to go through the Core are more expensive,
so most people prefer to go half a lap around the Ring if they
need to get to the other side.
The living modules on the Ring are small, rarely larger than
two rooms for a big family sleeping in shifts. The living modules
form a mosaic of criss-crossing stairs, balconies, balustrades
and rope bridges above the Promenade, crowded with people
going about their daily chores, children playing, and dogs and
monkeys jumping around. Clotheslines share the airspace with
beautiful fabric roofs over balconies, and the noise and chatter LOCATIONS AND SERVICES IN THE SPACEPORT
from the Promenade below can be heard at all hours.
◆◆ The infirmary run by the medicurg Leio
THE SPICE PLAZA ◆◆ The “Journey’s End” cantina, famous for its shish kabab
As hinted by the name, the Spice Plaza is the place for all ◆◆ The Free League’s exchange and bank office, where birr
forms of spice trade on Coriolis, but the marketplace also and travel currency can be bought
hosts a wide variety of fruit and vegetable vendors. The Spice ◆◆ The “Oasis” courtesan and massage salon, owned by the
Plaza offers exotic flavors from all corners of the Horizon, madrigga Ahia
but especially from Kua: fresh bananas, shiny green melons, ◆◆ An Icon chapel
mangos, burs, hevon fruit, dried figs and dates, coconut, fresh ◆◆ The cargo blocks, storage units for light cargo awaiting
moist cinnamon, nuts, and almonds. The tiny stalls display customs inspection
beautiful trays of deep red paprika, intense saffron, peppers ◆◆ Guard point 13, where captain Karou oversees spaceport
in every color, chili powder, and cumin seeds. Foreign spice security
mixes from near and far are introduced into the Kuan cuisine ◆◆ Giakovo’s kawah trolley, with fresh ground kawah
via the Spice Plaza: Algolan kurrah, berberi mix from Lubau, ◆◆ Customs point 1, where weapon licenses are acquired
smoked paprika from Sadaal, and many others. Bakeries, ◆◆ The shuttle service Monolith Round-trips, offering quick
pastry shops, baklava carts, and honey trolleys surround but expensive transport from the Balustrade
the plaza on all sides. Baklava and other filo-based pastries
251
THE HORIZON
Everything can be bought for

birr on The Promenade
252
CORIOLIS
TABLE 11.1 ENCOUNTERS IN THE SPACEPORT
D6 NAME PROFESSION CHARACTERISTICS ACTIVITY MOTIVATION
1 Rawa Stevedore Sweaty Searching Love

2 Dafor Guard Scratches nose Has a job to do Sweet, sweet birr
3 Ibramir Street peddler Rolls eyes In a hurry A secret
4 Mirah Traveler Nervous Looking for a bargain Debt
5 Zarah Street preacher Angry Preaching loudly Salvation
6 Absalem Merchant Smells of arrash Looking for an opportunity Living true
are the main products sold here, and even people from the THE SPRING PLAZA
wealthy Spire come here for a taste of Saba Khouri’s mas- The crown jewel of the Spring Plaza is the magnificent fountain
terful baking. Every year there is a bake-off on the plaza, the at its center. The fountain was gifted to the people of Coriolis
Baklava Championship, to which bakers from Kua as well as by dar Bahari, and its gentle babble lends a soothing calm to
from systems farther away come to compete. Spices, syrup, the nearby cantinas, kawah shops, and taverns. The Spring
and the proper amount of cloves, sourness or more exotic Plaza is not only a marketplace for exotic goods, but also
ingredients like stone licorice, smoked kas-myrrh, or ginger for ideas. Poets, prophets, tarrabs, writers, and many others
flowers are the topics of lively debate and heated arguments. from the world of the arts gather here. Cafés like Osmano’s,
Leverte’s, and Buthro’s are hotspots for discussions about
y LIVESTOCK AND PETS politics, factionary gossip, or the latest holo dramas from
At the side of the plaza you will find a few large buildings, the Bulletin. The discussions blend with open agitation from
almost like hangars, full of all sorts of cages and enclosures. opinion makers and chanting from prophets and preachers as
This is Coriolis’ famous livestock market, where large live- well as with the latest shows and performances by acrobats,
stock auctions are held once a week. A smaller market for fire-eaters, or painters. When the evening watch begins and
semi-intelligences is located on the lower levels that connect the holo sky above the plaza darkens, lanterns are lit, sugar
to the Kasitra freighter port. Nekatra and ekilbri are most globes are submerged in jars of colored syrup, and the grills
common here but on rare occasions shipments of skavara are prepared for the evening meal. The goods marketed on
will pass through. Yasmian’s Pets is a small pet store adjacent the Spring Plaza are mainly of an artistic nature: paintings,
to the livestock market. Yasmian markets just about every sculptures, Algolan paper birds, clay hydras from Sadaal, clock
pet and animal companion there is, from Tersinian snuggle birds from Dabaran, and autonomous abaci from the polytech-
mice, feather snakes, Algolan dogs, and parrots to song nicians on Aiwaz mixed with miniature Algolan prayer towers,
finch, white thrush, sloi fish, and coral carp. Pet food and Icon mosaics from distant Eanu, prayer beads carved by the
beautifully adorned cages and aquariums are available as eternally patient monks in the dusty temples on Amedo, and
well, and direct transport from the store can be arranged. reliquaries smuggled out from Zalos, maybe even containing
the bones of one of the famous martyred holy warriors.
y SOUK ALESH
The station’s official free trader market, the Souk Alesh, is y ARCHAEOLOGY ALLEY
located just off the Spice Plaza, in the outer blocks of the Archaeology Alley is an arc-shaped alley that connects to
Ring. The Souk’s warehouses and docks cover several floors, the Spring Plaza and is crammed full of strange and curious
but the public face of the operation looks roughly like a large finds for sale – sometimes replicas, but real sugar globes and
bazaar, full of brokers, so-called khabara, loudly yelling out sometimes even healing scarabs or infinito cubes can be found
their cargos and missions. here. It is illegal to trade in unregistered finds, but rumors
253
THE HORIZON
TABLE 11.2 ENCOUNTERS ON THE SPICE PLAZA
1 Yosoufa Khabara (broker) Looking for a profit Having a bad day A contract
2 Melkar Animal trader Wrinkled Looking for a runaway animal Finding a lost protégé
3 Simah Pastry chef Proud On a delivery Renown
4 Nastassia Baker Clicks tongue Is baking something A win
5 Hewul Servant Chews lip Carrying an important package Obedience
6 White Eye Ekilibri Huggy Looking for food The pack
say that robber diggers use the Alley to unload their ill-gotten THE MARKET PLAZA
gains. Portal Builder items and unidentified objects are strictly The common people of Coriolis visit the Market Plaza to do
forbidden in the Alley, and judicators often pass through here to their daily shopping or just to meet up with friends. From
keep an eye on the operation. The Alley’s many antiques dealers, the day watch onwards, the many cantinas and taverns open
bookshops, and curiosity shops close when the evening watch their doors. Grills are lit, the shish kabab is put on rotation,
begins, their owners and customers continuing their debating and the nicer places prepare lamb, rabbit, or byrro for spit
and haggling in cafés such as Burhan's or Farid’s on the Spring roasting. Taverns such as Ila’s, Samira’s, and Rayhan’s are
Plaza over the comforting purr of the hookahs. packed full already at lunchtime, so one has to be quick to get
a table. Smiling old men, wrinkled ladies, and bearded wabas
y THE STAIRDOM come early to the taverns to play tavli, shah, or other dice
The block between the Spring Plaza and the inner bend of the and board games. The plaza also houses many smokehouses,
Ring belongs to the artists and poets. It is a towering complex and the smell of smoked meat, fish, sausages, greens, and
of living modules painted in bright colors with splashes of white spices is heavy all over. The wine houses Fidon, Hemerra,
here and there, in the fashion of the whitewashed sanctuaries and Qui-Nestera have several wine cantinas on the plaza
on Amedo. Between the sloping roofs, porches, balconies, and where soothing rosé or hot chamba is served depending on
ledges runs a tangled network of stairs and ladders. If you need the season. Fudaila’s cantina in Jasmine alley is among the
a poet or perhaps an artist, this is where to go, but be careful most popular, and its small balcony surrounded by thick,
not to get lost. climbing jasmine is always full. The tabak isle on the plaza
TABLE 11.3 ENCOUNTERS ON THE SPRING PLAZA
1 Loma Acrobat Full-body tattoos Putting on a show Fame

2 Samrat Historian Scratches beard Is in doubt Academic honesty
3 Koanah Writer Smells of myrrh Doing research The next book
4 Almaki Poet Intense stare Reciting poems Vengeance
5 Hamsha Singer Covered in bells Flirts Birr
6 Mouno Archaeologist Stressed Searching An artifact
254
CORIOLIS
is the place for all things tabak-, cigar-, or hookah-related.

To the connoisseur, dol-Hassan’s Tabakery is the number TURF WAR
one location, mostly thanks to their divine cherry blends.
A series of fires have recently plagued the Market
THE OZONE PLAZA Plaza and the nearby Promenade. The Guard has
The market in the Ozone Plaza is dedicated to technological had to dispatch their fire drone almost every day.
gizmos and gadgets, big and small. Loud bartering from the The ventilation systems are set to full effect, but
many tents and stalls mingles with the hoarse laughter from everyone is coughing and the smell of smoke still
off-duty Legionnaires, the purring hookahs, and the rhythmic lingers. The spokesperson for the plaza vendors,
chinking from the sequin dresses of the belly dancers. Many Hasman Erbul, has written a letter to the Governor
visitors to the plaza are more or less openly armed, which is demanding an end to the gangs’ turf war, as it is
uncommon anywhere else on the station. The Guard avoids the widely accepted that this is the cause of the fires.
Ozone Plaza and instead one will spot patrols from the Lama Everybody knows that both the Arhama and the
gang moving arrogantly about the place, distinguishable by Goro gangs are challenging the Wark for control of
their black-tattooed lips. A judicator or two will occasionally the Market Plaza, but all three outfits deny having
come down here to keep an eye on things. anything to do with the fires. Is there a pyromaniac
The Ozone Plaza is the place to go for all your technological on the station?
needs – and, despite the name, the air in the plaza is actually
quite pleasant. The workshops here can make repairs to all kinds
of gear, as well as make modifications. The best artisans on
the station can be found on the Ozone Plaza, especially when
it comes to gunsmithing. If one has the proper contacts one
can even place an order with a real court appointed gunsmith.
Weapons bought here cannot always be claimed right away,
heavier weapons and ammunition are kept in storage in the
spaceports. The buyer gets a tag with the codes to unlock
a storage module and can pick up the goods on departure
from the station.
In the alleys around the plaza there are several mercenary
agencies, with the Black Skull being the most famous. These
TABLE 11.4 ENCOUNTERS ON THE MARKET PLAZA
1 Uwana Peddler Wrinkled Smiling smoothly Survival

2 Ithane Waiter Pleasantly perfumed Working Her children
3 Lippo Waba Twitchy Shop-lifting Thrills
4 Poharo Storyteller Toothless grin Smoking a hookah To entertain
5 Kam-kam Tourist Wide-eyed Shopping See the Horizon
6 Grrrah Skavara Angry On the run Freedom!
255
THE HORIZON
TABLE 11.5 ENCOUNTERS ON THE OZONE PLAZA
1 Shamzad Thug White makeup Glaring Status

2 Ewanje Tattoo artist Fluorescent tattoos Drinking Debt
3 Okane Enforcer Huge On a job Pride
4 Kamriza Legionnaire Cybernetic eye On guard The comrades in the Legion
5 Chikchik Macaque Chatters Picking pockets Loot
6 Yala Smuggler Baggy clothes Searching Birr
agencies supply mercenary groups to clients in need of personnel from cosmetic grafts to prostheses and more subtle code
for small security or combat missions. A few detective agencies splicing such as micro glands, hidden compartments, night
and investigative freelancers also have offices here, such as the eyes, or double hearts can be arranged. The largest studio is
Under the Lotus firm, specialized in extramarital affairs and CharibaTechne, a large building with many operating rooms,
other indiscretions. T-suites and rejuvats, as well as recovery wards for more
extensive procedures. Kasma Cosmetics is the jet set studio on
y GABRIL’S AMMO the block, always up to date on the latest fashion – some even
The elderly one-eyed Legionnaire Gabril is one of the best say that it is Madame Kasma herself who creates the fashion.
arms traders on the plaza. Together with his friend and
technician Irin and their not-so-housebroken pet macaque y TATTOO ALLEY
Bang, Gabril trades in everything from special ammunition An alley just next to the bio sculptor’s block has been
to bespoken firearms. His most well-known creation is the labeled “Tattoo alley” - not because it is the only place
Legion carbine Inferno, which has its built-in grenade launcher on the station where you can get some ink work done,
replaced with a compact flamethrower. but because it is the most well-known. The studios in the
alley offer ink tattoos, scarifications, henna painting, or
y THE BIOSCULPTORS’ BLOCK modern things like moto tattoos that move or glow. The
One of the blocks adjacent to the Ozone Plaza holds several tattoo artist Ameda from Amedo is perhaps the most pop-
famous biosculptor studios, or “slaughterhouses” as they ular artist in the alley. She is well traveled, speaks several
are commonly called. Bionics and cybernetics are available languages and has mastered the skill of micro tattoos, no
here for those with the birr and the courage. Everything bigger than the edge of a fingertip.
THE CORE
The Ring is very obviously a place mainly for commerce, but the THE CORE PLAZA
Core houses both several important administrative functions The Core Plaza lies at the very center of Coriolis. It is dominated
and a rich life of culture and entertainment. The Core is also by a large building that contains many of the station’s adminis-
open and airy in comparison to the tight, crowded spaces of trative functions and a series of vertilanes and grav shafts that
the rest of the station. The Core Plaza is located in the heart of connect the Core to the Spire. The smaller businesses on the
the station, open all the way up to the lower levels of the Spire. Core Plaza are cantinas, taverns, cafés, and courtesan houses,
and the clientele is mainly bureaucrats and merchants. What
256
CORIOLIS
The Ozone Plaza
empty space there is on the plaza is not covered with market THE LAW OF THE LEGION
stalls as in the other plazas, but kept clear for the slow-moving
clutter of bodies on their way to or from work. There are many Easy access to bio sculptors, prosthetisists, tattoo
tailors and haberdasheries in the streets around the plaza. This artists, and guns makes the Ozone Plaza and the
is where to go for the latest fashion, even for members of the nearby stretch of the Promenade attract Legionnaires
upper classes in the Spire, although the very rich deal only with like moths to a flame. Legion-affiliated bars usually
the tailors that do house calls. The most famous haberdasheries feature skulls or bones in their names or on their
here are Fermahat & Sons, Yisimi’s fabrics, and the Pasha’s signs. The three most infamous watering holes are
Flying Palace, which is the most expensive of them all, offering Mokbaran’s, Igal’s, and the Cranium Bar, the latter also
house calls at an extra fee. Many courier agencies also have serving as the unofficial headquarters of the faction
their offices by the Core Plaza; both the Bulletin’s own Ermes and the place one should seek out to join the ranks of
and private firms like Kifri’s Courier Bureau can be found here. the Legionnaires. Many other mercenary agencies
can be found in close proximity to these three places.
MULUKHAD The heavy Legion presence makes the Ozone Plaza
Coriolis’ entertainment district is called the Mulukhad – a pot- a relatively safe place. The so-called “Bone Law”,
pourri of shady alleys and old buildings housing restaurants, based on military laws and punishment, is enforced
cantinas, bars, and gambling dens. The Mulukhad has every- in the plaza. The Legion makes sure the peace is kept,
thing a thrill seeking resident or visitor could possibly desire. and the Coriolis Guard never patrols here. Legally,
Gambling is clearly the dominant vice, taking place in bars, the Bone Law actually only applies to members of the
gambling dens, and in the big Stadium located just next to Legion, and contains some pretty archaic practices,
the district. Restaurants that stand out are the Al-Qadr with its such as the right to trial by combat, and public whip-
all-red interior and the Mudejar, a classier establishment for ping as punishment. The harshest punishment in the
refined – and expensive – excitement. Bone Law is the “promenade”, in which the guilty party
is simply thrown out of an airlock, but it has never been
y THE STADIUM carried out on Coriolis.
The oval Stadium rises above the Mulukhad almost all the way
257
THE HORIZON
TABLE 11.6 ENCOUNTERS ON THE CORE PLAZA
1 Dashani Courtesan Graceful On a walk Siblings

2 Mweki Diplomat Golden Going somewhere Lust
3 Aaryan Bureaucrat Sweaty Is panicking Lost tag
4 Parishad Speculator Fiddles with hair Reading A better tomorrow
5 Jahanara Courier Wiry On a delivery Family
6 Markudh Merchant Tanned Haggling Wealth
up to the arced beams of the skeleton of the Core. The Stadium usually concerts with famous performers like Sani Sowal, The
offers every type of zero-G entertainment there is: holographic Lotus Flutes, or the dance troop Feather Steps.
obstacle courses, thermal duels, graviton ball, scooter racing,
Algolan kickball, and much more. There is one main event THE LITTLE HORIZON
every night during the evening watch, usually with professional The Little Horizon blocks are located along one of the Core’s
contestants and intense betting. In the hangars underneath the outer walls and are home to all new arrivals on the station, from
Stadium, visitors can try out the different activities for them- all corners of the Horizon. The street vendors here offer exotic
selves. There are a few restaurants and bars in the Stadium as delicacies such as candied hysia bugs, moon fruit, or salted
well, Talah having the best reputation with its beautiful glass florineys. The architecture is also varied and foreign with Algolan
balconies above the scooter track. pagodas and round nomad huts crammed in between angular
More savage forms of entertainment are also offered at the Sadaalian houses and Miran balconies. The Little Horizon is
Stadium in the form of modulation or gladiator matches. The home to the smuggling organization the Serpent, and the
violence is often very artistic, but still nothing for the squea- Syndicate gangs now and then attempt to claim the area, which
mish. The crowds favorite is duels between nekatra and other often results in street fighting.
wild beasts: dirhad, wildlings, azuks and other rare creatures.
Humans are not allowed to fight under the same circumstances THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE CORIOLIS
as beasts, only through modulation. Exceptions used to be GUARD AND THE JUDICATORS
made for Dabaran slave warriors pitted against the beasts, but The headquarters of the Coriolis Guard is located in a pillar
this is not the case anymore. Slavery has also been officially that is the center beam of the frame of the station. This
banned on Dabaran. is not the only office of the Guard, but it is the largest,
with its administration, garages, grav elevators that run
THE AMPHITHEATER through the whole Core, and their arsenal of a few light
The artists on Coriolis who don’t live and work in the Ring can police vehicles. The offices of the Judicators are also located
be found in the district around the Amphitheater. The open, here, behind thick armor-plated walls and equipped with
bowl-shaped theater is based on a Dabaran original and is partly security gates since the gang war of CC 59. The front of
made from yellow Algolan sandstone. Both modern art forms the judicators’ section of the building is more imposing
such as holo art, modulator sculptures, and proxy music and than that of the Guard’s, in polished marble rather than
eternal classics such as dance, theater, mime, storytelling, and scratched hyper plastic.
classical music are performed on the stage of the Amphi. The
diva Chemara Kour is the artistic director and makes sure the THE BULLETIN COMPLEX
ticket prices are kept reasonable. There are private boxes available A brand new complex close to the outer wall of the Core
for those with some extra birr to spend. The largest events are serves as headquarters for the Bulletin. The beautiful facade
258
CORIOLIS
The Core
of the building is in old Miran bas-reliefs depicting famous

reporters, courier vessels and the faction’s spherical portal
probes, easy to recognize by their four antennas. The com- GUARD DRONES
plex contains several broadcast studios, newsrooms, offices,
make-up rooms, holo effect chambers, and everything else The latest addition to the Guards’ arsenal is three
necessary for the making of a Bulletin show. The wing facing sensor drones on loan from the Palatena lab owned
the Core is where you will find the infobase, the hub that by the Foundation. They are really a sort of modified
connects all the terminals on the station to the infonet. The sensor buoy of the same model as those used in
public is not allowed inside the complex other than as studio spaceship countermeasure dispensers, but with
audience for a select few shows such as the Wheel of Fatima remote control via djinn units and holo glasses.
or News at Dawn. They are armed with both Vulcan and stun weapons,
and, according to rumors, the new and experimen-
THE DOME OF THE ICONS tal vomit fields developed by the Foundation. The
The Dome of the Icons prides itself on being the largest people of Coriolis hate the drones bitterly and the
temple in the Horizon, even if the veracity of this has been machines are often met with volleys of rotten fruit or
questioned. The Dome has a front made of glass from garbage when they are out on patrol.
Akhandar sand from the volcanic beaches of Antmira and
it is surely a breath-taking sight, stretching one hundred
259
THE HORIZON
THE MULUKHAD HORROR

meters into the air. The dome itself is a towering sixty
meters high, also made of glass, anchored in the twice-as-
There is an abandoned block in the Mulukhad. Legend high central tower with thick steel cables. From the chamber
has it that it all started when a boy in one of the families at the top of the tower, the preachers lead the faithful in
who lived there became possessed by something from prayer between the watches. The Dome is always lit by
the Dark between the Stars, an evil efrite or maybe huge spotlights in a representation of the Icons’ light in
a dybbuk. The family of the boy tried to get help from the dark night, and is the only exception in the otherwise
preachers and prophets but nothing worked. One day, perpetual semi-dusk of the Core. The open dome covers an
the whole family was gone and the module they had exquisite mosaic floor where the actual shrine is located,
lived in was drenched in blood. The story was spread a humble nine-sided temple in burned clay, only a few
around the neighborhood and the other families moved meters high, just below the central tower. The temple is
out of the house. More mysterious things happened covered in inscriptions and symbols, some hinting at an
after that – food and drink spoiling, children suffering Iconic connection. A little to the side of the temple sits a
from strange diseases – and eventually the whole small well called the Well of Tears, a quiet place of refuge
block was deserted. Residents of the surrounding for people in grief or bereavement. The tiled floor of the
houses leave offerings to the Icons by the entrance well is covered with talismans, handkerchiefs, hairpins,
to the block, and no one dares to linger in the nearby jewelry, and other offerings.
alleys come evening.
y PREACHERS AND PROPHETS
The temple grounds are full of preachers, prophets, and
priests, but only five of them, including the faction’s local
herat Wasimah Umm, has access to the temple itself, and
only at morning and evening prayers and holiday mass. All
POPULAR BULLETIN SHOWS
other holy activity such as prayer, meditation, sacrifice,
and the like takes place in the mosaic square under the
◆◆ THE BULLETIN SHOW – The biggest morning and evening dome, usually on one’s personal prayer rug or on a reed
show, led by dawn hostess Nana Eliades. rug loaned from one of the novices. Many novices and
◆◆ THE WHEEL OF FATIMA – A game show where contestants priests wish to serve at the Dome on Coriolis as the story
spin a prize wheel to win fancy prices such as an evening of “the Uplifted One” says that true believers can ascend
at Alkamarr’s or luxury cruises in the Hamura system. directly to the Icons from the temple grounds.
◆◆ NEWS AT DAWN – A news show that reports on the latest
happenings in the Kua system as well as the rest of the THE FOUNDATION’S INFOTHECA
Horizon. The black, glass front of the Infotheca is the bastion of
◆◆ STREET JUDGE – Holo show about the judicator Amon the unbelievers on Coriolis. The halls inside cannot be
Hasra solving crimes on Coriolis. Best episode: accessed without sanctioned business in the building,
“Chrysanthemum Red”. and contain every possible form of data storage – from
◆◆ THE PLANTATION OWNER’S DAUGHTER – Drama about love holograms, modulates, and proxy to Miran books bound
and intrigue on a Kuan plantation. Best episode: “Under in human skin, papyrus from Dabaran, magnetic memory
the Baobab”. cubes of meteorite iron from the frozen wastes of Odacon,
◆◆ STUDIO ZHANA – A news show with investigative reporters and much, much more. One can gaze down at all this
digging for scandals and injustice, mainly in the Kua system. from the high galleries at the top of the building through
◆◆ THE VOICE OF THE ICONS – The Church’s own Icon show and volcano-proof sapphire glass, and elite Legionnaries and
debate program, hosted by the preacher Alima Souroz. secret security systems developed by the Foundation guard
the whole complex.
260
CORIOLIS
The Dome of the Icons
261
THE HORIZON
y THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY
THE CLAY TEMPLE FROM GHOASA

One of the wings of the Infotheca houses the Foundation’s
museum of the Horizon’s modern – post-Portal Wars – history.
The Clay Temple from Ghoasa is one of the Church of The relics gathered here are divided into three categories:
the Icons’ most important relics, found on Antmira Primitive Era, Arrival, and New Era. The “Primitive Era” exhibition
during the bloodiest months of the Portal Wars. contains things such as scrap armors from the Sarma barbarians,
The preacher Adhar Bakuh was a member of the an almost full suit of skin from an Uharan shaman – tattooed
expedition that found the temple and was the one from head to toe with the ancient wisdom of a dying people – and
who realized its importance and value. He had a a sizeable collection of long rifles and other primitive weapons.
local humanite clan transport the temple to the Icon Visitors to the “Arrival” exhibition will see a detailed modulate
City where it was left until CC 48 when it was trans- of the Zenith’s transformation into Coriolis and the Net, and
ported to Coriolis. Through generous donations, many other examples of Zenithian technological supremacy. The
the Church of the Icons could buy a whole block in “New Era” shows pictures from all over the Horizon, but with a
the Core, where they had famous artists design and focus on Consortium-sponsored projects on the core worlds.
build the mosaic square and the dome above the The restricted sections of the museum are said to hold great
temple. Because of a mishap during the transporta- riches such as a broken death clock from Hamura, a mummified
tion and reconstruction of the temple, the inscribed Miran family, and taxidermied specimens of curious beasts and
text on the temple walls is no longer readable. The darkmorphs of unknown origin. Several failed burglary attempts
Foundation has asked the Church several times for have taken place here, since the museum’s security level is the
permission to create a replica of the original temple same as the Infotheca’s.
to decipher the text but has been denied every time.
THE STUDENT DISTRICT
If you are looking for wild parties and daring japes, the Student
district is the place to go. The district is jammed in between the
academies of the factions and the gambling dens of the Mulukhad,
and its tiny apartments make even the living modules of the Ring
feel spacious. Peace and quiet are non-existent concepts as the
SCHOOLS ON CORIOLIS
student parties here run around the clock in rolling waves of
intoxication, music and laughter. The taverns Wurud’s and Azad’s
◆◆ The Free League’s General College are good places to visit if you need a reasonably priced place
◆◆ The Legion’s War Academy to recover from the nightlife. The roofside Quadim restaurant
◆◆ The Samaritan Medical Academy with its view of the Mulukhad is somewhat more expensive, but
◆◆ The Foundation’s Biomedicurgical Institute in return, they keep the noisier students away.
◆◆ The Judicators’ Forensics Institute
◆◆ Ahlam’s Courtesan Academy THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT
◆◆ The Bulletin’s Lyceum of Propaganda The massive university district contains all the faction-run
◆◆ The Colonial Agency’s School of Higher Education schools and academies, the Bulletin’s gigantic Infotheca, and
◆◆ The Consortium School of Economics the rampant decadence of the Student district. The district has
◆◆ The Legion’s Cadet School one of the larger tube stations on Coriolis – The Academy –
◆◆ The Foundation’s College of Engineers where students crowd with ordinary people coming into the
Core from the Spice Plaza located just a spoke away. The larger
academies have their own student housing, usually in the form
of long rows of modest buildings with many floors of student
halls. A few parks are scattered across the university district.
262
CORIOLIS
The tube station The Academy
y GARBAL’S CURIOSITIES THE GARDEN OF SEEKERS

In a small, anonymous square off one of the winding The Garden of Seekers is an odd collection of many different
streets that zigzag away from the center of the Core, you miniature landscapes in a space smaller than one hectare. In
just might stumble across the tiny antiques shop Garbal’s the middle of the garden sits the Seeker cult’s strange temple,
Curiosities. It is almost hidden behind a café where elderly constructed in a weird blend of all the garden’s architectural
men and women slurp sweet kawah, only advertised by styles. The landscapes of the garden are from all across the
a tiny brass sign. The shop looks much bigger on the Horizon: a Dabaran oasis sits next to some steaming Kuan
inside and is a veritable maze of shelves, corridors and jungle, and a spindly marsh delta from Bahram on Sadaal shares
staircases full of old books, manuscripts, unreadable tags, a corner with a dry, Zalosian forest. Several places in the garden
strange art, mounted animals from all over the Horizon are built like small canyons, with rope bridges across seemingly
and the proprietor’s two huge collections of light globes bottomless ravines. There are small benches and tables for
and healing scarabs. Garbal is an expert on Horizon his- visitors to rest at scattered across the garden. All the Horizon’s
tory and known in the academies and among the station’s flowers can be smelled here, from poppy to jasmine. The noise
would-be historians. Questions about rare artifacts or art from the Core is softened by the lush greenery and mixed with
are sometimes directed here. the gentle babble of small brooks, giving the garden an almost
263
THE HORIZON
TABLE 11.7 ENCOUNTERS IN THE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT
1 Jiwanna Student Dances sitting down Studying Party

2 Sarfan Teacher Absent-minded Hurrying to class Knowledge
3 Moahala Graduate student Sweet tooth On a snack break To achieve
4 Sammi Day laborer Smokes arrash Relaxing Taking it easy
5 Trehore Activist Stubborn Chanting Change
6 Feryaab Professor Portly Reading Power
meditative aura. The streets around the garden are far from safe
however – the Guard, the gangs, and other violent types usually
lie in wait for their victims here or in the surrounding blocks.
Some shifty dealings take place inside the garden as well – spies
and professional snitches often lurk about the shadowy green.
THE MISSING STUDENTS

THE SAMARITAN SANATORIUM
Just opposite the Infotheca’s black front lies the conglomerate
Every year, students go missing from the universi- of blocks and buildings that have melded together into the
ties and academies. Most of them either drop out, Samaritan Sanatorium. Inside the front gates, you come to a
find new lives or seek their happiness somewhere hallway where you are supposed to state your business before
else in the Horizon. Some families go looking for you are allowed to continue. The vast courtyard of the complex
their lost ones, but this is the exception. When the is a wonderland of flowing, green hills and mosaic paths of blue
elderly waba Corriha one day strolled past the little and white – a place of rest and refuge. Visitors to the Sanatorium
grove between her block and University Park, she usually remark that even the air smells better here.
spotted a hand sticking out of the ground. The Guard Elevated walkways and balconies stretching high up into the air
and eventually the Judicators were called to the of the Core circle the courtyard. Patients, relatives, Samaritans,
scene. When the grove was dug out, the bodies of and even pets mingle on the balconies that are full of laundry
two missing students were found – both murdered, lines, tables and patios – not unlike the alleys of the Ring. The
but the Judicators won’t say how. The nightlife Samaritans live in a row of low, whitewashed houses made from
is suddenly much quieter in the Student district. Kuan clay that also function as wards and chapels in honor of
Everyone is scared and whispers to one another: Is the Martyr. Stairs from the courtyard lead to the open wards
there a killer among us? above as well as to the rooms for treatment and storage that
exist in the deep cellar of the sanatorium – an underbelly of
unknown depths.
Anyone is welcome at the Samaritan Sanatorium, regardless
of status or wealth, but it is mainly poor people who are
patients here as the privileged employ private physicians.
There are of course exceptions – rich people afflicted with
grave and disgraceful illnesses that have lost them their
social status or family support are often forced to visit the
Samaritans as a last resort.
264
CORIOLIS
THE SPIRE
The Spire is altogether different from the rest of the station. in a comfortable grav chair or palanquin through private
There is more open space, more light, and less people here shafts that lead upwards. A few places of interest in the
than in the Ring or the Core. The ceilings are higher, the Spire are described below.
ventilation systems make sure the air is fresh and dry, the
holo sky is brighter here than down below, and the street ALKAMAAR’S RESTAURANT
lights in the narrow streets keep the shadows away. The The restaurant at the top of the Spire is legendary across the
Spire consists of some two hundred floors. The lower ones Horizon, and foodies from every system travel here just for
are numbered from 1 upwards, while the higher levels the tasting menu. Taking into account that it usually takes
have fancy names like Therr, Ardha, Lunah, Afridate, or several segments to get a reservation here – unless you are
Alkamarra, which is the top floor where the restaurant with a regular – one can book a table and then begin traveling
almost the same name can be found. The lower floors are to Coriolis from practically anywhere in the Horizon. The
usually a more or less controlled chaos of corridors and entrance to the restaurant is guarded by Alkamaar’s mythi-
streets running between markets, recreational facilities, cal stone figures – relics of old, vaguely humanoid warriors
shopping centers and other public places. The station’s in pale jade, red marble, and black basalt. When you walk
commoners reach the Spire via elevators from the Core inside, you are welcomed by the smell of spices, orchids,
that run up to the lower floors. To get even farther up, and other flowers mixed with the perfume of the guests
one has to change elevators or, as the wealthy do, continue and sweet, soothing incense. A real courtesan will take you
Alkamaar's restaurant
265
THE HORIZON
by the arm and escort you to your table and then retreat to in a small house where the Council has made sure the other
a nearby divan to rest, only a wave away, during your visit. apartments are empty.
Through the glass armanite dome above, you can watch the
green jungles of Kua far, far below. There are several menus THE IJADRA
to choose from depending on your palate – and your wallet, The Ijadra is a very popular entertainment complex located
as everything here ranges from very expensive to ridiculously on level 12, especially among families with children. Many
expensive. Those who cannot afford a visit can buy a ticket residents from the Core come here to enjoy holo movies,
for the Alkamaar’s lottery that draws one winner every seg- theater, exhibitions, playgrounds, cafés, or one of the restau-
ment. The lottery tickets can be bought in most places of rants in the food court.
gambling on Coriolis.
ARDHA, LUNAH, AND AFRIDATE
REGULARS AT ALKAMAAR’S
The floors from level 150 and upward contain luxurious
palaces for important officials, the wealthiest merchants
◆◆ Judge Nigelia Kurahan and high-ranking factionaries. The floors are designed to
◆◆ Ambassador Johar Quassar remind one of the Zenithians’ ancient home and are beyond
◆◆ Courtesan Domina Ferex extravagant. The climate here is much more dry and cool
◆◆ Merchant and Consortium factionary Ivrahim Nestera than in the rest of the station, modeled after the stories of
◆◆ Technocrat Janos din Nimatallah Al-Ardha, and the holo sky is almost twenty meters high. The
◆◆ Hegemonist Hiram din Hrama residences here are usually three or four buildings erected
around one or more courtyards with mosaic floors, fountains,
and lush cherry trees.
KHERIA’S ARBORETUM THE PALACE OF THE HEGEMONY

The 14th floor of the Spire houses an enclosed grove full of The otherwise dry Therr level is also home to the Hegemony’s
songbirds, exotic plants, and landscapes from all over the mission to Coriolis. A huge, sky blue dome surrounded by
Third Horizon. Both visitors and residents come here for a eight Icon towers in an octagonal shape crowns the white-
moment’s peace or to remember their home planets. The washed palace. The geometric perfection between the dome
arboretum is a hotspot for acrobats, tarrabs, sibyls, and all and the octagon and the ratio between the towers and the
sorts of street performers. dome demands respect from even a Dabaran architect. The
towers almost reach the holo sky above. Small jungle oases
ABHRRA with Kuan flora surround the palace and special ED fields
The 96th floor is really one of a kind as it is dominated by keep temperature and humidity high. Ambassador Johar
the large, man-made Lake Abhrra. Paths and promenades Quassar is responsible for the Hegemony’s relations with
follow the waterside and along the outer walls there are a Coriolis, assisted by several courtesans and cultural attachés.
few hundred luxurious two-story living modules, each with
their own balconies facing the lake and a small jetty where the THE RESIDENCE OF THE GOVERNOR
owners can moor their decorated lake rafts. If a day of solitary Not far from the palace of the Hegemony lives the Governor
fishing is not your idea of a good time you could always take of Coriolis, Kemal Dargosian. His beautifully designed palace
the raft over to the Abhr Minas restaurant among the palm surrounded by palm trees, commonly called the Seraglio,
trees on the tiny atoll in the middle of the lake. contains wide-open halls, tiled floors, and many fountains
and pools. The household employs several courtesans and
y THE RESIDENCE OF THE EMISSARY singers to create a pleasant setting. The garden outside
The Emissary from Xene lives on the Abhrra level, on a slope features some remarkable topiary work with bushes and
just by the lake. The residence is a three-room apartment trees shaped in geometrical patterns. The grounds are
266
CORIOLIS
TABLE 11.8 ENCOUNTERS IN THE SPIRE
1 Khamaani Diplomat Big hair Walking Rank

2 Lasamsen Servant Old-fashioned uniform On an errand Loyalty
3 Oenti Ambassador Masked Conspiring Personal gain
4 Qun Courtesan Uses hand fan Watching Vengeance
5 Xerxes Rich brat Oily hair, tanned Mocking Become like daddy
6 Devenah Royal successor Sequined clothes Mingling Make a difference
circled by a low wall above which black globes hover – they THE DOCKS OF THE CORIOLIS GUARD
are not ornamental, but rather something advanced from The garrison that protects the station and supervises the
the technical divisions of the Consortium. The plethora of customs tolls has their docks in the Spire. The pilots of the
theories about the matter suggest that that they are attack Steel Hawks Flotilla serve their Nestera Hawk X-9 fighters
drones, field generators, explosive charges, and many other here between missions. The Steel Hawks and the Nighthawks
things. There is a big party in the Governor’s residence once from the Monolith perform a joint maneuver once per year,
per triad to which voting citizens, special dignitaries, and ending with a mighty air show outside the dome of Alkamaar’s.
factionaries are invited. The lucky odd contestant on the
Wheel of Fatima could also get an invitation to the party ISCHARA
as a prize on the show. Levels 165 through 168 are what the locals call “Consortium City”.
The district is really named after the third Governor of Coriolis,
THE PALACE OF THE COUNCIL Moratio Ischara, who helped finish the construction of the station.
On the 145th floor of the Spire you will find the Palace of The Ischara is devoted solely to Consortium companies, and
the Council, a grand, star-shaped building with many wings. the three big ones – the Bulletin, the Colonial Agency, and the
This is where the Council of Factions convenes to decide the Foundation – each has a huge complex here. The most noticeable
future of the Horizon. Each wing can fit an entire faction’s building here is the leaning, rhombic tower of the Foundation,
staff of bureaucrats, notaries, courtesans and servants, as well called the Tower of Letyr after the scientist Osimian din Letyr,
as richly decorated offices for each of the council members. a pioneer in the field of intelligence research. Open parks with
At the heart of the building lies the Faction Hall, lit by nine artificial lawns, sculpture groves, and streams separate the big
eternity lights – artifacts from distant Amedo. company buildings. Small cantinas and restaurants gather people
from different companies in informal discussion. A central hub
THE SPIRE PLAZA holds express elevators directly to the Core Plaza. Large parts
The Spire Plaza can be found on level 66 and is the place where of the Ischara are empty however, as many Consortium com-
the Popular Assembly gathers all voting men and women of panies have chosen to move their headquarters closer to their
Coriolis to advise the Council. When the Assembly is in ses- production – to the Conglomerate on Kua.
sion, the Council’s private army, the Pretorian Guard, close
off the plaza. The public is welcome to enjoy the stunning THE FOUNDATION’S ARCHAEOLOGICAL
view of eternity through the panorama windows of the plaza MUSEUM
anytime in between the sessions. If you wish to engage with a On level 164, just below the Ischara, the Foundation has
member of the Assembly, your best bet would be to visit the collected many archaeological finds from the Horizon. The
Core Plaza where they are usually found discussing politics faction’s xeno-archaeological institute, the wet dream of
in one of the kawah shops. all ambitious archaeologists, is located nearby. The round
267
THE HORIZON
LOST ARTIFACT
museum has a wide courtyard constructed as a neo-Zenithian
interpretation of the circular ruins found on Uharu-9. Its collec-
The Foundation’s xeno-archaeologist Dina Marrakali tions contain several Portal Builder artifacts such as light globes,
has returned from an expedition to Uharu-9 with a an opened healing scarab, and the mysterious Massara machine
large haul of Firstcome items and maybe even some – an artifact constructed of what appears to be ceramic plates
Portal Builder artifacts. While everything was being that slowly change in configuration. Ruins from many different
properly logged and processed, the unthinkable places have also been imported and reconstructed here, the
happened – a rectangular, white sandstone statu- round Uharu-9 houses for example, as well as an old Sadaalian
ette disappeared. The data djinn can find no trace step pyramid and sentinel statues from Aspara. A huge zero-G
of a burglary, and so Dina and her archivist Chuma aquarium holds a floating nanite cloud, supposedly a part of
Hirami have become the prime suspects. They deny the Scourge of Ashes from Odacon.
the accusations, but are unable to explain how the
artifact has gone missing.
THE CELLAR
Other than the plebeians, who do maintenance on the station’s
life support, and the members of the Guard on purge patrols,
no one visits the Cellar of Coriolis. If you have business in the
Cellar, put on some protective gear and buy a gun. As the gravity
THE WAY DOWN
down here is unstable it is good to be acquainted with zero-G.
Roughly speaking, the Cellar can be divided into a higher, less
The Cellar is a restricted area, but there are ways of get- decrepit part, and a lower, very worn down part. The floors of
ting down: the Cellar are not named or numbered, and the only maps that
◆◆ THE GUARD’S WAY: With contacts in the Guard and some birr exist are hand-made by the service personnel with the bitter
to grease the wheels, you can access the Cellar the official jobs of tending to the systems down here.
way, through the Guard’s elevators.
◆◆ THE SYNDICATE’S WAY: With contacts in the Syndicate and y THE UPPER CELLAR
either through payment or after running some errand for The higher floors are worn and desolate but basically in working
the faction, you might get escorted to the higher cellar order. They are sometimes used for docking and unloading when
through secret smuggling tunnels with a black bag over the Net is busy with a bulk hauler. The Guard patrols the upper
your head. levels and are responsible for repairs. The Syndicate are said
◆◆ THE GAMBLER’S WAY: Those who know their way around the to use these floors for smuggling operations. All the locations
gambling circuit or have friends in the Mulukhad should be described below are in the upper cellar.
able to obtain directions for the Sewers, the Cellar’s gam-
bling den. y THE LOWER CELLAR
◆◆ THE STUDENT’S WAY: Many students have visited the The lower levels show a rapidly increasing degree of decay. The
aqueduct of Zakara in the Cellar at some point, and gravity comes and goes, and rumors say that only slummers
most hall guards or morally ambiguous students could and escaped semi-intelligences, mainly carrion-eating skavara,
give up the location in exchange for birr, exam cheats, live here, but no one knows for sure.
or something similar.
THE SEWERS
An old sewage treatment plant in the upper part of the Cellar
has been converted into a massive gambling den, named simply
268
CORIOLIS
TABLE 11.9 ENCOUNTERS IN THE CELLAR
1 Fero Maintenance technician Hums constantly Repairing something Vacation

2 Mako Party animal Strung out Trying to get home A nice kabab
3 Lubub Thief Long hair Stealing something Return home
4 Renaveh Revolutionary Red guttrah Hiding Justice
5 Letui Smuggler Fiddles with carbine Loading cargo Kohôl
6 Humgurrl Nekatra Matted fur, growls Looking for food Survival
A corridor in the Cellar
“the Sewers”. Its reputation speaks of high stakes and even THE AQUEDUCT OF ZAKARA
higher takings – if you manage to win and make it out alive, you The students of Coriolis speak of “Zakara’s” in romantic terms
can live out your days like a pasha. The Sewers are run by the as, traditionally, many of them ohave visited the aqueduct for
enigmatic Mida, who recently strong-armed the Free League romance as well as for sins of the flesh. The old aqueduct is still
into giving up their control of the place, something they are less in operation, slowly passing water that is more or less clean. This
than happy with. The Sewers consists of three parts: the Bazaar, has made the site popular with both slummers and skavara, as
Jacinto’s Cantina, and the Pit, where actual gladiator matches clean water is hard to come by in the Cellar.
supposedly take place.
269
THE HORIZON
THE NET
The Net follows Coriolis like a shadow. Its spindly and seem- who work the Net. Pilotage is an invaluable cog in the gears
ingly fragile construction is actually the Zenith’s old skeleton, of commerce, and working the Net means working at the very
nowadays supporting commerce rather than an actual ship. heart of trade. The pilots have their own guild independent from
From afar, the Net appears as a strange jumble of light and any external interference. Their code calls for them to always act
dark shapes against the starlight. A steady stream of spaceships impartially, and their priority is always to make sure everything
come and goes, and as one comes closer, the enormity of the runs smoothly and effectively. This is how it works in theory at
Net becomes clear. The old “ribs” of the Zenith, metal beams least, but not always in reality, although the guild is very quick
several kilometers long, act as an outer perimeter, but during to suspend members who take bribes that favor one company’s
the 50-odd cycles since the completion of Coriolis, the Net traffic over others. This stern practice means that you will find
has been rebuilt, expanding, and breaking down in different plenty of ex-pilots in the shadier bars of the station, drowning
sections at the same time, which makes the borders of it all far their sorrows after losing what is actually one of the best-paid
from clear. At the intersection of the beams are hubs of docks, jobs a common worker can get.
loading ports, and service stations. Heavy freighters bearing
the logo of the Consortium rest against the beams while their BARIS KHAN AND THE SHADOW TRADE
precious cargo is redistributed onto smaller vessels to be taken The Net is no place for business, and no money changes hands
down to Kua. Banged up free trader ships glitter like tiny pearls here. Everything is settled beforehand, and the Net is only a
in the dark as the welders mend the damages from their last place of logistics and service. Loading and unloading, repairs
trip. Stevedores in exos move across the ships and the beams and modifications – those are the activities of the Net. It is a
in a never-ending dance. place of workers, not of merchants in fancy dress or arrogant
captains. Hard work and a sense of duty are valued here, not
THE PILOTS OF THE NET wealth or clan.
To most people, the Net looks like a wild and unpredictable This, at least, is the image spread by Baris Khan, head pilot
mess of tons of metal and explosive fuel, a disaster of epic pro- and COO of the Net. Khan is a stern but just leader. He cannot
portions just waiting to happen. This is true, and such a disaster be bought and is absolutely impartial with all the factions in the
would surely have happened already if it weren't for the pilots Horizon. He does have an adventurous side to him however,
270
CORIOLIS
which he lets out by allowing shady free traders and others who KHILARA 4
desire anonymity for their business to use the Net as a meeting
point. No one can of course stop one captain from sending a The Net has many hubs. One of the smaller ones is
courier over to another ship while on the Net, but Khan takes it Khilara 4, an annex for unloading and redistribution
one step further by offering empty docks as rendezvous points of goods from the sector of the Dancer on the Net.
for negotiations, social gatherings and sometimes even duels. The person in charge is Gulzar, a Dabaran, who tries
He never charges anyone for these extra services, instead being to keep the hub running with slim economic means
content as long as he gets to hear the story of how the meeting of doing so. There are two service platforms that
turned out afterwards. He operates through intermediaries, but rotate around Khilara 4 in eccentric orbits, Ara 1
this is actually not necessary as all the factions who use the Net and Ara 2. Although Gulzar is the official boss, the
also have need of such informal meetings from time to time. supervisor Zobotka is really the person the steve-
After Coriolis, the Net is the most important station in the Kua dores and technicians look up to and treat as their
system. Without its efficiency, commerce in the Horizon would leader. Zobotka is a member of the Free League and
be significantly hampered. All the factions are very aware of this is a tough negotiator on behalf of the rights of her
and there is a careful status quo on the Net just like on Coriolis. workers. Khilara 4 has a bad reputation and people
Even if the pilots’ guild is a powerful force here, they have never say that the workers of the hub add to their meager
had to demonstrate their full potential as all the players who rely salaries by dealing in contraband, either for trans-
on the Net make sure both that their own affairs are in order port to other systems or to Kua and Coriolis. Baris
and that their competitors won’t cause trouble. Khan has not sanctioned this, and if it is true, there
will be consequences.
HOTEL HANG-SHAWA
The Hang-Shawa hotel is a block of living modules for low
income earners on the Net. Via elevators and shuttles, most
areas are within easy access of the hotel. The hotel is known for THE SHUTTLES
harboring several traveling peddlers who sell proxy tags. The
hotel is in terrible condition and is run by slumlords assisted From the spaceports of Coriolis, several shuttles per day
by the Kush mercenary group. The guests pay a small fee to depart for the Net, the Monolith and the larger districts of the
rent a so-called coffin – a small, enclosed unit with a bed Conglomerate. The Popular Assembly and the Hegemony,
that extends from the wall, shelves, and enough space for one who both wish to see blossoming trade between the station
or two people, but it is well known that the coffins sometimes and the planet below, subsidize passenger tickets.
house whole families.
TABLE 11.10 ENCOUNTERS ON THE NET
1 Fumarra Stevedore Mocks everyone On a break Having fun

2 Mouffat Pilot Grumpy, mumbles Preparing for the next job Getting a ship
3 Lamsirala Deckhand Inquisitive Looking for work Adventure
4 Yrseh Pilot on a bender Unwashed Drinking Revenge
5 Bouwoq Smuggler Mean stare Loading cargo Birr
6 Aeleni Captain Tall Making repairs The crew
271
THE HORIZON
CORIOLIS GOVERNMENT The government of Coriolis mirrors the internal geography

of the station, with the Governor, the Popular Assembly,
and the Council of Factions in the Spire. In the Core below
you will find Administrative Services, the Coriolis Guard,
and the Judicators. The Cellar, the largest part of the sta-
tion, has no government.
THE GOVERNOR After a vote in the Council, the outcome is made

The Governor is the ruler of Coriolis and the one public, but not how the individual factions voted.
who is ultimately responsible for its operations It is usually pretty easy to deduce this anyway
and security. The Governor has personal control from listening to the factions’ council members’
of the Coriolis Guard who patrol the station statements before and after the vote, but not
and the nearby space. In the end, the Governor always. The example of the vote on whether the
answers to the Council of Factions, but gets a Emissary should be granted observer status or
vote on the Council in return. The Governor not illustrates this: at least seven of the thirteen
is elected by the Popular Assembly to serve votes were needed for the motion to pass, but
for a term of four years. “Anyone can become afterwards, eight factions spoke out in disap-
Governor” is a popular idea on Coriolis, but in pointment over the results. The Council usually
reality, it is only the faction-sponsored candi- presents a unified front however, with a smiling
dates that stand a chance. The Consortium’s Governor who speaks of peace and understanding
candidate is always the one who is most likely to on the Bulletin shows. The Council can leave a
win. Formally, the Governor is independent from decision to the Popular Assembly, but if they do,
the factions – if one is to believe such things. they have to follow the voice of the Assembly.
This means that the Assembly is a tool mainly
y GOVERNOR KEMAL DARGOSIAN used to threaten or manipulate other factions on
The current Governor of Coriolis, Kemal a specific issue, but a few insignificant matters
Dargosian, is a man everyone seems to have an are passed along to the Assembly each cycle so
opinion on. Some say that he is a drunk who does they won’t feel left out.
nothing but throw parties in the Seraglio, but he
has actually done a pretty good job of keeping THE POPULAR ASSEMBLY
the Council together through the turbulent times When the Council of Factions is in doubt about
just after the arrival of the Emissary. Everyone the will of the people, they can ask the help of the
is in agreement that he does the Consortium’s Popular Assembly – although in reality, this rarely
biddings, however. happens on any important issues. The Assembly
always gets a say in legislative matters, however.
THE COUNCIL OF FACTIONS This makes the Assembly a double-edged sword
The legally acknowledged factions in the Horizon that on the one hand can be used to legitimize
gather in the Council of Factions on Coriolis. the decisions of the Council, but on the other
The purpose of the Council is, according to its hand could have the complete opposite effect.
by-laws, to “prevent and resolve conflict, and The members of the Assembly have not been
to develop the Horizon”. Each faction has one elected – they are Coriolis’ 2001 taxpayers. 732
vote, as has the Governor. The Emissary from of them are wealthy individuals and the rest
Xene has an observer status and cannot vote. represent different companies or lobby groups.
272
CORIOLIS
THE BUREAUCRACY
The massive bureaucracy that executes the decisions made
higher up and which handles the daily affairs is a department
of the government called Administrative Services. “Admin”, TABLE 11.11 THE COUNCIL OF FACTIONS
as it is often called, is located in the center pillar of the Core
and it consists of a staff of bureaucrats divided into tiers. REPRESENTATIVE FACTION
The three at the top are the chief bureaucrats sometimes Kemal Dargosian Governor, formally independent
called before the Council or the Assembly to defend their Terminos Lete Ahlam’s Temple
department or to write new memos regarding the station’s Mandragor Ho The Draconites
operations. Admin handles all the myriad of different licenses Jesibel Niales The Free League
that exist on the station. Wasimah Umm The Church of the Icons
Tiera Yriedes The Consortium
THE CORIOLIS GUARD
Harnek Mara The Consortium (The Bulletin)
The police force on the station is the Legion-affiliated Coriolis
Desaron Kai The Consortium (The Colonial
Guard which is responsible for both internal and external
Agency)
security, as well as firefighting and emergency medical
Morwan Pasa The Consortium (The
transport. The Guard’s most important job is to keep the Foundation)
streets peaceful and to sentence criminals with the proper
Suhaima Taslim The Legion
fines and corporal punishment. Arrests are rarely made, and
Sister Almas The Order of the Pariah
only when someone is to be handed over to the Judicators.
The Guard despises the Judicators who they think are arrogant Johar Quassar The Zenithian Hegemony
and authoritarian, a view shared by much of the station’s The Emissary Xene, observer
general population. The situation is not made better by the
fact that the Judicators can order the Guard around, but the
Guard can only ask the Judicators for help.
THE JUDICATORS
The Judicators are the criminal courts’ own detectives used
to investigate serious crime. All judicators are recruited from
the officers’ and pilots’ ranks in the Monolith and then given
special training in the Judicators’ Forensics Institute in the
Core. Judicators have far-reaching mandates: they can sentence
TABLE 11.12 GUARDS AND JUDICATORS
1 Lefner Guard Moustache, scarred Looking menacing Power

2 Menjah Guard Gang tattoo Making friendly small talk Duty
3 Kander Inspector Hollow-eyed Eating Retirement
4 Jour Guard Medals on the uniform Accepting a bribe Birr
5 Ninhe Judicator Tall On the lookout The law
6 Alexis Judicator Red cape Making an arrest The people
273
THE HORIZON
Judicator Ninhe Xavor
criminals at the scene of the crime just like the Guard, but can CRIME
also issue orders to both the Guard and to civilians. They are Despite the efforts of the Guard and the Judicators, crime
free to sentence a criminal to whatever punishment they see is widespread on the station. It is most noticeable around
fit – even death, as long as they can explain themselves to the the four plazas on the Ring and in the Mulukhad, all places
courts afterwards. They can detain, arrest, and interrogate freely, where the gangs of the Syndicate operate. The Guard and the
and in theory use torture. A new paradigm in interrogation Judicators try to keep a low profile here so as not to provoke
techniques, based on the teachings of Ahlam, has limited the confrontation unless innocents are in danger, although they
use of torture however, as the truthfulness of the confessions have a rather wide definition of “innocent”. The Cellar has no
they produce has been questioned. police presence whatsoever, but then again, civilized people
never go down there.
THE COURTS
The criminal courts of Coriolis are separate from the Governor y CRIME IN THE MULUKHAD
and the government. They enforce the laws created by the The Adibal family, which is a member of the Syndicate, runs
Council and the Assembly. In reality however, the courts are the gambling district on Coriolis. They cooperate with the
accommodating when it comes to sensitive cases, involving Guard to maintain some level of order. Too much chaos would
factionaries for example. The courts oversee the Judicators damage their lucrative betting and gambling operations. The
according to the idea that it is the preservation of law and order judicators here are mainly concerned with tracking down
on the station that is important, not necessarily the methods. corrupt bureaucrats and members of the Guard.
274
CORIOLIS
y CRIME ON THE SPICE PLAZA

The Afyana family runs this plaza through their gang Ganiyas
with the Guard’s silent blessing. The Judicators are in turn
very active here as this is where much of the drug running
on the station starts.
y CRIME ON THE SPRING PLAZA PRISONS

The Spring Plaza is always nice and quiet; this is something
the Syndicate family Intisaar has their gang, Izza, work very There are no actual prisons on Coriolis, only a cen-
hard to achieve. The Guard is almost completely absent here, tral jail in the headquarters of the Coriolis Guard
but the Judicators keep an eye on the Izza to make sure they and smaller detention centers in the Guard stations
don’t get too cocky and demand too much protection money of “hot” areas. Violent maniacs are given to the
from the merchants on the plaza. Samaritan Sanatorium where they are supposedly
locked up in tiny cells on the lower levels.
y CRIME ON THE MARKET PLAZA
The Market Plaza is far from safe, as the gang in control,
the Wark, is under constant attack from the two Promenade
gangs, the Arhama and the Goro. The Rafa family is trying
to mediate in the conflict, but to no avail. Shootings, store
fires, and other acts of retaliation are common here. The
Guard has many patrols in the area, but if they cannot get
the situation under control soon, the Judicators will make a
move and start to clean up the mess.
y CRIME ON THE OZONE PLAZA

The Legion runs the Ozone Plaza. The Birbasil family keeps
a presence here through the black-lipped Lama gang, sure,
but they cooperate with the Legionnaires and demand no
protection fees from the merchants, instead focusing on
weapons and technology smuggling. The Judicators stay GUARD STATIONS
away as well unless asked for by the Legion.
The Guard stations are the small, local police offices com-
y CRIME IN THE CELLAR monly called “karkolu” kept by the Guard in the Core and
The Cellar is only visited by the Guard when they are on one Ring of the station. They are often run-down, with cracked
of their purges, rounding up slummers and semi-intelligences facades, and ill kept by the tired members of the Guard. One
for deportation to labor camps of Kua. Many avoid this fate officer with a handful of grunts to do the paperwork nor-
by hiding in the deep part of the station however. The Legion mally runs a station. The stations usually have a weapons
made a proposition to the Council to nerve gas the entire cabinet and a small drunk tank.
Cellar now and then to be rid of the problem, but the sug-
gestion was leaked to the Assembly and caused an outrage.
It was likely the Syndicate who leaked the documents as they
use the Cellar for smuggling and secret storage. Every now
and then, honest people also need the docks and hangars
of the Cellar when the traffic is too heavy out on the Net.
275
THE HORIZON
IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT CORIOLIS

If you are new to the station, Coriolis will offer plenty of sights and WORK
activities, but there are a few things all new arrivals should know. Anyone is free to come and work on Coriolis, but to gain access to
basic health care you need to purchase a work permit. These are
BIRR AND CASH supplied by Administrative Services in the Core at a cost of 100
Monetary transactions on Coriolis are usually handled electron- birr per CC.
ically, by using tags, although smaller payments can of course
be made in cash. It is wise to have two tags: one for information BUSINESS
(licenses, addresses, insurances, medical records, etc.) and one There are no mandatory taxes on Coriolis, but if you wish to start
for your money. A transactor is a safer medium if you wish to keep a business, you need to pay for a business license. The license
everything in one place as it is locked to your biocode – ordinary must be renewed every cycle, and the cost depends on the type of
tags are only protected by a numeric code. your business.
THE INFO TERMINALS HOUSING

The info terminals on Coriolis supply people on the station with If you intend to stay on the station for a longer period of time,
all sorts of useful information, and they are veritable gold mines renting a room or a module in a family-run boarding house would
to a data spider. All information on the infonet will sooner or later be a good idea. As the small businesses generally cannot afford
leak out, even private messages from forums and password any holo or modulate advertising, they can be tricky to find com-
protected areas. The factions’ communications use the same net- pared to regular hotels. Staying in a hotel for more than a few
work but generally have stronger encryption. The station’s secu- days will be very expensive however, unless you choose one of the
rity and defense systems run on a separate encrypted network cheap coffin-style hotels common in the spaceports. Buying your
that can only be accessed by the terminals inside Administrative own living module is expensive, but a very good investment.
Services, the headquarters of the Guard, and a few other places.
Attempts to get at this information are criminal acts and will trig- LAW AND ORDER
ger swift reprisal from the Judicators. The laws of the station is enforced by the Coriolis Guard who
answers to the Governor. For serious crimes, there is a special
division, the Judicators, who work directly under the criminal
courts. Both the Guard and the Judicators are mandated to sen-
tence criminals at the scene for a number of crimes. The Guard
can order corporal punishments such as whippings or public
humiliation. The Judicators can order public mutilations and also
sentence someone to death, if they can justify it. Incarceration on
the station is always short and reserved for cases of public intox-
ication or lunacy. Longer sentences are served in forced labor
camps on Kua. Fines are common, often in addition to other pun-
ishment. Suicide is a crime that leads to confiscation of all assets
to prevent people from indebting themselves and then commit-
ting suicide to save their families from repossession.
HEALTH CARE
Through the work permit you have access to several private med-
ical facilities on the station. There are usually block doctors in the
276
CORIOLIS
larger residential areas. Those without a work permit can visit

the Samaritan Sanatorium and its adjacent hospital.
SPIRITUALITY
Icon chapels can be found everywhere across the station and the
preachers there are at your service in exchange for some small
gift. The Church of the Icons can also help you in their Dome in
the Core, but reserve more extensive aid for their members.
Membership is free, however.
TRANSPORTATION
Most people in the center of the station use the Ring tube for
longer stretches of transportation. The tube runs around the Ring
and into the Core through each of the four spokes. There are five
tube stations, one on each of the Ring plazas, and one in the Core.
Hover taxis are more expensive but can take you anywhere in the the construction of the station, the establishing of the office of
Core, on the Ring or up to the Spire, via the grav shafts. Private the Governor, and the formation of the Council of Factions. The
vehicles require their owners to purchase expensive vehicle celebrations are station-wide with food, music, and dancing. In
licenses. Bikes, rickshaws, and palanquins are license-free, but the evening, there is a remembrance ceremony on the Spire Plaza
ground loaders, grav chairs, and grav craft are not. Crawlers are for those who have died defending the station, members of the
only allowed on the station for sanitation and transport compa- GuardS and the Judicators, as well as Governors and civilians.
nies, and for the Guard and the Judicators. The Cyclade is the celebration of the new cycle and contains a
variety of events and competitions. The parties are even bigger
WEAPON LAWS AND SELF-DEFENSE than during the Founding and the night traditionally ends with
All weapons require licenses that cost the same amount as the a huge concert in the Core. An informal tradition for many is to
weapon itself, per year. Heavier weaponry and weapon systems party all the way around the Ring during the day and then end
are not allowed on the station. Persons convicted of violent the night in the Core. The Pilgrimaria is a calmer holiday. The day
crimes cannot purchase weapon licenses. The self-defense laws should be devoted to prayer and reflection. The queues for the
of the station state that everyone has the right to defend them- Dome grow long already during the night watch of the day before.
selves and their property from an attack, but that the defensive Processions carrying Icon statues pass along the Promenade
violence should be proportionate to the threat. It is rare for some- with much pomp during the day. The day usually ends with a big
one to be found guilty of excessive use of force however, unless dinner for family and friends.
the person used an illegal weapon.
HOW TO BLEND IN ON CORIOLIS
SIGHTS ◆◆ Support the Governor, the Council of Factions and the will of
Coriolis is a wondrous sight in its own right, but a visit to the Dome the people.
of the Icons is recommended if you wish to experience something ◆◆ Accept diversity, and understand that through this, others will
out of the ordinary. The Foundation’s Museum of History and the accept you.
Spire Plaza are must-sees. Careful advanced planning could also ◆◆ Praise the Icons and give proper sacrifice before important
land you a reservation to Alkamaar’s. decisions and as thanks for a blessed life. Let your actions
reflect the Icon calendar.
HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS ◆◆ Participate in holidays and festivals.
There are three major holidays on Coriolis: the Founding, the ◆◆ Never speak well of Dabaran, Mira, or any other place falsely
Cyclade, and the Pilgrimaria. The Founding is a celebration of purporting to be the center of the Horizon.
277
CHAPTER 12
the kua system

Finally to Kua fair, to starlit ruins drawn, to pagan rites and monoliths,
the People of the Dawn. The captain, pointing, said: “Press on!” to sleeping
children’s’ promised lands, the People of the Dawn.
THE LONG NIGHT – Salarad Din Hrama
THE HORIZON
Kua is the obvious hub of the Third

Horizon. The system has an invalu-
able strategic position and is home
to the space station Coriolis and
the rulers of mankind. But Kua is
more than that. This chapter will
describe the different planets and
regions of the system, from the
jungle world that shares its name
with the star itself to the emptiness
of the Rimward Reach.
the kua system is without a doubt the most important system
of all. The Coriolis station is the seat of political power, and
the Zenithian culture is molded in the palaces on Kua below,
slowly spreading to and dominating the rest of the Horizon. The
system is also a miniature version of the Horizon as a whole.
Under the surface, it is rife with conflict – between Zenithian
landowners and Firstcome workers on Kua, or between the
struggling prospector clans and the traditional nomads in
the Rimward Reach. Spies, assassins, and agents from every
faction gather in the system. Coriolis and the Consortium
are the dominant players in the system, but their authority
is challenged by everything from tiny smuggler gangs to
whole regions, such as the independent Rimward Reach that
is growing stronger day by day. 47 AU 40 AU
THE RIMWARD SURHA

REACH
THE PLANETS OF KUA
This chapter will detail the most important locations in the Kua
system. Starting from the star and counting outwards, the planets
of Kua are:
◆◆ LUBAU – The desert world closest to the star.
◆◆ JINA – A hostile world with only one small colony.
◆◆ KUA – The green planet that takes its name from the star.
◆◆ THE ASTEROID BELT – Worked by prospectors.
◆◆ XENE – A gas giant in the depths of which the Emissaries are
supposed to have originated.
◆◆ SURHA – An ice planet that smugglers and pirates call home.
◆◆ THE RIMWARD REACH – Inhabited by free-minded pilgrims and
entrepreneurs.
280
THE KUA SYSTEM
18 AU 10 AU 5 AU 3 AU 1.5 AU 0.5 AU
XENE THE ASTEROID KUA JINA LUBAU THE PORTALS KUA (STAR)
BELT
281
THE HORIZON
LUBAU Lubau is a planet full of raw and untamed natural power.

From the boiling infernos of the southern hemispheres where
gigantic refineries on tracks extract molten ore directly from
the ground and the Naar Wind can disintegrate a gold-plated
reflective exo in a matter of minutes, to the dry deserts of the
north full of green oases, wandering nomads, and rumored
Portal Builder ruins hidden under the sand, to the smog-filled
skies of the plastic metropolis Mehrabi - Lubau has every-
thing a curious visitor could wish for.
A MYSTERIOUS WORLD ent. The temperature in the hottest areas of

Lubau is the planet closest to the star, giving it a the southern hemisphere can reach well over
good strategic position near the portals, but the 600 degrees Celsius during the day, while the
planet is important for many more reasons than northern half of the planet has more normal
its location. The very first thing the starfarers temperatures of between 50 and 100 degrees
noticed when they arrived at Lubau was that Celsius. There is no naturally occurring life in
the axial tilt of the planet was 43 degrees and the southern hemisphere whatsoever, only
that the same side was always facing the sun. traveling ore refineries on giant tracks or anti-
This means that the planet is without seasons grav runners that gather molten ore from the
and that the variations in temperature between ground. The refineries are isolated, peculiar
the hemispheres are enormous. Current science communities that foster a hard and bleak popu-
says that this is due to an earlier collision with lation. The north has a small belt where natural
another planetary body that is now missing. life exists in the form of a few types of resilient
Another quirk that carries practical implica- steppe grass, the slow-moving dromedons and
tions is that the magnetosphere of the planet the feral dirhad. Sandstone fossils found in the
is slight, but very strong. This explains why northern desert also indicate that the planet
the only space station in orbit, Kadcidil (“the at some point had both forests and oceans.
eye of the sun” in local dialects), can remain so Many Foundation chemists have written their
“close” to the surface and always stay on the theses about the history of Lubau, but no one
nightside. This is also the reason why there has been able to present a solid theory that
are no communications satellites above Lubau. accounts for the planet’s oddities yet.
Yet another mystery is that Lubau, despite its The northern belt is divided into three prov-
small size, has roughly the same gravitational inces: Kerahana, Tersin and Nihar. Firstcome
pull as Kua. The astronics of the Foundation nomads wandering across the wastes between the
have no explanation for this, but it could be oases originally inhabited these areas. Zenithian
connected to the many problems encountered settlers later colonized the belt, especially the
by geochemists here; despite all their advanced Kerahana province, founding what would later
technology, they have a hard time getting more become the Mehrabi metropolis. Farthest to the
than shallow readings from the planet’s surface. north, where the sun never shines, there are mas-
sive glaciers. A handful of mining corporations
NIGHT AND DAY come here to mine ice for the fusion reactors
The two hemispheres are completely differ- of the spaceships that visit Kadcidil.
282
THE KUA SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT LUBAU

◆◆ DIAMETER: 4,879 km (roughly 40%
that of Kua)
◆◆ EQUATORIAL CIRCUMFERENCE:
15,637 km (roughly 40% that of
Kua)
◆◆ SURFACE AREA: 75 million square
kilometers (roughly 15% that of
Kua)
◆◆ GRAVITY: 0.97 standard gravity
◆◆ DAY LENGTH: 27 hours
NOMADS AND FACTIONARIES y THE SHARIFS

The indigenous people of Lubau consist of many different The nomad settlements traditionally appoint so-called
nomadic tribes, the two largest being the Beri and the sharifs to keep the peace, but with mandates only in the
Xinghur. The nomads live on the steppes of the northern community or even within a single clan. There is practically
hemisphere, although many of them have settled perma- no gun control among the nomads, but theft is punished
nently around the new city of Mehrabi. severely. The refineries tend to keep small militias or hire
Mehrabi is the heart of the planet’s petroleum and pet- sharifs to uphold the laws of the rulers – often draconically.
rochemical industry and the place where the factions have
the most power. Both Mehrabi and the city of Nihari are THE FAITHFUL
formally under the protection of the Consortium, while The population of Lubau is very devout, but practice a
Tersin and the oasis settlements in the north are indepen- version of the Icon faith in which local myths related to
dent communities. The two largest refineries, Horizon and the climate, the sun, and the desert play an important part.
Terminator, are free from faction involvement and run as The Icons are often pictured differently here, especially the
family cooperatives. Judge. Around the Mahanji oasis, the Judge is revered as
The Icon faith is generally very strong here, with some Ulung, the stone dragon, and the Faceless One is almost
ref ineries being almost theocracies. The Free League always Zahdak, the black dragon, Ulung’s opposite. Several
and the Colonial Agency both own a couple of smaller pyromaniac cults thrive in the south, praising heat and fire
refineries. in a heathen belief that this is the true aspect of the Judge.
283
THE HORIZON
JINA Jina is the Kua system’s second planet counting from the
star. The route between the portals and both the planet
Kua and Coriolis pass by Jina, but few ships ever stop
here. The planet’s industry is not big enough to attract
traders or transports. There are no spaceships per-
manently stationed in the settlement of Aram’s Ravine
either. The Colonial Agency keeps a few ground vehicles,
but nothing that can leave the planet. To contact the out-
side world, the inhabitants have to rely on free traders
or other ships which come to the planet to visit the Cala
Duriha, a luxury space station on Jina’s moon.
jina has few qualities that make it worth a out as just one of the hundreds of prospecting
visit and many qualities that make you want to endeavors that the Colonial Agency started
avoid it – acidified wastelands, frozen poles, and in the Kua system. Like the majority of those
pounding heat over eroded highlands and dried projects, Aram’s Ravine turned out to be a dis-
up oceans. There is water below the planet’s appointment – the bauxite findings were bigger
surface and a few lakes and rivers just north on other planets and Jina’s toxic air made even
and south of the equator. The poisonous air small-scale mining expensive. The colonists that
means that primarily only fungi, bacteria, and remained in Aram’s did so against their better
a few species of lichen can live here. There is judgment, clinging to a desperate hope that
some limited insect life underground and in the place would somehow deliver what they
deep crevices, of which the sturdiest example is had been promised.
a butterfly that in its larval form is well adapted The ravine is steadily growing, and the rapid
to the climate, but dies shortly after trans- erosion has turned the colony into a pillar city
forming. Apart from the colony Aram’s Ravine, full of columns formed of layers of tougher rock
intelligent life on the planet is limited to a few upon which the remaining buildings sit. Many
tribes of odd acid-resistant barbarians. They houses have been lost over the years, having
could possibly be humanites, but this has not slid off the pillars and into the darkness below.
been thoroughly researched. Evidence against Some people live down in the actual ravine
the humanite theory includes the fact that no itself, the bulk of them miners, but rumors
traces of early Firstcome ruins that could have say that some among these slummers seem
belonged to their masters have been found on remarkably unharmed by the acidic atmosphere,
Jina, which is common in other places with a something attributed to supposed dealings with
humanite population. the wild barbarians that live on the other side
of the plateau. The ravine dwellers are growing
ARAM’S RAVINE in numbers, mainly because the ore and salt
Aram’s Ravine is the only colony on Jina, located mining operations work their people until they
near the Lamka plateau north of the equator, break, after which the unlucky survivors have
where a natural body of water is present. The nowhere else to go but down below. “Sooner or
colony is the hub for everyone working the later, you’ll end up in the ravine” as the saying
claims along the plateau’s fault line or the salt goes, which is doubly true as the ravine also
pits in the Desera delta. Aram’s Ravine started functions as the colony’s only burial site.
284
THE KUA SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT JINA

◆◆ DIAMETER: 6,790 km (roughly 50%
that of Kua)
21,321 km (roughly 50% that of
Kua)
kilometers (roughly 28% that of
Kua)
ACID STORMS
The acid storms that appear so colorful and majestic from
the halls of the Cala Duriha are a lethal threat down on the
planet’s surface. They are caused by unique weather phe-
nomena that concentrate the acids in the air to dangerous CALA DURIHA
levels. In extreme cases, the acidity can be so strong that
it immediately causes chemical burns to unprotected skin. The moon Cala Duriha has blossomed thanks to its stra-
An unfiltered breath during one such storm could be fatal, tegic location and the fact that Coriolis and the Council
as the sensitivity of the membranes in the lungs is much have become key players in the politics of the Horizon. The
higher than that of the skin. How the storms are created is station’s wide domes and panoramic windows make it look
poorly understood. Hand-cranked sirens in Aram’s Ravine like a water lily on the surface of the moon, with its heart
warn the inhabitants of the coming danger and the streets burrowed deep inside the rock-like roots. The station started
are quickly empty, even though everybody knows that very out as a dirty mining colony, and exactly how it has been able
few storms are dangerous enough to wound or kill someone to transform itself into a luxury resort is debated both in the
in protective gear. People outside of Aram’s are warned free trader cantinas out in the Rimward Reach and in the
by crackling messages over the Agency’s communicators. halls of power on Coriolis.
When the warning comes, one should quickly take cover
underground, inside vehicles or in survival tents.
285
THE HORIZON
KUA Kua is the largest planet in the system, and an important

seat of power because of the mysterious Monolith, home
to the Zenithian Hegemony. Kua is a planet full of con-
trasts, with the decadent members of the Hegemony living
in affluence in the Monolith while the lives of the Firstcome
plantation workers are hard and short, full of bitter toil in
the relentless monsoon rain. The palaces of the Monolith,
the gleaming spires of the factory complexes, and the
moldy river barges are all locations full of intrigue and
conflict, but also possibilities, which only strengthen Kua’s
role as one of the leading planets in the Horizon.
before the arrival of the Zenithian arkship, materials and technology to found colonies of
Kua was a backwater planet. None of the groups their own, but the Quassars, the captain’s family,
that later would become factions had their bases made sure the best ships and resources stayed
here. The native Sogoi and other Firstcome with them. The Quassars led the group known
peoples were the only inhabitants of the green today as the Zenithian Hegemony down to the
jungle world. A few expeditions from Dabaran planet below the Zenith, to a place on the equator
and Algol had attempted to examine the gigantic where a curious black monolith rose from the
stone pillar that stretched all the way up through jungle. Through silver-tongued negotiation and
the clouds and had founded some smaller set- superior firepower, they quickly subdued the
tlements, but overall, the dangers of the dark Algolan trade colony Sheva that was constructed
jungles were too great for the planet to be of around the base of the column. The Algolan colo-
any interest for large-scale investments. nists were hired as agents for the Zenithians. The
city that began to grow around the black obelisk
THE FIRSTCOME attracted fortune seekers and colonists from all
The Firstcome on Kua are almost exclusively across the Horizon, and eventually evolved into
different nomadic peoples that live in the jun- a giant amalgamation of new and old buildings,
gles around the equator. The most well-known quickly losing its original name and becoming
group is the Sogoi, a proud tribe of warriors known only as “the Conglomerate”.
and trackers. The Sogoi are the group that the
Zenithians and their allies exploit the hardest THE JUNGLE
on the plantations, and they are the majority “The jungle is Kua, and Kua is the jungle” is a
group in the Conglomerate slums. Sogoi saying that sums up the general view of
Kua in the Horizon: heat, damp, rain, and gigantic
THE ZENITHIANS trees are what make up the jungles that cover
The arrival of the Zenith changed the fate of Kua most of the planet. The jungles are inhabited by
forever. The “empty” planet was deemed a pos- wild beasts, crazed Firstcome tribes and, if the
sible home for the sleeping colonists. What hap- holodramas are to be believed, mighty Portal
pened next is history. A quick and well-planned Builder relics. The immensely popular Bulletin
mutiny, led by what would later become the series, The Plantation Owner’s Daughter, is set
Draconites, divided the crew. The different groups on Kua, and this is usually where most people’s
that formed in the chaos were all given reasonable knowledge of the planet ends. Life deep in the
286
THE KUA SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT KUA

◆◆ DIAMETER: 12,578 km
39,495 km
kilometers
◆◆ GRAVITY: 1 standard gravity
◆◆ SIDEREAL YEAR: 336 days
◆◆ AXIAL TILT: 3 degrees
THE SOGOI
The Sogoi are a proud people who view themselves as the true
heirs to Kua. Their stories describe how they turned their back
on the stars to lead a simple life in the jungles, and they regard
jungles is a completely different world from the city life in the their way of life as the opposite of the hubris of the arrogant
Conglomerate or elsewhere. Every day is a struggle against the Zenithians.
wild forces of nature in the form of heavy rains, monsoon storms,
and flash floods, as well as more slowly eroding effects such
as damp, rust, mold, and the diseases that thrive in the humid
climate. But the jungles can also be benevolent, with their rich
supply of fruits, lumber, and other raw materials. REBELS AND MERCENARIES
y EKILIBRI Nature is not the only danger in the jungles. Many of society’s
Ekilibri are small, lemur-like semi-intelligences that can be outcasts have banded together and live as raiders or rebels
trained to work on plantations. They are indigenous to the here. They can be freedom fighters from the slummers’
planet and roamed wild in the jungles before the Sogoi began movement in the Conglomerate or Syndicate mercenaries
training them. Some zoologists say that the ekilibri are much guarding opor factories. Either way, running into them will
smarter than they let on, but the slummers who have seen the most likely end in death or imprisonment. The exceptions are
little creatures rummage through the Conglomerate’s garbage some of the rebel groups that fight for the rights of the plebe-
piles know that scientists can’t be trusted. A rare variant is the ians who live around the Monolith. The 3rd Popular Brigade
silver furred ekilibri who are popular pets because of their beauty under general Zasra Namoul targets only the corporations,
and docility. Silver furred ekilibri are considered a status symbol mainly their enemies in the Nestera defense forces led by
both on Coriolis and in the Monolith. Colonel Jamina Abram.
287
THE HORIZON
THE MONOLITH
No one knows who built the Monolith, or why. The most Zenithian supremacy. This has resulted in more than one bloody
common theory is that the cryptic Portal Builders constructed duel between the Janissaries and members of other regiments.
the gargantuan pylon as a monument to the civilization Din Hrama’s fearsome 1st Sogoi Battalion are among the more
they once spread across the Horizon. Despite its unknown exotic of the house guards, demanding both fear and respect
origins, it is hard to deny that the strange artifact is among wherever they show up with their vivid feather uniforms and
the most impressive sights in the Horizon, and as such, it antique long rifles. The Arianites’ Seraphim Guard are equipped
has become a symbol of the pride the Zenithians place in with grav belts and old fashioned sail wings, without question
their own civilization. giving them the most spectacular entrance when they dive
The awe-inspiring glory of the Monolith made it the obvious through the clouds in perfect formation.
choice of location for the Quassar family and their followers
when they left the Zenith six decades ago. After centuries of GEOGRAPHY OF THE MONOLITH
cryo dreams, the Zenithian colonists longed for a place to call
home. The primordial stone reaching for the sky surrounded The Monolith is almost unbelievably large. From base to top it
by an air of might and stability was perfect. That the Firstcome reaches a little over 4,000 meters into the air, which makes it the
tribes in the area treated the Monolith with superstitious largest known building in the Third Horizon. If you are standing by
respect only made it an even better place to settle – if the the base or in the Conglomerate, the top is sometimes lost in the
Zenithians could colonize the house of the gods of old, who clouds, and it is not hard to understand why some say that the tow-
could possibly question their right to power? Since then, ering artifact is the gate to the Icons’ promised lands.
the Monolith has been the symbol of Zenithian civilization,
Kua’s economic expansion and the new order introduced by The Monolith can be divided into three parts:
the colonists from beyond the stars. If Coriolis, constructed ◆◆ COVENANT CITY, climbing out of the Conglomerate and surround-
from the remains of the Zenith, is the political focal point of ing the base of the artifact. Visitors from near and far gather here
the Horizon, then the Monolith is the undisputable citadel to sign important deals, negotiate with the Zenithian families, or
of the Zenithian way of life. to apply for permits to travel further up the Monolith. Famous
locations here include the Covenant ring, full of hotels and
THE HOUSE GUARDS restaurants, the Hanging Bazaar with all its exotic goods, and the
The most visible military presence in the Monolith is the house Wall of the Icons, a holy site covered in mysterious inscriptions.
guards of the bigger families in the Cabinet of Thousands. ◆◆ THE FORBIDDEN SECTOR, the area between the top of Covenant
Every family has their own guard and places great pride in City and the lower levels of Sky City. This section contains only a
presenting themselves as true patrons of Zenithian culture few smaller buildings, a much publicized excavation and the fort
and power. This is expressed through the house guards’ of the Astûrban.
colorful uniforms and ostentatious ceremonies – a source ◆◆ SKY CITY, home to the Zenithian elite. A place of palaces, gilded
of much pride and joy to the Zenithians themselves, but it colonnades, and exotic parks. The seat of Abarren Quassar and
is all a bit much to an outsider. Conglomerate slang for the the Cabinet of Thousands.
house guards is “peacock troops”.
y PEACOCK TROOPS
Quassar’s Janissaries are of course the house guard with the THE CONGLOMERATE
proudest lineage, supposedly descended from military tradi- Most people see the Conglomerate as an endless city covering
tions of long lost Al-Ardha. The Janissaries guard the Palace most of Kua’s equator, but this is not entirely true. All the
of the Hegemony and view themselves as the crown jewels of different districts, factory islands, and slums combined do
288
THE KUA SYSTEM
THE PALACE OF THE HEGEMONY
This extravagant castle constructed from Dabaran purple

opal and Miran marble houses Abarren Quassar and the Thou-
sands, rulers of Kua and the Hegemony. The view from the
arcades and stairs of the palace is said to be the most beautiful
in the entire Horizon: clouds as far as the eye can see, crowned
by the eternal darkness of space and the glittering constella-
tions of the Icons.
THE ESPLANADE OF THOUSANDS
A lavish boulevard circles Sky City, protected from the thin

atmosphere by decompression fields. Lush parks, monuments
to the ancestors, and villas and palaces beyond counting for
the ruling classes can be found here.
THE SPACEPORT
Small ships carrying luxuries and important guests are

cleared to use this heavily guarded spaceport. Close by are the
hangars of the Salakhad Flotilla with its elite squadron, the
Night Hawks.
ZENITH’S AVIATION ACADEMY
The best school in the Horizon for pilots and ship crews is
located in Sky City. Hundreds of men and women pass through
its halls every year. All students must serve in the fleet of the
Hegemony after completing the academy training.
THE FLOWER PALACE
Whether this is a unique museum or a clear sign of hubris

depends on your point of view. The Flower Palace is said to
contain specimens of every known plant in the Horizon, and its
giant halls mimic different planetary ecosystems. The select
few who have seen the glory up close regard it as one the
Hegemony’s greatest achievements.
THE FORT OF THE ASTÛRBAN
The headquarters of the fearsome secret police are located

in the heart of the Forbidden Sector. All security work in
the Monolith is coordinated from here, as well as sensitive
operations. This is where high-value prisoners are taken to be
interrogated by Astûrban’s gray-clad specialists.
SHEVA PLAZA
Covenant City’s political and economic hub is possibly the most

important place for merchants looking for The Big Contract.
Zenithians from Sky City come here to negotiate with visitors
they deem important enough, usually through intermediaries,
but sometimes in the flesh.
289
THE HORIZON
cover vast areas, but much of it is abandoned and quickly

being reclaimed by the jungle. River deltas run through
the city and the water is used as transportation routes for
hovercraft or boats. The larger districts have paved roads,
mainly used to transport goods with heavier grav craft. The
THE QUEEN SLUMMER
buildings in the Conglomerate range from monstrous sky
towers to low hangars and shantytowns. Rooftop farming
The Conglomerate is boiling with discontent. The people have is common on the larger factory islands.
had enough of predatory capitalism and Zenithian supremacy
and a resistance movement has begun to form over the last y LITTLE ALGOL
few cycles. Its leader is the charismatic young worker Yjala Little Algol was one of the first neighborhoods to form when
Baktou, scornfully called “the Slum Queen” by the Zenithians the Zenithians colonized the Monolith, making it even older
in the Monolith. The rebellion has so far been limited to a few than Covenant City. What is left of the once vibrant district
neighborhoods on the outskirts of the Conglomerate, but it is today is the run-down Dignitary City. Its broken marble stairs
spreading inwards quickly. and overgrown walkways used to be a place of business and
negotiation for the wealthy Zenithian families, but today
you will only find a small contract souk here where minor
companies, families, and plebeians’ representatives settle
contracts about trade and labor. Little Algol has spread slowly
over the years – much of it is a slum of decrepit shacks, some
of it is buildings or factories of slightly higher standards and
a growing part is jungle-covered. The Ramishah river market
is a bustling place where long lines of river barges have their
cargo unloaded and redistributed to other districts. Since the
seventh cataract was closed off after the Mibea offensive,
traffic in the Ramishah port has increased, and much cargo
THE AZAËLEANS – DJINN OF THE WOODS
is taken straight from the barges onto waiting grav craft
bound for Ara-ara.
The Azaëleans are the largest creatures in the
jungle, and some of the tunnels they create under THE DABARAN INTERMEZZO
the surface are so big that they can be seen from The Zenithians are a proud people who take their holy
orbit. Despite the tunnels being very obvious proof sites very seriously. The Dabaran poet Galbarul had to
of the size of the creatures, no Azaëlean encounter learn this the hard and painful way after saying this about
has actually been proven. The tunnels are used for the Monolith: “It is a true wonder, without a doubt the
traveling by the jungle tribes and also seem to affect mightiest member I have ever seen!” His first (and last)
the ecosystem. An expedition from the Foundation, visit to the Monolith ended in disaster – his indecent words
led by the famous zoologist Henam Mirsak, recently caused an outrage and he was immediately deported, his
departed for the dark woods to solve the mystery of collected works were banned in the Hegemony, and the
the Azaëleans once and for all, but is missing since export of Kuan lumber to the Dabaran courts was halted
hostilities broke out between a logging corporation for several cycles. The conflict was eventually settled in
and a religious enclave. the Council and the miserable poet had to write a sonnet
celebrating the glory of the Monolith. Galbarul vanished
from the cultural world after this, living in self-imposed
exile somewhere in the Horizon.
290
THE KUA SYSTEM
291
THE HORIZON
Beyond the asteroid belt lies the colossal gas giant Xene,
XENE
known only for two things: the valuable minerals that can
be mined on its eleven moons, and the strange beings
that recently emerged from the dark depths of the clouds.
Xene is a gas giant ten times the size of the planet Kua.
Its surface is ravaged by violent storms, many kilometers
high and extremely dangerous to all kinds of human vehi-
cles. For a long time, Xene was considered of little inter-
est to anyone but the astronics of the Foundation. The
events of the last few cycles have radically changed this,
and instead made Xene famous all across the Horizon.
THE GHOSTS FROM XENE radical theologists who say the Emissaries
They rose from the depths of the gas giant – are the Icons made flesh. Regardless of the
the ghosts from Xene: the Emissaries. They creatures’ origins – their arrival has changed
claim to be messengers, but representing the Horizon forever.
who is shrouded in secrecy. Some say they
are the descendants of the Portal Builders, MINERAL MINING
others that they are the restless ghosts of star- When the Foundation’s probes discovered
farers long since dead. There are even some huge mineral deposits on Calest, Xene’s third
292
THE KUA SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT XENE

◆◆ DIAMETER: 143,200 km (roughly 11
times larger than Kua)
449,648 km (roughly 11 times
larger than Kua)
◆◆ SURFACE AREA: 64 billion square
kilometers (roughly 128 times
larger than Kua)
◆◆ DAY LENGTH: 9.5 hours
◆◆ SIDEREAL YEAR: 11 Kuan years
largest moon, it stirred considerable discussion within

the prospector community on Coriolis. More reports of
promising findings on other moons came in, and suddenly,
Xene was on everybody’s lips. The last ten cycles have seen
several mining corporations and independent prospectors
establishing themselves in the vicinity of the gas giant. It INDEPENDENT MINING COLONY “KALDER’S DREAM”
is a dangerous place – many prospectors have been lost
in the shadows of Xene. Xene’s sixth moon, Eod, houses the raggedy prospector base
Kalder’s Dream. The far-from-dreamlike station has only
THE FOUNDATION’S STATION three permanent residents: the worn-out old prospector
The largest human settlement around Xene is the Kalder, Lanna the cook and cantina owner, and Xoo, the thiev-
Foundation’s research installation FS-7. The old station ing monkey. Miners and prospectors come here after a hard
used to have only a small crew of astronics, planetologists, day’s work to drink, eat, and gossip about their finds.
and geologists, but since the mineral discoveries – and
especially since the arrival of the Emissaries – the inhab-
itants of FS-7 have increased manifold. Today, pilgrims
from every corner of the Horizon travel to FS-7 to worship
the Emissary that still remains on the station.
293
THE HORIZON
SURHA Surha is one of the Horizon’s least hospitable planets. It

is a world where ice storms beat down on endless tundra,
a poisonous atmosphere that makes living here a night-
mare, and extreme cold that forces the few settlements
that actually exist to retreat behind thermal shields and
armanite walls. The conditions make it one of the few plan-
ets in the Kua system that has never been colonized as the
costs have been too high and the rewards too little.
ANIALAH’S PHILOSOPHER odds. But the clues to its location are few and
It hasn’t always been like this, however. During Surha is big and hostile.
the golden age of the Firstcome, a huge coloni-
zation vessel, the Anialah, was constructed and THE SMUGGLERS’ HAVEN
sent to bring the fruits of civilization to Surha. Many cycles passed before humans visited Surha
Colonists, thinkers and believers left Kua to turn again, and this time the visitors had far from noble
the ice planet into a promised land. They never intentions. As the fleets were purging the aster-
did. Contact with the Anialah was lost just after oid belt, the smugglers had to move their bases
the ship arrived at Surha and it soon became clear farther and farther towards the Oort cloud. The
that disaster had struck. For a long time, it was inhospitable world on the brink of the big black
believed that the ship had broken apart during its was suddenly the smugglers only choice. When
entry into the atmosphere and crashed, leaving the Rimward Reach was discovered and colonized,
no survivors, but then, many years later, a strange Surha’s location suddenly became very favorable,
signal reached Kua. A person named Adjhani, and more smuggler gangs sought shelter under
philosopher and survivor of the Anialah, sent a the icy clouds. Small asteroid stations were con-
series of transmissions describing the crash and structed in the rings of the planet and surface
the time that followed. The story eventually became bases were hidden in remote ice deserts. It is
the “Ramshadra”, one of the most important in one such base that Abdul Shey, the Horizon’s
books of the Firstcome reign. Adjhani spoke of an most notorious smuggler sultan, is said to rest in
unforgiving world, but also of the rare moments a magnificent mausoleum designed by the great
when the storms subsided and Surha rose from architect Lovhain.
the mists in all its majestic splendor.
THE FALLEN MOON
THE PHILOSOPHER’S LANDS Surha is mostly covered in ice and snow, enor-
The Ramshadra eventually spawned a reli- mous wastes of tundra pierced by jagged glacial
gious community that worshipped the words fangs around which the winds reach hurricane
of Adjhani as if they were a message from the strength. The Harballa massif is the only real
Icons themselves. The Ramsha cult is still active mountain range on the planet and its peaks
today and recruits most of its followers from the reach tens of kilometers into the sky. The massif,
Firstcome people. They regard Surha as a holy measuring several thousand kilometers in
planet, and the cult’s most important mission is length and a few degrees in width, is actually
to find what they call the “Philosopher’s Lands”: the remains of what used to be Surha’s moon.
the place from where Adjhani transmitted the The ore-rich moon fell to the planet below hun-
Ramshadra and managed to survive against all dreds of thousands of years ago, today forming
294
THE KUA SYSTEM
FACTS ABOUT SURHA

◆◆ DIAMETER: 49,764 km (roughly 3.9
times larger than Kua)
156,338 km (roughly 3.9 times
larger than Kua)
◆◆ SURFACE AREA: 7.8 billion square
kilometers (roughly 15 times
larger than Kua)
◆◆ SIDEREAL YEAR: 165 Kuan years
the planet’s most visible landmark. The Harballa is ever so makes sure everything is running as it should. A few hundred
slowly sinking through the ice, and in a couple of thousand souls call Surhani their home and manage to live here in
years it will have disappeared completely. The moon ore is peace and relative comfort.
the planet’s only valuable natural resource and the reason for
the existence of a small outpost on the Harballa’s southern LIFE ON SURHA
slopes. In the last few cycles, the workers’ snow crawlers The extreme weather, the toxic atmosphere and the strong
and mining drills have gone deeper and deeper into the gravity make living on the frozen world hard and arduous,
mountain in search of the precious minerals and there are but with the right gear, knowledge, and protection, it is
rumors going around about a few curious discoveries in possible to lead a decent life. Settlements and bases are
the darkness that have caused the most superstitious of the often dug into the ice or the rock around the Harballa, and
miners to lay down their tools. powerful grav generators are installed, an absolute necessity
to make the bases habitable. For transportation up on the
THE LAST OUTPOST surface, the inhabitants use snow crawlers, slow but reliable
In the shadow of the mighty Harballa crouches Surha’s only vehicles constructed to withstand everything but the worst
real settlement, the Surhani outpost, called “Hope’s End” by storms. Reinforced exo shells are needed if one must be
the locals. Underground vaults and protective domes gather out in the open for a longer period of time, but a cheap air
hardened miners and indentured freighter pilots as well as the filter and warm clothes are enough for a short walk. Terrible
Ramsha followers and one or two bitter entrepreneurs cursing ice storms, often thousands of kilometers wide, plague the
their fate. The settlement is formally owned by the Colonial planet regularly and anyone out in the open when they hit
Agency and the faction’s local representative, Malva Sarhal, won’t live long in the extreme weather.
295
THE HORIZON
In the sector of the Lady of Tears, beyond the far bor-

THE RIMWARD REACH
ders of Transsurha, you will find the area known as the
Rimward Reach. For a long time, this was just empty
space on the edges of the Kua system, but this changed
dramatically when a Foundation probe found something
deep inside the Kandah cloud. An expedition traveled to
the Rimward Reach and found that it hadn’t always been
empty. Strange monuments and drifting shipwrecks bore
witness to a time when Firstcome colonists didn’t fear the
big black.
today, many years later, the area is a haven y THE CAVE OF BRIDGES
for freethinkers and fortune seekers, but a The beating heart of the Djachroum station is the
bloody struggle for the area’s resources is enormous cavern in the middle of the asteroid
being fought under the calm surface. This “end called the Cave of Bridges. Wabas visiting for the
of the Horizon” gathers shady prospectors, first time are met with a stupefying view. The
cunning spies, and ruthless archaeologists, circular cave is hundreds of meters high and wide,
all fighting for their chance at a better life cluttered with Firstcome stone houses, plastic
– a fight with few winners and many losers. sheds, rickety ladders, winding stairs and above all,
The Rimward Reach is not dominated by any a thick net of stairs and ramps. The cave is never
one faction, an exception in the otherwise quiet – the sales pitches of the merchants blend
Consortium-controlled system. Because of with the kabbah from the Governor’s Palace and
its remote location, the factions’ initial dis- the snickering of the Kuan bantam monkeys that
interest, and the independent space station jump between the bridges high above the ground,
Djachroum’s strong position, the Rimward searching for something shining or edible.
Reach is a melting pot of groups both big
and small with colliding agendas. y THE TWIN STATION
The station is split into two by a deep chasm
THE INDEPENDENT SPACE STA- called Eskalom’s rift. What caused the rift is
TION DJACHROUM unclear but analyses have determined it to be
Thanks to its strategic position in the Mouth approximately three centuries old, about the
of Kandah, Djachroum has become the most same time that the Founders disappeared from
important hub in the Rimward Reach. The head the Rimward Reach. The other side of the rift
of the station is the enigmatic Aqbar who has houses the ruins of an old part of Djachroum
turned Djachroum into both a protector of today called the Twin Station. The restless ghosts
the Rimward Reach and a uniting force for its of the Founders are supposedly still haunting
peoples. The roughly 12,000 inhabitants of the the halls of the Twin Station. Both Eskalom’s
station include every sort of misfit or adventurer rift and the Twin Station are off-limits on the
the Horizon has to offer, from independent orders of Akbar. Djachroum’s inhabitants love
miners and smugglers to radical theologists a good ghost story about the halls on the other
and eccentric mystics, all drawn to the Rimward side, but are mindful not to come near the rift.
Reach to escape the yoke of factionary oppres- The only ones with any kind of knowledge about
sion. the forgotten parts of the station are the mys
296
THE KUA SYSTEM
THE LEGACY OF THE FOUNDERS around the Marrab asteroid, traditionally considered a holy
The Firstcome people that once lived in the Rimward Reach site and used as a meeting place and settlement by the
and constructed the Djachroum station are known today only nomad swarms. The nomads would allow no mining to take
as the Founders. Who they were or where they came from is place and when the hot-blooded prospectors attempted to
unknown, but scientists of more or less honest repute have do it anyway, their ships and drones were shot down, and
a plethora of theories. Studies of ruins and archaeological this is how the violent Marrab conflict started. Recently
findings have shown that the Founders were deeply religious it has escalated, the confrontations becoming bloodier
y were also accomplished scientists and researchers; the and bloodier.
many advanced machines they left behind are clear proof
of this. Many Founder artifacts can be found throughout KUAN EXPANSION
the Rimward Reach. The last few cycles of Kuan expansion into the Rimward Reach,
especially by the Consortium and the Legion, have caused
THE MARRAB CONFLICT tensions, but so far, violent confrontation has been avoided.
All of the Rimward Reach today is somehow affected by the In just the last few segments, the Legion has increased their
low intensity conflict between the prospector clans and presence in the Rimward Reach heavily. It started when they
the nomad swarms. The heart of the conflict is a dispute formed a blockade around the Armada of the Firstcome,
over who has the rights to the valuable maghdan deposits something that surprised even their allies in the Foundation.
that exist in the Marrab cluster. When the clans started Stubborn rumors claim that a bulk hauler under heavy escort
looking for maghdan around Kandah, they founded bases is about to arrive at the Thalus base. The seers and info
on several asteroids around the cloud. All was well until mongers of Coriolis are all in agreement that something is
one day when they discovered huge deposits of maghdan about to happen in The Reach.
THE ARMADA OF THE FIRSTCOME
One of the greatest mysteries left behind by the

Founders is the cluster of ship wrecks called the
Armada of the Firstcome – hundreds of wrecks in
eerily perfect rows. Some of them seem to have
deactivated but operational systems. Investigators
are puzzled by the incomprehensible encryption that
protects the Armada’s slumbering systems – it
would almost seem as if the old ships are waiting
for their old masters to return. The Legion set up
a blockade around the Armada a little while back.
Maybe they have succeeded where the ship archae-
ologists failed?
297
CHAPTER 13
atlas of the
third horizon
The sight was overwhelming. A glittering river snaked its way across the desert,
giving life to millions of purple flowers along its banks. The Merids, majestic,
towered in the distance. Crying out in wild joy, the nomads spurred their horses
towards the stream.
STORIES FROM A LOST TIME – Mazelman

THE HORIZON
The Third Horizon is a motley collection of star systems spanning a large

part of the galaxy. The systems are connected to one another across the
unfathomable distances by star portals. All kinds of worlds exist here,
some known and busy with human activity, others wild and unexplored. This
chapter describes the largest and most important systems, as well as a
few of the smaller gems.
ASTROGRAPHY
The Third Horizon consists of thirty-six star systems. All are the field, never to be seen again. A second problem is that no
probably inhabited, but one cannot be completely sure about living creature can portal jump while awake without suffering
a few of them. Some systems see traffic only by way of the serious neurological and mental damage. Stasis technology is
portals. Only six systems have large populations: Algol, Dabaran, required to provide some measure of safety for the crew during
Kua, Mira, Zalos and Sadaal. The busier routes connect these a jump. The factions are devoting massive funding into research
six systems. The populations in the other systems vary in about ways to get around this, but no one has succeeded so far.
size depending on the number of planets, the luminosity of The last problem is the jump itself. No one knows exactly what
the stars and a range of other factors. Many systems house happens in the moment when the ship makes the jump, but
human life only in relay stations, small colonies, outposts or according to folklore, evil djinni and other darkmorphs hunt in
prospector camps – and corsair nests, of course. the vicinity of the portals. There are stories about whole crews
waking up from their frozen slumber possessed by unspeakable
THE PORTALS things from the Dark between the Stars.
The so-called portals are actually fields without any physical
structure, made up of exotic particles and waves. Foundation y THE PORTAL JUMP
professor Yaqub Fazari believes that the fields can be under- Because of the dangers and the complicated calculations, pre-
stood and described mathematically, and when this has been paring for a portal jump takes about a day. To facilitate easier
achieved, the people of the Horizon will be able to create new jumping and to prevent accidents, portal stations have been
portals. However, this is all just a theory so far. When a ship constructed close to all of the portals. The crew of the portal
passes through a portal, it is instantly transported to the next. station aids the skippers in calculating the size of the fields,
Each field links two star systems together and jumps can be making for quicker preparations, but at a hefty cost. Since
made both ways, simultaneously and without risk of collision. several ships can use one entry vector, jumping in groups to
Jehna Karmathe, the noted Dabaran philosopher, teaches share the cost is common. It is not certain exactly how many
that no two things can happen anywhere at the same time ships can use the same coordinates – it depends on the flux of
in the universe, and that this explains why parallel passage the field and the will of the Icons – but no one wants to go last.
is safe, but that level of philosophical detail is not something The portal stations are also small oases for bored crews and
normal skippers care about. somewhere to make repairs. Larger stations even have vacuum
docks for proper service. Poor skippers can wait at the station
y THE DANGERS OF THE PORTALS for other ships to come along to share the jump fee with, or
One major problem with the star portals is that they aren't stable. jump solo – using self-calculated coordinates, or piggybacking
Complicated algorithms and sequences are used to calculate the on another ship. This is both risky and illegal, however. The solo
flux of the field and a good entry vector, and getting the math jumper could end up at the edge of the field, collide with the
wrong can lead to the ship being torn apart or swallowed by other ships or get too close to their graviton exhausts.
300
ATLAS OF THE THIRD HORIZON
TABLE 13.1 STAR SYSTEMS IN THE THIRD HORIZON
Below is a list of all the systems in the Horizon. Star names are listed wherever the stars have unique names. Distances between stars in
a system are measured in Astronomical Units (AU). The Planet column lists how many planets there are in a system. A stands for aster-
oid belt, and G for gas giant.
D66 SYSTEM STARS SYSTEM DISTANCES PLANETS IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
11 AIWAZ AIWAZ A-B 300 3G/5AG

12 ALGEBAR Solitary - 12AG
13 ALGOL Algol/Persei/Rhaas 0.1/150 6AG/0/2 Akhandar
14 ALTAI Solitary - 7AG
15 AMEDO AMEDO A-B 100 10AG/3
16 ANASPORA Solitary - 3AG
21 AWADHI AWADHI A-C 200/600 3/7AG/0
22 CAPH CAPH A-B 100 4/5AG
23 DABARAN Solitary - 7G Dar Bahri
24 DAYBUL DAYBUL A-B 60 3AG/2G
25 DZIBAN Solitary - 3AG
26 EANU EANU A-B 150 6AG/3G
31 EREQU Solitary - 5A
32 ERRAI ERRAI A-B 70 6A/2AG
33 GHODAR Solitary - 3AG
34 HAMURA Solitary - 2G
35 KUA Solitary - 6AG Coriolis
36 MARFIK Solitary - 4
41 MELIK Solitary - 5G
42 MENKAR MENKAR A-B 80 4G/3AG
43 MIRA Mira/Antmira/Menau 75/1,000 6AG/4G/5G The Icon City
44 NAGAR NAGAR A-B 500 4G/0
45 NHARMADA NHARMADA A-C 50/400 2/7/4AG
46 ODACON Solitary - 5AG
51 ORDANA ORDANA A-B 200 7G/6A
52 RIGEL Solitary - A
53 SADAAL Sadaal/Bahram 50 9G/3A Alburz
54 SIVAS Solitary - 5G
55 TAOAN Solitary - 3G
56 TARAZUG Solitary - 4G
61 UHARU Uharu/Zuhal 15 3/26A
62 YASTAPOL Solitary - 2G
63 ZALOS ZALOS A-B 10 3A/4G City of Foreigners
64 ZAMUSA Solitary - 2
65 ZHAU ZHAU A-C 80/400 6/4G/3A
66 ZIB Solitary - 4A
301
THE HORIZON
THE ROUTES OF
THE HORIZON
The routes through the Horizon were mapped a long time
before the Portal Wars, both within and between systems.
Some of them fell silent and were forgotten during the Long
Night, but the Zenithian rebirth has opened them again, as the
lifeblood of commerce is once again flowing in the Horizon.
Below are descriptions of the most important routes and the
problems and dangers that affect them.
THE ALGOL ROUTE

Many free traders work the route to Algol as the systems
along the way are relatively safe from corsairs, and have yet
to be exploited by the factions. The portals are stable and
the stations are well manned, up until one reaches Algol and
the surrounding systems. After Nharmada, things are much
more quiet, and only the most stubborn or desperate crews
push on all the way to Eanu.
THE DABARAN CIRCLE

The busiest route in the Horizon goes from Mira via Kua
NAMING STANDARD
to Dabaran. The bulk haulers prefer the shorter route
across Uharu, but since the rebellion there is pretty much
A system is usually named after the largest planet constant traffic and the portal stations are often under-
it contains. To avoid confusion, one says for example staffed, and this way has become increasingly unsafe.
”in Dabaran” when referring to the system, and ”on The longer Amedo route past Algebar and Rigel is used
Dabaran” when talking about the planet. Binary primarily by free traders, but has also become dangerous
and trinary star systems always have their portals since Almida, the corsair queen, has expanded her oper-
by the primary star. The other stars have names ations in Caph and Marfik.
of their own, but are usually referred to as ”B” and
”C”. Reaching these stars is done by jumping to the THE MIRAN CHAIN
primary star and continuing on – there are no known The Miran chain is not the most traveled route in the
inter-system portals. Stasis is sometimes used Horizon, but perhaps the most important. The shorter
within such a system, as the distances between the route across Aiwaz and Zalos used to be the safest choice,
stars can be enormous. as the portals in the Odacon system are still unreliable
The risk of encountering corsairs makes this from damage they suffered during the Portal Wars. After
unwise in some systems, instead forcing the crew to a bulk hauler going the long way round disappeared when
sit through long, boring and sometimes maddening jumping from Odacon, the Consortium forced the Order
voyages through empty darkness. of the Pariah to open their portal stations again. The
Order's tangled bureaucracy still makes the jump across
Zalos difficult – expensive customs fees and arbitrary
302
restrictions often create a queue of ships waiting to jump Sadaal, only recently allowed off-world trade. Since the
to and from the system. Desperate free traders still prefer Consortium started factories on Sadaal, the whole route
the Odacon route despite the dangers, as trade is good has come alive. The Sadaal portals are easy to use and the
along the way in the Quadrant of the Pillar. high frequency of Portal Builder finds in Ghodar, Daybul
and Menkar attracts many explorers and archaeologists.
THE SADAAL ROUTE Menkar is also home to the empty portal – a portal no
The Sadaal route has the least amount of traffic of all the one has returned from, said to connect to an unknown,
routes, probably because the largest hub along the way, Fourth Horizon.
ALGOL
Algol, The Demon Star, is home to plebeians and rebels. are common in the whole system, on moons and asteroids
The planet is known for its heavy industry, deep mines, vast as well as in the big debris cloud belt.
wastelands and draconian faction- and Consortium-affiliated
rulers. The industrial expansion has taken its toll on both the THE CONSORTIUM AND THE REBELS
planet and its inhabitants, leaving the people divided between The Consortium is the largest faction on Algol. With birr,
company loyalists and rebels. grav cranes and vulcan might, the companies seized control
Algol is a trinary system containing the stars Algol, Persei of the ruined cities and began extracting the natural riches.
and Rhaas. Algol and Persei circle each other in a passionate The infrastructure was repaired and expanded, but vulgar
dance, while Rhaas, the forgotten lover, watches from far displays of wealth next to growing shantytowns has become
away. As the stars are white, only Algol-Persei space contains the face of Consortium-ruled Algol. The Zenithian Hegemony
habitable worlds: Yavan, Algol, Ermenu and Taus. A few has also invested in several of the planet's cities, thanks to the
worlds orbit the distant Rhaas, but house only a handful of Algolan diaspora in the shadow of the Monolith. All Algolans
mining colonies. are not kneeling before their Zenithian overlords however –
the brutal treatment of the planet and the population fuels
CHILDREN OF THE DEMON STAR resistance and revolt. The rebel groups keep to the remote
Across the Horizon, Algol's reputation reflects its unspoken highlands, the forests of the taiga, and the frozen deserts
name: ”The Demon Star”. It is thought to be a haunted place near the planet's poles.
only visited by the desperate and the greedy. The first colonists Life on Algol is tough – hard work in the factories in the
were likely aware of the stories, but ignored the system's bad cities or hard work in the mines and logging camps in the
reputation to exploit its rich concentration of metals and wilderness. But just as the two suns chase each other across
minerals, and settled in the temperate belts on the planet the heavens, the toils of the day give way to the pleasures of
Algol. When the Portal Wars raged across the Horizon, Algol the night. The entertainment districts in the cities are filled
was hit hard. Many cities were destroyed during a campaign with courtesan houses, pit fights and grav racing – and things
of orbital bombardments remembered today as the ”Year of like kohôl, opor, arrash and Substance O, the latest drug,
the Flaming Tears”. The arrival of the Zenithians revitalized help the people forget their worries. The bleak countryside
the wounded world. mirrors the hard lives of the population – wide-stretching
Algol is the hub of the system and most people today, city gravel plains, empty tundra, high mountain ranges and deep,
dwellers and rebels alike, still live in its two temperate belts. dark forests. Pioneers and prospecting companies defy the
Old and newer cities like Yasul, Akhandar-O-Sharif, Belem hostile landscapes to search for precious metals and ore
and Yousfana crowd together, surrounded by wasteland on all veins, hoping for that one big find – as the saying goes: ”A
sides. Colonies and mines exist across the entire planet, and miner in the morning can be a pasha by night”.
303
THE HORIZON
MIRA
Mira is a place where time has stood still since before the dockyards in the Icon City from their floating palace high above
Portal Wars. Mighty temples, Icon churches and cloister the Intrapelagic Sea. In recent years, the Chelebs have formed
palaces preside in gilded bliss in the hearts of the planet's strong ties with the Zenithian Hegemony, and rumors whisper
city-states. Pilgrims and merchants flock to the planet, as about a coming marriage between the builder masters and one
does their protectors and exploiters. Mira is full of Firstcome of the purest and most exalted Hegemony families, which would
wonders: winding pilgrim trails, the floating traffic in the Icon create a blood bond across the whole Horizon. The Weeping
City, ascetic monks in the forgotten valleys of Menau, and Matriarchy is an alliance of convents that are responsible for most
much more. The Horizon's best grav projectors are also from of the Church's security on Mira and Antmira. The Triumvirate
Mira – made in the legendary Chelebs dockyards. of Sisters, appointed for life, controls the Matriarchy.
Mira is a trinary system. There is a second star called Okra Darma is the closest thing to the Syndicate the Mirans
Mira-B, or Antmira, and a third called Mira-C, or Menau. have – a criminal network that lives off robberies and gullible or
Both Antmira and Menau have planets suitable for human frightened pilgrims visiting the Icon City. Okra Darma's head-
habitation, but they are nowhere near as rich as the planet quarters are said to be hidden in the deep ravines on distant
Mira. Trigon in Antmira is an industrialized world that seems Menau, but their presence in the Icon City is anything but discreet.
to be of more interest to the Zenithian factions than to the
Mirans themselves. Menau is remote and home to scattered PILGRIM TRAILS
colonies and temples belonging to the Circle of Seekers. Pilgrim’s trails, paths, channels and all manner of vehicles
that ever so slowly transport pilgrims across the holy lands
THE CRADLE OF COLONIZATION criss-cross Mira and Menau. Neither pilgrims nor Mirans
The city-states of Mira are the cradle of Firstcome coloni- can see the point in rushing – the voyage is often a goal in
zation and considered by many to be its pinnacle – a loose itself. If speed is required, there is usually a dhol available
federation of states that have enjoyed centuries of peaceful nearby, and those too frail to walk can ride dromedons on
competition. Today, power is shared between the Church Mira or the wooly, grip-hoofed cria on Menau.
of the Icons, the Cities and the Chelebs-Menau family. The A pervasive myth in the whole system is that of the Ensnarer,
Church controls Icon City from high up in the flying Temple or Yal-Shir, who is said to seduce and prey on unworthy
City. The other large cities on the planet, like Bandar Asul, pilgrims. The more obscure or sparsely traveled a trail is,
Tifret, and Cimoran, are ruled by local courts, but the Church the more ”active” the Ensnarer is. Several pilgrim groups
maintains a presence everywhere through their preachers, disappear every year on the Yadaman trail between the Icon
bureaucrats, and the warrior nuns of the Weeping Matriarch. City and the Valley of Monuments, something that neither
The Chelebs-Menau family shines like a mighty sun across the private mercenaries nor the Matriarchy have been able to stop.
DABARAN
In the warmth of the red star lies the planet of the emirs – that it can hardly be spotted on its fast course past the
Dabaran. The planet contains lush oasis gardens, extreme gigantic Dabaran-A. The main star is a red giant with a
temperature variations, vast deserts, and a population with few satellites, and only the rock planet Dabaran has a
a soft spot for philosophy, mathematics, and beautiful sizeable population. There are some gas mines on the
mechanical creations. enormous Salamanx and a research installation on the
Dabaran is a binary system, but Dabaran-B is so small boiling hot Arara.
304
The Dhol Guard of the Icon City
305
THE HORIZON
HOME OF THE DARS

The arid Dabaran is home to a flourishing class of nobles
living in oasis gardens, domed palaces and ravine seraglios.
Regardless of whether they are emirs, feriks, pashas or
sultans, nobles should be addressed using the royal prefix
”dar” or ”dari”, and the same term is used when speaking
of their emirates. The dars are tangled up in a constant
struggle to top one another in art, knowledge and wealth.
The race for perfection assumes a variety of forms, from
intricate mosaics and palaces to shining, mechanical night-
ingales and owls. Dabaran was mostly spared the horrors
of the Portal Wars. The planet was not hit by any major
bombardment, and the dars had no fleets with which to
engage in the fighting. Concentrated efforts instead went
into securing the planet's self-sustainability, fortifying the
oasis domes and stopping the spread of the contagious
hate and suspicion that gripped the rest of the Horizon
in a chokehold. In Lotus, the temple city, alliances and
marriages were formed to safeguard the fragile peace and
further progress and enlightenment.
The peace has lasted to this day, but the larger dars have
begun competing for the planet's most important resource
– water. Water is rich in the lowlands around the equator, in
underground springs and rivers, but the highlands, where
many of the royal courts have their oasis domes, are dry,
and water is something one must drill deep for. This has
spawned a large and lucrative water rights market, with
transactions in the form of either birr or marriage. More
and more oasis domes are being constructed, and this has
led to physical confrontations over wells and pipelines.
ZENITHIAN ARROGANCE
The Consortium, with Parr and the Colonial Agency at
the forefront, has started to take an interest in the rich
soils of the lowlands. With permission from emir Karabah
of Lotus, several multi-farms have been founded on the
slopes of the Yeva valley. Pumping stations and colossal
crawlers are slowly taking over the valley – destroying it,
according to many – and this has resulted in dust storms
sweeping out towards the neighboring dars. Rumors have
it that the Zenithians are attempting to drill their way
into the Wound, which is located just north of the Yeva
valley – why else would they have mobilized Parr-Nestera's
attack brigades?
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THE WOUND but there have been no obvious artifact discoveries in the
To the nobles of Dabaran, Lotus is the Icons' capital on the area that could prove it. Several expeditions have disappeared
planet. It was constructed by the Seekers next to the myste- in the darkness of the Wound. To settle the matter once and
rious Wound, a chasm whose volcanic depths have yet to be for all, the Foundation recently sent a team of xeno-archae-
measured. The Wound is said to be of Portal Builder origin, ologists to the site.
SADAAL
The Sadaal system is inhabited by a group of Firstcome Life on Bahram is somewhat different. Farmers are moving
people who have taken their version of the Icon faith to absurd into the big cities to share in the new economy, and a middle
levels. The rulers use the faith as a political tool to control class is forming. New districts crop up around shipyards
their subjects. The head of the masked clergy, Aremerat, is and factories. Bigotry is receding and the citizens no longer
presented as chosen directly by the Icons. It is an insular fear change.
system, and news from the rest of the Horizon is subject to
strict control and censoring. Emigration is not permitted, but DAHARAB AND THE CONSORTIUM
the Consortium and a few other groups have been allowed The Daharab dockyards are the center of Consortium power
to establish themselves here in recent years. on Bahram. They are located in the Newlands, a group of
Sadaal is a binary system. Both stars, Sadaal and Bahram, have islands where foreign companies are allowed to establish
one planet each with good conditions for human settlement. themselves. Components of enormous freighters are con-
High mountains and dry steppes dominate Sadaal, while Bahram structed in the huge factories of the yards and then taken
is covered in oceans, marshes and wide plains of farmland. up into orbit for assembly.
Daharab is a bustling city. The social strata are much
THE EIGHT WISDOMS more nuanced here compared to other
The most powerful group in Sadaal is without question the parts of the planet and the system.
hierocrats in Amesha Spenta, The Eight Wisdoms. These There is more money to be made
high priests interpret the words of Aremerat and are the here, but also a lot of people living
de facto rulers in all matters. Each of the eight Ameshas in actual poverty – something
represents one Icon and leads a sect devoted to the domain that hardly exists outside of the
of that Icon, as it is understood in Sadaal. The ninth Icon, Newlands. Another indication
the Whisperer – called the Faceless One elsewhere – has no of the loosening of control
representative in Amesha Spenta. in the Newlands is the
The Ameshas work as a political force to maintain and growing influx of ple-
expand their power. Institutes, bureaus and departments grow beians, drawn here
and shrink, priests win or lose reputation – it is a constant from across the
shadow play that often takes a hard toll on the population. Horizon to work
Sadaalians generally live strict, humble lives. They work in the factories.
to feed their families. They wear their talismans and thank
Aremerat at dawn and dusk for the great civilization he has
created. They meet their confessor at least once a week to
confess and scrutinize their actions. Moderation guides all
things. There are no decadent pleasures available to common
people on Sadaal.
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THE HORIZON
ZALOS
Zalos has been called the birthplace of the Martyr. The so far not been successful. Both sides in the conflict possess
system is ruled by the Order of the Pariah, a faction with advanced antimatter weapons, golim armors and bionics that
a split reputation for being both devout, helpful believers don’t exist outside of Zalos, making them evenly matched.
and bloodthirsty fanatics. Not much is known about Zalos If it wasn't for the total fleet blockade around Zahedan, the
as the Order is very strict about who they let in. What little rebellion might have spread to the rest of the system.
common people in the Horizon know is usually based on
rumors and third party sources, and those who actually have UNDER THE GAZE OF THE MARTYR
visited Zalos in recent years can only share their experiences All larger communities on Zalos are built around large
of the City of Foreigners. monastery complexes from which the Order controls the
Zalos is a binary system with two habitable planets, one area. The monasteries often house hundreds of order
orbiting each star, Zalos and Zahedan. A third planet, Benagia, members and are always heavily fortified. Every day, the
used to be inhabited, but it suffered such terrible bombard- residents of the surrounding areas make their way to the
ments during the Portal Wars that it is uninhabitable today. monasteries for religious services and flagellation in honor
Several moons have been colonized, with Karrmerruk, orbiting of the Martyr. The cities are made of stone, with prayer
Benagia, being the most famous. Many small space stations towers, high pointed roofs, narrow alleys, and few open
are also scattered across the system. spaces. The cities of Zalos are busy and labyrinthine, while
The Martyr Council, a constantly changing group of priests, large parts of the cities on Zahedan have been reduced to
prophets, grand masters and elders, governs the Order of ruins and dust by the war.
the Pariah. Rumors claim that the Council lets archaic rites Certain things remain constant in the lives of the system's
and divination decide how Zalos should be ruled. Regardless inhabitants. Prayer and flagellation are important on both
of their practice, the Martyr Council is the dominant political Zalos and Zahedan. Faith defines every aspect of life, from
force in the system, and they are seldom contradicted. family relations to work and warfare. Several smaller cults
within the Order have fled out into space to escape the war.
THE WAR ON HERESY One such cult is the Hymns of the End Times. They have
The largest conflict in Zalos is the civil war raging across all constructed the eight so-called Coral stations that are spread
of Zahedan. Large portions of the planet's population have across the system. All day, every day, the End Times' choirs
succumbed to heresy and started worshipping false proph- and flagellants are lined up in ingeniously constructed halls,
ets. They have left the embrace of the Martyr and taken up singing. Grand polyphonic choir pieces blended with the
arms against their former brothers and sisters. The war is wailing from the flagellants are transmitted across many
everywhere and very bloody, with everything from small frequencies to the whole system, in the Martyr's undying
guerilla raids to full-scale military campaigns. The Order praise. Visiting traders have had to shut off all incoming
focuses much of its resources on crushing the rebels, but has radio traffic to avoid the cacophony.
ODACON
The Odacon system is a broken monument to the madness The system contains three planets – Sethlen, Rusah, and
of the Portal Wars. No one comes here voluntarily, unless Qayna – and the scattered remains of a fourth one. None of
they are traveling between Coriolis and Mira, or desperate the planets have any major settlements. The system is much
enough to seek fortune and fame in the ruined system. too difficult to navigate for it to be economically viable for any
308
A monastery cruiser landing at

Joh Narida on Zalos
of the Consortium companies to expand here. Odacon has THE DANGERS OF ODACON
instead become a place for truly daring free trader captains That most crews choose other routes than the one through
and all sorts of underhanded business. There is no major Odacon is no mystery. The dangers here are many, and physical
faction presence here, and the population of the system is threats like corsairs or the remains of ancient war machines are
spread out in small colonies and independent space stations. not the only ones – navigating the system is also difficult. Since
Odacon was colonized by the Firstcome peoples long ago, the war, the star has become unstable and unpredictable. It has
and used to be a rich system with a large population. Several cooled down considerably and creates strange gravitational phe-
planets contained big cities and advanced industries. Then nomena. Both portals in the system are unstable and require a
came the war. While initially spared, Odacon was hit hard seasoned captain to be used. Several inexperienced crews have
towards the end. The final and most devastating battles of been left stranded here, unable to read their navigation systems.
the war took place in the system and caused destruction on
a scale beyond anything the Horizon had witnessed before, SPACE STATION KHÔBAN
making Odacon the fragmented system it is today. If the system can be said to have an administrative seat at all,
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THE HORIZON
it would be the Khôban portal station. About five hundred wars, and the pulverized wrecks of enormous armadas. The
souls call Khôban their home, all living in the outer layers of Ash belt is a gold mine for scrapper crews and adventurers
the station while the core modules are slowly decaying. No but also contains many dangers. Apart from the mythical
slummers are allowed in the decrepit parts, but this rule is Bane of Ashes, the belt is also home to bloodthirsty corsairs,
difficult to enforce. General law enforcement is handled by automated battle systems and forgotten mines. Several small
judicators from Coriolis, but it is the Martyr warriors there asteroid and space station communities nonetheless exist in
to protect Inashar Delion, the Order's consul to the station, the depths of the belt.
and the Legionnaires that guard the Consortium's interests Few things can chill the blood of Odacon's residents
that are the actual deterrents to would-be troublemakers. quite like the mention of the Bane of Ashes. It is an entity
said to be able to destroy a ship by breaking it down,
THE ASH BELT molecule by molecule. Some say that the Bane of Ashes
The Ash belt hangs like a dark shroud in the emptiness is a semi-intelligent war machine while others believe it
between the portals in Odacon. It consists of the remnants to be a chaotic cloud of nanites. The truth about the Bane
of Matush, the fourth planet that was destroyed during the has yet to be revealed.
THE QUADRANT OF THE PILLAR

The Quadrant of the Pillar is a lost paradise where Firstcome have had something to do with shaping the systems. Some
civilization has triumphed despite the destruction of the Portal of the more patriotic scientists in the Quadrant believe
Wars. In the four systems of the Quadrant, Firstcome and that the high number of rich worlds in the systems is to
Zenithians meet on equal terms. be regarded as a sign that the area has been chosen to
The Quadrant of the Pillar spans the four systems along serve some higher, sacred purpose. They believe that the
the newly established Odacon route between Kua and Mira: Quadrant is a promised land in the dark emptiness, and
Altai, Sivas, Ordana, and Zhau. The systems share many that all that is missing is a strong, Icon-fearing leader to
cultural traits, from the routines of daily life to governance show the way.
and civil liberties. The similarities can be traced back to The worlds are only lightly populated, despite their natural
the first wave of colonists that were kept alive over the riches, and it is only recently that a broad wave of colonists
years thanks to the fact that the Quadrant systems kept has started to arrive. Colonizing the Quadrant has its risks
trading and communicating with each other during the however – slavers, corsairs, self-appointed freedom fighters
Long Night. The new colonists in the Quadrant have been and bloodthirsty warlords are just a few of the dangers that
integrated into the culture of the systems, but have also await the reckless or the foolhardy.
contributed with influences of their own. Of the factions,
the Consortium is the one who shows the greatest interest THE JANGAHIR FLEET
in the systems, insistently trying to further its own agenda The mogul fleet constitutes the nervous system of the
through alliances, colonization and trade. The Consortium Quadrant. They cemented their claim to power directly after
wants to replace the old power structures with usurpers the Portal Wars. Unlike the rest of the peoples of the Quadrant,
friendly to the faction. they challenged the ancient portal fields and managed to
unravel their secrets. The fleet thrived from its monopoly
A PARADISE LOST position. Their battered old ships, relics from the Second
The Quadrant of the Pillar has a high concentration of Horizon, were upgraded and modified, resulting in a fantastic
rich, habitable worlds. Reports from the Foundation's mixture of different technologies and traditions. They have
investigations here indicate that the Portal Builders likely reigned in silent majesty for a long time, but the arrival of
310
the Consortium in the systems has challenged their rule and THE ALTAI CORSAIRS
started to undermine their power. Mogul trade used to rule Blood-curdling rumors about the merciless raids of the corsairs
worlds and move mountains, but this is rapidly changing. from Altai have spread across the entire Horizon. Altai is a haven
The competition has led to tension in the Quadrant, but for smugglers, slavers, pirates and other outlaws, giving the
open clashes between the Consortium and Jangahir's heirs whole Quadrant somewhat of a reputation for being a wild place
have so far been limited. where the difference between might and right is a bit fuzzy.
THE SMALL GEMS

Apart from the core systems, the Third Horizon is full of Nowadays, the native semi-intelligences share the planet with
gems along the four star arms discussed above. A few of colonists in cities spread around a large archipelago. Amedo's
them are described below. More information can be found white island temples are known across the entire Horizon.
on the map of the Third Horizon. Closely orbiting the smaller Amedo-B, also known as Ekharan,
is a strange planetary body called the Eye of Ekharan. The
AMEDO Eye is a perfect ellipse with a transverse axis of exactly 1,100
The binary Amedo system is mainly known for the large km. Since the observations of the Eye began, its orbit has
number of skavara living on the planet of the same name, stayed constant. That the Eye is no natural phenomenon is
roaming across a whole continent in large tribes and packs. obvious to anyone.
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THE HORIZON
MENKAR incident in Taoan. Today, traffic through the system stops

At the end of the Third Horizon lies Menkar. Only the most only at the Hamurabi portal station where the Foundation,
stubborn of free traders and the most curious of archaeolo- the Consortium, and the Colonial Agency all keep a presence.
gists and scientists ever come out this far. But Menkar is the The system's inhabitants come to Hamurabi to trade or to
home of the Horizon's second monolith. It looks just like the work on servicing the warships from the Legion and the
monolith on Kua, and was likewise inhabited by humans a long Order that have been stationed here.
time ago. It rises high above the dangerous wilderness below
and this made it a logical place to settle. Today, much of its TAOAN
buildings lie in ruins and the rest are scarcely populated. A Whatever it is that is happening in Taoan is being kept secret.
while back, the monolith suddenly moved and tilted over to its Overzealous admirals commanding mighty battleships and
current position, and thousands were killed as their houses fell Martyr cruisers guard the portals in Hamura and Uharu. The
to the ground. The river delta surrounding the pillar is full of surrounding space is crowded with attack drones from the
light globes and the area has a reputation for being ripe with Legion and antimatter-powered injectors from the Order of
artifacts. Scientists come to Menkar in the hopes of learning the Pariah. Before all the commotion in the system, Taoan
more about portals from observing the unpredictable fields harbored a gas mine circling the gas giant with the same
in the system. There are hopes and theories about possibly name. Something went wrong, and contact with the mine was
opening the Third Horizon towards an unknown Fourth one lost. Rumors have it that terrible beings from the darkness,
from Menkar, but no one has been successful so far. or even a group of Emissaries, were behind the disaster.
HAMURA UHARU
Kua's neighbor Hamura saw quite a lot of traffic until the Uharu is known for its rebels, its Dabaran colonies, and the
312
asteroid refineries the Consortium runs here. The brown dwarf on Gudwara, Zaynad and in the Serpent Belt, respectively.
that has given its name to the system has about twenty moons Different alliances of warlords rule the system, offering some
circling it, several of them with biotopes and exotic fauna. The protection for the inhabitants in exchange for them signing
system was a goldmine to the Firstcome colonists that settled long contracts of servitude.
here, but the rich supply of natural resources soon attracted
Dabaran entrepreneurs and eventually the Colonial Agency. YASTAPOL
The newcomers tried to take over the system and, today, more The distant Yastapol system is mostly just empty space. What
or less open war rages across several of the different ice and sticks out in the system is the giant shipyards that have given
forest moons. The lava-covered moon Pyre orbits close to the name to the star. The yards are owned and run by the head of
brown dwarf in a magnetic flux tube, and the Foundation has the Yastapol family, executive director Anastasiya din-Yastapol.
founded a small base here to study magnetic fields. That the shipyards were constructed in Yastapol of all places
is explained by the huge wreckage belt that can be found
NHARMADA here, possibly even pre-dating the Portal Wars. The belt is
The Nharmada system is somewhat special in that several dangerous to maneuver through, but full of old ships, some
planets orbit the third and, counting from the portals, most of them in remarkably good shape. Salvage ships from the
distant star in the system. This red giant has four natural yards come to the belt and cannibalize the ships for parts to
satellites, but current theories speculate that the dying star bring back. These parts are then assembled into robust but
has already absorbed at least three planets and that the rest ugly ships, and sold for a good profit. Freelance scrapper
will eventually follow. The system has a small population of crews have started to show up over the last few years to get
mainly Firstcome tribes that operate more or less profitable their piece of the action, and the Colonial Agency have also
metal and mineral mines in the so-called Three Colonies – begun to show an interest.
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CHAPTER 14
beasts and djinni

The djinni are beings of unknown origin. Many clerics say that they come from
the Dark between the Stars. Some radical scientists think that they are actually
diabolical ghost machines from a distant past. Regardless of where they come
from, the djinni are a growing problem in the Horizon.
ON THE BANISHING OF JINNI – Zourtan Dar-Zinni

THE HORIZON
The moons, planets and stations of the Third Horizon are full of life –
and so is the Dark between the Stars, although "threats" is probably
a more suitable word for its ghastly inhabitants. Some of the beings
are altogether alien while others accompanied the colonists from the
First Horizon. This chapter will describe the semi-intelligences, beasts
and beings of the wild and the void that the PCs and their ship might
encounter.
this is where you should stop reading if you are not the Swarms: Some creatures act as swarms, a large body of
game master. The rest of this book is reserved for the GM and smaller beings. There are two rule exceptions for swarms:
provides more details about mysteries and secrets that the ◆◆ A swarm can divide its attack and target several victims with one
players shouldn’t know. It will be more exciting if the players action. Simply divide the dice total between all your intended
don’t know these rules and game stats – they are not supposed victims.
to initially know how a djinn encounter may affect them. ◆◆ Swarms cannot be harmed by normal weapons, only by fire
(flame- or thermal thrower) or explosions. If the PCs lack these
CREATURES types of weapons, they have no choice but to run away.
The umbrella term for all beasts and spirits in the Horizon is
“creatures”. Creatures cannot be manipulated. Special Abilities: Many creatures have unique abilities that
are not handled by any of the fourteen skills. These abilities
Skills: Some creatures lack skills – this means they can only are explained individually.
test basic attributes for their actions. Creatures cannot pray
to the Icons, but they can use Darkness Points. CREATURES AND CULTURE
Actions: Creatures can perform the same amount and kinds of When the PCs encounter a creature, they may test CULTURE to see if
actions per turn as humans and semi-intelligences (see Chapter they can identify it. Each creature in this chapter will have a boxed
5). Movement will usually be the only fast action they perform. modifier next to its name, showing you how rare or incomprehen-
sible the creature is.
Weapons: Creatures usually have claws, fangs or other nat-
ural weapons. These will have a listed Weapon Damage, but
no Gear Bonus.
SEMI-INTELLIGENCES
When the first colonists arrived in the Third Horizon, they
+2
thought they were the cluster’s only intelligent life – but they NEKATRA
were wrong. They discovered that several planets housed
xenosbeasts that appeared to possess intelligence, language The jungle nekatra are feared across every system. The nekatra
and rudimentary tribal societies: the ekilibri and the nekatra walks upright, has hard, sinewy muscles and a thin covering of
on Kua and the skavara on Amedo. Zoologists from The fur. Large fangs and wild eyes give it a menacing look. Where
University of Dabaran regard the huge but sluggish desde- the nekatra are originally from is unclear, as they seem to have
modu as semi-intelligences as well, but their colleagues in been living in several different systems when the Horizon was
the Foundation disagree with this. colonized. They live in the jungle wilderness of Kua, Menkar and
316
BEASTS AND DJINNI
the forest moons of Uharu, in small packs led by a female alpha.

Their predatory drive is very powerful, making them attack all prey
they can find in a cold, calculated manner. Nekatra in captivity
are often trained to be guards or gladiators, in the Stadium on
Coriolis for example. The Legion has experimented on nekatra,
reinforcing them with both cybernetics and bionic sculpts.
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 5, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
HIT POINTS: 11
MIND POINTS: 4
MOVEMENT RATE: 16
SKILLS: Melee Combat 3, Infiltration 2, Observation 2
ARMOR: 1
WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2), claws (Weapon

Damage 2, CRIT 3)
◆◆ THROAT ATTACK: Nekatra often go for the throat of their enemies. A

throat bite has a CRIT value of 1 but can only be performed after the
nekatra has spent a fast action to prepare. A successful throat attack
also pins the nekatra’s opponent (see Grappling, page 87).
◆◆ FERAL HUNGER: The nekatra enters a state of blind rage, attacking
everything around it. It can perform one additional melee attack per
turn, but all attacks suffer a -2 modifier and the beast can no longer
defend itself. Entering the feral rage is a normal action in itself.
◆◆ LEGION NEKATRA: The nekatra has been bionically altered, giving it
10 extra HP, stronger bite attacks (Weapon Damage 4) and medi-
glands that secrete an m-dose-like substance every two turns. If the
nekatra is broken, it can get back up at 3 HP if it passes a FORCE test
at -1. It can also have one cybernetic implant of the GM’s choosing.
+1
SKAVARA
While originally from Amedo, traders brought these snarl-
ing, badger-like semi-intelligences first to Algol, and later to
Coriolis, where they have multiplied in the shadows of the Cellar.
The skavara keep out of sight and live off what they can find,
which usually means garbage and leftovers if they live close to
a human settlement. Skavara usually live in leaderless packs
or alone. Sometimes they gather around a strong leader for a Nekatra
317
THE HORIZON
Skavara
short time and then disband, and possibly reform the group.
The skavara are guarded and vigilant creatures, but also curious
and fast learners. Like the glitter thrush, they collect all sorts
of colorful and shiny knick-knacks. City dwelling skavara often
adorn their fur or simple clothing with copper wires, fiber-optic
cables or pieces of shiny plastic. They only wear clothes – capes
or gallabeyas mostly – in colder climates such as on Algol or in
the Cellar on Coriolis, otherwise preferring just their own fur
for warmth. Humans have unsuccessfully tried to train skavara.
Their semi-intelligence makes them able to learn human lan-
guages, but their throats and mouths are bad at mimicking the
sounds. They can usually bark or yap only a few hundred words,
but can communicate much more clearly through sounds or
body language.
ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 5
MIND POINTS: 5
SEMI-INTELLIGENCES AS PCS? MOVEMENT RATE: 14
SKILLS: Melee Combat 1, Manipulation 1, Infiltration 3,

You are free to play a semi-intelligence if you wish, although
Observation 3
the desdemodu are not recommended. If you play as nekatra,
ARMOR: -
skavara or ekilibri, the only restriction is that while on civi-
WEAPONS: Claws (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 3)
lized planets, another PC in the group formally owns you.
Lone ekilibri or skavara are apprehended by the Coriolis
Guard and unsentimentally deported to Kua, while nekatra ◆◆ STENCH: The skavara have scent glands on their necks, used for
are sold to the arenas. Skavara are pretty deft negotiators, marking territories. A scared or cornered skavara can activate
but could also learn enough technical skills to work as these glands in an emergency, letting off a pungent odor that affects
deckhands, and they can use both tools and firearms. They mucous membranes and eyes. Enemies within Close Range get a -2
are not much for talking, preferring to communicate with modifier to all actions until they get away from the stench. They also
sign language, barking and growling. If you like the idea of have to test FORCE, suffering 2 points of stress if they fail.
playing a primitive peddler or engineer with a good eye for ◆◆ SNIFF: Skavara can use their sense of smell to test MANIPULATION
liars and ambushes, the skavara could be something for and determine if someone is hostile or lying. They also get a +2 to
you. Nekatra are best suited for violent professions such as OBSERVATION if there are scent trails to follow.
soldier or scout. Ekilibri often work as petty thieves, acro-

bats or criminals in human society, unless they are kept as
pets.
±0
EKILIBRI
The tiny ekilibri of Kua are tribal creatures that look like large
lemurs, sometimes reaching a full meter in height. The color
of their fur varies depending on caste and tribe.
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BEASTS AND DJINNI
-2
Fur patterns range from spots and stripes to solid, glaring DESDEMODU
coats of bright orange or deep red. The tribes are orga- The big and sluggish desdemodu of Dabaran are strange creatures
nized in caste systems, where members of different castes, that look like enormous tapirs with two giant horns on their heads.
according to the zoologists, have different jobs, from Their skin is hard and crystalline, grey with shimmering spots.
foragers to warriors. Members of the high castes often They live in small herds, slowly wandering across the Dabaran
dye their fur in bright colors using jungle herbs. Ekilibri highlands. Adult desdemodu can reach up to ten meters in
in captivity can be trained, usually to become servants or height at the withers, while the hornless foals, which are very
pets. Their soft, sweeping tails make them popular with rare, are no larger than pigs. The reproduction of the desdemodu
the upper classes in the Monolith and on Coriolis. Ekilibri is unknown – no desdemodu has ever been seen giving birth
can easily learn to understand human language but speak for as long as mankind has lived on Dabaran. Some zoologists
in high-pitched chirping, some of it outside the range of even say that the ones called foals are actually another species.
human hearing.
ATTRIBUTES:
ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 8 (FOAL 3), AGILITY 1, WITS 3, EMPATHY 4
STRENGTH 1, AGILITY 5, WITS 1, EMPATHY 3 HIT POINTS: 18 (foal 4)
HIT POINTS: 6 MIND POINTS: 7
MIND POINTS: 4 MOVEMENT RATE: 6
MOVEMENT RATE: 10 SKILLS: Force 5, Mystic Powers 4.
SKILLS: Infiltration 3, Observation 3. ARMOR: 7 (foal 4)
ARMOR: - WEAPONS: Gore (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 3)
WEAPONS: Claws (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 3)
◆◆ TELEPATHY: The desdemodu can use telepathic communication

◆◆ BATTLE CRY: The ekilibri can let out a loud, high shriek that is within Short Range. Costs 1 DP per use.
painful and disorienting at Short Range. Everyone in the area of ◆◆ CALM: The desdemodu can use its telepathic powers to try and
effect must test FORCE . Failure means 2 points of stress and the calm someone within Short Range through an opposed MYSTIC
loss of one’s next action. Someone with sensitive or enhanced POWERS roll. The calm remains in effect for several minutes and
hearing gets a -2 to the roll. anyone affected is unable to perform attacks. A new opposed
◆◆ AGILITY: The nimble ekilibri can jump far and high, as well as MYSTIC POWERS roll can be made every minute to break the
squeeze into very tight spaces such as ventilation shafts or effect.

pipes. ◆◆ TRAMPLE: The desdemodu can try to trample an enemy (Weapon
◆◆ NIGHT VISION: Ekilibri have good vision even in darkness and get Damage 3, CRIT 3). This attack can only be used directly after a
no negative modifiers for bad lighting. movement action, in the same turn.
BEASTS OF THE HORIZON

The beasts of the Third Horizon come in many different feel new and unique – try to use the encounters in new
forms, both on planets and in the darkness of space, but ways and make the players feel like there is something
they all have physical form. Beast encounters should always different every time.
319
THE HORIZON
The ensnarer
-2
AZAËLEAN
The mystical Azaëleans live in the Kuan jungles. The jungle
tribes treat these mighty forest dwellers with almost the
same reverence as the Icons. They come charging through
the trees like a battering ram of fur, muscle, and teeth. They
have several ring-shaped mouths with rotating rows of teeth,
surrounded by watchful eyes and venomous salivary glands.
The Azaëleans leave wide corridors of destruction in their wake.
The forest peoples use these tunnels through the undergrowth
for traveling, but the jungle soon seizes the opportunity to
rejuvenate itself, fresh sprouts and plants filling the hole. The
tunnels are so large they can be seen from space using the
right kind of sensors. Very few can brag about having seen an
Azaëlean – if you get in the way of a moving Azaëlean, start
running, or death is a certainty.
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 7, AGILITY 3
HIT POINTS: 14
MOVEMENT RATE: 12
SKILLS: Melee Combat 4, Force 3.
ARMOR: 10
WEAPONS: Mangling jaws (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 2), corrosive

spit (Weapon Damage 2, Short Range, test armor normally)
◆◆ ROTATING JAWS: Anyone hit by the jaws attack will also be pulled
into the mouth. The victim must pass a FORCE test to break free (a
normal action). As long as the victim is stuck, the Azaëlean gets +3
to all attacks against that person. If a victim manages to break free,
the Azaëlan usually changes direction and leaves the person be.
◆◆ MENTAL CAMOUFLAGE: The Azaëlean can camouflage itself from
both sensors and the naked eye, giving all onlookers a -3 to
OBSERVATION and negating all Gear Bonuses from technology.
This makes it very hard to spot until it is within Short Range of its
victim.
◆◆ REGENERATION: The Azaëlean regenerates D6 HP at the cost of
one slow action and one DP.
◆◆ SLOW: The Azaëlean moves slowly as it is chewing its way through
the jungle. PCs attempting to run away from the beast gets a +2 to
DEXTERITY.
Azuk
320
BEASTS AND DJINNI
-1 -1
AZUK DIRHAD
The azuk is a biosculpted combat beast with biocode from The dirhad is a predator biosculpted to survive in burning hot
cats, Kuan jungle snakes, whipping lobsters, and now extinct climates and to be a tough challenge for hunters. They are mainly
saber-toothed tigers. They have cat-like bodies, but with dark, found on Lubau in the Kua system, but also on other worlds
shimmering scales instead of fur. Their backs are long and with hot deserts. The dirhad has the appearance of a large cat
flexible like a snake’s, and they are usually equipped with but has a light brown skin with black spots instead of fur. To
retractable teeth and claws. Azuks are kept as pets on space withstand the heat, its blood flow has been extended through
stations thanks to their being easy to rear in confined spaces. special skin flaps between the front and hind legs that function as
They also deal with pests, such as rats, that some stations an internal cooling system. The flaps can be retracted for faster
have big problems with. Azuks that live in the wild are usually movement. To be more of a challenge to hunters, the dirhad
not as aggressive as those that have been trained to fight in have been made intelligent (but not a true semi-intelligence)
the arenas. Trained azuks are kept in cages because of their and its head and torso is covered in bionic armor that protects
extreme hostility towards everyone but their masters. against most primitive weapons. “Dirhad” actually means armor
or shell cat in the language of the Beri nomads. The dirhad can
move very quickly across short distances, but then it has to
ATTRIBUTES: stop to cool down. It prefers to ambush or sneak up on its prey.
HIT POINTS: 5
MOVEMENT RATE: 14 ATTRIBUTES:

SKILLS: Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 3, Infiltration 1
HIT POINTS: 10
ARMOR: 1
MOVEMENT RATE: 20/8 (see below)
WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2)
SKILLS: Infiltration 3, Melee Combat 3, Observation 4
ARMOR: 7

WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2), scorching claws
(Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 1)
+2
DHOL ◆◆ SPRINTER: The dirhad is capable of explosive bursts of speed. For
The wild dhol, a sort of prairie dog, lives in the wilderness on one turn, it will have a Movement Rate of 20 meters. After such a
several planets but is traditionally associated with the plains of sprint, the Movement Rate is reduced to 8 for three turns.
Mira. The dhols live and hunt in packs. Dhols are sometimes ◆◆ SCORCHER: The dirhad can store heat in its exo armor and then
captured and trained as guard dogs or arena fighters when release the flames in an attack with its scorching claws (Weapon
ordinary pit dogs are not exotic enough. Damage 3, CRIT 2). Recharging the heat again takes three turns.
ATTRIBUTES: +1
DROMEDON
HIT POINTS: 7
The dromedon is a sculpted derivative of dromedaries
and a few other species that are now extinct. It can live on
MOVEMENT RATE: 12
blistering hot planets without problem, such as on Lubau,
where it is used for transportation across the deserts. They
ARMOR: -
live off the tough plants the deserts have to offer. To digest
the chewy vegetation, their stomachs have eight compart-
ments, which unfortunately means they pass quite a lot
321
THE HORIZON
of methane through their rear ends. Zenithian colonists

call the dromedons the “stinker of the desert” and many ATTRIBUTES:
actually prefer motorized vehicles because of the smell. STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3
The dromedons are born with one hump but sometimes HIT POINTS: 8
grow more during their life, as they never stop growing.
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
This eventually leads to the older dromedons dying from
SKILLS: Force 3, Melee Combat 1
heart failure or fractures, usually after reaching a withers
ARMOR: 4
height of over four meters. The largest known dromedons
WEAPONS: Trample (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 3)
were over 7 meters high, but this is rare. Domesticated
dromedons are usually put down when they reach a height
of three meters. The dromedons are calm and slow animals, ◆◆ ENORMOUS: Older dromedons can become monstrous in size,
but during their biennial estrus they can become aggressive gaining +10 HP.
and are known for spitting.
Dromedon
322
BEASTS AND DJINNI
+1
LAMKA LIZARD ARMOR: 3
These sculpted lizards can be found on the acidified Jina as well WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2)
as on a few other inhospitable worlds. The lizards are carnivores

but can live off insect larvae and bugs for periods of time if ◆◆ RAM: When the nahang attacks, it can choose to crush the hull
they have to. The lamka on Jina often attack travelers, and the of a watercraft or try to tip it over by testing FORCE. If the roll is
humanite on the planet are said to feed them their prisoners. successful, the craft begins to sink immediately. To be able to ram
The lamka lizard is slow and needs to be able to sneak up on something, the nahang must charge along the surface from afar,
its prey or lie in wait, and it prefers to hunt at night. A lamka using at least two movement actions.
can be trained and bound to a human master, but it is hard ◆◆ LEAP ATTACK: The nahang can test DEXTERITY to breach the
work. On Jina, the lizards seem to have a mystical bond with the surface at an incredible speed, leaping up to ten meters into the
humanites’ elite warriors, always knowing their master’s will. air, which is higher than the altitude of normal grav craft. If the
nahang spent the previous turn picking up speed, the leap attack
is only one fast action.
ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 10
MOVEMENT RATE: 8 -1
RED SUN ANTS
SKILLS: Infiltration 4, Melee Combat 3
The red sun ants can be found in several systems, but where
ARMOR: 2
they originated from is unknown. They usually live in high, rock-
hard hills that shoot out of the ground like alien monuments
to the Portal Builders. The ants protect their homes fiercely,
something many prospectors and explorers have found out
the hard way. Underneath the hills, hidden chambers contain
±0 the highly sought-after umbria, a reddish liquid with both
NAHANG medicurgical and narcotic properties. The sun ants leave their
The nahang lurks in both salt water and freshwater bodies. homes now and then to go wandering across the lands like
It is an almost ten meters long, terrifying water beast with a red, surprisingly fast, mass. Nothing survives in their path.
serrated teeth, blank, black eyes like something out of the
Dark between the Stars and a primal, animalistic hunger. The
nahang vary in appearance depending on the planet and water ATTRIBUTES:
type, from grey and cylindrical with long fins, to mottled green STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4
with paddle-like feet and spikes on its back. The nahang is HIT POINTS: 10
attracted to movement in the water, regardless of whether it
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
is rhythmic or not, and has sometimes been known to attack
SKILLS: Melee Combat 2, Dexterity 2
watercraft or grav craft close to the surface.
ARMOR: -
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 8, AGILITY 6 ◆◆ SWARM: The ant swarm can only be damaged by flame- and ther-
mal throwers or explosions.
HIT POINTS: 18
◆◆ NOVA EXPLOSION: The sun ants can circle and cover a victim with
MOVEMENT RATE: 12 (under water)
a successful DEXTERITY test. The following turn they ignite and
SKILLS: Force 2, Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 2, Infiltration 1
explode with a Blast Power equal to the swarm’s current HP.
323
THE HORIZON
-2
◆◆ SUN HILL: A sun anthill is about four meters high and formed from MUZHADJAR
cement-hard secretions (Armor Rating 10). A prospector who digs The cold dark of space is home to the mysterious beings known
into the core of the hill can extract valuable umbria. as the muzhadjar. They are most common around ship ceme-
teries and other wreckage. They were originally created as an
advanced defense system for Yahurab-class battleships from the
First Horizon and are a mix of bio sculpt and semi-intelligent
-1 machine. They are designed to move quickly through tight spaces
UHARU BEAST and to survive in vacuum. Exactly what sort of biocode they are
The deadly fast Uharu beast lives in the jungles of Uharu’s based upon is unknown, but rumors say that creatures from the
forest moons. It resembles a slim and wiry cat, but with six Dark between the Stars are the source. Like many other sculpted
legs and an over-sized mouth full of fangs. The two pairs of creatures, the muzhadjar’s capabilities far exceeded the expec-
hind legs are thick, strong and equipped with large claws, tations of their creators. They quickly became autonomous and
equally good for climbing trees and rending flesh. The beast’s learned how to reproduce. Wild muzhadjar live off raw materials
tail is long and sharp. Behind its head, it has a greenish mane (both organic and inorganic) and solar radiation, restructuring
that gradually blends into a row of spikes running along the it into chemical energy and fuel. The muzhadjar usually feed
spine. The spikes are venomous and can be raised when on ship wreckage and small asteroids but are drawn to ships
the animal attacks. The Uharu beasts hunt in small packs of in motion. They communicate using radio signals, which make
between two and five members. They usually sneak up on them easy to detect on ship sensors (+1). A muzhadjar looks
their prey and then fall upon them from above. like a hybrid between a bat with its wings folded and a spider.
Its head is long and angular and folded against the back plates
when the creature enters its hibernation and feeding position,
ATTRIBUTES: making it look like a black rock.
HIT POINTS: 12
MOVEMENT RATE: 14 ATTRIBUTES:

HIT POINTS: 12
ARMOR: 1
MOVEMENT RATE: 20 (in space)
WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2), talons (Weapon
Damage 2, CRIT 3) SKILLS: Melee Combat 4, Dexterity 5, Infiltration 5
ARMOR: 9
◆◆ JUMP ATTACK: The Uharu beast begins a fight by attacking its
enemy from the tree crowns high above. If it wins a DEXTERITY
opposed roll, it lands on top of its prey. This counts as a sneak
attack (page 85), but with a +2 modifier. ◆◆ HULL BREAKER: Muzhadjar who attack ships land on the hull and
◆◆ SPIKES: The beast can hurl itself sideways into an opponent to attack start to chew through the hull with their powerful jaws. A pack of
with its venomous spikes. This attack counts as a normal melee muzhadjar can break the hull of a ship in just an hour. This works
attack (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 4). If the spikes inflict one or more like a spaceship attack (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2).
points of damage, they inflict a poison attack with the same strength ◆◆ HEAT SENSITIVE: The muzhadjar are sensitive to strong heat and
as that of the damage points caused. The victim must win an oppo- will retreat if a strong heat source is aimed in their direction.
sed roll using her Strength versus the poison strength or become ◆◆ CHEMICAL PROPULSION: The muzhadjar have organs that work
paralyzed, losing all actions until someone treats the wound with like powerful rockets, enabling them to reach speeds that match
MEDICURGY or until D6 minutes have passed. a slow ship (Speed 1).
324
BEASTS AND DJINNI
Muzhadjar
DARKMORPHS
There is nothing as feared in the Third Horizon as dark-
morphs. What sinister things the Dark between the Stars WHAT IS THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS?
spawns or how they affect mankind is not known, but the
creatures which folklore refers to as darkmorphs are always No one can, of course, be sure of what the Dark between
of a physical nature, as opposed to djinn and sarcofagoi. the Stars really is – the only thing the inhabitants of the
◆◆ Darkmorphs can channel the darkness to activate their special Horizon know of this lurking cosmic evil is the different
abilities using Darkness Points. The GM can choose to spend manifestations it takes in the world, such as darkmorphs,
DP to activate an ability. The cost depends on the ability. madness, and haunting spirits. The darkness is actually
◆◆ Darkmorphs can, unlike djinni in etheral form, take damage just energy, raw and pure – so pure that it has no goal or
from physical weapons, fire and explosions. direction. The Church of the Icons are right in their sup-
position that the darkness only affects that which already
exists: life, in all its multiplicity. In the First Horizon, man-
-2 kind has tamed the Dark between the Stars and uses it to
BYARA
create energy and to sculpt life. This practice has in turn
One of the creatures from the depths of the void is the byara. warped parts of the First Horizon, especially its rulers.
The stories about its appearance differ, but Hargama Fattou,
the famous prophet and mnemonic, described the byara
325
THE HORIZON
Byara
like this: “Not quite raven, nor mole, vulture, bug, bat or ◆◆ DARK VISION: The byara has perfect vision in all kinds of darkness
decaying corpse, but something I cannot and wish never to and smoke.
remember”. Most accounts describe it as a flying, liz- ◆◆ PLAGUE BITE: At the cost of 1 DP, the byara can transmit a gan-
ard-like creature that is almost one with the darkness. The grenous disease through its bite attack to a victim. If the victim
byara lives in the darkness of space, but is drawn to places suffers one or more points of damage, it is stricken with a high
where the darkness is especially thick or permanent – solar fever about a day later that ends in death unless someone treats
eclipses, the night side of planets in fixed rotation, asteroid the diseased with MEDICURGY.
caves or decommissioned space stations. Folk tales describe
how lost prophets or darkbound people can ride the byara
into the cold black.
-1
JAYRAT
ATTRIBUTES: The high mountain ranges of Tanzim, where the thin
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4 atmosphere gives way to black space, is home to the night
HIT POINTS: 12
ravens of the highlands – the jayrat. Like shadows they
gather around lights, sounds, and people talking. Many
rebels and opor farmers have succumbed to the jayrat
when an unkindness, a large flock of the creatures, dives
ARMOR: 2
towards them from above, covering them in darkness and
leaving only bones behind. Jayrats are described as raven-
326
BEASTS AND DJINNI
like creatures that in large numbers seem to melt into a

moving cloud of darkness. With their beaks and talons ATTRIBUTES:
they attack all living things in their path. Stories about STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 4
them also suggest that they are drawn to gravitational HIT POINTS: 9
phenomena, both on planets and in space.
MOVEMENT RATE: 16
SKILLS: mystic powers (roll for the skill level only, as darkbound
lack Empathy), melee combat 4, dexterity 3
ATTRIBUTES: ARMOR: -
WEAPONS: Claws (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2).
HIT POINTS: 12
MOVEMENT RATE: 16
◆◆ NIGHT VEIL: The darkbound can affect nearby minds with its own
darkness. This works like a mystical attack and costs 1 DP. The
ARMOR: -
victim will experience the world as dark, cold and surreal. Seeing,
thinking and acting becomes harder (-2 to OBSERVATION, all advanced
skills and initiative), unless the victim wins an opposed roll using
◆◆ SWARM: The jayrat swarm can only be damaged by flame and empathy (no skill) against the mystic power score of the darkbound.
thermal throwers or explosions.
◆◆ CLOAK OF SHADOWS: The jayrat swarm can spend 1 DP to cover
a victim within Close Range in complete darkness. The cloak
attack inflicts 1 point of stress per turn in addition to any bite -2
attacks.
THE HOUNDS OF TIRIDES
◆◆ MANIA: At the cost of 1 DP, the a jayrat attack can cause a victim There is a haunting story about how the inhabitants of the
to suffer a mania (page 337). blossoming Tirides colony on Menkar disappeared without
a trace. The empty colony crumbled, as no believers would
set foot there again. Then, a single survivor surfaced and
told the story of the gruesome fate of the other colonists.
-2 One night, when the two moons of Menkar were only
DARKBOUND waning crescents in the sky, grey-white smoke suddenly
The darkbound are regular people that are somehow claimed sprang from the corners of all the rooms in the colony.
by the Darkness. Perhaps they have been turned bad by djinn From out of the smoke came dog-like creatures that hunted
or efrites, been exposed to corrupting dark forces or formed and devoured all of Tirides’ inhabitants before the sun rose
horrible pacts with cadaver clocks or dark cybernetics. The again. The sole survivor hid in a round water tank and was
darkbound being will usually look like a thin and twisted spared thanks to that. From this story comes the Horizon
human, with only a few torn patches of hair left, and with tradition of building round houses in several of the outer
burning eyes and long claws instead of fingers. They move systems. Since the Tirides incident, other colonies have
incredibly fast, closing in on their victims in the blink of an also described seeing the same canine demon creatures,
eye to sink their claws into them. Just the touch of a dark- now called the Hounds of Tirides. The hounds manifest
bound can paralyze someone completely. The darkbound themselves through sharp corners as a mist of black or
don’t bleed. Instead, they ooze darkness if they are damaged, grey-white smoke that soon transforms into what looks like
like dark paint dissolving in water, or like dark smoke. The a sinewy, skinny dog or some strange bird, immediately
body is a vessel, and the essence of the being is darkness. attacking the first person it sees. The hounds disappear
If a darkbound is slain, its shadow disappears like smoke in only after having killed their victims. They are most often
the wind, leaving behind only a shrivelled and fragile corpse. spotted in spaceports, onboard ships, near star portals or
327
THE HORIZON
Darkbound
328
BEASTS AND DJINNI
in other places with graviton projectors. They hunt alone ◆◆ REALITY WARP: At the cost of 1 DP, the hound can slip through
or in packs. a tiny crack (such as underneath a door) or manifest itself in a
corner of the room where its intended victim is located.
◆◆ THE HUNTER’S HOWL: At the cost of 1 DP, the hound can let out a
ATTRIBUTES: primal howl that tears at the souls of victims within Short Range,
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 5 driving them insane. All victims must test Empathy at -2. Failure
results in 2 points of stress.
HIT POINTS: 9
◆◆ WARP ARMOR: At the cost of 1 DP, the hound can warp reality to
MOVEMENT RATE: 12
protect itself from physical weapons. Each DP spent negates 2
SKILLS: Force 4, Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 3
points of damage.
ARMOR: 3
WEAPONS: Bite (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1).
CONSTRUCTS
“Constructs” are either new, technological creations or artifacts SKILLS: Melee Combat 4, Dexterity 2, Ranged Combat 4,
Observation 4
from the Portal Builders or advanced Firstcome civilizations.
ARMOR: 8
They take damage normally and some of them have special
abilities that are activated by Darkness Points. WEAPONS: Thermal carbine (Weapon Damage 6, CRIT 2, Long
Range), stun gun (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT stun, Short Range)
-1
KINETIC INTELLIGENCE ◆◆ BROAD SPECTRUM SENSORS: The kinetic intelligence has sensors
Kinetic intelligences are autonomous avatars linked to ancient that work across all spectrums and are unaffected by darkness
defense systems, ship computers or djinn intelligences. They or smoke.
usually operate humanoid or teratomorphic cyber shells.
Two different kinetic intelligences are described below.
y THE KINETIC INTELLIGENCES OF THE CELESTIAL WEB y TERATOMORPHIC KINETIC INTELLIGENCE

There is an old, forgotten computer system out in the Rimward The teratomorphic kinetic intelligence is completely auton-
Reach that can control humanoid cyber shells that look quite omous and stopped contacting its ship or djinn intelligence
similar to the animate armors of the Order of the Pariah, for orders or updates a long time ago. As suggested by the
although with distinct red sensors on their heads. Apart name, the creature is monstrous, mostly resembling a dog
from the sensors, the rest of the shell is matte black with a made of black, ceramic muscles, covered in matte metal
ribbed, fractalized surface. reinforcements. The round head has several red sensor lights,
attack mandibles and serrated blades.
ATTRIBUTES:
STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 5 ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 13 STRENGTH 8, AGILITY 6
MOVEMENT RATE: 10 HIT POINTS: 16
329
THE HORIZON
Kinetic intelligence
MOVEMENT RATE: 12 +2
MODIFIED MINING DRONE
SKILLS: Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 2, Ranged Combat 3,
Observation 3 Mining drones are a common tool for asteroid wallahs out in
ARMOR: 6
the belts and gravel clouds. Some of these drones have been
converted into weapons. They are generally controlled by a
WEAPONS: Attack mandibles with saw blades (Weapon Damage
2, CRIT 1) wallah in a small ship within sensor range, but are sometimes
equipped with a simple djinn intelligence to be autonomous.
◆◆ ARMOR BREAKER: The saw blade reduces the target’s Armor If they are controlled by a pilot, her data djinn score is used
Rating by 2. for all actions the drone performs.
◆◆ GRENADE LAUNCHER: The intelligence has a grenade launcher on
its back, loaded with three concussion grenades (page 129).
◆◆ SMOKE DISCHARGER: Also mounted on the back is a smoke
discharger, capable of emitting grey sensor smoke to hide the ATTRIBUTES:
intelligence and confuse enemies. The discharger can cover eve- STRENGTH 7, AGILITY 3
rything within Short Range in smoke in one turn.
HIT POINTS: 12
◆◆ JUMPER: The cyber muscles in the legs of the intelligence enable it
to perform jumps up to 20 meters long and 10 meters high (a normal
SKILLS: Force 4, Melee Combat 1, Dexterity 2, Ranged Combat 2,
action). It may not take any movement actions in the turn after a jump. Observation 1
ARMOR: 4
WEAPONS: Thermal cutter (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1)
330
BEASTS AND DJINNI
◆◆ PREHENSILE TENTACLE: The drone is equipped with a long ten- -2

tacle that can be used to grab victims within Short Range. This
BAH-JIN
counts as a normal melee attack, but if successful, the target is The empty void is home to the Star Snake, the bah-jin – a
grappled (page 87) instead of suffering damage. forgotten, old weapons system equipped with phase shift
technology, probably from the Portal Builder era. Many
space nomads worship the bah-jin under names like the
Ouroboros, the World Eater, the Star Dragon or Ba-Yinn,
-2 thought to be the destructive aspect of the Faceless One.
THE ENSNARER The bah-jin is a gigantic, almost ethereal, creation. Force
The ensnarer, or Yal-Shir as the monster is called on Mira, is a fields that fluctuate between different phases in space-
forgotten war machine from the time before the Portal Builders. time make it sometimes invisible and sometimes visible,
Yal-Shir is said to prey upon disbelievers and the unworthy of appearing spectral, shimmering and serpent-like, longer
the faithful to feast upon their bodies. Survivors of Yal-Shir than a large ship. The Rimward Reach nomads have, through
attacks describe a creature that appears in a shimmer from out their abbas, learned the mysterious ways of communicating
of thin air to stab and rend its victims with the claws, tusks, with the bah-yin and have even gotten it to carry out their
and spikes that cover its body. For some unknown reason, the commands. Local faiths praise the bah-jin as a guardian
Yal-Shir is most active on Mira, but reports of similar attacks of the song routes in the Rimward Reach, keeping threats
have come in from other places in the Horizon as well. The and outsiders away.
known facts about the monster are that it is a humanoid being The bah-jin is treated as a spaceship but can only act in
about three meters tall, with four arms, scalpel-like hooked the Pilot Phase and Attack Phase. It does not roll for Initiative
finger blades, and a constant shimmer in the air around it. and always acts last in space combat.
Some describe this aura as the light of the Icons – others say
that it is as black as the Dark between the Stars.
ATTRIBUTES:
AGILITY 4
ATTRIBUTES: SKILLS: Pilot 4, Ranged Combat 2.

STRENGTH 8, AGILITY 5 SPEED: 4
HIT POINTS: 12 MANEUVERABILITY: +3
MOVEMENT RATE: 10 (but see Phase Shift, below) HULL POINTS: 12
SKILLS: Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 4 ENERGY POINTS: 12
ARMOR: 10 SIGNATURE: -2
WEAPONS: Sickle claws (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 2) ARMOR: 10
WEAPON SYSTEMS: Claw projection (Weapon Damage 4, CRIT 2)
◆◆ PHASE SHIFT: The Yal-Shir can bend the fabric of space-time,

allowing it to move in both time and space. Practically, this means ◆◆ RAM: Apart from wrapping itself around spaceships and
that it can move from one victim to the next using only one fast attacking them with its claw projections, the bah-jin can also
action regardless of the distance, at the cost of 1 DP. ram them. This works like ramming in space combat (see
◆◆ PORTAL HEALING: At the cost of 1 DP, the Yal-Shir can open a Chapter 7).
portal and leave the fight just as quickly as it entered it. When it ◆◆ RADIATION FLASH: The bah-jin can disrupt space on the nano
returns in the future, it is whole again. If it becomes broken, this level, releasing cascades of light and radiation that work as a
happens automatically. ranged attack (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 2, Medium Range).
331
THE HORIZON
-2
SENTINEL
In old ruins left behind by the Portal Builders or other myste-
rious entities, there are often strange sculptures, like statues
of molten stone mixed with what appears to be metal and
ceramic alloys. They are sometimes covered in thick mucus
that seeps out of the statue itself. They sometimes change
form, and structures looking like teeth or tusks can suddenly
appear. Touching the statues could be lethal, as the mucus
and other surface materials can warp, maim or kill. It is said
that one sometimes hears voices around the statues, but it
is usually only mystically inclined people who can hear them,
like an aura of unrest. The statues can be completely inert,
but sometimes they come to life. They are guardians that for
unknown reasons decide to awaken to protect the ruin or
location they occupy. When a sentinel awakens, it will attack
until its enemies flee from the area it is guarding.
Exactly what causes the sentinels to awake is not clear. It could
have something to do with sensor sweeps, life auras, darkness,
graviton fields or something else entirely. There are stories
about how certain Firstcome peoples worshipped these mon-
strosities, sometimes even carving them into heathen images
of anub dogs, statues of the Judge or other horrible things.
ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 14 Blood fiend

MOVEMENT RATE: 8
ARMOR: 12
WEAPONS: Stone fists (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 3)
◆◆ AURA OF UNREST: The statues exude an aura of anxiety and

unease around them. At the cost of 1 DP, everyone within Close
Range gets a -2 to all actions. At the cost of 2 DP, the area of
effect is increased to Short Range. The aura lasts for a few
minutes.
◆◆ CORRUPTING SLIME: If someone touches a mucus-covered statue,
or is hit by a melee attack, they must pass a force test or suffer
a random critical injury that takes the form of a body warp, not
unlike an involuntary biosculpt. This effect costs 3 DP.
332
BEASTS AND DJINNI
-2 extremely aggressive and intelligent, always attacking in groups

BLOOD FIEND and, if possible, choosing victims in groups smaller than theirs.
The blood fiend is a bionic war beast designed by NimaBionics
for the Legion as a substitute for the unruly nekatra. Originally,
biocode from nekatra, dirhad, nahang, and baboon was also ATTRIBUTES:
used. The sculpt was unsuccessful, and instead, NimaBionics STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 6
chose human biocode as the source of the beast that would HIT POINTS: 10
become the blood fiends. This was a breach of the bioethical
MOVEMENT RATE: 18
code. Prisoners of war were devolved and sculpted with the
SKILLS: Melee Combat 5, Dexterity 3, Observation 3
codes mentioned above, but were also cybernetically improved
ARMOR: 4
with thick, duralite claws. Some fifty units were completed and
WEAPONS: Nahang jaws (Weapon Damage 1, CRIT 2), duralite
delivered, but upon testing, the blood fiends turned out even
claws (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 3)
harder to control than the nekatra.
Since the end of production, a few blood fiends have managed ◆◆ BLOOD LUST: At a cost of 1 DP, the fiend’s mystical blood lust can
to escape the facilities of NimaBionics and can be found in the be activated, giving it a +2 to all attacks, but leaving it unable to
wild. It is possible that the Legion still has a few individuals kept flee or parry.
in stasis as well. As each blood fiend is a biosculpted human,
their abilities are somewhat varied depending on the victim’s
individual susceptibility to certain sculpts. Blood fiends are
SPIRITS AND SARCOFAGOI

The Horizon is full of stories about spirits, from evil efrites to mystical powers and Icon rituals (culture). Djinn come
to benevolent Icon manifestations. The stories vary from in many forms, but are often only visible as a gust of wind
system to system, and from Firstcome to Zenithian. or a swirl in the desert sands. They can choose to present
Spirits, just like darkmorphs, are manifestations of the themselves as either human or animal, but they are very
Dark between the Stars, formed from channeled lost hopes, much just like people: some of them are good, some are
dark thoughts, and that which happens in the emptiness evil, and a few are just neutral. Djinn can sometimes play
of a portal jump. Spirits and sarcofagoi share the trait that tricks on humans, but just as easily destroy them. There
they are ethereal beings and as such immune to certain are many different magnitudes of djinn, from the djanna,
forms of physical violence. They are often just as intelligent the weak jungle sprites, to the mighty efrites. The different
as humans, and can be both manipulated and tricked. Just forms are described below.
like darkmorphs, spirits have the ability to channel the
darkness to fuel their abilities through Darkness Points. y DJANNA
The GM can choose to spend DP to activate an ability. The The djanna are wild forest sprites that feed off the fear and
cost depends on the ability. panic of a human being’s last moments alive. They cannot
kill anything themselves, only wait for death to come. They
-1 materialize as tiny specks of lights, like fireflies or ghost
DJINN lights hovering in the darkness of the jungle. Using their
The djinn are spirits that exist in the Dark between the Stars. mystic powers, they try to lure their victims into marshes
They are ethereal but can take physical form whenever they or quicksand. The djanna can be damaged by mystical
wish. When in their ethereal form, they are immune to powers, blessed talismans or fire, something a PC with
almost all forms of physical trauma and are only vulnerable culture would know.
333
THE HORIZON
Djinn
ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 3
MIND POINTS: 3
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
SKILLS: Mystic Powers 3

NO SPIRITS?
ARMOR: -
Spirits are a part of the story in Coriolis – The Third WEAPONS: -
Horizon, but if you and your group feel that it would be
weird or too supernatural to chitchat with an efrite in the ◆◆ LURE: At the cost of 1 DP, the djanna can test MYSTIC POWERS in
catacombs underneath a Portal pyramid or to be posses- an opposed roll against the Wits of a victim, to try to make the
sed by a Hazared, then maybe they are just that – stories. victim wander off into the jungle. The effect is active as long as
the djanna are nearby. The victim knows that something is wrong
but is unable to do anything about it.
334
BEASTS AND DJINNI
y DJINN physical forms, such as the efrite Arghan who has hooves
Ordinary djinn usually travel the Horizon in human form. instead of feet, eagle wings and tusks instead of teeth. The
They lead normal human lives, but tend to become wise stories about the smiling efrite mostly describe it as a sweet,
and mighty in whatever they choose to do. They can change pot-bellied elderly man or woman giving you a friendly smile.
form whenever they want, from human to animal or to a little
whirlwind. When the djinn is in physical form, it takes damage
normally, but can only be harmed by mystical powers, fire ATTRIBUTES:
and holy objects when in its true form. STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 6, WITS 4, EMPATHY 6
HIT POINTS: 12
MIND POINTS: 14
ATTRIBUTES:
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
SKILLS: Mystic Powers 5, other skills depend on the chosen
HIT POINTS: 9 concept
MIND POINTS: 8 ARMOR: 4
MOVEMENT RATE: 10 WEAPONS: -
SKILLS: Mystic Powers 5, other skills depend on the chosen

◆◆ MYSTIC AKBAR: The efrite can use all known mystic powers as
concept
well as create new ones. All powers require Darkness Points to
ARMOR: -
be activated.
WEAPONS: -
◆◆ MORPHOSIS: The djinn can change its form at the cost of 1 DP. The
change takes one turn. The physical aspects of the change differs -1
from djinn to djinn.
SARCOFAGOI
◆◆ POSSESS: The djinn can possess people. This requires 1 DP and In the jungles of Kua or in the darkness of space – the sar-
a successful MYSTIC POWERS opposed roll against the Wits of cofagoi will strike when you least expect it. They are completely
the victim. ethereal, only taking physical form when they feed on the
◆◆ TRUE FORM: When a djinn is subjected to blessed talismans, cadavers of their victims. This is the only time when they are
sand from an abba or holy relics, it reverts to its true form, vulnerable to physical damage. In the flesh, they look like black
usually as invisible or in the form of a whirlwind. Someone shadows with silhouettes that are part vulture, part human
with CULTURE will know this. and part reptile, not unlike a byara. They never kill anyone
themselves, but use their powers to drive their victims crazy
by sowing discord, hate and madness.
y EFRITE
The most powerful of the djinn are the efrites. They prefer ATTRIBUTES:
quiet lives to the bustle and commotion of human settlements, STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 2, WITS 1, EMPATHY 3
living in caves, ruins, abandoned spaceships or space stations HIT POINTS: 7
and other places where the darkness is close. Like ordinary
MIND POINTS: 3
djinn, they can take whatever form they like, but can use
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
their mystical powers to protect themselves against revealing
SKILLS: Force 3, Mystic Powers 4, Melee Combat 3
their true nature. They can also possess dead things, such as
ARMOR: -
corpses, body parts, computer systems, ships intelligences
and drones. They often choose grandiose and imposing WEAPONS: Claws (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 3)
335
THE HORIZON
-1
◆◆ SOW DISCORD: At the cost of 1 DP, the sarcofagoi can make its HAZARED
victim believe that someone is slandering them behind their According to legend, Hazared Zakar was a preacher and
back. At the cost of 2 DP, the victim becomes agitated and philosopher in the Circle of Seekers on Mira. He started to
may start an unprovoked fight. Spend 3 DP and the victim will investigate the mysterious events he witnessed and expe-
attack someone in her vicinity without reason. The sarcofagoi rienced and collected all his knowledge in a book, Azif’s
must escalate the level of suspicion step by step. To make Chronicles. He was so enchanted by his creation that he
someone attack their friends right away would cost 6 DP. In began to study the darker aspects of Third Horizon mysti-
addition to spending DP, the sarcofagoi must win an opposed cism. Over time, the unholy pursuit cost him his soul, and
roll for MYSTIC POWERS against the Wits of the victim to achieve now, he wanders the Horizon as a lonely madman.
the required effect. Hazared appears in many places, and some scholars believe
that the story about Hazared is just a myth and the entity
described in folklore is a form of djinn. When a Hazared meets
other travelers, it joins their group to get a taste of life. During
-1 the night, the traveling companions get terrible nightmares
BOKOR that break them down, and eventually, the Hazared tries to
Slums and poor neighborhoods where disease and death possess their bodies. When it is in possession of a body, it
are a part of everyday life are places where the darkness retains access to all of the Hazared’s power, but its mind is
can assert itself. The same goes for battlefields and mass twisted in return, becoming aggressive, vindictive and violent.
graves. The darkness will manifest itself as undead life in a Many innocent travelers have been accused of being Hazared
cadaver. The purpose of the reanimated cadavers – actually and have paid with their lives for this reason. Being able to
that of the bokor’s – is to multiply by killing other humans, prove that someone is really Hazared is notoriously difficult
who in turn will wake up as bokor. During the riots and though some djinnhunters use ancient rituals for this purpose.
fighting in the Conglomerate, many preachers claimed
to have seen the dead rise again as bokor. The Hegemony
responded and said that this was only propaganda spread ATTRIBUTES:
by Yjala, the Slum Queen. STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5
HIT POINTS: 8
MIND POINTS: 9
ATTRIBUTES:
MOVEMENT RATE: 10
SKILLS: Melee Combat 2
HIT POINTS: 7
ARMOR: -
MOVEMENT RATE: 8
WEAPONS: -
SKILLS: Melee Combat 2
ARMOR: -
◆◆ NIGHTMARES: A Hazared can plague someone sleeping nearby
with horrific nightmares at the cost of 1 DP. The nightmares
make the dreamer unable to recover damage or stress during
◆◆ BOKOR POISON: After a bokor’s bite attack has drawn blood, it the night, and the person suffers a -1 to all skills per sleepless
can, at the cost of 1 DP, make the victim of the bite fall into a deep night.
coma and slowly fade away, after which the person will rise from ◆◆ POSSESS: The hazared can possess people. This requires 1 DP
the dead as bokor. MEDICURGY and a trauma lab can stop this pro- and a successful MYSTIC POWERS opposed roll against the Wits
cess, as can MYSTIC POWERS or holy talismans. of the victim.
336
BEASTS AND DJINNI
DISEASES AND MIND MEMES

Monsters and spirits are not the only thing haunting the A person who comes in contact with the disease must pass
Horizon. Contagious diseases and mind memes fester in a force test or become infected. The first lesions show up
colonies, on space stations, and in cities. Both diseases and a few days after the exposure, after which the diseased will
mind memes work like poison (Chapter 6). The difference suffer 1 point of damage per day until she becomes broken
between the two is that diseases affect the body, while the and dies. Only medicurgy with access to the best trauma
mind memes attack the mind of the PC. The GM can intro- labs can stop the process.
duce a disease or mind meme at any time (if the situation
allows it) at the cost of 1 DP. +2
HYPER SICKNESS
+1 People who are exposed to the portal fields for too long or
MANIA without being in stasis will suffer hyper sickness, or "bad stasis"
There are many forms of mania. They can hit suddenly and as it is also called. The condition is permanent and comes in
unexpectedly: after long voyages through the big black and many forms, from madness to having one’s mind or limbs
portal jumps, or after seeing maimed bodies or the murder of twisted by the darkness. The latter can at least be remedied
one’s friends and loved ones. Below are a few different manias: with prostheses. A person traveling through a portal field
without stasis rolls D6, a result of 1-2 indicating he has been
MANIAS
affected of hyper sickness.
D6 RESULT -1
1 PHOBIA. The PC becomes terrified and runs away from the
OASIS DISEASE
source of the fear. A dangerous meme that often strikes in dry environments
2 COMPULSION. The PC compulsively performs a specific and deserts is the mind meme called the oasis disease.
action in certain situations.
People who contract the meme will try to keep alleviate their
3 MELANCHOLY. The PC feels that there is no point to existence,
becoming fearless as she has nothing to lose by dying. thirst away by drinking water wherever they can find it. They
4 SPIRITUAL RUPTURE. The PC’s soul is torn, and she can hear
cannot stop drinking. After a few days, their brains swell up
voices and spirits whispering and hissing, telling her what and they die unless they are forcefully kept from drinking.
to do.
Medicurgs alone cannot treat the patient as it takes proxy
5 WAKING SLEEP. The PC sits apathetic, just staring at the
technology to combat the meme. Exorcisms have supposedly
wall. She does nothing and stops eating.
worked in some cases.
6 MURDEROUS RAGE. The PC becomes raving mad and tries
to kill everyone around her, but she retains the ability to act
rationally in pursuit of her murderous goals.
-2
THE DARS’ CURSE
On Dabaran and in the upper classes on Coriolis, an afflic-
tion called the Dars’ Curse is beginning to spread. The
-2 effect of the meme is that its victim becomes extremely
TACHARUK’S LESIONS haughty and arrogant. The victim gets a -2 to manipu-
Tacharuk was a renowned medicurg and Samaritan who lation. The meme is curable, but the victim is generally
traveled the Horizon tending to the sick and the needy. On not interested in being cured. The origins of the curse
one of Uharu’s forest moons, Tacharuk himself was stricken are debated, though some scholars believe that it mainly
with a mysterious illness that started as black, bleeding lesions affects people that have visited the Wound and looked
on the skin and ended with him bleeding from every orifice. down into its vast emptiness.
337
CHAPTER 15
campaign
We live in an era of change. The Horizon is in danger – the Icons know it and we
can hear their whispers. The mystic's disease is spreading, no one knows what
the Emissaries really want and the Order is on the warpath. Who can we turn to
when even the Council does nothing?
THE HORIZON IS BURNING – Zhada Melara

THE HORIZON
The Third Horizon is a place full of intrigue and adventure – it is your job
as the GM to bring all this to the players. This chapter will give you tips
and tools to help you create the best game possible. It also describes the
principles of the game, tips on how to create NPCs, and advice about how
to use the Dark between the Stars. You will also find a mini scenario and
two scenario locations, ready to be used right away.
this chapter is only for the eyes of the GM (especially The and keep reading, you will spoil the fun for yourself and
Statuette of Zhar and Terenganu Valley). If you are a player your group.
YOUR JOB AS THE GM

As the GM, you bring the Horizon to life. You are the PCs' y THEIR SPACESHIP IS THEIR HEART
friends and enemies. You are the meteorite that soars The group's spaceship will be their home, their means of trans-
through space and the storm that howls through the portation and their most important asset. Let the spaceship
jungle. You are the beings in the shadows, the mystical become an extra character in the group, with its own life,
artifacts the PCs find, and much, much more. It is a tough quirks and history. The spaceship is the group's most essen-
and demanding job to animate the world of Coriolis, but tial possession – use it to create story arcs and challenges.
also both a fun and creative job. There are a few elements
in Coriolis that make it a unique game. These are briefly y THE FACTIONS RULE THE HORIZON
presented below. The mighty factions dominate most of the Horizon and are
constantly competing with each other, always trying to extend
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE GAME their influence at the expense of someone else's. Whether
The principles of the game are aids for you as GM to create they want to or not, the PCs will sooner or later be sucked
the right setting and mood. They can also help you handle into the scheming and plotting – either as willing participants
situations that arise during the course of the game. Learn or manipulated pawns.
them by heart and use them in the game.
y SPACE IS FULL OF MYSTERIES
y CULTURE IS EVERYTHING The game world of Coriolis is full of unsolved mysteries,
The world of Coriolis is full of different cultures that influ- ancient secrets and strange riddles. Let the PCs explore the
ence the Horizon, from the proud Firstcome cultures that secrets of the Third Horizon during their travels. Let them
celebrate mysticism, religion and tradition to the modern find Portal Builder ruins, hear rumors about the fearsome
pioneers that arrived with the Zenith. Infuse the game world powers of the Emissaries, and discover strange remains of
with inspiration from the Middle East and the mysterious Firstcome civilizations long lost in the sands of time.
fairytale ambiance of the Arabian Nights.
y THE SUPERNATURAL IS REAL
y THE MISSIONS FUEL THE STORY To the people of the Third Horizon, the supernatural is real
To survive in the Horizon, the PCs must go on missions to – djinn, the darkbound, and unexplainable phenomena really
earn birr, status or spaceship parts. Let the group's focus exist. Where it all comes from is not so clear, however. Icon
and goals drive the game. Give them missions that mean believers say that it comes from the Dark between the Stars,
something, that change them and that maybe even change while others blame technology from ancient civilizations.
the whole Horizon in the end. Use the supernatural effectively but not too often; let it be
340
CAMPAIGN
something special and frightening. Those who don't worship time, usually two to four hours. At the end of each session, the
the Icons in the Third Horizon will stick out. Make sure that PCs are awarded XP.
this is obvious to the players; have NPCs around them pray, ◆◆ Scenario: An adventure spanning several sessions, ending or
receive blessings and make the sign against the Dark between resolving a major problem.
the Stars. Use your Darkness Points for dramatic effect to ◆◆ Campaign: Two to four scenarios that together form a story
add suspense to the game. arc. When a campaign ends, it should leave a noticeable mark
on the Third Horizon.
SCENES – BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
A handy GM tool is to handle the story as a series of scenes. y STORY TIME
This could help you make your storytelling more effective. The time that passes in the game world is called story time.
The players could also take the lead and initiate scenes in This is usually not something you need to keep track of, but
the game. So, what is a scene? A scene is the part of the sometimes it could be worth mentioning that it took the
game where the important things happen, where the PCs group an hour to get from the Neoptra spaceport to the
interact with NPCs and the game world. A scene will usually Net, or that a conflict that took fifteen minutes of game time
be between a few minutes and half an hour of game time. was actually just a minute or two of story time. You can use
Instead of playing what happens every single minute of a day story time in the game to make something more dramatic:
or during long voyages, concentrate on the important events. ◆◆ Against the clock: Putting the PCs under time pressure can
Scenes should always have a purpose, such as: add to the suspense. This could involve traps that close in a few
◆◆ to drive the story forward minutes time or a bomb that will explode in half an hour. You
◆◆ to show conflict can, for example, count all skill tests during a certain part of the
◆◆ to introduce or explore an NPC scenario to determine how much time has passed, and maybe
◆◆ to create suspense or atmosphere guide their choice of skills.
◆◆ to give the players some important piece of information ◆◆ Story time and levels of success or failure: Let something take
◆◆ to expand on one of the principles of the game more or less time to complete depending on how well the PCs
did on their skill tests. This can be combined with time pressure
When creating a scene, it is important to think about defin- for extra drama. As a general rule, a critical success should cut
ing where it start and end. If a scene starts too early it can the time it takes to do something in half, and even more sixes
become boring before you get to the good part, and the same can shorten the time further.
goes for not ending the scene after the important events are ◆◆ The length of an action: You can let a single action (one skill
over. Create scenes about individual events or encounters, test) take up a lot of story time to zoom out of the story if it suits
not about places. the situation. For example, one manipulation roll could be
several months of negotiations during a summit or conference
TIME IN THE GAME between factions or corporations, and one observation test
Time in the game is measured in two ways – game time and can be a thirty-hour stake-out of a Martyr commando or a
story time. Game time is the different time divisions relevant Syndicate warehouse. This can be a way of making longer cuts
to the session and to the real world. in a scenario without getting stuck in the details.
◆◆ Zooming in and out: The time it takes to perform a certain action
y GAME TIME can vary. Use this to change the tempo of the story, to introduce
◆◆ Turn: A turn is the time it takes for all the PCs to act and defend an unexpected event or to start a new scene.
themselves in a conflict. A turn is usually 10-20 seconds mea-
sured in story time. SCENARIOS IN CORIOLIS
◆◆ Scene: The time it takes to resolve a conflict or end an event for Coriolis is a game designed for epic campaigns where you see
some other reason. Usually from a minute or two to half an hour. the Horizon change by your actions, but you can of course
◆◆ Session: The time you set aside to play the game at a given also play smaller, more focused campaigns, concentrating
341
THE HORIZON
on the concept or goal of the group. Maybe it all takes place

on a cut-off colony on a remote moon or in a surrounded
squad of drone operators on Uharu-13. Regardless of how
you intend to play, there are many different ways to create
a good story in Coriolis. Below are the three main formats
of the game:
◆◆ Mini scenarios describe one event, with a background, starting
point, a few short episodes, and some suggestions for epilogues
and continuation. These are suitable for one or two sessions.
Example: The Statuette of Zhar Baghra on page 347.
◆◆ Scenario locations describe a place – its current situation and
the NPCs, technology and artifacts it contains. Short suggestions
for events are included, but the sector is otherwise open and
not tied to a specific story. Example: Terenganu Valley on page
351 and Wahib's cantina on page 357.
◆◆ Full-length adventures are stories in three acts, with a few pos-
sible starting points and key scenes, locations and NPCs as well
as suggestions for the aftermath. Only full-length adventures
contain fully described scenes.
HOW TO MANAGE DIFFICULTY LEVELS

When the dice come out, it is good to know how to determine
a relevant difficulty level. The Skills chapter describes the
difficulty levels and the levels of success. It is important to
remember that the difficulty of something should reflect the
drama of the situation and not necessarily the ”realism” of
it – it should be harder to perform something dramatically
important than something less so. It is better to use the
higher levels of difficulty for important rolls rather than to
have the same difficulty all the time, and instead give the
players negative modifiers when things heat up. This will
have the psychological effect of making the players feel
challenged rather than limited or discouraged. The last
important piece of advice about difficulty levels is that you
as the GM should always be able to justify the difficulty.
It should not be relatively difficult for the PC depending
on her skill level; there has to be a logic to the roll that fits
with the story.
y LOW DIFFICULTY
There are several reasons for low difficulty levels, such as to
let the PCs excel at something. Things that are in the way
of the drama should have low difficulty levels so as not to
slow the story down.
342
CAMPAIGN
y HIGH DIFFICULTY WHEN TO ROLL DICE

High difficulty levels should be used if the players have gen-
erated a large DP pool, if they are at the end of an adventure Only roll dice when the outcome of the roll brings
or if their enemies are well prepared – in situations such as something interesting to the story, regardless of
these, you can raise the difficulty for all actions. whether the roll fails or succeeds. This is quite
obvious with tests that succeed – they drive the story
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS forward – but try to make sure all failures become
As the GM, you command ion storms, artifact creatures and interesting and not just roadblocks in the story. They
djinn, but your non-player characters are your most import- must lead the way to something new and exciting. If
ant tools. When you want to create tension or drama in the a failed roll has no interesting effects, you might as
game, an effective way could be to use the NPCs the PCs well not roll the dice at all.
hate, want to protect, or have some other relationship with.
CREATING NPCS
Start by deciding which sub-concept your NPC should have.
An NPC could have a concept as well, but doesn't have to.
attributes: Table 15.1 lists typical attribute scores for NPCs.

If the NPC doesn't have a concept, you could just give her a 3 LET THEM LIVE
in all the attributes. The listed scores are just examples – you
can create NPCs with higher or lower scores if you want to, If you can, try to keep your NPCs from dying too soon. An
even higher than the PCs get to start with, but don't give an NPC who survives to return later is more fun than a dead
NPC higher than a 5 in an attribute. one. You should also avoid letting the PCs get to an import-
ant enemy too easily. Put some henchmen in their way first,
reputation: Table 15.1 lists Reputation scores. You can use and if the PCs still manages to kill the enemy or some other
the table for inspiration. The scores are set for stationary important NPC – let them deal with the consequences!
TABLE 15.1 TYPICAL NPCS

NPC STRENGTH AGILITY WITS EMPATHY REPUTATION SKILLS
Agent 2 4 3 4 4 Manipulation 3, Observation 2, Ranged Combat 1

Data Spider 2 3 5 3 4 Data Djinn 3, Manipulation 2, Culture 1
Negotiator 2 2 4 5 5 Manipulation 3, Culture 2, Command 1
Fugitive 3 4 2 4 2 Mystic Powers 3, Infiltration 2, Melee Combat 1
Scientist 2 3 5 3 5 Science 3, Technology 2, Observation 1
Ship Worker 5 3 3 3 3 Force 3, Dexterity 2, Melee Combat 1
Artist 2 3 2 5 5 Manipulation 3, Dexterity 2, Culture 1
Soldier 3 5 2 2 3 Ranged combat 3, Melee Combat 2, Command 1
Pilot 3 4 4 2 4 Pilot 3, Data Djinn 2, Technology 1
Preacher 2 2 4 4 5 Manipulation 3, Culture 2, Survival 1
Trailblazer 3 4 4 2 4 Survival 3, Observation 2, Dexterity 1
343
THE HORIZON
NPCs – if your NPC is a plebeian, lower the score by 2, and You can however disregard the rules aspects of your NPCs
if she is privileged, raise it by 2. as long as it won't directly affect a PC. Don't keep track of
resources or gear for the NPCs – that way, you retain the
skills: Typical skill levels for the different concepts are listed freedom to decide when they run out of something. Don't
in table 15.1. You can change the scores if you want to. An roll dice for the actions of NPCs unless they attack or interact
NPC with a specific concept must have a level of at least 1 in with a PC.
all her concept skills. Groups of NPCs: When dealing with multiple NPCs, you can
have them perform actions as a group instead of individually.
talents: NPCs are usually without talents, but you can give
a talent to an especially capable NPC if you wish. REWARDS AND EXPERIENCE
The PCs and the Third Horizon are constantly changing. There
name, characteristics and goal: Apart from the stats are several ways the PCs can evolve and it is the GM's job to
and scores, there are three things you need to know about make sure the game offers the players drives and rewards.
every NPC: Suitable rewards could be:
◆◆ Name. What is her name? ◆◆ Talents
◆◆ Characteristics. How does she look, how does she act, does ◆◆ Cybernetics and bionics
she have any distinguishing quirks? ◆◆ Artifacts
◆◆ Goal. What are her goals? ◆◆ Gear
◆◆ Spaceship improvements
Future scenarios and products will include lists of many When it comes to talents (both group and regular ones),
different NPCs. these can also be purchased using XP. The same goes for
cybernetics and bionics, but patrons and employers could
MANAGING NPCS also provide the group with these, as well as with gear, mod-
NPCs use the same rules as PCs. They roll dice to accomplish ules or features. Artifacts are something the PCs must find
difficult tasks, they need medical care if they become broken themselves during their adventures, however. Future products
and they risk permanent injuries if they are critically injured. will include suggested rewards.
THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS

IN THE GAME
Almost everybody in the Horizon believes in the Icons and the space, but also in terrifying events, madness and mental
protection they offer against the Dark between the Stars. The trauma. If you have gazed into the darkness, you will never be
exact nature of the darkness is something the preachers and the same. Regardless of the specific circumstances, mental
prophets disagree on – some describe it as a dark, corrupting strain from space travel or traumatizing events generates
force, the root of all evil, while others, such as the Church Darkness Points. The GM receives DP whenever one of the
of the Icons, believe that the darkness is a mirror image of below events happens:
the shadows and secrets of the human soul. The only thing ◆◆ The PCs perform a portal jump without being in stasis: 3 DP.
that is certain is that the emptiness of space seems to be the ◆◆ A PC suffers bad stasis after a portal jump: 1 DP.
place where the human psyche is most at risk. ◆◆ A PC prays to the Icons for a reroll: 1 DP.
The endless void, emptiness and loneliness affect the ◆◆ A PC activates a mystic power: a varying amount of DP.
minds of all spacefarers. The darkness exists not only in ◆◆ The PCs travel far out into the Big Black: 1-3 DP.
344
CAMPAIGN
◆◆ The PCs visit places or experiences events that are linked to the
Dark between the Stars: a varying amount of DP.
y SPACE TRAVEL AND DARKNESS POINTS

When the PCs leave the safety and comfort of Coriolis or other
civilized planets to go traveling in the depths of space, they are
exposed to the Dark between the Stars. In well-known areas
with much traffic, the Dark is weak, but gets stronger the
further out into uncharted space you get. DP are generated
at regular intervals during space travel. TERRIFYING OR SHAMEFUL EXPERIENCES
Use the following categories: ◆◆ Witness an unnatural event: 1-3 DP

1. Well-trafficked routes. These routes run between important ◆◆ Suffer torture: 2 DP
planets and systems such as Kua, Algol, Dabaran, Mira, Sadaal ◆◆ Torture someone: 3 DP
and Zalos. 1 DP per week of travel (for the entire PC group). ◆◆ Kill someone (other than enemies in a fight): 3 DP
2. Lonely routes. These routes run between smaller stations within
a system or to distant systems such as Menkar and Eanu. 2 DP
per week of travel.
3. Uncharted space. Space farther than 5 ADs from a known route.
3 DP per week of travel.
y TRAUMATIZING EVENTS
If the PCs are subjected to something very scary, unnatural
or degrading, the Darkness grows stronger. The same applies
if the PCs perform an evil or immoral deed.
HOW TO USE DARKNESS POINTS

The Skills chapter describes how prayer generates DP for
the GM that he can use to add more suspense to the story.
As the GM you should make sure to spend your DP, not
just pool them. The DP represent that every positive force
has a negative counterforce. The different ways you can
spend your DP require a varying number of points and are
described below:
USING DARKNESS POINTS
◆◆ REROLL. Just like the PCs can pray to the Icons to get a reroll, the
GM can reroll a skill test for an NPC. Costs 1 DP.
◆◆ TAKE THE INITIATIVE. An NPC breaks the turn order in combat and
acts before her turn. The GM decides when. Costs 1-3 DP.
◆◆ EMPTY CLIP. A PC attacking with RANGED COMBAT runs out of
ammo. The attack is not affected but the weapon needs reload-
ing. Costs 1 DP.
345
THE HORIZON
◆◆ WEAPON JAM. A PC's firearm jams as it fires. The attack is can- ◆◆ A DARK MIND. A PC is suddenly stricken with a temporary dark
celled and a TECHNOLOGY roll (a slow action) is required to fix the mania. More details in Chapter 14. Costs 1-3 DP.
weapon. Costs 3 DP. ◆◆ THE POWER OF THE DARKNESS. Certain talents or abilities can be
◆◆ BROKEN SYSTEM. A system onboard stops working. It could be activated in NPCs or creatures using DP. More details in Chapter
anything from a weapon system to life support. A TECHNOLOGY or 14. The DP cost varies.
DATA DJINN roll is required to repair it. Costs 3 DP, or 1 DP if the ◆◆ RELOADING. Normally, NPCs cannot reload their weapons, for
system in question was poorly tended to. example after automatic fire. To do it, the GM must spend 1 DP.
◆◆ SHIP PROBLEM. The ship's problem is activated. Details are speci-
fied in the list of problems. Costs 2 DP.
◆◆ OVERLOAD. A system is overloaded, either from neglected upkeep
or a temporary malfunction. The system stops working for three y NATURE'S WRATH
turns (see Chapter 7). Costs 1 DP. Nature's Wrath means that the environment suddenly works
◆◆ REACTION. NPCs cannot perform reactions in combat (page 84) against the PCs. It could be smoke, strong winds, mud, falling
unless the GM spends 1 DP. rocks or something else. Sometimes, nature will affect the
◆◆ LOST POSSESSION. A PC has dropped an important possession. PCs negatively without the Darkness having anything to do
The GM decides which. Costs 3 DP. with it, such as difficult terrain or storms. The nature's wrath
◆◆ REINFORCEMENTS. The enemy receives unexpected backup. rules below only apply when the GM spends DP to challenge
The GM decides the details. Costs 1-3 DP, depending on the the PCs. There are three levels of nature's wrath. The effect
reinforcements. generally lasts for a limited time, affecting one or more PCs
◆◆ INNOCENT IN DANGER. An innocent bystander is suddenly caught that perform similar actions.
in the line of fire and needs help. Will the PCs intervene? Costs 2
DP. y TAKE THE INITIATIVE
◆◆ PERSONAL PROBLEM. A PC's personal problem (page 26) affects An NPC can take the initiative in a fight by spending DP.
her in a manner the GM chooses. Costs 1 DP. The DP cost varies depending on whether the NPC is
◆◆ NATURE'S WRATH. Something dangerous in the environment going to act before everyone else or just before a certain
around the PCs suddenly affects them. It could be collapsing PC. Normally, the cost is 1 or 2 DP depending on the
beams or a landslide. Costs 1-3 DP depending on the level of strength of the NPC, plus 1 extra DP if the NPC wants to
danger. act first in the turn.
TABLE 15.2 NATURE'S WRATH
DP COST EFFECT
1 The difficulty is raised by 1 for one or more skills.

GETTING STARTED
For example, sudden smoke from a machine, flicker-
ing lights, a collapsing wall etc.
On the next page you will find a mini scenario that you can start
2 The difficulty is raised by 2 for one or more skills.
For example, heavy snow during a storm, a deep playing immediately to get a first taste of the Third Horizon.
pool of mud in the jungle, falling trees etc. After that follows two scenario locations – a jungle valley on
3 The difficulty is raised by 3 for one skill, and failure Kua and a cantina on Coriolis – that you can use for your own
means damage, stress or some other negative effect adventures.
lasting for a few turns.
346
CAMPAIGN
THE STATUETTE OF ZHAR Zhar Baghra was a famous portal researcher who
recently vanished under mysterious circumstances on Kua.
The sole survivor of Baghra's expedition has just returned
to Coriolis in possession of a curious statuette, and gone
into hiding. The antiques dealer-turned-Syndicate-middle-
man Merez Alcan has heard of the valuable artifact and
needs help finding it.
the statuette of Zhar Baghra is a mini sce- THE BEGINNING OF THE
nario that is designed as an introduction to SCENARIO
Coriolis – The Third Horizon. The scenario The PCs are somewhere onboard Coriolis
will give you a first taste of the mighty Coriolis when they are contacted by Merez Alcan.
space station with a possible aftermath and They could be in a cantina (perhaps Wahib's,
more adventures waiting in the Terenganu the scenario location described below), in the
Valley scenario location. loading bays below the spaceport, on one of
the plazas or in a bar in the Mulukhad. The
BACKGROUND PCs have been recommended to Merez by his
The portal researcher Zhar Baghra was an own contacts and not by their patron. He is
eccentric scientist who recently put together very straightforward and asks if they would
an expedition to the jungles of Kua to set up an be willing to help him locate an object that
excavation in Terenganu Valley. Something went is somewhere in the station. If the PCs are
wrong, and no one has heard from Baghra or interested, he will describe the artifact as a
the expedition in the last segment. The expe- Firstcome idol of the Dancer and says that
dition met their gruesome fate in the deep he is interested in buying it from its current
caverns underneath the Terenganu plateau. owner, the archaeologist Lavim Tamm.
Ancient Portal Builder artifacts unleashed their
lethal powers, and the only survivor was the MEREZ ALCAN
young archaeologist Lavim Tamm who fled the
caves and hid in the safety of the dark jungle, Merez is a middle-aged man with short, grey hair,
bringing a statuette of alien design with him. bags under his eyes and a djellaba with black
The antiques dealer Merez Alcan has acquired embroidery. He is sporting a red fez and a short
forbidden high-tech, faction tech and illegal cane without a handle. He appears to be wearing
artifacts for the Syndicate for a long time, which a monocle, but it is actually a cybernetic eye with a
in turn sells them at staggering prices. Merez microscope function.
is growing old and has begun thinking about
retirement. Through his spies in Archaeology CHARACTERISTICS: Leans on cane, clicks tounge,
Alley, Merez has been informed about the return whirling cybernetic eye.
of Lavim Tamm from Kua and the statuette he
is carrying. Merez cannot use his regular con- ATTRIBUTES:
tacts for the job, so he hires external help – the STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
PCs – to track down Lavim and the statuette. HIT POINTS: 5
Unbeknownst to Merez, someone else is also MIND POINTS: 8
looking for the statuette – a Draconite, seeking
REPUTATION: 5
the artifact for the faction's mystical rituals.
347
THE HORIZON
SKILLS: Manipulation 4, Culture 3, Melee combat 3, Infiltration 4
WEAPONS: Sharp cane (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2)
DARKNESS POINTS
Merez offers the PCs compensation for their services, either
The GM gets 4 DP at the beginning of the scenario. in birr, gear or firearms. This is what he knows and can tell
the PCs:
◆◆ The statuette is an idol of one of the Dancer's incarnations, the
Shadow Monkey. It is hideous, but very valuable. Merez can
describe it in detail so the PCs will recognize it.
◆◆ The archaeologist Lavim Tamm has disappeared, but was usually
seen hanging around the Spice Plaza bazaar.
◆◆ Lavim has a weakness for the Miran fire kohôl served at the
White Tugur bar.
THE SPICE PLAZA BAZAAR

The Spice Plaza bazaar is easy to find (page 251). Commerce
is hectic here, and if the PCs ask around about Lavim, they
won't get many answers. If they mention Miran fire kohôl
however, the spice vendors will smile roguishly and direct
them towards the kohôl trader Abzir or the White Tugur bar.
Abzir will recognize Lavim from the PCs description but can
only tell them that he hasn't been around for a while. The
White Tugur's matriarch Jasina (Empathy 3, Manipulation
3) is reluctant to share any information at first, but could
be persuaded. As the PCs are talking to Jasina, they might
spot Lavim's friend Jinna (Agility 2, Infiltration 2, Dexterity
3) sneaking about the bazaar. Jinna has heard the PCs ask
around about Lavim, and if she is discovered, she tries to flee
through the crowds. The PCs can chase after her through the
narrow alleys of the Promenade, and the GM could spend 1-3
DP to make the chase challenging for them (page 346). If they
catch her, she can be manipulated to share the following:
◆◆ Lavim is hiding in an antiques shop in Archaeology Alley called
Kaffrah's Artifacts.
◆◆ Lavim thinks he is being followed by someone (the Draconite
Salindre).
◆◆ Lavim didn't bring any statuette back as far as Jinna knows.
If the PCs lose Jinna during the chase, they can get more
information from Abzir or Jasina. Both can tell them that
Salindre Lavim often visits Kaffrah's Artifacts.
348
CAMPAIGN
THE ANTIQUES SHOP CHARACTERISTICS: Smart, keeps a low profile, trusts no one.
Archaeology Alley near the Spring Plaza is full of antique shops,

curiosities and bookstores (page 253). It is almost always packed ATTRIBUTES:
with people regardless of the hour. The only difference between STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
the watches is that the already dusky alley becomes even shadier HIT POINTS: 7
in the night – in every sense of the word. Finding Kaffrah's
MIND POINTS: 8
Artifacts is easy if the PCs ask around, although most people
REPUTATION: 4
will try to refer them to better establishments rather than
SKILLS: Manipulation 3, Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 4, Ranged
waste their time with that quack Kaffrah.
Combat 4, Infiltration 4, Observation 3
In a narrow alley cluttered with clothes lines and the
TALENTS: Point Blank
remains of a collapsed balcony, a weak, flickering sign
ARMOR: 4
will direct visitors down some stairs to Kaffrah's Artifacts.
WEAPONS: Dura knife (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1), accelerator
When the PCs enter, the wrinkled, black-haired Kaffrah
pistol (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1, Long Range)
(Empathy 3, Manipulation 3) will greet them courteously,
GEAR: Chameleon suit (the caftan)
almost invisible under layers and layers of embroidered
shawls. She won't talk about Lavim at first, but after some
persuasion and perhaps some birr (+1 to manipulation),
she can tell the PCs this: "THE QUIET EUNUCH” BOARDING HOUSE
◆◆ Lavim came by the shop a few days ago carrying something At the very of top of the Promenade, just before the venti-
small wrapped in cloth. lation shafts and power lines take over, the PCs will find the
◆◆ He didn't want to tell her what it was and got angry when she flea-ridden boarding house ”The Quiet Eunuch”, owned
asked. Then he left. and run by the eccentric Legionary veteran Silca Burros.
◆◆ Since then she hasn't seen him. Silca is anything but quiet and will show the PCs to Lavim's
◆◆ She can direct the PCs to the cheap boarding house at the top of coffin-like module right away. Inside they find Lavim, drunk.
the Promenade where he is staying (if they tip her well).
If the PCs manipulate Lavim, he can tell them this:
If the PCs describe the statuette to Kaffrah she gets excited ◆◆ He is being followed. He wonders if it is by the PCs?
and if they haven't been rude, she can tell them that it sounds ◆◆ He doesn’t have the statuette, he hid it in a crack in one of the
a lot like the fabled statuette of Zhar Baghra. With this infor- bridges across the Promenade.
mation the PCs should be able to figure out the background ◆◆ The statuette is just one of many treasures left in the jungle.
(page 347) by testing culture at -1. ◆◆ He does have the coordinates to the excavation. They are on a
When they leave Kaffrah's, they can spot the Draconite tag that he hid with the statuette.
Salindre following them if they are vigilant. If she is discov- ◆◆ He can show them to the bridge.
ered by the PCs, she quickly escapes by climbing the walls
of the alley and disappears up on the roof, wrapped in her OTHER WAYS TO THE QUIET EUNUCH
chameleon suit.
If the PCs aggravate Kaffrah or won't give her any birr, there are
SALINDRE
other ways to find Lavim's hideout at the boarding house.
◆◆ They can get the information from Jinna at the Spice Plaza.
Salindre is a novice in the Draconite order and has been tasked ◆◆ They can catch Salindre and persuade her to help them. In this
with acquiring the artifact to advance in the hierarchy of the fac- case she knows where Lavim is but hasn't approached him yet.
tion. Being a novice, she is calm and careful. She doesn't have
access to the Draconites' arsenal yet and plans her moves accord-
ingly. She dresses in a tight kameez under a black, hooded caftan.
349
THE HORIZON
LAVIM TAMM SYNDICATE GANG MEMBER
The reserved archaeology student Lavim is hiding at the Eunuch, Tattooed, garishly dressed and armed with small but deadly weap-
having turned to the fire kohôl to forget the expedition's tragic ons, the gang members are determined and unwavering. They will
end and the horrible deaths of his friends. He is still wearing his attempt to push the PCs over the edge, but will shoot them if this
bloodstained field uniform. He looks worn down and sickly, having doesn't work. They will avoid a firefight if they can as they don't need
shaved his head since his hair started falling out as a result of the the inevitable Guard attention it would bring.
statuette's powers.
CHARACTERISTICS: Spitting and shouting, won't give up easily.
CHARACTERISTICS: Nervous, afraid, drinker.
ATTRIBUTES:
ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2

STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4 HIT POINTS: 6
HIT POINTS: 5 MIND POINTS: 4
MIND POINTS: 8 REPUTATION: 2
REPUTATION: 3 SKILLS: Melee Combat 3, Dexterity 2, Ranged Combat 2,
SKILLS: Culture 3, Manipulation 2, Infiltration 2 Infiltration 2
ARMOR: 4
WEAPONS: Dura knife (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1), Vulcan pistol

(Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2, Short Range)
THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE PROMENADE

If the PCs contact Merez before going to get the tag on
the bridge, he will set up a meeting with them there. If
they haven't contacted him, he will be there anyway, as EPILOGUE
he has had some Syndicate gang members tail them. The showdown at the bridge could end several ways: with
Regardless of which, he will want the statuette and the Merez escaping or disappearing, but with the PCs still having
coordinates immediately when he realizes that there are the statuette (page 356) and coordinates. Or maybe the PCs
more treasures on Kua. He will then make a tag transfer manage to defeat the Syndicate thugs and Merez and hold
of the payment to the PCs and back away. He could be onto the statuette. A possibility is that Merez succesfully
persuaded to pay first and then get his prize. When he has escapes with the statuette and the PCs are only left with the
the statuette and the tag, he orders the Syndicate thugs coordinates.Will they share the coordinates or the statuette
to attack the PCs. The PCs could get help from Salindre with Salindre? The Draconite could accept a tactical alliance
in the fight if things look bad, as she has followed them with the PCs and pay them to help her beat Merez to the dig
to the bridge. As GM you can guarantee Merez's escape site on Kua. Will Merez try to stop them before they get off
by spending 2 DP if you wish. the station? Will he tell the Syndicate about his find, now that
The bridge is built for transports and maintenance work he must put together an expedition to the jungles? There are
on the shafts and lines between the blocks of the Ring. many ways the story could continue, both on Coriolis and in
It has a low railing made from braided tubes and cables, the neverending jungles of Kua, and it is your job as the GM
and it is four meters wide by about twenty meters long. to explore it with the group. If they follow the coordinates,
The dark drop below is shot through with cables and lines they will end up in Terenganu Valley on the Kuan equator.
looking almost like a spider's web. Falling from the bridge Where further adventures awaits. A possible way for the story
most likely means getting tangled up in the cables or to continue can be found on the next page. Use this as an
landing on one of the balconies below. inspiration or make up your own scenario.
350
CAMPAIGN
TERENGANU VALLEY This scenario location is a typical example of how the Kuan
jungles look, and how you as the GM can use ingredients
like heat, damp, mosquitoes, native tribes, old ruins and
much more. You can use the sector as a follow-up to the
Zhar Baghra mini scenario or independently.
the pcs can end up in the valley for many dif- the Foundation controls the dig site aided by the
ferent reasons. Perhaps they are here to look for three assistants Fara, Kemal, and Yousin. They
the statuette of Zhar Baghra, or maybe they are are assisted by the scout Gathor and a digging
here to excavate the tower ruins. They could be drone nicknamed Sysfos. The ruin field is a
here bringing supplies to the archaeologists, or row of low house foundations covered in tarps
as hired guns for them or the loggers. They could against the afternoon rains. The expedition has
also have been hired by the Legion to locate the not been resupplied in a while and is waiting
crash site of their downed fighter prototype. for a transport that is running late.
OVERVIEW y THE TOWER RUINS

Terenganu Valley is located deep in the jungles Three frail tower ruins rise like prehistoric teeth
along the little river and lake that share its name. from the jungle. The area is full of blood-sucking
The water has cut through the sandstone of the mosquitoes, sinkholes and jungle monsters, both
plateau and is now running in a deep ravine. The according to the Sogoi and Gathor the scout, which
days here have a predictable weather pattern – makes everyone leave the towers alone. A private
pounding sun in the morning, usually replaced by expedition tried to investigate the towers in the
pouring rain in the afternoon. The surrounding past, but went missing according to the Sogoi.
jungle is full of life and sounds, and the nearby
Sogoi tribe Gurghan have plenty of game. The y THE PLATEAU
proximity to a Legion training field makes for a A grey plateau rises above the green jungle
lot of sensor and com jamming bleeding into the below. It is made of a different kind of rock than
valley. Communicators work only sporadically. the surrounding sandstone. If it wasn't for its
steep sides, it would be a perfect landing site
y THE SOGOI VILLAGE for small freighters. The Sogoi claim that evil
The village is located in a clearing and consists djinn live in the caves underneath the plateau.
of a few domed huts covered in leaves, lichen
and twigs. The tribe has some forty members, y THE WATERFALL
including children, and is led by the Icon shaman Just next to the waterfall, you will find the only
Ixra and the matriarch Yusu-ghan. A Zenithian level, open area large enough to set down a
prophet, Huraman Kahl, has been living here spaceship on, unless you want to land on the
as a guest of the tribe for a while. The Sogoi dig site or the Sogoi village, with all the conse-
hunt primarily east of the river, and sometimes quences that would bring.
on the lake itself using primitive canoes. They
avoid Excavation Site 9 as they believe that djinn y THE MARSH
and djanna live there (Chapter 14). Lake Terenganu goes on to become a marsh,
home to water buffalo, seabirds and croco-
y EXCAVATION SITE 9 diles. Deep in the marsh lies an almost intact,
Archaeology professor Ihana dol-Pranha from unsalvaged Legion fighter.
351
THE HORIZON
TERENGANU VALLEY
THE TOWER RUINS
Three frail tower ruins rise like prehistoric teeth

from the jungle.
THE LOGGING STATION
The station has a small wooden quay as well as

Mustar's pride and joy – the river barge Eufrynde.
The station is home to a harsh crew of loggers.
352
CAMPAIGN
EXCAVATION SITE 9 THE SOGOI VILLAGE
The ruin field is a row of low house foundations The village is located in a clearing and consists of a
covered in tarps against the afternoon rains. few domed huts covered in leaves, lichen and twigs.
353
THE HORIZON
MIND POINTS: 9
y THE LOGGING STATION
Logging station Terenganu is run by the prospector Mustar REPUTATION: 5
Kollah and a crew of about twenty tough and taciturn loggers. SKILLS: Mystic Powers 4, Infiltration 2
They cut hardwood in the valley below the plateau and drive TALENTS: Two mystic powers
it down the river to a larger port farther down. There is a
small wooden quay at the logging station as well as Mustar's
pride and joy – the river barge Eufrynde.
KUBU-GHAN, SOGOI WARRIOR
THE SITUATION
The three groups in the valley – the archaeologists, the Sogoi, Ixra's opposite is the proud warrior Kubu-ghan, who has consider-
and the loggers – are heading quickly towards a clash. As of able support among the villagers. Kubu shows off big scars across
late, the loggers have begun felling trees up on the plateau in his torso – souvenirs from an Azaëlean attack. He has spent much
an area where the Sogoi's ancestral spirits rest. The Sogoi are time recently spying on the dig site and the logging station together
traditionally very careful, and have tried to make the prophet with two other warriors, Dhana and Xifro. He has spoken to Gathor,
Huraman stop Mustar from working on the plateau, but this the expedition scout, who has impressed him greatly with his long
has so far yielded no results. When a child in the Sogoi village Nestera rifle. Kubu would prefer to run the Zenithians out of the
recently came down with blood fever, many of the villagers – valley, but understands that sabotage is a better method than open
led by the young and proud Kubu-ghan – believed that this aggression.
was a sign that the spirits are angry – probably provoked both
by the archaeologists' digging and the logging on the plateau. CHARACTERISTICS: Whispering voice, gestures while he speaks,
often chewing oil root that has turned his teeth black.
PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY
The most prominent inhabitants of the valley are the Sogoi ATTRIBUTES:
leaders, professor dol-Pranha and the prospector Herrah, STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3
Mustar's right hand. HIT POINTS: 6
MIND POINTS: 6
IXRA, SOGOI SHAMAN REPUTATION: 3
The old shaman has guided the village through many hardships. SKILLS: Melee combat 3, Dexterity 2, Ranged combat 2,
Infiltration 4, Mystic Powers 2
Ixra is scarred and her face is full of wrinkles that almost cover her
TALENTS: Two defensive mystic powers
eyes. Her white hair is collected in three, thick braids. She wanders
the valley dressed in a colorful shawl, communing with the spirits. WEAPONS: Spear (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2), bow (Weapon
Damage 2, CRIT 3, Long Range).
She is deeply concerned with how the Zenithians are cutting down
the trees and opening deep wounds in the ground that release con-
fused ancestral djinn into the forest. The way forward is through
dialogue and understanding, and she hopes to negotiate with the
Zenithians to make them leave the valley. PROFESSOR IHANA DOL-PRAHNA, ARCHAEOLOGIST
CHARACTERISTICS: Smacks mouth, rocking gait, sharp eyes. The professor is very excited. Over the last couple of weeks, the
expedition has uncovered a new layer underneath the upper ruins,
ATTRIBUTES: which confirms her theory that the upper ruins were constructed
STRENGTH 1, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5 upon even older ones – Portal Builder-old. She has read Doctor
Baghra's theories about the valley, and knows about the earlier
HIT POINTS: 3
expedition, but is unaware of the fact that Baghra's team visited
354
CAMPAIGN
both the tower ruins and the caves below the plateau. She is becom- HERRAH, PROSPECTOR
ing increasingly worried about their dwindling supply of food, spare
parts and just about everything else. Herrah is Mustar's adviser and trusted lieutenant. She runs the
station and keeps the surroundings safe. She is dressed in practi-
CHARACTERISTICS: Scratches chin, usually smirking, bites her lip cal Legion fatigue pants, keeps her hair trimmed short and wears
when she becomes worried. tank tops that won't get caught in branches and thorns when she
is working. She will take care of Mustar's problems as long as it
ATTRIBUTES: doesn't involve excessive use of violence.

CHARACTERISTICS: Never without a tabak cigarette in the corner
HIT POINTS: 5
of her mouth, crooked smile, keeps one hand on her weapon at all
MIND POINTS: 7
times.
REPUTATION: 4
SKILLS: Manipulation 2, Culture 5, Technology 2, Science 3

ATTRIBUTES:
GEAR: Library database (Ruins +3), Sysfos the drone
HIT POINTS: 6
MIND POINTS: 6
GATHOR, SCOUT REPUTATION: 4

The middle-aged, heavily tattooed scout Gathor has taken the job as
Manipulation 1
pathfinder and guard to the expedition to lie low after an incident in
ARMOR: 1
Covenant City. He is calm and collected but has started to notice the
WEAPONS: Dura axe (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 1), grape carbine
Sogoi sneaking around the perimeter of the dig site and has spoken
(Weapon damage 2, CRIT 2, Short Range)
to them. He is firm in his belief that Sogoi and other tribes have no
chance of survival unless they adapt to Zenithian culture and tech-
nology. Gathor has unexpectedly become romantically involved with
Professor dol-Prahna's assistant, something that makes him more
protective than he otherwise would have been. TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFACTS
There is not much in the way of special technology in the
CHARACTERISTICS: Apprehensive, squints against the sun, hunched valley except for Sysfos the drone, a broken grav bike in a
posture. shed by the logging station and the loggers' arsenal, five
Vulcan carbines and one flamethrower. Valuable objects
ATTRIBUTES: of art can be found in the ruin field. The statuette of Zhar
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3 Baghra (if not found in the previous scenario) is hidden in a
HIT POINTS: 8 cave underneath the plateau (see below).
MIND POINTS: 6
REPUTATION: 2
EVENTS
Infiltration 2 Many things can happen in the valley, possibly leading to
ARMOR: 1
clashes between the natives of the valley and the newcomers.
Below are a few examples for you to expand upon.
WEAPONS: Dura knife (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1), accelerator
rifle Nestera Parox (Weapon Damage 4, CRIT 1, Extreme Range)
y BEAST RAIDS
A jungle monster is plaguing the valley. Its territory overlaps
355
THE HORIZON
with one of the three settlements. People living there could does whatever it takes to secure the artifact or ruin, with the least
fall prey to the beast, leading to maiming, disappearances possible damage to the objectives – a courtesy not always extended
or even deaths. The blame could fall on one of the other to foreign archaeologists or prospectors.
settlements. What will the consequences be?
CHARACTERISTICS: Tall, icy stare, dominant.
y THE SOGOI STRIKE BACK

Enough is enough! The Sogoi are furious that the excavation ATTRIBUTES:
has awoken the djanna of the woods. Ixra has had a vision telling STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2
her that the expedition must be stopped. Has the professor just HIT POINTS: 6
unearthed something? Or have the PCs found the statuette? MIND POINTS: 4
This will cause problems for Kubu-ghan who wishes to maintain REPUTATION: 5
his friendship with Gathor in order to get to his accelerator rifle.
SKILLS: Ranged Combat 2, Manipulation 1, Command 3
ARMOR: 4
y THE ARRIVAL OF SASORA
WEAPONS: Stun gun (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT stun, Short Range),
Parts of the Sasora brigade arrive from the north, led by the accelerator carbine (Weapon Damage 3, CRIT 1, Long Range)
mercenary Yvera. She is a paragon of the people, at least in
her own opinion. Her company has been reduced to about
ten soldiers, now retreating from the Legion to regroup. They
have wounded members who need medical aid and are short ASTÛRBAN TROOPER
on resources. They will use force to get what they want if they
have to – the liberation of the people will be stopped by nothing. Use the Soldier stats on page 343 for the Astûrban troopers. They
are armed with stun guns and accelerator carbines. They have
y THE STATUETTE OF ZHAR BAGHRA armor 4.
The Zhar Baghra mini scenario leaves the PCs with coordinates
to Terenganu Valley, or to the plateau west of the lake to be ZHAR BAGHRA'S ARTIFACT
precise. An investigation of the area around the plateau reveals
a vast network of caverns underneath the valley. Deep in the The statuette Zhar Baghra found depicts a humanoid creature. It is
darkness rests the remains of Doctor Baghra's expedition, a jet black and looks enamelled. It is damp to the touch. Whether the
sentinel (page 331) and some Portal Builder remains. subject matter is a Portal Builder or not is hard to know. It is slowly
remolding itself, changing position over the course of a few weeks.
y ASTÛRBAN'S ARCHAEO TROOP ◆◆ EFFECT: The artifact can read the mind of its user and store
Either the discovery of the statuette or the excavation of the memories. They can be re-experienced at a later time as images
Portal Builder ruins has generated a signal intercepted by the and words. Other people touching that artifact can also get vague
xeno-archaeologists of the Astûrban. Such a find cannot be left sensations of the memories. Unfortunately, long-term use of the
to the Foundation, or even worse, the Consortium. The special statuette leads to the mind or soul of the user being absorbed by
archaeo troop under Corporal Nastia din Hrama is deployed the artifact (opposed test with Empathy versus MYSTIC POWERS
to the scene in an advanced armored gravcraft to secure the 4), leaving only an empty shell or cadaver behind – or something
dig site and the artifacts, and to capture the archaeologists. even worse. This is what happened to Doctor Baghra.
◆◆ DARKNESS POINTS: Storing a memory in the artifact generates 2
CORPORAL NASTIA DIN HRAMA

DP.
◆◆ KNOWLEDGE REQUISITE: To understand the statuette, the user
Nastia is a very dedicated warrior. She is indoctrinated into the view must pass either a MYSTIC POWERS or a CULTURE test.
that it is of the utmost importance that the Zenithian Hegemony
obtains as many artifacts as possible. When she is on a mission, she
356
CAMPAIGN
WAHIB'S CANTINA Wahib's is a classic cantina in the Terrim blocks just off the
Promenade on Coriolis. You can of course locate it some-
where else in the Horizon if it fits better with your story.
The cantina is a busy watering hole and as such is a good
place to meet new contacts or to start scenarios.
OVERVIEW open, usually showing the Bulletin flow. As it

Wahib's cantina is located on the ground floor is an older model, the projection is jittery and
of a residential building, with its front towards the sound is out of sync.
the Promenade. On each side of the cantina,
there are small shops – Rashina's Pets and Ibir's y BOOTH
pawnshop for example. Ibir and Wahib, who A circular room with small booths containing
owns the cantina, are good friends, sharing patterned cushion and low tables. Large plants
many customers. Wahib's is usually a noisy climb a pedestal in the middle of the room.
place, full of people and the smell of cooking. The booths are often full of hookah smoke,
After midnight, the smell from the kitchen is deckhands, stevedores and pilots, at least before
replaced by arrash smoke and soft music as a shift change in the port or out on the Net.
the last of the guests are leaving.
y BAR
y ENTERING FROM THE PROMENADE A bar with high chairs takes up most of the room.
The front door is always open, and only a beaded The owner himself can usually be found behind
curtain separates the guests from the rush of the bar. The bony old Wahib is always working
the Promenade. A sliding door can be shut when the cantina is open. From a hook in the
during the few hours when the cantina closes ceiling hangs a cage with his biosculpted parrot
for the night. There are oblong stained glass Nene. Wahib has trained his animal friend to
windows with geometrical patterns on each spy on the guests.
side of the door.
y WAHIB'S CHAMBERS
y ANTEROOM The owner's sleeping quarters, offices and
An open, circular room, with low tables and surveillance central. The room contains a bed
sitting cushions. The mosaic on the floor is and a table with a terminal that controls the
worn smooth from years of guests coming surveillance systems, which are always active.
and going. Bio sculpted plants give the room During nighttime, the terminal activates an
a cozy atmosphere. This room seats people alarm that alerts the Coriolis Guard if triggered.
who just pop in from the Promenade for a
quick cup of kawah or wine, or a relaxing y KITCHEN
hookah. People who are new to Wahib's often A stove, a freezer and an oven share this small
end up here. room with Barah, the chef. The kitchen offers
a small selection of simple dishes.
y MAIN ROOM
Like the anteroom, this room is also full of y STOREROOM
tables and cushions. A defective modulate is A small storeroom for kawah, tea, kohôl, wine,
running in a corner whenever the cantina is tabak and some basic ingredients for the kitchen.
357
THE HORIZON
y BACK DOOR TO A NARROW ALLEY
BULLETIN NEWS
A sliding door connects the cantina with a narrow alley. The
people living in the residential modules above usually hang
The modulate at Wahib's is a good way for the GM to intro- their laundry out to dry here, which makes for a cold and
duce metaplot information into the game. If the PCs are wet passage.
not paying attention, maybe some other guests are, asking
Wahib to turn the volume up. You can find a list of popular THE SITUATION
Bulletin shows on page 260. Wahib's cantina attracts ship’s crews and fortune seekers,
as well as ordinary spaceport workers. Many people quickly
become regulars here. Wahib's memory is crystal clear when
WAHIB'S CANTINA
1. Entrance from the Promenade
2. Anteroom
3. Main Room
4. Booth
04
5. Bar
6. Wahib's Chambers
7. Kitchen
8. Storeroom
06
9. Back Door
04 07
05 09
03
08
Alley
02
Rashina's Pets Ibir's Pawn Shop
01
The Promenade
358
CAMPAIGN
it comes to people's orders, but he is terrible at remembering WAHIB, CANTINA OWNER

names and faces. This selective memory is especially potent
when the Guard come around asking about his customers, a Wahib is a bony old man with his best years behind him. Rumor have
trait that makes the cantina a place often used by criminals it that he served at the court of a long since dead Dabaran prince in
and other shady people as neutral ground for negotiations, his youth. Wahib speaks very little, but smiles and nods a lot.
usually during the early hours of the morning when the
place is closed. For this reason, the cantina is often visited CHARACTERISTICS: Sweaty, slurs when he gets angry, humming
by plainclothes Guards. laughter.

The cantina opens in the afternoon, immediately starting
to fill up with thirsty customers. The free trader crews show ATTRIBUTES:
up during the evening, with the regulars dropping in a little STRENGTH 2 AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3
after that for a late dinner. The mood rises as the kohôl starts HIT POINTS: 4
to flow and the hookahs are lit. People start to leave come MIND POINTS: 5
nightfall, and when the night watch begins, most stevedores REPUTATION: 5
have gone. The last stragglers leave just before dawn. The
SKILLS: Manipulation 3
cantina is cleaned and prepared for the coming day in the
early hours of the morning.
PEOPLE AT WAHIB'S ARKIAL LIMA, HIGH ROLLER

Wahib's is a place that attracts many different people. The
GM can use the cantina for meetings with the group's patron The compulsory gambler Arkial can usually be found at Wahib's
– or maybe their nemesis? The waiters here are Wahib's three when she is not in the gambling dens or at the bookmakers. She
grandchildren, Iri, Habib and Ala. The trio have no problems is usually watching the modulate and requests frequent channel
picking the pockets of the guests or switching their tags changes between different Bulletin sports shows. Somehow, she is
for empty ones (Agility 2, DEXTERITY 1). Accusations of theft never broke, despite having several loan sharks on her tail.
against the little rascals are waved away as playful pranks,
and the regulars have a love-hate relationship with the three. CHARACTERISTICS: Pale, twirls hair, shifty eyes.
ATTRIBUTES:
HIT POINTS: 4
MIND POINTS: 5
REPUTATION: 3

Infiltration 4
WEAPONS: Vulcan cricket (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2, Close Range)
GEAR: Chance cube, deck of holo cards, talisman (the Gambler)
RAMAL AND FORBO, FACTIONARIES
Ramal and Forbo are well-known Free League factionaries, but

certainly don't look the part. Both men have remained true to their
359
THE HORIZON
stevedore backgrounds, both in manners and appearance. Ramal is EVENTS

thin and intense while Forbo is fat and pensive. Ramal agitates him- Below are a few suggested events to use or take inspiration from.
self with kohôl only to fall asleep next to Forbo, who is already long
gone, mumbling through the haze of his proxy addiction. y ARKIAL'S SECRET
The high roller Arkial Lima is on the run from an enforcer,
CHARACTERISTICS (RAMAL): Skinny, intense, wild eyes. as usual. She has a deal lined up, but needs one more day to
CHARACTERISTICS (FORBO): Slow thinker, vacant stare, detached. close it. She can offer the PCs a secret in return for protecting
her until she can pay her loan back. At a holo game a few
ATTRIBUTES: days ago, she heard an intoxicated merchant talk about a
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3 colony in the asteroid belt that would soon run out of spare
HIT POINTS: 4 parts because of an act of sabotage. The merchant went
MIND POINTS: 5 on to talk about a sale of spare parts in another part of the
REPUTATION: 7 system – maybe in the Monolith, in the Free League auctions
SKILLS: Melee combat 2, Ranged Combat 1, Force 2, Manipulation 2
on Coriolis or somewhere else. It is up to the PCs how they
want to use this information.
WEAPONS: Ramal: Power sledge (Weapon Damage 4, CRIT 3),
Forbo: Vulcan cricket (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 2, Close Range)
GEAR: Talisman (the Deckhand), personal communicator, proxy y EARLY RETIREMENT
technology, 12 proxy trips Council member Jesibel Niales of the Free League has come
to realize that the faction's ties to the Syndicate are becoming
too much of a liability. The problem can of course be traced
back to Ramal and Forbo. Jesibel cannot act against the duo
NIGIEL FO, COURTESAN
directly, but could hire external help such as the PCs. She
needs real proof, holographic evidence showing that Ramal
Nigiel Fo is of average height, but slim and muscular, a wonder of and Forbo are doing the Syndicate's bidding. Could the PCs
all grace and bows. He spends most days at Wahib's together with be persuaded to help her? If they accept, their mission will
his dozen-or-so-strong miniature court, a select group where be to befriend the duo, follow them around, and investigate
beauty, wit and education are valued highly. The contrast between who they are meeting with and where. Breaking into their
Nigiel's group and the rest of the clientele is striking. To an outsider, living modules, storage units or ships might also be necessary.
the courtesan's presence is odd, but is explained by his interest in The payment could be a Free League membership (higher
antiquities and artifacts. reputation) and good tips on upcoming cargo auctions.
CHARACTERISTICS: Bows a lot, colorful clothing, flirty. y A HIGH-STAKES AUCTION

The PCs come into possession of a strange artifact, possi-
ATTRIBUTES: bly even an animated object from before the Portal Wars.
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 5 Nigiel Fo could act as an agent to help them find a buyer.
HIT POINTS: 5 The prospective buyer needs a little more time to come
MIND POINTS: 8 up with the money however, and the night before the sale,
REPUTATION: 7
thieves try to burgle the PCs and steal the artifact. If they
fail, a group of mercenaries attempt to take the object by
SKILLS: Melee Combat 2, Dexterity 2, Culture 3, Manipulation 3
force. A shady cult called the Beholders of Truth, connected
WEAPONS: Hand fan (Weapon Damage 2, CRIT 1)
to Portal Builder worship, are out to claim the artifact for
GEAR: Prayer tower, lacquered arrash box
themselves as they regard it as a holy item. Several cultists
are high-ranking socialites on the station, which could
complicate matters further.
360
CAMPAIGN
THE FACTIONARIES AND THE LEAGUE
Ramal and Forbo are heavy names in the Free

THE MENU AT WAHIB'S
League hierarchy, if not at the very top. This doesn't
Wahib's is not known for its gastronomic edge – on the contrary. stop them from publicly criticizing Jesibel Niales
The menu is a range of safe bets, classic dishes from all over the however, but they behave well if she is present in
Horizon. Use Table 6.2 in the Rulebook for inspiration. person. They need her, and she obviously needs
them. The rumors about the Free League having
dealings with the Syndicate name Ramal and Forbo
as the link between the two factions.
361
LEVEL 1
LEISURE AND RAMPS TO TOP
HOLO ROOM CARGO HOLD
MEDLAB
AIRLOCK
GYM
LOWER CARGO
LOADING CR ANE
TEMPLE
CABINS R AMPS TO LOWER

LEVEL 2 CARGO HOLD
MESS
S TA S I S C H A M B E R LOADING R AMP
LADDER
LADDER
362
LIGHT FREIGHTER, SCARAB
COUNTERMEASURE DISPENSER G R AV P R O J E C T O R S
LEVEL 3
C A P TA I N
REACTOR
PA N E L S
LADDER
CO-PILOT OR
GUNNER
STOR AGE
LADDER
PILOT
SENSOR-
O P E R AT O R
H AT C H T O T O P
CARGO HOLD
SLEEPING COT
WC
VULCAN CANNON
LEVEL 4 ARBORETUM
363
LEVEL 1
CARGO HOLD E L E VAT O R L O W E R H AT C H LANDING GEAR G R AV I T O N P R O J E C T O R
RAMP
S TA I R S LANDING GEAR REACTOR
LEVEL 2
GUN TOWER
E L E VAT O R
MUNITIONS STORE ENGINE A XIS
G R AV I T O N
PROJECTOR
C O M PA N I O N WAY
CARGO HOLD
REACTOR
MUNITIONS STORE
S TA I R S C O M B AT B R I D G E
GUN TOWER E N G I N E , R O TATA B L E
364
ATTACK SHIP, AZUK
LEVEL 3
AIRLOCK
MESS E L E VAT O R S TA S I S P O D S ENGINE MEDLAB
CARGO HOLD
T O R P E D O C O M PA R T M E N T
REACTOR
CABIN S TA I R S S TA S I S P O D S ENGINE CONTROL ROOM
AIRLOCK
LEVEL 4
SENSOR CONSOLE WEAPONS E L E VAT O R HANGAR LADDER TO CARGO HOLD

CONSOLE GUN TOWER
COCKPIT
BRIDGE
C A P TA I N ’ S C O N S O L E GALLEY LADDER AMMO FEEDER
365
LEVEL 1
S TA S I S B E D S C O M PA N I O N WAY UPPER CARGO HOLD S E R V I C E PA S S A G E WAY
REACTOR
G R AV
PROJECTORS
LOADING R AMP HOLD & HANGAR ENGINEERING
LEVEL 2
AIRLOCK
TR ANSMITTER
CABINS GALLEY
MESS
G R AV
PROJECTORS
S E N S O R C O M PA R T M E N T
LARGE CABIN
STORES
366
COURIER SHIP, ORYX
LEVEL 3
MEDLAB
TEMPLE
TO FORE
AIRLOCK
G R AV
PROJECTORS
D ATA B A S E H AT C H T O B R I D G E
S TA S I S B E D S
LEVEL 4
PILOT
CONSOLES GUNNER
S E N S O R O P E R AT O R
C A P TA I N
367
LANDING GEAR
E L E VAT O R T O S H U T T L E
LEVEL 1
E L E VAT O R A N D S TA I R S
T O E VA R A M P
LANDING GEAR
SHUTTLE
LEVEL 2
H AT C H T O S H U T T L E LOADING AIRLOCK
E L E VAT O R A N D L A D D E R
C O N T R O L PA N E L ,
REACTOR
S A LVA G E C A R G O P L AT F O R M AIRLOCK ESCAPE POD CHAMBER

C O M PA R T M E N T
E L E VAT O R
LEVEL 3
E L E VAT O R &
ACC CANON S TA I R S
TORPEDO TUBE MEDLAB
TORPEDO LOADING
MECHANISM
CARGO ELEVATOR
TORPEDOES
REACTOR
HANGAR
S TA S I S B E D S G R AV
PROJECTORS
368
SALVAGE SHIP, KAMRUK
SLEEPING AREA C A P TA I N ’ S C A B I N ENGINES

LEVEL 4
LOWER HANGAR
& HOLD
C A R G O E L E VAT O R
G R I P C L AW S AIRTIGHT DOOR
S E N S O R C O M PA R T M E N T
S A LVA G E R O O M
AIRTIGHT DOOR
CR ANE MECHANISM
MEDPOD CRANE R AMP TO AIR-

MECHANISM TIGHT DOOR
AIRTIGHT GALLEY TEMPLE

DOOR
LEVEL 5 WORKSHOP E L E VAT O R S TA I R S
WORKSHOP
STORE
PORT
UPPER CARGO
HANGAR E L E VAT O R
LEVEL 6
ENGINEER
E L E VAT O R
PILOT
LADDER
C A P TA I N
PORT BRIDGE
SENSOR
O P E R AT O R
369
SPACE STATION, AZANDRA
FACTS:
◆◆SHIPYARD: Harga
◆◆CONSTRUCTION: CC 26
◆◆CREW: 88
◆◆INHABITANTS: 800
◆◆WIDTH: 154 m
◆◆HEIGHT: 340 M
Although no longer built, the Azandra class space station is a

common sight in the Third Horizon. With its spacious layout
and large docking modules, the Azandra is still a capable
design, even though it was conceived in the twenties.
WAT E R TA N K S
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2
TERMINAL
TERMINAL HALL
WA L K WAY
REACTOR
REACTOR
WAT E R TA N K S
370
SPACE STATION, AZANDRA
LOADING SECTORS SHIP DOCKS
E L E VAT O R S
LEVEL 3
YA R D M O D U L E
LEVEL 4
LOADING DOCKS
LEVEL 5
AIRLOCK
SHIP DOCKS
LEVEL 6
LUXURY LIVING
MODULES WORKSHOPS CONTROL ROOMS AND
MEETING CHAMBERS
CENTR AL
HALL WITH
CANTINA AND
STORES
AIRLOCK
HANGAR
LOADING DOCKS
HANGAR
SLEEPING
MODULES
WORKSHOPS
AND STORES
LIVING MODULES
AIRLOCK HANGAR
371
SPACE COMBAT MAP
CHARACTER SHEET
NAME: BACKGROUND:
ATTRIBUTES
CONCEPT: ICON:
STRENGTH
GROUP CONCEPT: REPUTATION:

AGILITY
WITS PERSONAL PROBLEM:
EMPATHY
APPEARANCE
TRAUMA FACE:
HIT POINTS (STRENGTH + AGILITY) CLOTHING:
CRITICAL INJURIES:
RELATIONSHIPS BUDDY
PC 1:
PC 2:
PC 3:
MIND POINTS (WITS + EMPATHY)
PC 4:
RADIATION EXPERIENCE TALENTS
SKILLS GENERAL ADVANCED
DEXTERITY (AGILITY) COMMAND (EMPATHY)

GEAR BONUS
FORCE (STRENGTH) CULTURE (EMPATHY)
1
INFILTRATION (AGILITY) DATA DJINN (WITS)

2
MANIPULATION (EMPATHY) MEDICURGY (WITS)

3
MELEE COMBAT (STRENGTH) MYSTIC POWERS (EMPATHY)

4
OBSERVATION (WITS) PILOT (AGILITY) 5
RANGED COMBAT (AGILITY) SCIENCE (WITS) 6
SURVIVAL (WITS) TECHNOLOGY (WITS) 7
WEAPONS BONUS INIT DAMAGE CRIT RANGE COMMENTS RELOADS

9
10
ARMOR RATING COMMENT

SPACESHIP SHEET
NAME:
ENERGY POINTS
CLASS & TYPE: SHIPYARD:
PROBLEM: DEBT:
HULL POINTS
DATA
MANEUVERABILITY SIGNATURE
CRITICAL DAMAGE:
SPEED ARMOR
MODULES DISABLED
2
FEATURES BONUS
10
11
12
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MODULES
CAPTAIN PILOT
SKILL SKILL
LEVEL LEVEL
SENSOR OPERATOR GUNNER ENGINEER

SKILL SKILL SKILL
LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL
WEAPONS BONUS DAMAGE CRIT RANGE COMMENTS

OUR BACKERS
OUR BACKERS
ICON
Aaron Bruns, Aaron Pothecary, Alex Green, Alexander Cruz, Alexander Lovendal la Motte, Andree Henriksson, Arkadiusz Stopczyk, Armin Kessner,
Asa Berdahl, Audun Løvlie, Aurélien Jolly, Bill Charleroy, Birk Hauke Wildhirt, Brandon Karl, Brennan See, Bryan Considine, Buster Hills-Hughes,
Carsten Berg, Charles Hammond, Chris Gardner, Chris Gunning, Christer Malmberg, Christian Loew, Christoffer Danielsen Dyrøy, Christopher
Crossley, Christopher Pearson, Christopher Young, Conan L James, Corinna Vigier, Craig Bishell, David Andrews, Dávid Csobay, David Dalton,
David Harrison, David Lee, Derek Mayne, Donald Albert Turner, Jr., Drew Taylor, Edward Miles, Emil Johansson, Eric Vulgaris, Fabian Nitsche, Filipe
G. Cunha, Frederik Vogel, Fredrik Somerville, Gauthier Descamps, Graham Horrobin, Graham Stevens, Grant Chapman, Greg Higgins, Grzegorz
Bereza, Gustav Lunner, Hartmann Florent, Hauguel Sebastien, Iain MacDonald, Iain Rudge, Ian Woodley, Ines Kunzendorf, Jacob Rotschield, Jacob
Torgerson, Jahmal Brown, james Burke, James Sherlock, Jamie Dobson, Jarad Cornett, Jeff Robinson, Jeffrey Robbins, Jens Hoelderle, Jeremy
Anderson, Joe Jolicoeur, Joean Yun, John A W Phillips, Jon Bowen, Jonas Falsen, Jonathan Fish, Jose Miguel Poonsawat, Joseph DeSimone, Justin
Ritchey, Kirk Barrett, Koji Nakagawa, Krzysztof Piwowarski, Kyle J Douglas, Lars Enzweiler, Marc Laliberté, Markus Wagner, Martin Greening, Martin
Legg, Marwan Marwan, Matthew Jackson, Matthew Truesdale, Matthew Weeks, Mattiaz Fredriksson, Michael Ostrokol, Michael Wightman, Mikael
Dahl, Mikael Suominen, Nick Stewart, Nicolas Lapointe, Nicolas Vandemaele Couchy, Norman Günther, Oliver Graf, Pascal Koos, Pat Eadie, Paul M
Beakley, Pernilla Sparrhult, Philip Reed, Phillip Bailey, Remi Fayomi, René Schultze, Richard Sorden, Richard Trub, Jr, Rickard Antroia, Rickard Falk,
Robert Alsfelder III, Ronald Olexsak, Ryan Hill, Sam Crick, Sam Wong, Sascha Tanner, Scott Kehl, Seiji Kato, Simon Cotterill, Simon Ottervald, Simon
Roddy, Simon Roe, Simon Stroud, Stephen Rose, Steven W. Collins, Teddy Lattimore, Terry L Pike, Thomas E Murphy, Tony Jorgensen, Tony Lindberg,
Troy Stuart, Ulf Hillebrecht, Ziv Plotnik
DARKNESS
Abraham Mclarahmore, Adam Boisvert, Alex Messer, Alexander Gent, Alexandre Thomas, Andreas Henker, Andreas Reck, Andreas Wild, Andrew
Buell, Andrew Johnstone, Andrew Rogers, Andrew Sclafani, Benjamin Sutter, Brett Gann, Chris Iverach-Brereton, Chris Wong, Christian Thier,
Christopher Crossley, Clayton Sibley II, Colin Bolger, Dac Bao Long Ho, Dan McIntosh, Dave Brown, David Berger, David Coyle, David Folsom, David
Hagman, David Lapping, Dawid Wojcieszynski, Derek Carnell, Dillon Burke, Dragon Graygol, Earl Scott Nicholson, Edward Kiernan, Erik Mattsson,
Erik Sundqvist, Fabio Abilio Gomes de Almeida, Francisco Marrero Diaz, François Mainguet, Fredrik Lindholm, Gary London, Geoff Kottmeier,
Giovanna Carugno, Glenn Hifumi, Gregory Hammond, Gunnar Klett, Jake Baker, James Lloyd, James R Crowder II, Jason MacDougall, Jason Nguyen,
Jason Smith, Joel Rojas, John Bellando, John E Unverferth, John M. Kahane, John Yoshino, Jonathan Sinn, Jonca Fabien, Joseph Arnaud, Joseph Pacelli,
Joshua Binder, Juan Fernández, Julius Adcock, Justin L. Fredette, Justin Trezise, Kevin Lai, Konstantin Kunz, Kyle Burckhard, Larry W Bernloehr, Liliane
Boyer, Luc Teunen, Malte Hansson, Marco Mensen, Marco Tavian, Marcus Ridderstolpe, Markus Hicks, Markus Kollas, Martin Glöckner, Martin
Goodson, Mathieu Booth, Matthew Broome, Matthew Erik Beauchamp, Matthew Failor, Mattias Lindhoff, Michael Bosma, Mika Halttunen, Nathalie
Préaux, Nathan Doyle, Neil Anderson, Nelson Berry, Nishan Aznavorian, Paladin von Korff, Patrick Gallagher, Per Karlsson, Peter Peretti, Pieta
Delaney, Richard Bailey, Richard Smith, Robert Barkhald, Ron Windauer, Ronald Shock, Sandor Nagy, Sean Anderson, Sean Roberts, Sebastian Dietz,
Shawn Penrod, Silvio Herrera Gea, Stefan Guder, Stevan Allen, Suze Collier, Thomas Daasvatn, Vicente Sampedro Burgos, Wictor Olsson, Vincent Howard
DIGNITARY
Aaron Gibby, Aaron Nuttall, Aaron Smithies, Abhishek Ray, Achim Kaiser, Adam Ashworth, Adam Canning, Adam Courtney, Adam Daniel Wayman,
Adam Drew, Adam Hoirch, Adam Klein, Adam Mayes, Adam Riddell, Adam Swanson, Adam Whitcomb, Adam Woloshuk, Adrian Coombs-Hoar, Adrian
G Jones, Adrian Klein, Adrian Praetorius, Adrienne Connolly, Ady Gunawan, Aiden White, Al Billings, Alain Sarti, Alan Webb, Alejandro Dell Olio,
Alejandro González Núñez, Alessandro Babbi, Alex Loveridge, Alex Robin, Alexander Leavitt, Alexander Lecocq, Alexander Milgrom, Alexander Orby,
Alexander Rodatos, Alexander Rogers, Alexandre Gendron, Alexis Brandeker, Alexis Kosciuszko, Alfons Armbruster, Ali Bencheikh, Aliaksandr
Yakauleu, Alistair Collins, Alton C Capps, Anders Garmo, Anders Lang, Anders Pedersen, Anders Ström, Andre de Boer, Andre Rittersberger, André
Schäfer, Andrea Migone, Andreas Lykke Jensen, Andreas Måneskiöld, Andreas Romundt, Andres Arias, Andres Villavicencio, Andres Zanzani, Andrew
Barrett-Venn, Andrew Cole, Andrew Dacey, Andrew Fitzgibbons, Andrew Gill, Andrew Gotobed, Andrew Matchett, Andrew McColl, Andrew P. Moore,
Andrew Pickard, Andrew Pickin, Andrew Reitz, Andrew Rout, Andrew Schubert, Andrew Scott, Andrew Walker, Andrew Womack, Andrew Wroe, Andy
Kitkowski, Andy Poelma, Angus Abranson, Anthony Underwood, Anthony Whitley, Antoine Polignone, Antonio Ramón Berbell Gonell, Ara Winter,
Arnaud Hatzenbuhler, Arnaud Liziard, Arnaud Martin, Arne Röcke, Arthur Von Eschen, Arttu Mattola, Axel Gotteland, Bajazit G. Alickovic, Barbey
Nicolas, Barbier Fabien, Barbro Westlund-Storm, Bartłomiej BartczaK, Baudoux Grégory, Becky Millington, Ben Cardnell-Hesketh, Ben Frost, Ben
Greenwood, Ben Meiklejohn, Ben Nettleship, Ben Quant, Ben Rasley, Bengt Petersson, Benjamin Bertolero, Benjamin Brown, Benjamin Koch,
Benjamin Lung-Tze Liew, Benjamin Morris, Benjamin Rushton, Bernd Perplies, Big Planet Comics, Bill Buehler, Bill Weir, Björn Strååt, Bodo Köhl,
376
OUR BACKERS
Boffy Vendevogel Edwige, Boyd Stephenson, Brad Crawford, Brad Kane, Bradford Elliott, Bradley T Robins, Brandon Robertson, Brandon Tack, Brent
Ahern, Brenton McKinlay, Brett Griggs, Brett Grimes, Brett Kennedy, Brian Borth, Brian Caldwell, Brian Cristina, Brian Gracey, Brian Hunt, Brian
Isikoff, Brian S Wells, Brian Snodgrass, Bruce Boragine, Byron Gaither, Cairnryan Mower, Caleb Harris, Callum Eidson, Cang Ling Yee, Carl Black, Carl
Cowin, Carl Harrison, Carl-Alex Nelder, Carlo Andrea Resca, Catherine Lu, Cayol, Cellot Ermes, César Luz David, Charles A. Barr, Charles
Andrusyszyn, Charles Barnett, Charles Davis, Charles Dunwoody, Charles F. Hayes, Charles Kettering, Charles Myers, Charles Paruolo, Chase
Douglas, Chris Allison, Chris Bernhardi, Chris Callicoat, Chris Gardiner, Chris Hartford, Chris Heath, Chris Lee, Chris L’Etoile, Chris Rhodes, Chris
Snyder, Chris W Harvey, Chris Wagner, Chris Venus, Christian Boughton, Christian Kluth, Christian Kukli, Christian Lacerte, Christian Le Morzellec,
Christian Mejstrik, Christian Nord, Christian Torstensson, Christian WJ Barrett, Christoffer Monikander, Christoph Koch, Christoph Post, Christopher
Cecil, Christopher Dubuque, Christopher Islaub, Christopher Lee, Claes Gerleman, Claudio Sanchez, Claus Bo Christensen, Clemens du Bellier, Clint
Edmonson, Clint Williams, Cody Swatek, Colin Clark, Colin Jessup, Colin Osborne, Colm Doyle, Connor Purviance, Coppet Pierre, Cornelius Bertens,
Craig Gaddis, Craig Stephenson, Craig Tohill, Crane Laws, Cyrille Guillaume, Dale Andrade, Dale Hantala, Dale Martin, Damien Laing, Damon Wilson,
Dan Derby, Dan Martin, Dan Massey, Dan Svensson, Daniel Gaghan, Daniel Granstrand, Daniel Gregory, Daniel Johnson, Daniel Lake, Daniel Lander,
Daniel Leslie, Daniel Maxson, Daniel Moran, Daniel Nissman, Daniel Perez, Daniel Scettrini, Daniel Sencabaugh, Daniel Stack, Daniele Lostia, Danny
Keen, Dara Mac Donnacha, Darien Liddell, Darren Burrows, Darren Kramble, Darren Muff, Darryl Steventon, Darryll Smith-Walker, Daulton James
Whitehead III, David Black, David Dierks, David Fernandez Lopez, David Gallo, David Harrison, David Hixon, David King, David Lee Terhune, David
Lyons, David Mayer, David Nebauer, David Palau, David Paul Guzman, David Radszuweit, David Reichgeld, David Rybacki, David S Robinson, David
Santos, David Sibley, David Stokes, David Ulsby, David Waldron, Dayton Nolan, Dean Lockley, Deedra Hooker, Denis Crucifix, Dennis Jung, Dennis
Mrosewske, Derek Dahmes, Derek Miller, Derrick Stevens, Desiree Cabrera, Dina Wilkens, Dirk Walbrühl, Dmitrijs Nilovs, Dominic Ellis, Dominic
Remané, Donovan Derry, Douglas Casey, Douglas Grimes, Douglas Jessup, Douglas Mawhinney, Douglas Santana Mota, Douglas Shute, Dru Dunlop,
Durk Vellema, Dustin Headen, Dutel Julien, Dylan Distasio, Ed Kowalczewski, Ed Vivian, Edgar Briceno Torres, Edmund Ho, Edouard Contesse,
Eduardo Chacon, Edward Glasper, Edward MacGregor, Edward McWalters, Edward Prosser, Edward Sagritalo, Edward Saunders, Edward Sykes, Elijah
Edmunds, Elizabeth Jaye, Ellis Farmer, Elmar Rutsch, Emma Smith, Endre Aalrust Shaw, Endre Fodstad, Engler Markus, Enrico Magnani, Enrique Ruiz,
Eric Bonnet, Eric Brooke, Eric Coates, Eric Kane, Eric Kirchner, Eric Kling, Eric M Rupert, Eric R Hany, Eric Ruhl, Eric Schnell, Eric Smith, Eric Tucker,
Eric Wellens, Erich McNaughton, Erik Halén, Erik Kullberg, Erik Lagerstedt, Erik Mattsson, Erik Pringle, Erik Renberg, Espen Kulseth, Etienne Olieu,
Eugene Masterov, Evan Ross, Ewan Spence, Fabrizio Vecoli, Federico Maiorini, Felix Doyon, Felix Girke, Fernando DelaGuardia-Rodriguez, Filip
Marzuki, Florent Didier, Florent Sacré, Florian Hollauer, Florian Merx, Florian Stieghorst, Francesco Rossi, Frank Pitt, Frank Serio, Frank Tonn, Frank
Van Camp, Fraser Simons, Frederic Joly, Frédéric Stachowski, Fredrik Bermar, Fredrik Haglund, Frits Kuijlman, Gabriel Garcia, Gareth Date, Gareth
Davies, Garsha Zanjani, Garth Westphal, Gary Trost, Ged Trias, Gene Walthes, Geordie Stuart, George Cummings, George Krstic, Gerry Green, Gert-
Jan van der Krogt, Gian Holland, Gianni Cascino, Gilles Cherrier, Gilles Ritzmann, Gilles Tremblay, Gina Ricker, Glenn Harrison, Glenn Mochon,
Glenn Welser, Gordon Clayton, Gordon Cranford, Graham Owens, Graham Spearing, Greg Chapin, Greg Forbes, Gregorio Guzman Casarrubios,
Gregorius Ben Prajogi, Gregory Cueto, Gregory Maroda, Guilherme Fernandes Rocha, Guillaume Escrivant, Gunnar Hönig, Gunter Raffelsbauer,
Gustave Michel III, Hamid Printer, Hamish Cameron, Hans Cummings, Harald Beier, Harm-Diercks Gronewold, Hauke Stammer, Hauke von Bremen,
Heath Delashmit, Helder Lavigne, Helge Willkowei, Hendrik Höfs, Henning Kage, Henning Schulz, Henri Berger, Henri Desbois, Henrik Ripa,
Henrique Cesar Lemos Jucá, Henry Lopez, Henry Vogel, Herman Duyker, Hermann Klie, Hermanni Raatevaara, Holger Hansch, Hollis McCray,
Hung-Yang Shen, Ian Bogert, Ian Miller, Ian Nicolle, Ian Stewart, Ian Ward, Ian Ward, Igor Faria, Iker Isasi, Ilkka Niemi, Ingo Arendt, Ingo Beyer, Ingo
Jakobs, Ivan Donati, Ivan Tam, J Aaron Farr, Jack Conroy-Murphy, Jack Norris, Jackson Thompson, Jacob Jaskov, Jacob Stocke, Jaime Matthew, Jake
Jamieson, James A Robertson, James Beall, James DeBenedetti, James Diffin, James Dillane, James Dovey, James Hawkes, James Johnson, James
Keller, James Martin, James Michael Boldock, James Morton, James N Blevins, James Nutley, James Richard Marcucci, James Stevenson, James
Tillman, James Unick, James Wheeler, Jami Partanen, Jamie Boulton, Jamie Law, Jamie Norrish, Jan Artoos, Jan Krause, Jan Niklas Dernbach, Jan
Richter, Jan Severin, Jared Fast, Jarno Harmaala, Jason Chen, Jason Corley, Jason Dickerson, Jason Duncum, Jason Durall, Jason Gignac, Jason Hewett,
Jason Hill, Jason Jordaan, Jason Lee Miller, Jason March, Jason Miller, Jason Newman, Jason Olsan, Jason Parker, Jason Pasch, Jason Rinear, Jason
Taylor, Jason Tryon, Jason Unck, Jason Watson, Javier Escajedo Pastor, Javier Perez Garcia, Jay Joyner, Jay Steven Anyong, Jean-Baptiste Perrin, Jean-
Christophe Rannou, Jean-Vincent Picard, Jedediah Callen, Jeff Churchill, Jeff Levine, Jeffrey Mason, Jeffrey Paige, Jeffrey R Shaw, Jennifer Blanchard-
Brown, Jennifer Fuss, Jennifer Parr, Jens Koehn, Jens Olsen, Jeremy Kear, Jeremy S Rhamy, Jeremy Siemon, Jeroen Meganck, Jerome Larre, Jerome
Larue, Jerry Weiler, Jesper Danielsen, Jim Calabrese, Jim Sharples, Jimmy Ringkvist, Joachim A. Hagen, Joachim Schulz, João Cartaxo, Joao Rafael
Nunes Mariano, Jody P Walker, Joe DelJanovan, Joe Hill, Johan Andersson, Johan Haglund, Johan Haglund, Johan Nordenankar, Johan Sporre, Johanna
Hägglund, Johanne Skjerven, Johannes Beichel, Johannes Hänel, John Ball, John Bitondo, John Bogart, John Bruins, John D Keehn, John Kennon, John
M. Portley, John Marron, John Snead, John Snider, John Zmrotchek, Johnathan Scanlon, johnathan winter, Johnstone Metzger, Jon Bradley, Jon Dailey,
Jon Geraghty, Jon Kline, Jon Meerdink, Jon Messenger, Jon Terry, Jonathan Arnould, Jonathan Caudill, Jonathan Cormier, Jonathan Delgado, Jonathan
Gilmour, Jonathan hyde, Jonathan Perrin, Jonathan Robb, Jonathan Sharp, Jonathon Dyer, Jordan Cunningham, Jordan Millward, Jordan Perry, Jordan
Wilson, Jordi Vicens Aldeguer Pueyo, Joris Van der Vorst, Jose Calvo Muñoz, Jose Fernandez, Jose Fitchett, Jose Oscar Lopez Rascado, Jose Palma Gil,
Joseph Begay, Joseph Bertucci, Joseph Branham, Joseph Lawter, Joseph Noll, Joseph Streeky, Josh Hill, Joshua Aeria, Joshua Goodbar, Joshua Harris,
Joshua Kanapkey, Joshua M Potosky, Joshua Nall, Joshua Ramsey, Juan Manuel González Paz, Juho Hämäläinen, Julian Chan, Julian Navarro Rivas,
Julien Wera, Juliet Cooper, Jupe Rantalainen, Justin Ecock, Justin Eyre, Jörg Pechau, Kaeton Miracle, Kaleb Barker, Kalie Ruddle, Karl Bond, Karl
Rodriguez, Karsten Klier, Kayne Newell, Keith Hooper, Ken Bontinck, Ken Foster, Kenny Nielsen, Kevin Wade, Kieran Wallace, Kim Andersson, Kirk
Foote, Konrad Uhryn, Kovacs Robert, Kristian A. Bjørkelo, Kristopher Rodrigues, Kyle Simons, Kyle Thompson, Lance Yerelian, Lapenna Mathieu, Lars
Audun Ragnvaldjord, Lars Backstrom, Lars Hellwig, Lars J Hiim, Lee Bernhard, Lee Odlum, Leonard Rosenkranz, Leonardo Paixão, Lewis Allen, Li
Yuling, Lim Seng Kok, Lin Wyeth II, Lisa Wright, Ljubisa Lukic, Loic Durand, Loree Hansen, Louis Scot Gowers, Louis Sylvester, Lowell Francis, Luca
377
OUR BACKERS
Maria Del Bono, Luis Gomez, Lukas Sommerauer, Lukasz Koczocik, Luke Walker, Magnus Johansson, Manuel Aleixandre, Manuel Deutsch, Manuel
Jacobo, Marc Bevan, Marc Kuczborski, Marc-Andre Karpienski, Marcel Basmer, Marcel Gaßen, Marcello Marceddu, Marcus Burggraf, Marcus
Schakowski, Marie-Pier Bisson, Mario Puentes, Marius Bredsdorff, Mariusz Kutek, Mark Ashe, Mark Bruce, Mark Buckley, Mark Fielding, Mark Miller,
Mark Perry, Mark Schneider, Mark Somogyi, Mark Thompson, Mark Timm, Mark Watson, Markus Huber, Markus Jonsson, Markus Kothe, Markus
Maurer, Marroy Pierre, Marti Nicolas, Martin Bailey, Martin Campbell, Martin Denmark, Martin Grape, Martin Jäger, Martin Krohg, Martin Monrad,
Martin Mueller, Martin Nichol, Martin Saufaus, Martin Walter, Marvin Langenberg, Mathew kraemer, Mathieu Borgeat, Mathieu Lapierre, Mathieu
Robitaille, Mats Persson, Matt D Corley, Matt Drake, Matt Harvill, Matt MacGregor, Matt Wallace, Matteo Carioni, Matteo Tirelli, Matthew
Bottiglieri, Matthew Clay, Matthew Guilliams, Matthew Hain, Matthew Mifsud, Matthew Moorman, Matthew Newby, Matthew Peacock, Matthew
Purse, Matthew Tyler-Jones, Matthew Waddilove, Matthias Rohde, Mattias Storm, Max Grüntgens, Max Morell, Maxfield Stewart, Maxime Girard,
Maximilien Leclercq, Mayu Polo Wieja, Micah Shaeffer, Michael Baker, Michael Barnes, Michael Bedggood, Michael Bettin, Michael Ermisch, Michael
Fiddler, Michael Jacob Burns, Michael Jourdant, Michael Lawrence, Michael Lea, Michael Ostermaier, Michael O’Sullivan, Michael Parker, Michael
Ramsey, Michael Römer, Michael Sim, Michael Southern, Michael Story, Michael Wight, Michael Wilhelm, Michael Williams, Michal Soltysiak, Michel
Trepanier, Mikael Chovanec, Mikael Nilsson, Mikael Tysvær, Mike Clayton, Mike Schulenberg, Mike Shema, Mike Wells, Miska Fredman, Montes
Rosa, Edgardo A., Morten Njaa, Mr Alastair Stewart, Mr J Swaffer, Natalie Wrathall, Nathan Mezel, Nathan Raj, Nathan Streeper, Nathaniel Baker,
Nathaniel Hazelton, Nathaniel Mitchell, Nathaniel Sanderson, Neil Mason, Neil Taylor, Niamh Walsh, Nicholas Butta, Nicholas Cassidy, Nicholas
Guidotti, Nicholas Kerr, Nicholas Kulesa, Nicholas O’Sullivan, Nicholas Simpson, Nicholas Stinchcombe, Nick Jackson, Nick Lailey, Nick Murray, Nick
Rowe, Nick Underwood, Nicolas Barbezat, Nicolas Heitz, Nicolette Tanksley, Noah Doyle, Norman Abegg, Ole-Christian Torheim, Olivier Faivre,
Olivier Mondor, Olof Skagert-Hellendal, Omari Brooks, Óscar Recio, Osian Ap Glyn, Pablo Perez Gomez, Pablo Saldaña, Pakasit Mhojadee, Paolo
Robino, Patrice Mermoud, Patrick B Lowrey, Patrick Foster, Patrick Günter, Patrick Ogenstad, Patrick Pilgrim, Patrick Schwieren, Patrick St-Amand,
Paul Baldowski, Paul Connolly, Paul Currie, Paul Lancashire, Paul Lukianchuk, Paul Magee, Paul McBride, Paul Rivers, Paul Sementilli, Paul
Thompson, Paul Ward, Paul Webster, Paul Vogt, Paul Woodward, Pawel Daruk, Pedro Dodero, Pepijn Ensing, Peter Bogdasarian, Peter De Jesus, Peter
Griffith, Peter Holland, Peter Keyser, Peter Van Rossem, Petri Wessman, Peyman Torabi, Phil Bales, Philibert Benoit, Philip Eisner, Philip Rogers,
Philip S. Bolger, Philipp Teichert, Philippe Champagne, Philippe Marcil, Philippe Racine, Phill Massey, Phillip Canada, Phillip McGregor, Pierre Hall,
Pierre Nicolas, Pierre-Philippe De San Mateo, Pietro de Martino, Piotr Kraciuk, Pookie Uk, Quadrat Alban, R. Schulte-Ladbeck, Rafael Cerrato
Castellote, Rafael Jose Pardo Macias, Rafe Richards, Raimund Buhr, Ralf Weustermann, Ralph Mazza, Ramon Hoefnagels, Randy Hightower, Randy P.
Belanger, Raphaël Lallement, Raphael Reitzig, Rasmus Liljeholm, Raymond Bennett, Regine Bernhardt, Renan Barcellos, Rene Kerkdyk, Reuben
Beattie, Ricardo Fuente Muñoz, Rich Palij, Richard Anstey, Richard C. Kummer, Richard deMorris, Richard Ferris, Richard Greene, Richard Huffman,
Richard Mundy, Richard Priest, Richard Renaud, Richard Styles, Rikard Stranne, Rob Briggs, Rob Harley, Rob Heinsoo, Rob Klug, Rob Verboom,
Robert Arthur, Robert Calpo, Robert Esch, Robert Flowers, Robert Hausch, Robert Ian Nadeau, Robert Jenner, Robert P. Stefko, Robert Rauschenberg,
Robert Schreiber, Robert Taylor, Robert Veneman-Hughes, Roberto Carlos Gutiérrez Albertos, Roberto Hoyle, Robineau Olivier, Rod Meek, Roger
Cooper, Rolf Boehm, Ron Niabati, Roy Miller, Royden Clark, Ruben Tigelaar, Rui Avelino, Rune Lyngvig Jespersen, Ryan deGroot, Ryan Mann, Ryan
Percy, Ryan Sliwoski, Ryan Verniere, Sam Courtney, Samuel E Slocum, Samuel Sherry, Sandro Mingardi, Scott E. Vigil, Scott Macdonald, Sean Bell,
Sean Schoonmaker, Sean Winser, Sebastian Döweling, Sebastian Fischer, Sebastian Martin, Sebastian Stein, Sebastian Weil, Sebastien Yorgand,
Selina Rathmann, Semen Nosnitsyn, Serge Dubrova, Seth Gilbert, Seth Tupper, Severin Keizer, Shane Mclean, Shane Robillard, Shannon Maclean,
Shaun Burton, Shawn Smith, Sherry Lawter, Simon Crafter, Simon Davey, Simon Holden, Simon Jones, Simon Luttrell, Simon Sparkes, Simone
Matzanke, Sofie Johansson, Sofie Van Gorp, Solene Van Hoeydonck, Stacie Winters, Stefan Berger, Stefan Huddleston, Stefan Matthias Aust, Stefan
Peschl, Stefan Rice, Stefan Riewe, Stefan Wertheimer, Stefano Carluccio, Steffen Reinke, Stephen Doucette, Stephen Drop, Stephen Hoare, Stephen
M. Patman, Stephen Wilcoxon, Steve Beer, Steve Knittel, Steve Nicol, Steve Pennington, Steven Bakker, Steven Fisk, Steven Foster, Steven Humphries,
Steven Iriwin, Steven Moy, Steven P. Ross, Stian Molvik, Stig-Åke Spennare, Stuart Kirby, Stuart McIntosh, Stuart Park, Stuart Sharp, Stuart Watkins,
Svein Røssland, Sven Oswald, Sverre Midthjell, Tadeusz Cantwell, Ted Johnson, Ted Lee, Thierry Arnould, Thomas Biskup, Thomas Caspersen,
Thomas Cornelius Flåten, Thomas Delplace, Thomas Forbes, Thomas Johnston, Thomas Kurilla, Thomas Mattner, Thomas Maund, Thomas
Scheuermann, Thomas Sedlmair, Thomas Walmsley, Thomas Vanstraelen, Thomas Zuliani, Thorsten Schramm, Thorvald Natvig, Tiago Panaro de
Oliveira, Tim Carroll, Tim Jenkins, Tim Keating, Tim Struck, Tim-Oliver Horz, Timothy Collinson, Timothy Mushel, Timothy Story, Timsit Olivier, Tito
Sigrist, Tobias Dworschak, Tobias Niemitz, Tobias Trijanto, Tobias Weßel, Tobias Wolter, Todd Dayton, Todd Washington, Tom Hoefle, Tomás Alarnes
Piñeiro, Tomi Suuronen, Tommaso De Benetti, Tommi Koivula, Tor Karlsson, Torben Bellinghoff, Torben van Hees, Torsten Rahm, Tracey Willis, Travis
Bryant, Travis Clarke, Travis Pina, Trevor Gere, Trevor Thome, Trish Buhle, Tristan Marshall, Tyler Taute, Ulf Christian Persson, Ulrich Drees, Unai
Mugica, W. Vernon, Wade Geer, Wade Tripp, Wajanai Snidvongs, Vaniez Cedric, Wayne Coburn, Weber Romaine, Vermeylen Hans, Werner Hartmann,
Werner Sebastian Krämer, Veronikis Spyros, Wesley Blackwood, Wesley Griffin, Vicente Cartas Espinel, Will North, William Doggett, William
Donovan, William J. Altman, William Wakeman, Wim Deca, Vincent Henrotte, Vincent Lecoanet, Vincent Pellerin, Wouter Mertens, Xavier de
Canteloube, Yannick Jean, Yvette Bublitz, Zachary Gibb, Zachary Knippel, Zenon Berg
LEGIONNAIRE
Aaron Schrader, Adam Blinkinsop, Adam Duncan, Adam Makey, Adam Sallean, Adam Sieradzan, Alan Brzozowski, Alban Le Collen, Alejandro Suárez
Mascareño, Alex Howard, Alex Johnson, Alex Pepper, Alex Pepper, Alexandra Logan, Alexis Hoarau, Anders Melander, Andre Canivet, Andrew Cady,
Andrew Lotton, Andrew Sherrington, Angelo de Stephano, Anna Winterstein, Austin Fenwick, Benedikt Hensel, Benjamin Lubetkin, Benjamin
Sutherland, Benjamin Widmer, Brandon Cassady, Brian Griesbach, Brian Kirchhoff, Brian Siskind, Bryan Spence, Cal Hassall, Cam Banks, Carlos
378
OUR BACKERS
Javier Ruiz Sánchez, Carsten Damm, Carter Snelson, Catalino Tolejano, Chris Bennett, Chris Challacombe, Chris Galecki, Chris Moore, Chris Spiller,
Christine Yip, Christoffer MIemois, Christoph Flandorfer, Christopher Nanez, Christopher Trdan, Claudio Muraro, Clifford Campbell, Colin Kierans,
Connor Nettleton-Gooding, Dakota Hurst, Dale Cunningham, Damien Porter, Dan Adams, Dan Latimer, Dana Bayer, Daniel Kraemer, Daniel Norton,
Daniel O’Brien, Daniel Wilks, Daniel Williamson, Darren West, David Della Bitta, David Gardiner, David Homola, David Semark, David Smucker, Dean
Schallhammer, Dennis Carlsson, Derek Guder, Devin Croak, Dirk Remmecke, Dirk Schlobinski, Douglas J DePrekel, Duncan Gibbs, Edward Saxton,
Eric Lindroth, Eugenio Maria Lauro, Everitt Long, Francis Tommaso, Frank Bartsch, Gary Furash, Graeme Doherty, Graham Meinert, Graham Starfelt,
Greg Conant, Gregory Konitski, Ingo Kvalø-Hamann, Jack Graham, Jack Gulick, Jacob Alexandrowiz, Jacob Bushma, James Rogers, Jamie Gregory,
Jan Stawarz, Jared Davies, Jason Edwards, Jason Leinen, Jason Lorenzetti, Jason Smith, Jason Spencer, Javier Diaz Suso, Jean-Francois Blanchette,
Jennifer Goldstein, Jennifer Kathleen Bradbury, Jere Manninen, Jerome Verdier, Joakim Eriksson, Joel Stewart, John Baldwin, John D’Emic, John
Larson, John Lucania, John Roberts, John Wordsworth, Jonathan Allen Stephenson, Jonathan Davis, Jonathan Souza, Joonas Teurokoski, Joshua Boyd,
Juhan Voolaid, Justin Stevens, Kate Bullock, Kay Welschinger, Kelsey Badeker, Knut Vågsæther, Kristian Nørgaard Jessen, Kristofer Cook, Krzysztof
Bernacki, Lakshman Godbole, Leo Jenicek, Louis Goncey, Lucas Skrdlant, Lukas Zarychta, Mark Fenlon, Mark Richardson, Martin Ashton, Martin
Wagner, Matt Johnson, Matthew Bernard, Matthew Brooks, Matthew Chen, Matthew D Hayward, Matthew Walker, Mel White, Michael Brown,
Michael Chandrasegaran, Michael Herold, Michael Hjerppe, Michael Hunt, Michael Kaplan, Michael Vampotic, Michel Magali, Michiel Fransen,
Mike Williams, Morgan Weeks, Morten Søbye Kronqvist, N Dixon, Nicholas Hopkins, Nicholas Lamirand, Nicholas Vessey, Nicholas Zakhar, Nick
Clements, Nick Riggs, Nora Lilly Myrland, Oliver Morris, Olivier Lefebvre, Panagiotis Grigorakakis, Parker Moberly, Parrier David, Patrick Knight,
Paweł Królak, Pedro Oliveira Obliziner, Philippe Debar, Phillip Harte, Rachelle Shelkey, Radoslaw Bozek, Randal Gustitis, Raphael Bombayl, Raphael
Bressel, Reginald Stuart, Reto Kiefer, Richard Percy, Rob Chamberlain, Robert Butler, Roger Allen, Ron Beck, Rory O’Neil, Russell White, Ryan J
Bevan, Rüdiger Querfurth, Samuel Honnay, Saul Wright, Sean M Smith, Sebastian Schommer, Seeburger Achim, Seth Hartley, Shane Bauer, Simon
Carter, Simon Harding, Stefan Hestermeyer, Steffen Vulpius, Stephen Joseph Ellis, Stephen Lewis, Steve Dunne, Steven Swanger, Sven Siemen, Tad
Leckman, Thomas Santilli, Thomas Tramantano, Thomas Wilkinson, Tim Ellis, Tim Rolands, Timothy Newman, Tobias Henriksson, Todd D. Wilson,
Tomasz Duda, Tomasz Polak, Trent Bramer, Warren Niffenegger, Will Godar, Ville Ojanperä, Volker Maiwald, Xavier Mulotte
SPACE NOMAD
Aaron Berger, Aaron Griffin, Aaron Pollock, Adam Buti, Adam Neisius, Alex Asaro, Alexander Bernstein, Alexander Eliesen, Alexander Jurkat, Alexander
Peterhans, Allan Prewett, Alyssa Arce, Andreas Sewe, Andrew Peregrine, Andrew Smith, Andrija Popovic, Andy Rennard, Angelo Pileggi, Anton G Cox,
Asko Metsäpelto, Austin Ramsay, Aziraphale, B.A. Umberger, Ben Chapman, Ben Felten, Bernd Schmidt, Björn Larsson, Blake McCormack, Boyd Prime,
Brennan Dawson, Brian Young, Bruce Curd, Bruce Harlick, Caitlin Jane Hughes, Cameron Haggett, Carlos Restrepo, Carroll J Hunter, Chris Angelucci,
Chris Edwards, Chris Jahn, Chris Kenna, Chris P Noodle, Christopher Weuve, Chuck Dee, Colin Wilson, Craig Bunce, Craig Senatore, Dain Lybarger,
Dani Jang, Daniel Duffee, Daniel Elwell, Daniel Markwig, Daniel Ravipinto, Daniel Temesi, Darth Lach, David Anthony Smithson, David Bloxsom, David
Brideau, David Margowsky, Derek Stoelting, Diogo M C de O Silva, Dirk Keienburg, Donnie Hanby, Drew Walker, Drew Wendorf, Dylan Boates, Dylan
Wanberg, Edward Feeney, Eloy Cintron, Eric Brenders, Eric Durand, Eric Oestrich, Eric Sanday, Farid Kutyev, Frank Benke, Franz Keim, Fredrik Holmqvist,
Galen Pejeau, Gareth Clifford, Graham Barber, Greg Curley, Hanlin Yang, Henrik Boman, Hilton Perantunes, Ian Borchardt, Ian Saunders, Ignacio
Rodríguez Chaves, J. Barnett, J.M. Martin, Jack Krause, James LaRue, Jani Suihko, Jared Watt, Jasen Stengel, Jason Bean, Jason Childs, Jason Hockley,
Jason Price, Jenevieve DeFer, Jeremy Epp, Jeremy Frost, Jesse Tucker, Jim Hart, Joakim Petersson, Joe Villarroya, Joerg Baumgartner, Johan Kristian
Worm, Johannes Menzel Knudsen, John Powell, John Rudd, Jonathan Edwards, Jonathan Korman, Jordi Rabionet Hernandez, Joshua Straub, JP Bridier,
Juliano De Souza Silva, Justin Haynes, Kevin Heath, Kyle Melnick, Larry Hollis, Lars Blumenstein, Lauren Hays, Lauri Hirvonen, Lloyd Parkes, Ludvig
Carleson, Marc Yudson, Mark O’Mealey, Mark Sweetman, Markus Raab, Martin Ellermeier, Matías Nicolás Caruso, Matt Wurzberger, Matteo Signorini,
Matthew Garrett, Matthew Russo, Michael Beck, Michael Bowman, Michael Cody Meyer, Michael David Pereira, Michael Krzak, Michael Smith, Miguel
Arnaiz, Mike Bowie, Nathan Poppelreiter, Nathanael Errol Lynn Quashie, Nathaniel Gullion, Nathaniel Southworth-Barlow, Neal Dalton, Neal Tanner,
Neil Mahoney, Nicholas A. Tan, Nicholas Bloom, Nick Lippolis, Nicolai Vedgren, Nikolas Lundström Patrakka, Ondrej Böhm, Paris Conte, Patrick
Chapalain, Patrick Lam, Patrick O’Brien, Paul Dorritt, Paul Hayes, Paul John Eyles, Paul Rutledge, Paul Umbers, Pedro R. Martínez Pérez, Peter Larsson,
Phil Wong, Phillip Gates-Shannon, Pierre Waldfried, Rebecca Catan, RedneckRedge, Rich Riddle, Rob Sansone, Robert G. Male, Robert Kim, Robert
Stewart, Robin Droste, Rod Spellman, Ronald Pyatt, Ross Smith, Russell Warfield, Ryan Kent, Sæþór Pálsson, Sam Garamy, Sebastien Corne, Stefanie
Kreutzer, Stéphane Jeannin, Stephen Rubin, Steve Caville, Steven Lord, Steven Thesken, Sven Liepertz, Svend Andersen, Terry Gilbert, Thomas Frank,
Thomas Ladegard, Thomas Le Tissier, Tony Strongman, Tristan Merrick, Troels Pedersen, Troy C Yarbrough, Ulf Kaupisch, Valdir Possani, Warren Nelson,
Vegar Farsund, Will Merritt, William Freeman, William Karr, William Piggott, Vincent Arebalo, Vincent Fajardo, Xavier Spinat, Zack Norwig
379
INDEX
INDEX
A B
Abarren Quassar 183 Background 21
Ablative armor 149 Bah-jin 331
Abyeia Goharshûd 210 Beri nomads 223
Accelerator weapons 124 Bio monitor 112
Action points 82 Bionics 134
Actions 82 Bionic sculpts 76
Advanced countermeasures 149 Bio sculpting 134
Advanced scope 121 Birr 227
Advanced skills 54, 63 Black Lotus 206
Advanced targeting computer 152 Blessed ship 152
Advanced torpedoes 152 Bonus effects, melee 86
Advanced weapon system 152 Bonus effects, ranged 89
Advanced workshop 152 Bonus modules 152
Afterlife 234 Breakdown 92
Agents 18 Bridge 144
Ahlam’s Temple 206 Broken 93
Aimed shot 88 Bulletin, the 191
Al-Ardha 180 Byara 325
Algol 303
Alkamaar’s 265
Altai 310 C
Ambush 85 Calendar 232
Amedo 311 Cargo hold 147
Ammunition 133 Carla Duriha 285
Anialah 294 CC 232
Animate armor 209 Celer-Delekta 190
Antimatter rockets 152 Cellar, the 268
Aram’s Ravine 284 Chamelon suit 119
Arboretum 152 Chance of success 58
Arianites 200 Chapel 147
Armor 92, 129 Character concept 22
Armored gravcraft 117 Chelebs 304
Arrash 105 Church of the Icons 204, 238
Arrca Stellar Archaeology and Weapons Division 228 Circle of Seekers 204
Artist 30 Class 141
Astir 201 Cold 99
Astrostradium 138 Colonial Agency, the 193
Astûrban, the 200, 201 Colonial Rangers 190
Atmospheric entry 152 Command 63
Attack of opportunity 87 Communication 228
Attack phase 169 Communicator 105
Attributes 23 Computer 106
Atypical damage 95 Conglomerate, the 288
Automatic fire 89 Consortium, the 183, 190
Azaëlean 290, 320 Constructs 329
Core, the 256
Coriolis 248
380
INDEX
Coriolis Cycles 232 Efrite 335

Coriolis Guard, the 196, 273 Eight Wisdoms, the 307
Council of Factions, the 184, 272 Ejector 152
Courier ship, Oryx 158 Ekilibri 287, 318
Courtesans 206 Emissaries, the 13, 184, 240
Covenant city 288 Encumbrance 27
Cover 93 Energy points 141
Create group 16 Engineer phase 167
Creatures 316 Ensnarer, the 331
Crew positions 26, 162 Escape pods 148
Crews 170 Executioner, the 203
Crime, on Coriolis 274 Exos and vehicles 117
Critical damage, ships 172 Exo shell 118
Critical injuries 94, 96 Experience points 28
Culture 63, 230 Explorers 18
Cybernetic implants 75, 134 Explosions 98, 125
F
D Faceless One, the 237
Dabaran 304 Factions 12, 188
Dabari 223 Falling 55, 97
Damage 92 Ferekam 198
Dancer, the 233 Fighter 160
Dark between the Stars, the 10, 56, 325, 344 Fire 97
Darkbound 327 Firstcome factions 188
Darkmorphs 325 Firstcome, the 180, 222
Darkness points, using 56 First Horizon, the 180
Data djinn 63 Force 60
Data Spider 32 Foundation, the 191
Death 95 Free League, the 194
Debt 19 Free traders 16
Deckhand, the 234 Fugitive 34
Defending 87
Desdemodu 319
Dexterity 60 G
Dhol 321 Gambler, the 234
Difficulty 58 Garden of Seekers 263
Dirhad 321 Gear 27, 58, 104
Disabled ship 171 General skills 54, 59
Diseases 337 General talent 72
Distance and segments 162 Governor, of Coriolis 272
Djanna 333 Grappling 87
Djinn 243, 333 Grav bike 118
Docking station 146 Gravcraft 118
Draconites, the 202 Graviton projector 146
Dromedon 321 Grenades 127
Drone 118 Group rolls, NPC 84
Drowning 97 Group talents 19, 70
Group, the 16
Gunship, Azuk 157
E
ED fields 152
381
INDEX
H Kuan 223
Hamura 312 Kua, planet 286
Hangar 146 Kua, system 280
Hazared 336 Kyhber swarm 210
Healing 95
Heavy armor 153
Hegemonists 200 L
Help from others 58 Lady of Tears, the 236
History, of The Horizon 180 Lamka lizard 323
Hit points 24 Languages 223
Holograph 106 Language unit 108
Home system 22 Laskarid 201
Hound of Tirides, the 327 Legionnaire 197
Hull points 141 Legion, the 196
Humanites 22, 223 Levels of success 54
Humanite talents 74 Library database 108, 153
Hunger 98 Licenses 132
Hyper sickness 337 Light freighter, Scarab 156
Long Night, the 181
Lotus 204
I Lubau 282
Ichtar 224
Icon belief 232
Icon City 304 M
Iconoscope 242 Maneuverability 141
Icons, local 242 Mania 337
Icons, the 232 Manipulate 61
Icon talents 26, 71 Martyrs, the 208
Improve your character 28 M-dose 112
Industrial Algebra 197 Medicurgal technoloy 112
Infiltration 60 Medicurgy 63
Initiative 82, 165 Medkit 112
Intelligence agencies 215 Medlab 113, 148
Intelligences 229 Melee combat 61, 85
Melee weapons 128
Mematurgs 207
J Menkar 312
Jayrat 326 Mercenaries 17
Jet pack 118 Merchant, the 235
Jina 284 Messenger, the 233
Judge, the 235 Mind points 24
Judicators 273 Mira 304
Miri 223
Missile and greneade launchers 125
K Modification 57
Kabbah 230 Modulator 108
Kambra 108 Modules 141, 144
Khilara 4 271 Monolith, the 288
Khôban 310 Morphs 77
Kinetic intelligence 329 Movement 84
Mulukhad 257
Music 230
382
INDEX
Muzhadjar 324 Praying to the Icons 55

Mystic powers 64, 77 Preacher 42
Mystics, origin 184 Proxy trip 109, 206
N Q
Nadir 181 Quadrant of the Pillar 210, 310
Nazareem’s Sacrifice 189 Quassar 183, 200
Negotiator 36 Quick melee attack 87
Nekatra 316
Nemesis 20
Neoptra spaceport 250 R
Neo-Zenithians 200 Range 84, 162
Net, the 270 Ranged combat 62, 88
Nharmada 210 Range modifiers 88
Night Hands 194 Reactions 84
Night sight 122 Reactor 146
Nomad Federation, the 210 Recon gear 119
Non-player characters 343 Recovery 94
Nyala 190 Red sun ants 323
Relationships 26
Reload 89, 122
O Reputation 23
Oasis disease 337 Research computer 153
Observation 61 Rimward Reach 210, 296
Odacon 308
Okra Darma 304
Operative 38 S
Opor 108 Sacred rites, the 205, 238
Opposed rolls 59 Sadaal 307
Ordana 310 Salvage ship, Kamruk 159
Order of the Pariah 184, 208 Samaritan Sanatorium 208, 264
Order phase 166 Samaritans, the 208
Origin 21 Sarcofagoi 335
Overwatch fire 90 Scale 162
Scenarios 341
Scenes 341
P Science 65
Palace of the Council 267 Second Horizon. 180
Palace of the Hegemony, the 266 Segment 232
Patron 20 Semi-intelligences 316
P-dose 113 Sensor phase 169
Personal problem 26 Sensors 162
Pilgrims 19 Service and maintenance 155
Pilot 40 Shields 132
Pilot phase 168 Ship classes 141
Pilot, skill 64 Ship damage 170
Poison 113 Ship intelligence 154
Portal builders 181 Ship repairs 172
Portal jumps 139, 300 Ship’s problem 143
Portals, the 11, 300 Ship type 142
Portal Wars, the 11, 180, 196 Ship worker 46
383
INDEX
Shipyards 142 Trauma lab 113

Signature 141, 162 Traveler, the 236
Silent running 163 Travel times 138
Sirb 224 Triad 232
Skavara 317 Turn phases 166
Skills 25 Turns 165
Sneak attack 85
Socio-arithmetics 192
Sogoi, the 287 U
Soldier 48 Uharu 312
Souk Alesh 213, 253 Uharu beast 324
Space scooter 160 University district, the 262
Spaceship 19, 141 Upbringing 21
Spare parts 113
Speed 141
Spire, the 265 V
Star systems 301 Vacuum 99
Star travel 138 Vanna 201
Stasis hold 148 Vehicles 99
Statuette of Zhar Baghra, the 347 Vulcan weapons 124
Stress 92
Stun weapons 125
Surha 294 W
Survival 62 Wahib’s cantina 357
Survival gear 114 Weapon and armor features 133
Weapon gear 121
Weapons 92, 124
T Weapon system 148
Tabak 109 Workshop 114, 148
Taboos 242 Wound, the 307
Tabula 109
Tag 109, 227
Talents 25, 68 X
Talismans 205, 242 Xene 292
Taoan 184, 312 Xenoarchaeology 218
Technology in the Third Horizon 227 Xoar 190
Technology, skill 65
Technology tiers 104
Terminals 229 Y
Terminos Lete 206 Yriedes 183
Thermal weapons 124
The Syndicate 198
Third Horizon, the 11 Z
Thirst 98 Zalos 184, 308
Time 341 Zalosi 223
Tools 113 Zalosian conflict, the 184
Torpedo system 148 Zeni 223
Trailblazer 50 Zenith 12, 181
Transactor 109 Zenithian factions 188
Transponders 163 Zenithian Hegemony, the 200
Trauma dose 113 Zenithians 183, 224
Trauma kit 113 Zenone 201
384
CORIOLIS STATION ISSUED BY THE FOUNDATION CC61
THE RING THE SPIRE THE CORE

1. NEOPTRA SPACEPORT 1. T HE CORE PLAZA
2. T HE SPICE PLAZA 2. T HE MULUKHAD
3. T HE LIVESTOCK MARKET 3. T HE STADIUM
4. SOUK ALESH THE CORE
4. T HE AMPHITHEATER
5. T HE SPRING PLAZA 5. L ITTLE HORIZON
6. A RCHAEOLOGY ALLEY 6. T
HE HEADQUARTERS OF
7. T HE STAIRDOM THE CORIOLIS GUARD
8. T HE MARKET PLAZA 7. T HE BULLETIN COMPLEX
9. T HE TABAK ISLE 8. T
HE FOUNDATION’S INFOTHECA
10. J ASMINE ALLEY 9. T HE MUSEUM OF HISTORY
11. T HE OZONE PLAZA 10. T HE STUDENT DISTRICT
12. G ABRIL’S AMMO 11. T HE UNIVERSITY DISTRICT
13. T HE BIO SCULPTERS’ BLOCK 12. G ARBAL’S CURIOSITIES
14. TATTOO ALLEY 13. T HE GARDEN OF SEEKERS
15. WAHIB’S CANTINA 14. T HE SAMARITAN SANATORIUM
THE PROMENADE
0 200 400 600 meter

03
0 100 200 300 meters
THE DOME OF THE ICONS RT V
04
01 08
R KS 09
THE SPICE PLAZA
T PA R
RT LE DEN T
02 RC STU 14
CI
R RE 11
D E CO T RT
E NA
OM RT
PR
E
TH
RT
10
02
RT
09
13 03
13 12 RT THE GARDEN OF
T
SEEKERS
R R T V
THE OZONE PLAZA THE MARKET PLAZA
RT RT RT RT
08 RT
11 RT V 06 V
07
THE CORE PLAZA
14
T
01
10
THE SPICE PLAZA THE OZONE PLAZA

T
RT
RT ICON PLAZA
04
TH
T
E
15 OM
PR
T
07
EN
AD
RT
E CO
12 RE
05 CI
RT
RC
LE
THE SPRING PLAZA
T T TUBE STATION
05
RT TUBE STATION RT RING TUBE STATION
R LIVING QUARTERS ON THE RING RT V
R SPACEPORT 06 V VERTILANE STATION
THE CELLAR
endpapers indd 7-8 2016-12-09 15 08

“I’m getting a signal.” Dalil’s voice crackled over the com. “We’re close.” The
navigator gazed into the darkness ahead, his face ghostly pale in the cold
glow from the tabula in his hands.
Radwa nodded silently for her comrades to advance, approaching the
strange ruins in the moonscape. The only sounds they could hear were their
own breathing through the air filters and the soft crunch under their boots.
The floodlights from the freighter Narzalus behind them cast long shadows
of the trio.
“Something is wrong, boss.” The sharp voice of Jhara broke the silence.
Her vulcan rifle hummed as the tall woman from Sadaal activated her weapon.
Without turning, Radwa raised her hand to still her friend.
“Easy, Jha,” she whispered over the com.
The explorers shone their suit-mounted flashlights over the ruins. Alien
signs were carved into the smooth dark surfaces. In the light, they seemed
to be glowing.
Something slowly unraveled before them. A darkness rose from the surface
of the dead moon, reaching towards the starry sky above them.
“Mercy of the Icons!” Radwa gasped, and felt a chill spread throughout
her body.
Coriolis – The Third Horizon is a science fiction role-playing game from the makers
of critically acclaimed Mutant: Year Zero (six-time nominee and winner of a Silver
ENnie for Best Rules 2015). Features:
◆ Create your unique player ◆◆ Experience thrilling spaceship
character – including skills, duels, using a game system
talents, gear, and relations- that puts all player characters
hips – in mere minutes. at the heart of the action.
◆◆ Fight fast and furious battles, ◆◆ Take part in the intrigue bet-
praying to the Icons to over- ween powerful factions on the
come your enemies. majestic space station Coriolis.
◆◆ Build and crew your own ◆◆ Uncover the mysteries of the
spaceship, to explore the Third Horizon, a rich tapestry
many star systems of the of cultures that have settled
Third Horizon. the stars.
“The game’s authors describe it as ‘Arabian Nights in space’ and it fulfills

that brief marvelously. Style 5/5, Substance 5/5.”
rpg.net review
ISBN 978-1-910132-72-2
freeleaguepublishing.com
MUH050559
modiphius.com/mutant
CORIOLIS™ Copyright© 2016

Paradox Interactive AB. All rights
reserved. www.paradoxplaza.com

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the third horizon

THE ALGOL ROUTE

graphic design original concept

interior art translation

When we in the Free League got the opportunity to develop a completely

Kosta Kostulas and the Free League

along your journey, you will experience marvellous things. GAMEMASTER

WHAT DO YOU DO?

UNRAVEL SECRETS PRAY TO THE ICONS

THE THIRD HORIZON

ZENITHIANS AND THE FIRSTCOME

CORIOLIS AND KUA

CREATE YOUR GROUP

y MERCENARIES discipline. In a crisis, you are quick to take charge.

y THE FREE TRADERS’ PATRON/NEMESIS

y THE MERCENARIES’ PATRON/NEMESIS

y THE EXPLORERS’ PATRON/NEMESIS

THE PLAYER CHARACTER

18. Choose your gear. y UPBRINGING

D6 SYSTEM CHARACTER CONCEPT

CONCEPTS AND SUB-CONCEPTS TABLE 2.2 UPBRINGING

◆◆ ARTIST – Courtesan, Musician, Poet UPBRINGING PLEBEIAN STATIONARY PRIVILEGED

◆◆ DATA SPIDER – Analyst, Correspondent, Data Djinn ATTRIBUTE 15 14 13

TABLE 2.4 SKILL POINTS

space combat chapter describes how to proceed if you have

Heavy and Light Objects: Extra heavy or cumbersome objects

Overencumbered: You can temporarily carry more than your

LEARNING SKILLS AND TALENTS

CHANGING YOUR REPUTATION

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

5. Security tablet or poison (5 doses)

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

Concept Skills: y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

Wana y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

REPUTATION: -1 y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

Possible sub-concepts: y APPEARANCE

REPUTATION: ±0 y RELATIONSHIPS TO THE OTHER PCS

you must learn how to overcome the ◆◆ FORCE (Strength)

TABLE 3.1 LEVELS OF SUCCESS

y THE ART OF FAILING

Combat: In combat (Chapter 5), the GM doesn’t have to give

PRAYING TO THE ICONS

TABLE 3.2 ICONS AND SKILLS

y HELP FROM OTHERS

Combat: Helping someone perform a slow action counts as

Command: The Command skill (page 63) can be used for

The following section will describe the eight general skills