Tribeca

Location	Allegiance	Starport	Climate	Atmosphere	Hydro %
(-0.31, 4.55, -0.98)	Confederate	V	Warm	Standard (Thin)	72%
Gravity	Diameter	Moons	Avg. Orbit R	Stars	Day Length
1.08	8,564	None	0.19	M2 V	18 h
Population	Government	CR	TL	Resources	Year Length
5.1 billion	Bureaucracy	4	11	Abundant	50 d

Languages

Russian, Esperanto

Background

The Tribeca colony mission was funded by a group who believed in a centrally planned economy as a means of maximizing both efficiency and the overall happiness and wellbeing of its citizens. Their ideology has worked well for them, establishing a well ordered polity and populace. This naturally makes for a more conservative and somewhat rigid culture. Tribecans tend to abide by the rules and use tried and true methods. They are legalistic, codifying almost any formal interaction or transaction in detail and wrapping it in red tape.

Outward social structures are based on locality, social rank, profession, and familial relationships. Friendships span social rank, profession, usually built more upon local communities. These communities concern themselves first with internal order, often creating their own by-laws for themselves, and secondly with outward order. The latter focus determines how their community integrates into the broader social order.

Family bonds stress direct lineages and marriages. The parent-child relationship is the building block of Tribecan society. By law, Tribecans are forbidden from having children without the approval of Central Planning; this is sometimes a prescribed duty. Any offspring require a 25 year parenting contract. The entirety of the contract is centered around raising the child and the relationships both parents have with it, rather than the family as a unit. The parents may or may not be married to one another, and may be married to others with no intention of having a relationship beyond co-parenting.

The marital relationship, though impermanent, is second that of parents and children, yet takes precedence over extended lineal relationships. Common marriages are generally contracted for periods of 5 years, which, contrary to most things in Tribecan society, can be renewed simply. These contracts can allow for multiple, simultaneous marriages, which in turn may be contracted amongst several parties or one person may have multiple marriages with separate individuals.

Interestingly, Tribecans enjoy contact sports, such as boxing and other martial arts competitions, football, rugby, etc.. Fans of such sports tend to be obsessed with statistics as much as the events themselves. They also consume action games, movies, etc., at a comparatively high rate, though these generally come from offworld. Native Tribecan games are typically about resource management, while their literature, movies, games, etc., tend to be procedural in nature.

 

Tribecan art tends to be either abstract in nature or reminiscent of classical 20th century socialist propaganda art. Their architecture is brutalist, but is usually decorated with murals and sculpture, often themed to represent different districts or neighborhoods. Their cities are well laid out, conforming efficiently to local geography, and are designed on growth and industrial development planning principles.

When found out of their home system, they tend to belong to one of two groups: those steeped in Tribecan culture, and those who have rebelled against it. The former are usually found in careers that take advantage of their cultural strengths; Tribecan accountants and lawyers are actively sought after by offworld headhunters. As a group, the latter tend to be thrill seekers and can often be found in dangerous careers. Even so, they tend to be more meticulous than their offworld peers.

Together with Colm and Perheim, Tribeca is one of the three founders of the Colm Confederation. Their primary role in the Confederation is, unsurprisingly, bureaucratic in nature. Tribecans have taken an active role in codifying Confederate legislation.

Port of Tribeca (Class V)

Visitors to Tribeca are most likely to remain in the Tribeca Downport. Tribeca beyond the port is considered dull to the point of tediousness by most offworlders. Its cities do not gleam, its nightlife is lethargic and mostly stagnant, and its natural beauty is restricted to citizens and offworlders. The singular exception is its cuisine, which is flavorful, somewhat exotic, and often extremely spicy. To some it is a taste they never acquire. To most it is a taste that, once acquired, is highly desired.

Tribeca Downport is called Star Tears Downport for the beautiful waterfalls visible from the port. Tribeca has few secondary landing sites and those are mostly restricted to Tribecan-run shuttles. The result is a much larger and busier downport that one would ordinarily expect. Travelers are treated to extensive customs inspections making it a port to be avoided by smugglers, pirates, and others whose presence might cause legal troubles.

The port itself looks like a fly caught in a spiderweb from above, with numerous maglev trains and roads connecting the port to a network of nearby hubs and depots ultimately connected to a handful of outgoing rail lines. The startown beyond the port is integrated into the transit network. Well planned, it is lightly populated, mostly providing housing for starport employees and secondary businesses to service this population. There are a few entertainment facilities that specifically cater to offworlders, but the city is comparatively free of them.

The high port, Tribeca Overport, is mostly unremarkable. It is comprised of its enormous main facility which is surrounded by several smaller stations. The one lasting impression it leaves is just how clean its orbitals are – clean to the point of near sterility. While somewhat off-putting, it goes hand-in-hand with a reputation for quality work and fair dealings.

Government

Tribeca is nominally a republic. There is a parliament, elected officials at all levels, and everything any would expect of a democratically elected parliamentary republic. In practice, this government serves as an advisory committee. The real political power rests in Central Planning, which is an umbrella term for the manifold departments responsible for running the economy and otherwise ordering society from the top down.

Most diplomacy is conducted by bureaucrats. Ceremonial occasions are attended by the politicians under the careful guidance of Central Planning. Likewise, Tribeca’s delegation to the Confederation is comprised of bureaucrats chosen from the appropriate department(s).

All businesses on Tribeca are state run. Such businesses conform to their niche in the overall economy. Practically speaking, this means that businesses as small as the corner liquor store and as complex as a large interstellar shipping company are simply separate divisions of the overall economic plan. Offworld companies are forbidden from operating on Tribeca, though such companies often partner with Tribecans, and Tribeca invests in offworld corporations as well.

Although many would find the Tribecan government oppressive, it is welcomed by a mostly conformist culture. While the crime rate is low, there is a definite criminal element present on Tribeca, which naturally includes (highly) organized crime. Minor crimes are punished by demerits, demotions, and fines. Serious crimes are punished by re-education via dream-learning and/or psych implants.

Tribecan jurisprudence focuses on the minutia of laws, regulations, and precedent, though its method of fact finding is rigorous and focused discovering what actually happened. An adversarial trial follows after the finding of fact.

In spite of the complexity of such proceedings, the process is short, generally taking less than a month for the most complex of cases and as little as a day for more straightforward cases. The finding of fact, which in practice all but determines the outcome, can take months or even years. During this time, suspected criminals are free, though restricted in movements, unless their offense was violent (in which case they are jailed).

Contract disputes and tort cases are usually handled by mediation or binding arbitration. When such disputes cannot be resolved in this fashion, the same procedure used for criminal proceedings is used. Punishment is generally in the form of fines and/or damages. If individuals are found to have committed a violation, they, too, may be fined or even criminally prosecuted. This has led to the re-education of several offworld corporate officers.

Offworlders caught up in the justice system are fined or deported for minor offences such as supporting anti-government causes or for serious violations of the myriad of regulations. More serious infractions, ranging from theft to violent crimes, are subject to local law.

Colonies

Outside of its own well utilized system, Tribeca has no colonies.

Religion

Unsurprisingly, Tribeca has a state religion. It is handled in several layers, allowing for variations on the central theme to account for regional differences and personal taste. At its most basic level, it is more philosophy than religion. The central tenets are duty to community, adherence to defined practice, and a dedication to personal development, known as the “Pillars”: Community, Practicum, and Ascension.

The most spiritual aspect in the broadest religious sense is Community. Life after death is intimately tied to the concept of Community. They believe in the “Community of the Spirit” - an afterlife in which all spirits become fully unified while still retaining their individuality. Most Tribecan religious practice is based on Community. Religious ritual is integrated into everyday life, with song, ritual, and meditation found at work, school, and the public square. Offworlders experiencing it for the first time generally find it off-putting to see small groups of Tribecans joining hands, closing their eyes, and softly chanting their hymns of Communion.

Second in practical terms is “right-practice” - the Practicum. While “Practicum” has no easy translation outside of Tribecan culture, it is roughly “the following the rules, procedures, and practices to the best of one’s abilities.” It correlates to preparation for the Community of the Spirit, but understanding it precisely is difficult at best for those not steeped in Tribecan culture.

The third part of their religion, Ascension, is also difficult to convey. It amounts to spiritual development, generally in the form of personal development, following the Practicum, and engaging in Community rituals. It is also professional development, efficiency, and a maintenance of personal order. It is supposed to prepare one for a greater role in the Community of the Spirit.

While offworlders can get a sense of the Practicum and Ascension, the full spiritual dimension of it is lost on the vast majority.  From the outside, at least, it seems more like corporate propaganda than anything like a religion. Yet to Tribecans it is their belief, a belief and way of life that they pursue.

Tribecan Baseline Genetic Template

The genetic differences in Tribecans are due to 1000+ years of guided evolution. Tribecans are a stable sub-species of baseline humans. There is also a genetic upgrade that can grant this template to non-Tribecan children. This upgrade breeds true with Tribecans.

Tribecan Template [19]

Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10], FP+2 [6].

Advantages: Rapid Healing [5], Temperature Tolerance 1 [1].

Disadvantages: Attentive [-1], Careful [-1], Staid [-1].

Features: Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects, Mental Instability)

Perheim

Location	Allegiance	Starport	Climate	Atmosphere	Hydro %
(0.9, -0.07, 4.7)	Confederate	V	Cold	Standard	71%
Gravity	Diameter	Moons	Avg. Orbit R	Stars	Day Length
0.88	6,978	None	0.1	M5 V	23 h
Population	Government	CR	TL	Resources	Year Length
1.4 billion	Monarchy	4	11 / 12 (Biotech)	Abundant	28 d

Languages

Esparanto, Perheimer

Background

Perheim was colonized by a group of European Odinists (neo-pagans following the Germanic/Norse gods). Several independent settlements were founded upon planetfall. Over the course of a few hundred years, these colonies and various secondary splinter colonies spread out geographically. Once land and resources became scarce, these independent polities came into conflict.

After generations of small scale warfare over the course of centuries, one of the nations, Perheim, gained a dominant, stable position. Nonetheless, squabbling amongst the various nations and factions continued, often leading to wider, full scale war. Perheim became the mediator, backed by its overwhelmingly superior army.

The relative security afforded by their military allowed Perheim to allocate substantial resources to scientific pursuits, as well as intra-system colony expeditions and mining operations. This further increased its dominance over its neighbors. It was Perheim which opened trade with nearby star systems. Over the next century, as Perheim continued to flourish while enjoying the benefits of interstellar trade, the other nations and factions joined Perheim.

In the following two centuries, Perheim retained its military traditions, building a powerful navy. They expanded steadily until the Trade Wars. While their navy and marines were highly regarded, their diplomacy was not, and, in spite of some military victories, they lost several colonies during their initial expansion. This was called the “Great Disappointment.”

Prior to the trade wars, interstellar trade brought Perheim together with Tribeca and Colm in a trade alliance. There was (and is) tremendous synergy among the three cultures. As a result, their collective power and influence grew to rival that of the Kentori. This eventually spelled war, and, when the Kentori attacked Colm, Perheim did not hesitate to come to their defense.

As a people, Perheimers are romantics. They naturally romanticize warfare, exploration, physical exploits, and the like, but it is their love of romantic relationships, however, which is most apparent to offworlders. Their love lives tend to be ongoing melodramas, often involving multiple lovers, in pursuit of the ever elusive “true” love. An offworlder pursued by a Perheimer will be courted in style, including gifts, poetry, romantic adventures, and anything else they can imagine.

Perheimers can be extremely emotional. While they prize self-control, few are fully able to constrain themselves and they often wear their emotions on their sleeves. This can make them seem like hotheads or emotional children to offworlders. Socially, they keep this in check by adhering to a myriad of codes of honor. They are also fiercely loyal, and take betrayal as the gravest of offenses.

Unsurprisingly, Perheimers are very over-represented in the Confederate military. The Confederacy’s elite unit – the Perheim Raiders – was originally an all Perheimer unit and was reluctant to admit non-Perheimers to its ranks upon its integration into the Confederate military. It’s not uncommon to find them in mercenary units or security forces throughout the sector. In spite of their reputation for martial excellence, Perheimers can be found in just about any occupation offworld.

The rhythm of life on Perheim is governed by the feasts of their pagan religion. On feast days, which are fairly common (1 - 3 each month), commercial life is halted as everyone joins in to celebrate, usually with elaborate meals, drink, sports and games, and song. This is a part of their religious rituals, which are integrated with the feasts.

Perheimers have a keen interest in sports. Team sports generally have a strong strategic or tactical component, and are usually quite physical. Their favorite individual sport is Roman Revival Gladiators, which is brutal and occasionally ends in death. Dueling is also legal, and sport versions are often spectator sports; legal duels may also be made widely available according to the wishes of the duelists.

As a people, they are less interested in virtual entertainment than most, be it VR games, holovids, etc., preferring literature and the performing arts, at which they excel. Their literature and theater tend to include strong romantic elements, but it ranges across a wide variety of genres. Their art is surprisingly inventive, using numerous media to convey complex ideas. Music is an art practiced by most, with song being almost universal.

Perheim culture also prizes intellect. A clever, but physically frail specimen, is every bit as respected as a great warrior. The value of intellect has resulted in a tremendous interest in scientific discovery, particularly in the realm of biology and genetic engineering. It has also led to highly competitive game leagues which focus on one or more board games. The most popular is the Global Chess League.

Perheim nightlife highlights their love of dance, the performing arts in general, and drink. They have numerous venues for concerts, theatrical performance, and dance halls. Their nightclubs often combine these elements making for a unique experience for offworlders. Another common component of nightlife are the drinking halls (usually called alehalls, alehouses, and feast-halls), which generally serve simple food with ale, wine, or mead. Something explicitly called a “drinking hall” serves alcohol only, expecting patrons to bring their own food. Drinking songs, impromtu individual performances, duels of spontaneous poetry or songs, and the occasional fight are the entertainments in such establishments.

Port of Perheim (Class V)

Perheim’s high port is a hub of activity. It houses the primary naval shipyard for the Confederacy and is the base for the 1st Fleet and the 1st Reserve Fleet. A military ship graveyard sits at Lagrange point L2, and a non-military graveyard at L1.

The high port itself is always in a state of flux, with new stations replacing old, and older stations being refit. Nonetheless, it is an extremely busy port, second only to Colm in the sector. In addition to the shipyards and bases, the corporate headquarters of Amalgamated Biotronics (AmBio), is on Perheim. It maintains private Class IV orbital port facilities.

The downport, Perheim Downport, has 3 locations situated strategically on the Perheim. Each is large enough to fulfill any expectation of what a Class V downport should look like. They are known as Trydyn Downport, Perheim Downport, and Broadridge Downport, respectively.

The startown around Perheim Downport lies within 100 miles of the capital. Once a rival to Trydyn Downport as Perheim’s primary downport, the war laid waste to the port and much of its surrounding infrastructure. As a result, it is comparatively small, catering almost exclusively to the starport’s immediate needs. Maglev trains can take visitors to Perheim City in less than 30 minutes, so most spacers choose to go to the city rather than remain in the startown.

Trydyn Downport is in the center of Perheim’s most important industrial complexes. The startown is more of a district of the Trydyn Megaplex than a city in its own right. Tyrden Megaplex is “blue collar” insofar as most of its employed residents work in the manufacturing sector. Tyrden Megaplex also houses a significant amount of AmBio’s Perheim based manufacturing facilities.

Broadridge Downport is in the middle of nowhere, though it serves several cities within a 500 mile radius. The startown that surrounds it, Broadridge View, is almost a tourist destination in its own right, with all of the activities Perheim is famous for within easy reach. The most popular attraction is the gladiatorial arena, which many find both compelling and repulsive all at once. Many spacers will take their vacations here during ship maintenance and refits.

Government

Perheim is ruled by a constitutional monarchy. The monarchy itself is matrilineal. Perheim City is the holding of the queen, who is called “Queen of the Perinn”, or the “Perinn.” The ruling Perinn has been in power for 3 centuries.

Officially, Perheim is made of three classes: jarls, the hereditary nobility; carls, the common citizens of Perheim; and the thralls, an underclass that was once comprised of slaves. The jarls exercise executive powers roughly equivalent to a governor or mayor (depending on the size of their holding), as well as local judiciary power. They are held in check by a the local council, which is responsible for making laws. Jarls have taxing authority within their holding, and are legally permitted to employ their own military units in accordance with the size of their holding. Roughly ⅓ of the planet is held directly by the jarls, the rest being controlled by carls.

The carls are free citizens with full rights and privileges. In places not ruled by jarls, carls hold political offices at all levels. The vast majority of the population are carls. Thralls in modern use are AIs, bioroids, or other manufactured beings, as well as indentured servants. For SAIs as well as anything otherwise deemed to have the spark of life, thralldom is temporary, designed to profit from the cost of creation. Carls may sell themselves into thralldom, or be put there as a criminal or civil penalty.

Parliament consists of two houses: the Commons (Carlstand) and the Lords (Jarlsprach). The Lords is the senior house, able to exercise veto power over laws enacted by the Commons. The Commons is comprised of carls elected democratically. They write laws, exercise ministerial authority with the consent of the Perinn, and their Prime Minister is the head of government.

Judiciary authority comes exclusively from the jarls, the Perinn first among them. Lawspeakers (lawyers) argue cases before the jarls or their appointed magistrates. Generally an audience of ostensibly disinterested people are gathered to hear the arguments. This can become quite rambunctious, and often influences the decision of the judge. Nonetheless, the judge is the final arbiter of the case. Cases can be appealed to the court of the Perinn, which may or may not choose to intervene. Although it may seem arbitrary, most offworld observers are satisfied that the system is just.

 Civil disputes are generally settled financially, up to and including thralldom. They may legally be settled by a duel, should both parties choose. Criminal penalties include thralldom, mind control implants, and psychological reconditioning (which many consider a form of execution).

The Perinn is the head of state. She has the power to dissolve one or both houses of parliament, and can be voted emergency powers by the Lords in times of crisis. Her judicial power allows her to appoint judges and even act as the final judge herself, in concert with 2 jarls appointed by the Lords.

Colonies

Perheim has numerous colonies, and has fully developed its system, effectively doubling its population. PerCol, as it is know, is the agency which administers the colonies. Currently, the status of these colonies within the Confederacy is undecided; whether they will be admitted as protectorates, territories, colonies of the Confederacy, or simply remain in the hands of their mother system is a matter of intense debate.

Religion

Perheim continues to follow its pagan Odinist ways. For many, it is merely a civic religion, essentially a part of the culture with religious overtones. For most, it is their religion. Within its lore, there are tales of mystics capable of working “magic of the gods”, but most tales can be explained by psionics.

While Perheim has a state religion, there is freedom or religion. The most significant religions aside from Odinistic paganism are other forms of paganism, Christianity (mostly a Lutheran-derived sect), and Buddhism (mostly Stellar Buddhism, which is a variant of Zen Buddhism).

Perheim Baseline Genetic Template

Perheimers have tinkered with their genetics almost since making planetfall. Perheim is a light world, but they have made musculoskeletal modifications to enhance their strength above that of baseline humans. They have made cardiovascular modifications to increase their health, glandular modifications to reduce their pain response and increase their ability to adjust to differing gravities, and sleep state modifications to improve the quality of their sleep, among other minor tweaks. Their genome is stable, and they are able to interbreed with most members of the baseline human family.

Perheimers fit the Nordic mold, tending to be tall and well muscled with fair skin. Their typical hair colors are blond, red, and a pale-blue white. They have blue or green eyes.

Perheim Racial Template [38]

Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10], Per+1 [5]. HT+1[10].

Advantages: Deep Sleeper [1], Fit [5], High Pain Threshold [10], Improved G Tolerance (0.3G) [5], Rapid Healing [5].

Disadvantages: Lecherous (15 or less: obsessed with romance) [-7], Odious Racial Habit (Emotional) [-5]

Features: Taboo Traits (Genetic Defects)