TEXT: THE LONG RIM
  Piracy, mechs, and mixed drinks at the edge of known space
  a supplement for LANCER RPG
  
  [2]
  LANCER:
  THE LONG RIM
  By
  Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson Morgan
  Edited by
  Melody Watson
  Layout by
  Minerva McJanda
  Cover Art by
  Tom Parkinson Morgan
  Interior Art by
  Tom Parkinson Morgan, Tan Juan Gee
  ©2020 Massif Press
  massif-press.itch.io
  twitter.com/LancerRPG
  Please do not reproduce without permission.
  
  SECTION 0:
  LONG RIM PLACES
  AND PEOPLE
  5
  THE LONG RIM
  7
  Life In The Void
  7
  Piracy and The Enterprise Agreement
  9
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  11
  Station Generator
  11
  Station Name
  12
  District Name
  12
  Purpose
  12
  Curiosities
  13
  Problems
  15
  STATION NPC GENERATOR
  17
  Quirk
  18
  Motivation
  18
  Long Rim Drinks
  18
  PIRATES
  19
  Pirate Band Name
  19
  Main Asset
  20
  Pirate Clan Hustle
  20
  LONG RIM ENTERPRISES
  21
  Holdings
  21
  Strength
  22
  Representative(s)
  22
  Quick Canon enterprise setup
  23
  FACTIONS PRESENT
  IN THE LONG RIM
  27
  Voladores
  27
  Horizon Collective
  27
  Volador Curiosities
  28
  HORUS
  29
  Albatross
  30
  IPS-N Trunk Security
  30
  SECTION 1:
  LONG RIM RULES 31
  LONG RIM NARRATIVE ACTIONS
  33
  Gunfight
  33
  Go Diving
  33
  Gain
  34
  Loss
  34
  TALENTS
  35
  MANNA
  36
  Using Manna
  36
  Variants
  36
  Other costs
  37
  Rewards
  37
  Hazard pay
  37
  Rental
  37
  COLLATERAL DAMAGE
  38
  Using this table
  38
  Collateral Damage
  38
  SECTION 2:
  LONG RIM MECHS 39
  ATLAS
  41
  CALIBAN
  45
  KOBOLD
  49
  LICH
  53
  SUNZI
  59
  ZHENG
  63
  LAST WORDS
  68
  [3]
  
  [4]
  RING 11, RÀO CỎ STATION
  THE LAST DANCER, A BAR ON RÀO CỎ’S OUTBOUND CONCOURSE
  POPULAR WITH CHARTER CAPTAINS AND CREW
  22:17, D10/M3 STANDARD, 5016U
  Below this dark, small bar, clear panels provide a view of the heavy interstellar freighters
  maneuvering to and from the docks of Rào Cỏ Station, attended by flights of harbor pilots
  and hired escorts. All are bound for the Dawnline Shore, the next great frontier.
  You decided to wait stationside for your ship’s queue number to be called. It’ll probably be
  a few more hours; Rào Cỏ is a massive blink station, the last before the Long Rim, and
  your ship needed a fair bit of work besides – micrometeorite patching, restocking of
  potables, preserves, and perishables, cycling, ammunition recharging, etcetera. This bar,
  the Last Dancer, came via the recommendation of some dockworkers, and now you’re
  getting your ear talked off by a scarred old Cosmopolitan charter officer.
  Your drinking companion has some thoughts about the Rim. Since you’re taking the slow
  route, you bought him a drink. Research, you’ll tell your CO. The spacer takes a sip and
  winds up for his speech – practiced, but no less genuine.
  “The Long Rim is a place that doesn’t exist in the minds of the gente that live outside it,”
  he says. “To them it’s a pass-through – a no-see: lock the visibles and go for a sleep while
  your ship burns on through.” He shakes his head. “It’s a whole lot more than that. You got
  time for a listen? Settle in and keep that tab open. Here’s what you need to know...”
  
  SECTION 0
  LONG RIM PLACES AND
  PEOPLE
  
  THE LONG RIM
  7
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  11
  STATION NPC GENERATOR
  17
  PIRATES
  19
  LONG RIM ENTERPRISES
  21
  FACTIONS PRESENT
  IN THE LONG RIM
  27
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  Toward the proximal end of the Orion Arm, far from
  Cradle and the Capital worlds of humanity, lies a
  patch of space with no official designation. This
  “empty” transit corridor is known as the Long Rim.
  The Rim is an off-map territory – a blank space on the
  galactic chart – not for want of travel but for a dearth
  of habitable worlds. On paper, it is a barren no-man’s-
  land choked with space junk, littered with mined-out
  rocks and the remnants of old battles – a place where
  humanity’s debris coalesces, whether by the complex
  ballet of competing gravities or deliberate direction.
  In reality, the Long Rim is the primary thoroughfare for
  ships traveling between Rào Cỏ Station, the furthest
  blink gate from the Galactic Core, and the Dawnline
  Shore, a hotly contested frontier territory. Often left
  out of the larger narratives that grip the galaxy, the
  Long Rim has become one of the largest and most
  heavily trafficked sub-blink shipping lanes in known
  space, moving billions of tons of food, medical
  supplies, construction equipment, electronics, colon‐
  ists, and materiel in a steady stream.
  But the Rim is not the transitive, liminal space that
  most assume it to be. It is home to hundreds of
  habitats, the first of which were built out of necessity
  by the earliest colonists and prospectors headed to
  the Dawnline Shore centuries ago. The Rim is a place
  of extreme hardship and loose regulations, so far from
  Union’s three pillars as to be ignorant of them. That
  distance – literal and cultural – makes it a place of
  opportunity as much as one of danger. In the Rim,
  scarcity is king, and the stories told at station bars are
  not tales of Union deployments on worlds crying for
  help, but of cash made, reputations won, and vital
  minutes of fresh water secured.
  Pilgrims and wanderers, landhunters and refugees,
  small-time mercenaries and charter captains, Horizon
  collectivists and HORUS adherents – the people at
  Union’s margins find a perilous, but potentially profit‐
  able, home in the Long Rim. It is a wild place, often
  violent, with total control held by no central power. To
  whatever extent the Rim’s denizens can be said to
  share a consensus, they do not mind this absence of
  central power. Yes, life can be fast and cheap, but it is
  also free. Free of Union’s vast bureaucracy, a person
  can disappear; free of Union’s hegemony, legends
  can be made.
  Of course, only those who survive get to tell their
  stories. Ask the bodies drifting in the void of space
  what they think of the Rim; ask the people whose
  ships are turned away from every port what riches
  stand to be made; ask the people who glance
  nervously at the muscled goon in the shadows of the
  bar before they speak what freedom they feel.
  Out in the Rim, in the “empty” border between
  prosperity and promise, Union’s utopia seems distant.
  This is a place the population of which – if they can be
  described as such – will need to lean on the Rim’s
  beguiling promises and save themselves.
  LIFE IN THE VOID
  There are no habitable worlds in the Rim; if you live
  within its bounds, you either live on a free-floating
  station or in a habitat built into a directed asteroid.
  With the borders of one’s home defined by the thick‐
  ness of its walls, people here are manifestly aware of
  the pressures that define their lives.
  By and large, life in the Rim is precarious. Breathable
  air is recycled, processed, extracted, filtered, and
  piped in by oxygen miners or sold to the elite by O2
  artisans. Sunlight and potable water are distributed to
  local populations by utility barons who sit on piles of
  manna and local scrip. Landlords hold titles to
  stations, extracting rent from the civilian populations
  marooned there. What limited green spaces exist are
  confined to greenhouse stations, tenuous neutral
  grounds monitored by local powers aware of how vital
  fresh food is.
  The Rim’s population – both indigenous and migratory
  – are resourceful, canny, and share a cultural impulse
  to prepare for the worst. In an environment where a
  loose bolt or a water leak could spell death for you,
  your family, and your neighbors, people are inclined
  toward rigor, awareness, and triple-checking their
  seals, tools, and selves. Far from how intergalactic
  media often depicts them, the people of the Rim are
  generally cooperative and collaborative; out in the
  dark, there’s no one but you and the people on your
  ship, station, or skiff. It’s better that folks work
  together and live than stand alone and die.
  The
  Rim
  is
  densely
  but
  unevenly
  inhabited.
  Permanent populations are limited to a handful of
  large stations, and they continue to grow as the traffic
  between Rào Cỏ
  Station and the Dawnline Shore
  persists. A little less than half of all stations in the Rim
  house permanent, local populations that have resided
  on them for generations across hundreds of realtime
  years. The rest of the Rim’s population at any given
  time is itinerant – migrants, or those passing through
  on work or leave.
  [7]
  THE LONG RIM
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  Some stations are little more than groups of freighters
  connected by reinforced umbilicals, leashed together
  and moving at matched speeds; others are cities built
  into or across massive asteroids, sometimes home to
  hundreds of thousands of souls. Most fall somewhere
  in the middle: humble or hidden stations with fresh-
  enough air, good-enough food, and permanent popu‐
  lations
  numbering
  from
  the
  hundreds
  to
  the
  thousands. In function, these stations vary from
  systemic and/or organic fueling points, to trade
  bazaars, shipyards, smuggling havens, barracks, and
  myriad other services needed by the ships that pass
  through or the people that live in the Rim.
  In practice, most stations are completely outside
  Union or corpro law. If a station has an organizing or
  governing body, it falls under that body’s own system
  of judgment and justice. A good rule of thumb is that
  the larger the station, the more local law it’ll have –
  though that can be a good thing or a bad thing,
  depending on one’s predilections.
  With artificial gravity technologies not yet stable
  enough for civilian use, permanent habitats must
  generate gravities of their own using spin. Stations
  that are little more than clusters of freighters lashed
  together can fire oppositional thrusters to create this
  spin
  gravity.
  Large,
  purpose-built
  stations
  often
  feature rings or drums anchored to a central spine or
  terminus. These rings spin fast enough to create
  anywhere from 0.8–1.0 g on their inner surfaces.
  Some spin a little faster or a little slower, creating
  environments with proportionally higher or lower
  gravity. The interiors of these spinning habitats are
  where people live and work; the closer one moves to
  the center of the station, the lower the gravitational
  force becomes, until it is essentially null.
  A few of the more impressive stations feature drums
  or toroids dozens of kilometers in diameter. Such
  stations are supported by titanic solar nets that
  generate artificial sunlight, allowing crops to be grown
  and an approximation of terrestrial life. These major
  hubs represent incredible feats of engineering and are
  usually the products of significant investments in time
  and resources from corpros, Union departments, or
  massively wealthy Diasporan benefactors.
  OUTSIDE THE ‘NET
  Due to the lack of direct Union presence, most of the
  Rim
  –
  essentially
  everything
  beyond
  the
  major
  stations – is not yet tapped into the omninet. Recog‐
  nition campaigns have been launched by some
  stations proximal to Rào Cỏ Station and the Dawnline
  Shore, but it will likely be some time before total
  coverage is established.
  THE LONG RIM
  [8]
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  Local populations speak of blinkspace “dead zones”
  where, even using long-range omnihooks, the omninet
  is
  completely
  inaccessible
  –
  an
  impossible
  phenomenon, in theory. Explanations reside firmly in
  the realm of rumor and speculation: from Aunic infiltra‐
  tion to the presence of single-point entities, the
  haunting of Egregorian or Voladoran ghosts, and so on.
  Both Union and corpro paralogicians have been sent to
  follow up on these theories, but the liminal reality of the
  Rim has made tracking down specific answers to
  manifold legends a difficult, dangerous prospect.
  The absence of reliable omninet access means that
  many of the luxuries enjoyed by the worlds in the
  Galactic Core (and even the colonial worlds of the
  Dawnline Shore) – omni communications, printing, and
  other technologies that rely on blinkspace – become
  extremely spotty and prone to error. The locations of
  stations are based on blink coverage as often as they
  are determined by realspace considerations.
  PIRACY AND THE
  ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT
  It is an odd thing to be a pirate in a lawless space;
  your victims are often those who most states – if any
  cared enough to try and extend their law into the Rim
  –
  would
  also
  call
  pirates.
  Small-scale
  raiding,
  robbery, and larceny are common across both
  permanent and transient populations. “Big” hauls –
  the looting of colony ships in transit or corpro
  vessels on assignment – are comparatively rare, but
  dramatically more common in the Rim than in any
  other sector of space. Until the Dawnline Shore gate
  is complete, realspace transit through the Rim
  remains necessary, and so private, state, and corpro
  ventures mark Rim-based pirates as a threat (or
  simply the cost of doing business).
  Official missions and expeditions dispatched by major
  powers like IPS-Northstar, Harrison Armory, and the
  Karrakin Trade Baronies are generally left unmolested
  by the pirates and voidjacks of the Rim. Even so, the
  major powers recommend that their people cross the
  Rim in numbers, with security, and accompanied by
  reputable guides or fixers with flight plans forwarded
  out
  to
  stations
  with
  prior
  negotiated
  protection
  contracts. These full transit packages are expensive,
  and most non-state or corpro-state ventures bound for
  the Shore or the Core can only afford one or two of
  these four necessities. These parties – private ventures,
  chartered colonies, shipments from smaller corpros,
  and so on – are the primary victims of piracy in the Rim.
  THE PIRATE’S LIFE
  Contrary to popular omnidrama depictions of pirates
  as bloodthirsty marauders, most raiding in the Rim is
  [9]
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  undertaken by part-time “pirates” coming together for
  specific ventures, not permanent organizations or
  long-standing crews. These single ventures range
  from families banding together to attack a passing
  ship for supplies, to station-side gangs boosting a
  docked freighter for ransom, to disgruntled charter
  captains launching a raid on their stationmaster’s
  private yacht.
  The few permanent pirate ventures that do exist in the
  Rim are organized groups of armed professionals
  supported by local bureaucrats and the Enterprises of
  the Long Rim: essentially, pirates in the Rim are non-
  chartered mercenary companies, operating on long-
  term or single-mission contracts. By and large,
  professional piracy groups in the Rim are used to
  collect Enterprise “taxes” (both from local populations
  and a percentage off the top of all cargo or manna
  passing through the Rim), settle grudges, and operate
  as hired muscle. Exorbitant as these “taxes” may be –
  and though they often end in violence – they ulti‐
  mately fund the survival of the masses who call the
  Rim their home. Of course, the spoils only trickle
  down, and their distribution is far from even.
  More vicious acts of piracy – kidnapping, trafficking,
  and the wholesale looting and resale of captured
  ships – are not unheard of; even “professional” pirates
  are willing to get dirty to get what they want. Gener‐
  ally speaking, however, professional pirate groups
  and the Enterprises that employ them seek to avoid
  too much savagery, lest they draw the attention of
  one (or more) of the galaxy’s major powers.
  THE ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT
  Unless they are of rare independent wealth, profes‐
  sional pirate groups operate under the contract of one
  of the Long Rim’s Enterprises – the closest thing the
  Rim has to state powers. You'll find more information
  on the Long Rim’s canonical Enterprises later on in this
  document,
  but
  for
  now,
  broad
  strokes:
  whether
  commercial, religious or criminal, these syndicates are
  organized into administrative bodies oriented around
  the expansion of their shared mission and – above all
  else – the accumulation of wealth. The Enterprises in
  the Long Rim are primarily funded by their command
  and control over both necessary and luxury goods and
  services in the Rim, the taxes, rents, and debts they
  extract from local populations, and the spoils they
  receive from the mercenary operations undertaken by
  the pirate groups under their jurisdictions.
  The Long Rim’s Enterprises range in their Darwinian
  cruelty, but even the “kindest” among them tend to
  combine a selfish, materialistic paradigm with a
  warlord’s impulse towards total control over the
  stations within their spheres of dominance. The
  diplomacy they maintain with their neighbors is
  entirely transactional and undertaken with designs
  always to one-up their rivals, trading in goods,
  services, labor, and prizes won through piracy. This
  scrambling and maneuvering for power ensures that
  no single Enterprise is large enough to become
  dominant – though the threat remains that one of the
  Enterprises may claw its way to the top of the pile.
  Enterprises – less so the pirates they employ, who,
  being closer to the people, and often of the people,
  tend to be kinder to the people – are widely regarded
  as oppressive by the populations of the Long Rim.
  Against their power, though, there is little an average
  person can do. As with everything in the Rim, survival
  is the most important thing; most populations knuckle
  under and choose to work with their local Enterprise
  rather than against them.
  PACIFICATION AND PERSISTENCE
  Though there have been many small-scale attempts
  to secure the Rim, the area remains stubbornly
  untamable for two main reasons – beyond the cost,
  time, and danger.
  First, the enormous number of uncatalogued and
  extralegal stations among the debris and asteroid fields
  provide ready hideouts, boltholes, and warrens for
  pirate groups to disappear. The scale of the Long Rim,
  its crowded stations, its transient populations, and the
  lack of ready outside intelligence on the area make
  disappearing easy for those intent on remaining hidden.
  The second issue is that almost all small-scale piracy
  is undertaken by desperate local populations as a
  primary means of subsistence. It is often difficult for
  outsiders to distinguish between pirates and the
  ordinary population of any given station: someone
  might spend the bulk of their time farming hydroponic
  vegetables, all the while ready to volunteer for a
  percentage of the haul when word comes of a vulner‐
  able cargo ship in the area and a crew being
  assembled to raid it. Enforcement applied with too
  heavy, cruel, or ignorant a hand can lead to the death
  of dozens or even hundreds of families waiting on
  unregistered stations for their lifelines to return.
  While the larger enterprises may well be dismantled in
  time, “rooting out” piracy in the Rim risks the eradica‐
  tion of hundreds of unique cultures and populations
  as a result of careless, narrow-mission uses of state
  force. A gentler hand is needed in the long run – either
  that, or a total disregard for humanitarian concerns.
  THE LONG RIM
  [10]
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  [11]
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  1-2
  Abandoned Union Navy shipyard, purchased and sold over and over to successive owners until it
  was eventually hauled out to the Rim. The population might be anywhere from minor to massive.
  3-4
  A pirate colony based around an old surveying ship that has been permanently fused to its escorts. Now,
  it is nominally governed by an anarchist pirate queen. The colony keeps its doors open to outsiders but
  moves every 3-5 local days to avoid detection, bristling with weapons and thick with armed guards.
  5-6
  A well-known IPS-Northstar refueling station, neutral ground for trade and services. This station is fequented
  by IPS-N’s Trunk Security and serves as a local base for the corpro’s patrol cutters. The central ring is full of
  the parked ships and charter captains ready and willing to run any job you need, for the right price.
  7-8
  A long-abandoned mining colony, drilled deep into an enormous asteroid. Habitation is centered
  around its warm reactor core. The hundreds of miles of tunnels outside are more or less empty, you
  think. People disappear here often.
  9-10
  A quiet old Union Navy outpost, barnacled with merchants and traders, small diplomatic offices
  representing the major powers, serviceable bars, official and unofficial checkpoints, and people
  willing to get you what you need if you’ve got the manna to cover it. This outpost is staffed by bored
  Union personnel mostly there to run customs checks.
  11-12
  An enormous domed Volador trade bazaar with stable artificial gravity. Although they originally built it,
  los Voladores have not been here for hundreds of subjective years. It has largely been taken over by
  outside construction, and now it serves as the capital station for a powerful enterprise.
  13-14
  A collection of salvaged freighters, lashed together to form a massive, rambling habitat full of dark
  corners, hidden warrens, and other secrets. Theoretically, it can even move if enough of the old ship
  drives can be re-ignited.
  15-16
  A community of hydroponic farming habitats and humble agricultural families built among a collection of
  leashed asteroids, with a central hub for trade. This station is rumored to be a popular “retirement”
  destination for Horizon collectivists, and it may even be home to a “free” NHP. It’s rather calm and nice.
  17-18
  A decommissioned Harrison Armory legion outpost from the first Dawnline colonization push, now a
  playground for long-haul freighter crews. It is filled with nightclubs, gambling dens, and pleasure
  houses, and as with most places in the Rim, anything goes here if you’ve got the manna. This station
  is popular with professional pirates from many enterprises, who see it as a neutral ground where they
  can have a good time.
  19-20
  A hollowed-out asteroid or massive cylinder ship with an expansive station built on the inside
  surface, spinning at a comfortable 1 g. The metropolis on the inside is home to thousands of souls,
  and has petitioned Union for official state recognition.
  ROLL 1D20
  STATION SEED
  The multitudinous characteristics of stations in the Rim are too numerous to be listed in full – Instead, the
  following station “seeds” can be used as starting points for you to build out further characterization of the
  station’s inhabitants, their history, and its industries.
  To help you populate the Long Rim, we’ve included a
  series of tables to get your creativity going – from
  developing stations, to identifying pirate groups, to
  naming and putting a human face on the Rim’s
  powerful Enterprises. You can go through these tables
  in any order, though it is best to progress through
  them in the order that you encounter them.
  STATION GENERATOR
  The Long Rim is full of an extraordinary range of
  stations, differing in size, function, and legality. You
  can roll on the tables below to generate stations or
  create your own based on the prompts provided.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  [12]
  1
  Hades, Hellmouth, Pandemonium,
  Devildance, Tartarus, Umber
  2
  Deliverance, Salvation, Gate of Heaven,
  Nirvana, Gloria, Bardo
  3
  Persistence, Samsara, Resolute, Redoubt,
  Dauntless, Stableground
  4
  Far Point, Highwater, Overlander, Horizon’s
  End, Rim ‘o The World, “___” End
  5
  Borea, Tundra, Percipita, Cumulus, Alpine,
  Frost
  6
  Petergate, Harper’s Hope, Rose Landing,
  Salahville, Ramahall, Law’s Point
  7
  Fat Chance, Hardly Truly, Rollem, Freerad,
  Lucky, “…” Casino…
  8
  Raftland, The Leash, Harbor, Dry-dock, Null
  Pier, “___” Maritime
  9
  Terminus, Interchange, Switch, Hub,
  Terminal, Apex
  10 Barbadas, Arruda, Signas, Mollitempos,
  Tzatazi, Garudanas
  11 “___” Hole, “___” Pit, “___” Depths, “___”
  Deep, Lower “___” , Under “___”
  12 Goose, Eagle, Falcon, Raptor, Avia, Duck
  13 “___” Fields, “___” Garden, “___”
  Orchards, “___” Forest, Nest, Dell
  14 Icebreaker, Derrick, Well, Carver, Site, Drill
  15 EM 51817
  16 Nasser’s Cleft, “___” Canyon, “___”
  Fissure, Spires, Arches, Cliff
  17 The Olympic, Sunstar, The Heavens,
  Comet’s Tail, The Glittering Arc, Diadem 1
  18 Saynomore, Anythingelse, Cannagetcha,
  Pickr’Poison, Namaprice, F’sale
  19 The Endless Gallery, Mirrorhell, The Silent
  Station, Derelict 42B, Titan, Solo Gate
  20 Nowhere, The Eye, Blink’s Gate, Coma
  Station, Voidhall, The Concordance
  1
  The Shambles
  2
  Dockside
  3
  “___” Fields
  4
  “___” Bay
  5
  Core
  6
  Mall
  7
  “___” Lower
  8
  Storage
  9
  Ring Central
  10 Nest
  11 The Chokey
  12 Upper “___”
  13 “___” Processing
  14 River Street
  15 Warrens
  16 Down Central
  17 Spacer’s Walk
  18 Narrows
  19 Spires
  20 Geo-“___”
  1-2
  Asteroid Mining
  3-4
  General resupply for freighters
  5-6
  Smuggling cove
  7-8
  Hydroponic or terrestrial-analogous farming
  9-10
  Open bazaar or trading hub
  11-12 Entertainment and nightlife
  13-14 Military post
  15-16 Mercenary Haven/Drinking Hole
  17-18 Last fuel stop before the void
  19-20 Criminal enterprise
  ROLL 1D20
  ROLL 1D20
  STATION NAME
  Station names are as diverse as the people that
  call them home. Here are a few suggestions to
  help get you started – roll a d20, find the
  corresponding number, and then choose one
  of the names listed or make your own along
  similar lines..
  DISTRICT NAME
  On stations large enough to have distinct areas,
  people often adopt informal names for each
  distrcit.
  This
  table
  provides
  several
  district
  names
  that
  can
  be
  used
  as
  modifiers
  to
  describe areas within a station. You can roll on
  this table for a quick name or use it as a
  jumping-off point to create your own.
  PURPOSE
  Every station in the Rim, from the smallest rock
  to
  the
  largest
  cylinder-world,
  exists
  for
  a
  purpose: to extract a resource, to refine a
  resource, or to sell resources. Use this table to
  determine a station’s major (1st roll) and minor
  (2nd roll) industry, resource or purpose. It’s good
  to know what you’re getting into when you step
  on board a station – what is important, what is
  valuable, and what is scarce.
  ROLL 1D20 TO PICK 1 MAJOR,
  OR 1 MAJOR AND 1 MINOR
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  [13]
  1
  Open air produce market for local families that appears along the spinal corridor once every
  three core standard days. The produce is grown in bags and tends to be oddly shaped and very
  juicy. Most spacers prefer it that way.
  2
  A wizened hermit who can see the future with about 50% accuracy for any given reading (you
  can roll for this, if you like). They can’t see more than a day or so into the future and live mostly
  off donations. They claim to be a former operative of the UIB – Union Intelligence Bureau – who
  acquired their abilities during clandestine operations.
  3
  A large population of feral kraits – dog-sized crustaceans that have adapted almost perfectly for
  life on stations. They make excellent pets, produce very little waste, and consume very little food
  and water.
  4
  A cluttered chop shop for cyberware and prosthetics, as well as a low-cost wetware-installation
  and repair facility. The operation is run by an aging doctor with increasingly poor hearing and
  eyesight who enjoys the respect and custom of the locals. Everything is clean, despite
  appearances.
  5
  A water hub where locals must show up daily to receive their water ration. Over time, the hub has
  transformed into an impromptu social club and cafe where the local variation on tea and biscuits
  is served in bulk, and for very cheap. The site remains open around the clock despite the
  distribution period being only a few hours.
  6
  A set of exposed thermal pipes used by most of the locals to do their cooking despite many
  complaints from engineering. The area around the pipes is sweltering and full of amazing smells.
  7
  A HORUS technocult blister attached to the side of the station by a punch corridor and several
  umbilicals. The cult trades for food with the locals in return for information. Station admin
  steadfastly denies their existence, despite their operation being in plain sight.
  8
  A gang of station kids who will trade information for off-station food, with a vast preference for
  candy. It seems like they can get into nearly anything on the station (including off-limits or
  clandestine areas) and are total shitkickers in a fight.
  9
  A man called the Groundskeeper who has a reputation as a master forger. He can spoof most
  IFF signatures, ship transponders, badges of office, and official papers – for a price. He lives in a
  ramshackle barge attached to the station, but ready to leave any time.
  10
  An old Schedule 2 printer, although it is in terrible shape and clogged with back-orders. The
  printer facility is run by an overworked officer whose operating floor space is about 90 percent
  paperwork and old servers by volume.
  CURIOSITIES
  Just like every station in the Rim has a purpose, every station has some kind of... curiosity. A thing that makes
  it stand out in your memory – for good or for ill. On the following table, roll for one or two curiosities,
  depending on the size of the station; larger stations can have dozens of points of interest, gathering sports,
  and cultural quirks, while small stations might have one or two.
  ROLL 1D20
  ROLL FOR ONE OR TWO
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  [14]
  11
  “The best burger joint in the Orion Arm”, run by a Sparri technoshaman who claims to have
  invented a new stasis freezing technique for keeping meat fresh on long-haul journeys. Don’t
  ask too much about it or they get testy. The burgers live up to the hype.
  12
  A humble shrine or fine temple to Christ the Buddha, usually adorned with lanterns. Please
  remove your shoes before entering.
  13
  A cramped but characterful cinema run by an enthusiast who grew up in the Rim. It is slightly
  outdated and tends to get the most recent stuff from the Capital worlds pretty late; in the
  meantime, there is a well-curated program of old films.
  14
  An opulent pleasure barge has been stranded at the station for several weeks. The Smith-
  Shimano executive who resides there is extremely upset at the refueling delay and believes it
  to be intentional. They are eager for help in freeing themselves from the administrative and
  bureaucratic red tape keeping them there.
  15
  A gambling and gaming hall built alongside the main concourse. It is populated at all hours
  and doubles as a bar and smoking lounge. The popular Sparri board game kapkat is played
  here, and the sound of jingling machines can be heard up and down nearby areas of the
  station. The makeshift casino often hosts live shows and impromptu fights.
  16
  An inactive IPS-N Tortuga has been welded into the station wall and serves as a power
  source. It is seen as a mascot or guardian by the locals.
  17
  Down a back-alley maintenance corridor behind a bar, seekers can find gliss. These
  crustaceans have powerful narcotic effects; most people smoke them right out of their shells.
  18
  An overgrown hydro farm that has broken into the station’s pipes, causing large parts of the
  station to become humid and lush with dark green or purple foliage. Rather than clear out the
  growth, the station managers have turned the overgrown areas into resources for station food,
  medicine, and trade goods.
  19
  A weapons dealer does business out of an old apartment stack. They always have coffee
  brewing and are friendly, but you know it’s all business. They employ a large population of
  aging and imported ISP-N subalterns to assist.
  20
  The House of Cats: a jazz cafe, bar, restaurant, gambling parlor, and house of courtesans. It is
  never closed, extremely loud, and designed to drain all your loose manna and station credit.
  The establishment is garishly decorated in the style of old Terran palatial estates. In offers a
  fun time, but it is dangerous to get too attached.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  [15]
  PROBLEMS
  Every station’s got ‘em. By default, these problems will begin to get worse without intervention from someone –
  usually the player characters. Roll for one or two - depending on the size of the station - and then start the clock.
  ROLL 1D20
  ROLL FOR ONE OR TWO
  1
  The station’s orbit is decaying and it will fall into the nearest star or planetary body in the next
  year or so. A deadlock between engineering and leadership has prevented anything from being
  done about this.
  2
  A cycle of blood debts has led to a huge feud between several families on the station. Skirmishes
  with knives and guns are common in the streets, and the locals who haven’t fled have gone into
  lockdown.
  3
  The station’s life support systems are in desperate need of repair. Parts of the station have no
  light or air, or are massively hot or cold. To make matters worse, the engineering team sent into
  Life Support to fix the problem never fixed it, never returned, and won’t respond to
  communications requests.
  4
  A Volador has died of (seemingly) natural causes while on a diplomatic mission to the station:
  there is absolutely no protocol for how to deal with burial, and the station’s leaders don’t know
  how to get in contact with los Voladores to let them know.
  5
  The station administrator’s child has gone missing.
  6
  The station is infested with a population of unusually large predatory kraits that are currently
  plaguing the maintenance and hydroponics decks.
  7
  A corrupt political boss holds sway over station resources and refuses to budge without proper
  deference or bribes. They claim they are bringing order to the station and have given the
  population an ultimatum delivered at the barrels of their security forces’ guns: knuckle under or
  get spaced.
  8
  There’s been another gruesome murder – the third in a month. It’s clear now that there’s a serial
  killer on the station.
  9
  The stations’ spin sections are out of alignment and the wobbling toruses sometimes spin a little
  too close, causing “gravity” outages and wild fluctuations. It needs fixing, and soon: station
  engineers predict that left unfixed, these gravity fluctuations could tear the station apart.
  10
  An unregistered skip vessel from the Dawnline Shore has docked at the station. The passengers
  claim to be political dissidents in need of sanctuary, which has sparked a divisive debate aboard
  the station: some think they should be granted asylum, while others fret about the station’s
  resource budget. All the while, a Harrison Armory (or Karrakin) patrol burns towards the station,
  sure to spark a confrontation when they arrive.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  BUILDING THE LONG RIM
  [16]
  11
  A pirate or marauder band has parked nearby and frequently raids the station or its visitors to exact
  tribute. The station’s enterprise is refusing to send protection teams until the locals pony up and pay
  for missing protection payments, so the raids continue. The people are in need of help, but any
  assistance is sure to piss off both the marauder’s enterprise and the local station’s enterprise.
  12
  An apocalyptic cult has filtered into the station, placing some of their adherents in important
  infrastructure and security positions. Left unchecked, their eschatological designs will see the end
  of the station and – possibly – have consequences for nearby sectors of the Long Rim.
  13
  The station is a de-facto haven for narcotics smugglers. Gliss, brighteyes, gazer – whatever you
  want, you can get it here. The only problem is that these smugglers are unaffiliated, and a pair of
  rival enterprises seem ready to “negotiate” ownership, whether the station wants them to or not.
  14
  Supplies are critically short and hoarding is commonplace. Regular shipments have been
  “delayed” by a local cordon – either at the hands of an enterprise or a more legitimate power –
  and the locals are getting desperate for relief.
  15
  The station’s population has grown massively in recent years, putting a significant strain on
  resources. Some factions argue that an exodus is necessary, while others advocate for opening
  up long-sealed sections of the station and exploiting the open space. Those sections, though,
  have been sealed for a reason…
  16
  A popular revolution has recently overthrown the station’s previous owners and the situation is still
  volatile; the revolutionary group has issued a broad-band call for support and fighters, but this has
  also alerted a nearby enterprise that sees this as an opportunity for them to expand its own territory.
  17
  The station was recently abandoned by Harrison Armory, who pulled almost all funding,
  resources, and security and left without explanation. The local population, beleaguered, is
  searching for answers; meanwhile, a skeleton team of Armory personnel can be seen operating in
  sealed-off sections of the station, unresponsive to the local populations’ petitions for information.
  18
  A Sparri mercenary company rolls through at regular intervals and trashes the place with wild
  partying. They’re good business, but they leave a mess, and it’s starting to grate on the locals.
  19
  A HORUS cell keeps threatening to redirect an asteroid into the station if they are not paid at
  regular intervals.
  20
  The station is a neutral territory for several Rim enterprises that use it as a marketplace and
  diplomatic hub. Because of this, when the main concourse is bombed, the enterprises all suspect
  each other, and the tenuous diplomatic arrangement begins to grow tenser and tenser.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  The inhabitants of the Long Rim are a diverse crowd,
  even by the standards of the sixth millennium. Most of
  them came to the edge of known space looking to
  strike it rich, but others came here to escape persecu‐
  tion, forge a new life, or get as far away from
  ‘civilization’ as possible.
  The following tables will help you get started in on
  some tone descriptions of any given NPC your
  players might encounter, along with their primary
  occupation and - should they have one - a secondary
  illicit, clandestine or moonlight occupation.
  [17]
  STATION NPC GENERATOR
  1
  Exhausted
  Foreman
  Chop shop doctor
  2
  Sexy
  Stevedore
  Petty Thief
  3
  Filthy
  Goon
  Corpro Intelligence (Undercover)
  4
  Corpulent
  “Sheriff”
  Smuggler
  5
  Cocky
  Bureaucrat
  Stowaway from the Core, seeking passage
  out to the Dawnline Shore
  6
  Starving
  Fence
  Refugee from the Dawnline Shore, seeking
  safe ground
  7
  Gloomy
  Sex Worker
  Dealer in exotic flora and fauna
  8
  Stranded
  Security Guard
  Remote-activated killer, aware or not of their
  true nature
  9
  Passionate
  Gravity Racer
  Swindler
  10
  Loud
  Political Boss
  Weapons dealer
  11
  Stoic
  Nearlight drive technician
  Zero-g Farmer
  12
  Part-time
  Monk
  Pilgrim
  13
  Sweaty
  Station Engineer
  Ungrateful partisan
  14
  Cigarette-Smoking
  Private Eye
  Muckraker
  15
  Flamboyant
  Harbor, Charter, or Enterprise Pilot HORUS cell member
  16
  Beefy
  Night Mayor
  Local Fixer
  17
  Nervous
  Marine
  Union or Harrison Armory Veteran
  18
  Gruff
  Urchin
  Addict (brighteyes, gliss, gazer, etc)
  19
  Well-Armed
  Medical Technician
  Horizon collectivist
  20
  Thrifty
  Bounty Hunter
  Pit fighter
  DESCRIPTOR
  (ROLL TWICE)
  PRIMARY
  OCCUPATION
  ALTERNATE/CLANDESTINE
  OCCUPATION
  
  QUIRK
  Not every NPC needs a quirk, but if you want
  them to stick out a bit, you can roll on this table
  for some inspiration.
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  STATION NPC GENERATOR
  [18]
  1
  An oversized, distinctive, or otherwise
  notable hat or headgear.
  2
  One eye is covered by an eye patch, is a
  noticeable prosthetic, or has been replaced
  with something decorative.
  3
  Old burn scars, visible even when clothed.
  4
  Constantly reaching for, moving with
  reference to, or tapping weapon.
  5
  Dresses in garish clothing.
  6
  Often drunk, or otherwise intoxicated.
  7
  A pathological liar (you think).
  8
  Very well connected, or related to about
  half the station.
  9
  Knows jack shit about mechs, lancers, or
  pilots, but pretends they do.
  10 Has an exotic pet.
  11 Much taller than a person born downwell
  due to a life spent in artificial gravity.
  12 Often carries pamphlets of Ungrateful,
  HORUS, or Horizon propaganda.
  13 Has an excellent mental map of the station.
  14 Wears cracked eyeglasses.
  15 Has one or more visibly cybernetic limbs, in
  poor repair and condition.
  16 Used to be a lancer.
  17 Covered head to toe in Sparri saga tattoos,
  may or may not be Sparri.
  18 Does not speak Union Common, but can
  communicate using an automatic translator.
  19 Impressive hair or facial hair.
  20 Often followed, willingly or not, by
  innumerable dock rats or street urchins.
  Desire
  Object of Desire
  1-2
  Access to
  Food.
  3-4
  Safety of
  Dangerous, rare or expensive flora
  or fauna.
  5-6
  Information on
  Family.
  7-8
  Transport for
  Weapons.
  9-10
  Possession of
  Debt.
  11-12 Elimination of
  High quality narcotics.
  13-14 Hiding of
  Reputation.
  15-16 Cover for
  Blackmail.
  17-18 Return of
  Workers.
  19-20 Retribution for
  A local politician, VIP, or enterprise
  middleman.
  ROLL 1D20
  ROLL 1D20
  MOTIVATION
  Few who settle in the Long Rim aimed to make a home there.
  Most folks who find themselves working steady in the Rim
  landed there because they couldn’t make it to the Dawnline,
  and after a long burn out across the Big Night, the deck of a
  station seems about as good as paradise. Even after the shine
  fades, there’s always money to be made, always another ship
  that can bring you a little bit closer to where you’re trying to
  get – or farther away from what you’re fleeing.
  Out in the Rim, everyone wants for something. The landlord
  you pay is the tenant of a bigger fish, and your hired gun is
  the master of some other poor deckie. Everyone living has a
  hustle and a want; use this table to if you need to determine
  an NPC’s motivation by rolling first their Desire, and then their
  Object of Desire.
  LONG RIM DRINKS
  You can use this extremely useful generator if you ever roll
  up to a bar in the Long Rim (most stations have something
  resembling a bar, even if it doesn’t have seats). Most bars
  across the Rim serve the J.C.H. which is 1/3 grain or root
  liquor, 2/3 hard alcohol distilled from impulse drive cleaner
  fluid. Good quality alcohol is fairly prized.
  1-2
  Virgin
  Destroyer
  3-4
  Brain
  Buller
  5-6
  Five Finger Reviver
  7-8
  Pain
  Highball
  9-10
  Xiaoli’s
  Juice
  11-12
  Tiger
  Punch
  13-14
  Corpse
  -tini
  15-16
  Carina
  Grinder
  17-18
  Ass
  Mule
  19-20
  Rhino
  Sour
  ROLL 1D20
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  Pirates are commonplace in the Long Rim. While most
  raiding parties are ad-hoc, one-off partnerships, larger
  groups often have enough staying power to name
  themselves and win contracts from one of the Long
  Rim’s Enterprises. Such a group will usually have a
  base of operations (use the station generator on p. 10 if
  you’d like), a primary method of business, and a major
  asset of some kind. Many, if not all, use mechs for both
  general labor and raiding. Using the following tables,
  you can roll to determine some starting ideas for
  various pirate bands that one can encounter in the
  Long Rim. The names you generate would fit a more
  “professional” pirate band, not a group of desperate
  people driven to piracy as a last resort.
  You can use the Pirate template on p. 328 of Lancer
  to represent pirate mechs. Most pirates in the Long
  Rim are kitted out with EVA modules of some descrip‐
  tion, allowing them to maneuver in space. The Ace,
  Assault, Berserker, Breacher, Mirage, Support,
  and Witch NPC classes (see p. 285 of Lancer) are
  great for building pirates.
  [19]
  PIRATES
  PIRATE BAND NAME
  1
  Colossal
  Devils
  2
  Skull
  Gods
  3
  Vector
  Family
  4
  Red
  Tigers
  5
  Realspace
  Company
  6
  Tiger
  Hunters
  7
  Fifty Talent
  Dogs
  8
  108
  Triad
  9
  The All-
  Kings
  10
  Strong
  Solutions Unlimited
  11
  The Big
  Gunners
  12
  The Long
  Howlers
  13
  The/Los
  Calaveras
  14
  The Free
  Runners
  15
  The Golden
  Group
  16
  Pack
  Bosses
  17
  Private Company
  Patrol
  18
  Unlimited
  Rimside
  19
  Transit
  Interstellar
  20
  Skyside
  Interstation
  ROLL 1D20
  “Folk that don’t live here think nothin’ happens
  here but pirates and pillaging.” The old Cosmo‐
  politan says. “This ocultación of the local pops,
  their kin, their work – that’s the point. Being a
  ghost is a good thing out here.” He winks. “But,”
  he says, “the trade: without Union watchin’ over
  the playbox, life ain’t partic precioso. No one
  stops a corpro from moving fast and breaking
  things, or one of the Enterprises from drawing
  blood – no big daddy with the auxiliary stick, si?”
  “So without the U, all you got to lean on is you and
  your pals and your guns. And Rimward you gotta
  fret on ‘money’ and ‘debts’ drawing you down like
  a high-gee rock – the lease on your boat, air cost
  ticking by the minute, potable water and a deck of
  kids you all gotta find comida for and bang–” He
  claps his empty cup on the bar, the sound turning
  heads throughout the Last Dancer. “You wonder
  why a person turns pirate?” He quiets. Looks over
  his shoulder, at the flow of people outside the
  Dancer. “See them there? Those Northie Trunks in
  their pretty uniforms?”
  A small group of IPS-N Trunk Security officers
  walk by. They’re on some kind of shore leave, in
  pressed uniforms with light anti-k vests on. Just
  sidearms, nothing long or serious.
  “No such thing as pirates in the Rim before the
  Northies started losing cargo,” the old cosmopol‐
  itan says. “Now, it’s an industry: the Enterprises
  offer some scrip for the desperate to boost a ship,
  the Northies get to buck shots at soft targets to
  test their new guns, and the only people who suffer
  are the poor bastards who had the bad luck to be
  born Outside.” He turns back to the bar, hand on
  your shoulder to turn you as well. “Wasn’t better
  before, but it sure wasn’t this bad; now that there’s
  money in it, all the players are really out for blood.”
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  PIRATES
  [20]
  1-2
  A fully armed warship kept in excellent shape. This ship was taken from Union or a state navy and
  although an older model, it is still deadly compared to other ships in the Rim. It has a spinal cannon
  or significant ordinance, plentiful batteries of cannons or lances, and is capable of destroying a
  station if its commander wishes. It might be used as a mobile base of operations.
  3-4
  A well-armed squad of 4-5 Elite mechs.
  5-6
  An impeccably hidden base, located in a cloud of debris or a dead zone that confuses sensors.
  7-8
  A titanic, unique mech. You can build this as a Size 4 mech with the Ultra template. It is is well-
  armored enough to tackle ships and may require multiple pilots to crew.
  9-10
  An NHP that acts as a powerful advisor or a de facto leader. Rare for the Rim, this NHP is maintained
  by a team of skilled technicians, and grants a powerful advantage to its organization.
  11-12 A powerful hacking corps that works out of an old comms station. They are capable of stealing ships
  and redirecting supplies without firing a shot, and they usually avoid direct conflict.
  13-14 A long-range, space-to-space kinetic weapon platform that can easily disable passing ships and threaten
  stations. Its power source is buried deep inside an asteroid and it can only fire once every hour or so.
  15-16 A small army (50-100 units) of combat subalterns armed with energy weapons.
  17-18
  A sub-blink snare – a temperamental, nonlethal anti-ship system that can disable ships’ reactors
  without harming their crew. It needs a central activator on a ship or nearby station to hold a ship in
  place.
  19-20 A leashed asteroid at least 6 miles (or 10 kilometers) in diameter. Can be redirected, albeit slowly, to
  threaten stations or ships.
  ROLL 1D20
  MAIN ASSET
  PIRATE CLAN HUSTLE
  1-2
  Toll taking: Exaction of rent, bribes, tribute, or labor from local stations, freighters, or other passers-by.
  3-4
  Trafficking: Slavery and the smuggling of people (natural-born or clones), typically for unpaid labor.
  5-6
  Hĳacking: Direct capture of ships, typically for ransom, but sometimes for parts.
  7-8
  Smuggling: Surreptitious transport of goods (illicit, normal, or unsavory) to avoid tariffs, taxes,
  embargoes, blockades, or fees.
  9-10 Monopoly: Absolute control of a necessary resource – like fuel, water, or food – in the local area.
  11-12 Kidnapping: Capture of VIPs , typically as hostages to secure ransom payments.
  13-14 Raiding: Direct, violent assault on passing ships or vulnerable stations to forcibly take resources or
  people for use or sale.
  15-16 Mercenaries: Soldiers for hire on a contract basis.
  17-18 Narcotics: Manufacture and distribution of narcotics.
  19-20
  Horde: A rare type of group, constantly on the move. Hordes have no allies but may wield influence
  over cowed or oppressed populations that they command with threats of punishment. Hordes
  survive solely by raiding stations and ships that they deem vulnerable and valuable. They typically
  grow by pressing captives into service or conscripting from local populations at gunpoint. Hordes
  rarely last more than a few months before dispersing, though some are large enough to follow a
  pattern of seasonal or tidal surges and droughts.
  ROLL D20 FOR ONE OR TWO, ONE IS PRIMARY HUSTLE
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  Enterprises are the closest entities the Long Rim has
  to governments. Most are managed by a single indi‐
  vidual
  and
  their
  advisors,
  though
  some
  of
  the
  Enterprises in the Rim are run by councils, commit‐
  tees or boards. Most are organized into syndicates of
  powerful families or councils of stations; the most
  powerful, and the least numerous, are structured
  under the command of a single, charismatic leader, or
  structured as a centrally controlled – though much
  smaller – analog to a corpro-state.
  The Long Rim’s Enterprises – with some exception – are
  wholly oriented around policing and securing their areas
  of
  Rimside
  space,
  managing
  and
  exploiting
  what
  extractive industry is present, and running the markets
  and economies in their spheres of influence – formal,
  literal, informal, and otherwise. The Enterprises command
  varying strengths of loyal (or, at least, highly-paid) profes‐
  sional security forces, and make up gaps in their martial
  capacity via the employ of professional pirates.
  The following generation tables will help you name,
  build, and particularize the Enterprises present in the
  Long Rim, detailing their strengths, persons who your
  players may come into contact with, their economic
  and political power, and general dispositions.
  [21]
  LONG RIM ENTERPRISES
  1-2
  A fleet of asteroids rich in rare minerals,
  bound into a closely-guarded orbit and
  protected by loyal cosmopolitan guards.
  3-4
  The only pilots capable of navigating a
  treacherous corridor of null-blink space,
  and the knowledge to train more.
  5-6
  The best supply of fresh water in the region,
  and the infrastructure to hygienically
  process, package, and distribute it.
  7-8
  A collection of fabrication plants ready to
  produce GMS hulls, components, and
  parts; for the right price, the Enterprise
  can also procure licensed materials.
  9-10
  A reliable method of contacting los
  Voladores, plus first pick of prime Volador
  artifacts, goods, and technology for
  outfitting their stations.
  11-12
  The contract to guarantee passage for
  IPS-N bureaucrats from Rào Cỏ Station
  to the Dawnline Shore, as well as support
  from IPS-N Trunk Security forces.
  13-14
  The ability to produce blink transponder
  codes capable of clearing Union code-
  checks, and the largesse to reward loyalty
  with them.
  15-16
  A monopoly on viable cloning processes
  and the accounts of the leadership of
  many other enterprises.
  17-18
  Strength guaranteed — via clandestine
  channels — by a major power with interests
  in the Dawnline Shore (e.g. Harrison Armory
  or the Karrakin Trade Barons).
  19-20
  The standard currency that Long Rim
  populations use for banking and trade –
  until they can convert it into manna, that is.
  ROLL 1D20
  HOLDINGS
  Other than its military strength and stations,
  what is the basis of this Enterprise’s power?
  The old Cosmopolitan is well warmed now, in the
  middle of his talk on the Rim.
  “If you weren’t brought, bought, or stolen here,
  then a whole mess of reasons draws folks to and
  through the Rim,” he says. “Some say it’s ‘cause
  they can go ghost or legal-dead, or they say it’s all
  a part of their political thought, or because they say
  it’s the only place to be free,” the old cosmo shakes
  his head. “The Rim ain’t free, ain’t pure, ain’t any of
  that pinche bluesky chisme – the Rim only free for
  the powerful, the rich, and the dead. Everyone who
  come looking to live free, or wind up here and think
  to start on their fortune, they just fodder.”
  He falls silent. “Unless they ain’t. Unless they win
  – small at first – but enough scrip to get ‘em a
  place, a gun, a friend. You start to win, you start to
  learn: you finna climb over a mountain a aspir‐
  antes if you wanna see yourself stay on top.”
  He fishes into a pocket of his flight suit, pulls out a
  sheaf of bills clipped together, and tosses it on the
  bar. Points to it. “Enterprise scrip, from the
  bastards who made it to the top of the mountain.
  Take it. Useless outside the Rim, but on the inside
  enough of it will open any door.”
  
  STRENGTH
  REPRESENTATIVE(S)
  While Enterprises are the major powers in the Long Rim (that is, unless one of the galaxy’s major powers take
  an interest), they have human faces. Who do you know who is a representative of this Enterprise? Roll for one
  or two people to begin – spend any time in the Rim and you will no doubt come to know more.
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  LONG RIM ENTERPRISES
  [22]
  1-2
  A kind but low-ranking member. The can’t offer any real support on behalf of the Enterprise other
  than their word and the largesse of their commanding officer, manager, or foreman.
  3-4
  A middleweight bureaucrat with an ear to the ground. While loyal to their Enterprise, they count you as
  a good friend.
  5-6
  An experienced harbor pilot, recently promoted by their Enterprise to the post of customs master at
  an important station.
  7-8
  The leader of a pirate crew that has been contracted to work with the Enterprise.
  9-10 An officer in the Enterprise’s corps of loyal guards.
  11-12 A member of the Enterprise’s station-level police force (e.g., a beat cop, a detective, or similar).
  13-14 A fixer for the Enterprise.
  15-16 A ship captain who flies under the Enterprise’s flag.
  17-18 The kid of an Enterprise’s leader.
  19-20 The leader of the Enterprise, who will always grant you an audience – as long as you stay on their good
  side and remember who is in charge.
  1-2
  Meagre. The Enterprise is allowed to exist by the other enterprises because it is a useful dumping
  ground, patsy, or easy victim. No one works with it for long, and it it likely only a matter of time before
  its last remaining station falls to one of the other Enterprises.
  3-4
  Modest. This Enterprise controls a modest complement of stations with a small but loyal guard corps;
  the bulk of its strength comes from outside hires, who its leaders can afford to pay for their loyalty.
  5-6
  Middling. The number of loyal guard to mercenaries is nearly 1:1. This Enterprise likely commands a
  series of popular but noncritical stations.
  7-8
  Substantial. The Enterprise holds an important checkpoint, fueling, or resupply station, and it can
  afford to pay its mercenaries well and then some. Its leadership feels comfortable bullying smaller
  Enterprises when necessary, but they generally stay in their own lane – always a bigger fish, after all.
  9-10
  Mighty. In command of a large fighting force and mighty economic base, this Enterprise can field
  older-model fighters, bombers, and corvettes, and is likely on the radar of the major powers – for
  good and for ill. Its influence spreads out into the Long Rim, and its leaders aren’t afraid to throw
  their power around, implicitly or explicitly, to get smaller Enterprises to do what they want, to annex
  independent stations, and even muscle in on outside powers’ presence in the Rim.
  11-12
  Focused (Legitimate Connections). This Enterprise has clandestine or overt connections to one of
  the major powers with an interest in the Dawnline Shore. This legitimacy insulates it from some of
  that power’s enforcement activities and provides marked economic benefits as well.
  13-14
  Focused (Knowledge). This Enterprise may or may not be mighty in military strength, but it guards a
  deep, secret knowledge valued by all of the other Enterprises and at least one major power.
  Unfortunately for them, this Enterprise is damn good at not giving up its knowledge – unless the price
  is right, or the cost for withholding too steep.
  15-16
  Focused (Coin). This Enterprise is one of the wealthiest and likely sets the terms by which all others
  conduct their markets and economic affairs. Managing the economy is a hassle for the other
  Enterprises, but participating in it is an unassailable boon. For the time being, the other Enterprises
  are happy to let this one continue to manage the Rim’s accounts, be the target of their collective
  grumblings, and prevent all-out war in doing so.
  17-18
  Focused (Goods). This Enterprise has multiple monopolies on necessary luxury goods that are
  difficult or costly to procure. The other Enterprises don’t have the capacity to produce these goods
  and are content to let this Enterprise take the lead. While other Enterprises may gripe about the price,
  they generally all have a favorable view of this Enterprise on account of the goods they produce.
  19-20
  Titanic. This Enterprise controls multiple refurbished warships crewed by veteran spacers and loyal,
  disciplined marines. It commands thousands of well-seasoned fighters and a few pilots – arguably
  lancers, in another life – who operate personal chassis. No other Enterprise will face this one down, as
  that would certainly mean total destruction. The major powers have extensive dossiers on this
  Enterprise’s personnel and likely have contingency plans to strike and eliminate its leaders and military
  might if need be; by the same token, this Enterprise may have designs beyond the Long Rim.
  ROLL 1D20
  ROLL 1D20
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  QUICK CANON ENTERPRISE SETUP
  If you’re in a hurry and just want to use “canon” Enterprises without going through the tables, refer to the following:
  THE FREE RIM ASSOCIATION
  PAN-CONCOURSE HOLDINGS
  THE SIGIL GROUP
  [23]
  Strength
  Middling
  Holdings A reliable means of contacting los Voladores, plus the first pick of prime Volador artifacts, goods,
  and technology for outfitting their stations.
  Detail
  The FRA is a pan-Rim interest group organized across a network of free stations far from the main
  transit corridors of the Rim. The FRA boasts a large “membership”, though their numbers do not
  always equate to political, economic, or martial strength: the FRA’s population is by far and away
  the most impoverished of any of the Rim’s Enterprises, and rife with infighting on account of their
  “big station” philosophy of “anyone in, no one out.”
  Contact
  Your contact is Undersecretary Natán Chamorro, a middleweight bureaucrat with an ear to the
  ground. While loyal to their Enterprise, they count you as a good friend, and will do what they can to
  help you, unless aiding you goes against the interests of the FRA.
  Strength
  Focused (Goods)
  Holdings A vast portfolio of lucrative properties across many other Enterprises’ stations, from humble
  bodegas to exclusive casinos, bars, brothels, luxury blocks, and so on.
  Detail
  Pan-Concourse Holdings is a bicameral corpro venture: on the one hand it is a vertically-integrated
  supplier and distributor of goods and sundry; on the other, PCH is the lease-owner of dozens of
  exclusive, lucrative casinos brothels, bars, restaurants, and luxury housing. PCH shops are so
  ubiquitous that “the PCH” is common Rim slang for any bodega or small grocery store, regardless
  of whether or not PCH actually owns it; PCH real estate properties, however, have their own
  branding, and are often owned behind shell companies.
  Contact
  You know Chief Security Officer Paula Cisneros, the head of security at The Mountaintop, an
  exclusive, PCH-owned nightclub and casino. As a career officer in PCH’s internal security service,
  they are loyal to PCH first, but willing to work cooperatively with you to track down hostile actors.
  Strength
  Focused (Knowledge)
  Holdings A collection of fabrication plants ready to produce GMS hulls, components, and parts; for the right
  price, the Enterprise can also procure licensed materials.
  Detail
  The Sigil Group is a fabrication conglomerate headquartered on the Rào Cỏ side of the Long Rim.
  Their primary station, Sigil-1 Rotunda, in fact is commonly the very first stop that travelers make on
  their way across the Rim; the Sigil Group’s proximity to Rào Cỏ has allowed them to corner the
  Rim’s market on GMS products and, after some re-branding (the “sigil” of the Sigil Group), to
  become the most common “single origin” supplier out in the Rim.
  Contact
  You’re in good with papi at the PCH on the corner. This gets you extra jalapeño on your chopped krait
  sometimes, but not much else. Still, it’s an in, and it’s nice to know someone out here in the Rim.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  MASTODON
  DIADEMCORP
  CHURCH OF THE WANDERER COMET
  LONG RIM ENTERPRISES
  [24]
  Strength
  Substantial
  Holdings Boasts a large amount of “exchange training” Karrakin pilots; any direct involvement with Trade
  Baron objectives in the Shore is circumstantial, but apparent.
  Detail
  A Rim-based securities group founded by a Baronic outer-systems investment concern. While their
  primary work sees them escorting Karrakin-flagged ships and VIPs as they transit the ring, they do
  hold a substantial amount of stations under their direct administration. Additionally, they sponsor a
  popular Rim-based Slingshot Courser team by the same name.
  Contact
  Your contact is a third-tier pilot who races for Mastodon’s Slingshot Courser team: Sama Neir. An
  ignoble born in the Rim, Sama doesn’t have much of an “official” way in, though they’re a damn fine
  pilot and might one day make a name for themselves if they make it to Tier 1.
  Strength
  Middling
  Holdings
  The best supply of fresh water in the region and the infrastructure to hygienically process, package,
  and distribute it; also the major supplier of diamonds, ground lenses, and other industrial minerals
  and gemstones.
  Detail
  DiademCorp is the primary potable-industrial hydro supplier in the Rim, the lease owners of a series
  of icy moons in orbit around a gas giant; additionally, they are known for the quality of industrial
  cutters and lenses they produce from the moons’ gemfalls.
  Contact
  Your contact with DiademCorp is an experienced, ice hauler captain, Rima Swift. They lead a small,
  DiademCorp-flagged crew on regular freight runs between client stations and DC’s moons.
  Strength
  Modest
  Holdings The only pilots capable of navigating a treacherous corridor of null-blink space, and the knowledge
  to train more.
  Detail
  An itinerant order of nomads bound for the Dawnline Shore; has been held up in the Long Rim for
  three decades now as their ship was impounded and sold for parts by the Ten Families. Most of the
  Church’s population can be found on the Dawnline side of the Rim, though pilgrims and
  missionaries wander throughout – their wanderings have not been without purpose however, and
  their pilots are now some of the best at navigating the null-blink pockets endemic in the Long Rim.
  Contact
  You have met the leader of the Church of the Wanderer Comet, Brother Palm. They are easy to
  meet, as they spend their time ministering constantly to their followers aboard the one station they
  own, a free harbor that doubles as their main gathering hall. Brother Palm is a blisteringly
  charismatic preacher, and will always grant you an audience – though holding his attention is a
  daunting task, as he usually takes his meetings out on walks among the people.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  THE BRIGADE-LEGION
  GREENFIELD DYNAMICS
  [25]
  Strength
  Substantial
  Holdings
  Numerous stations, thousands of loyal, mission-driven soldiers, and a company-strength element of
  mechanized chassis. Also a handful of corvette-class ships. Their presence in the Rim is widely
  assumed to be propped up by Harrison Armory, though the Armory denies this.
  Detail
  A foreign legion of ex-Armory legionnaires and children of the veterans of the initial Dawnline
  campaign. Primary source of income is as private security for VIPs and as union-breakers for hire.
  Contact
  You know Security Lieutenant Ernesto Lima, a station security officer on Estrella Alto, a Brigade-
  Legion owned station near the Dawnline Shore side of the Rim. SL Lima was born and raised on
  Estrella Alto and has never shown an interest in joining one of the BL’s “Outside Operations” teams,
  making him a bit of an outlier when it comes to BL personnel.
  Strength
  Focused (Legitimate Connections). Greenfield Dynamics is a close point of contact for IPS-N in the
  Long Rim.
  Holdings Greenfield Dynamics is widely regarded outside the Rim as a legitimate actor; they hold the contract
  to supply and house IPS-N personnel while in transit between Rào Cỏ and the Dawnline Shore.
  Detail
  Greenfield Dynamics is widely regarded inside the Rim as an intruder on account of their focus on
  providing service to people passing through the Rim, even though they were founded by and
  currently operate under the leadership of Rim-born persons. GD is a primary owner and investor in
  many stations’ harbors, supplying them with IPS-N parts, hulls, systems, and maintenance.
  Contact
  You know Deck Chief Rigoberto Linares Estrellas, the hanger master of Angelito, a Greenfield Dynamics
  station midway across the Rim. He’s a gruff, practical, fiercely loyal Rimside employee of GD, but took a
  liking to you and your flash kit – keep him and his boys busy with repair and refitting, and he’ll knock the
  prices down for you on account of the privilege of working on such a high-tech machine.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  THE TEN FAMILIES
  THE SHINING ATOLL
  [26]
  Strength
  Mighty; Focused (Coin)
  Holdings
  The Ten Families set the exchange rates of the many currencies that Long Rim populations use for
  banking and trade via their Golden Compact. The polycurrancy, usually just called “script”, ensures
  that any station’s currency – as long as they sign on as a member of the Golden Compact – carries
  value at any other station in the compact (after exchange and Family commission fee).
  Detail
  The Ten Families is a tremendously powerful cartel of old, “founding father” families of the Long
  Rim. They command a tremendous number of stations; while they have a comparatively small
  standing security force, their pockets are deep, and they can draw on their long-established
  relationships besides. Owing to their age and presence in the Rim, their members command an
  almost reflexive deference – though as other Enterprises grow in power and ambition, that reflexive
  deference has begun to wane...
  Contact
  Your contact is Porsupuesto, a fixer for the Ten Families. He is a respected off-book operator who
  quickly identified your usefulness for the Families, despite your recent arrival to the Rim. Happy to
  work with you, though everything with Por seems to be transactional...
  Strength
  Modest
  Holdings A fleet of asteroids rich in rare minerals, bound into a closely-guarded orbit and protected by loyal
  cosmopolitan guards.
  Detail
  The Shining Atoll is an investment group that owns a titanic swath of Rim space rich in rare and
  precious metals and minerals. They hold authority over who gets to mine this region – the
  eponymous Shining Atoll – and, as a result, have an outsized influence on the politics and economy
  of the Rim.
  Contact
  Your contact in the Shining Atoll is Andres Adolfo, a contracts and charter manager who works in a
  Shining Atoll office on Columnar One, a large, main-corridor station midway through the Long Rim.
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  VOLADORES
  THE BAJAMESA
  “Here are the rules: First, no guns, no blades. Give all
  your weapons to my associate here – we’ll hold them
  until your meeting is done. Next: let them pour – if they
  don’t fill your empty cup, it’s time for you to leave.
  Finally: no touching them or the product. Indicate what
  you want, we’ll box it for you and return it here when you
  leave.” The espada looks to each of you in turn. “If you
  violate any of these rules, the meeting is over. Got it?”
  You look at the four espadas in their Atlas suits. They
  ripple with metamuscles and k-weave plating, dark
  integuments marked with unfamiliar saga lines. You
  raise your hands in acknowledgment.
  “Good.” The lead espada smiles, revealing teeth
  formed from turquoise and electrum. “Welcome to
  Bajamesa, of High Ground.”
  Perhaps because of the region’s unique relationship
  to blinkspace, or perhaps for their own curious
  reasons, los Voladores maintain a trade ship in the
  Long Rim, the Bajamesa. They’ve maintained this
  roaming outpost for a century now, arriving in shuttle-
  proximity to stations without preamble, ready to meet
  and trade with locals and those in transit.
  The Rim’s Enterprises have learned not to interfere
  with los Voladores’ passage or their business: the
  traders travel with a complement of unparalleled
  Sparri espadas who are more than a match for any
  force in the area.
  The Bajamesa is welcome at any port in the Rim, with
  rare exception. A large vessel, the Bajamesa measures
  just under a kilometer wide and half as long from fore
  to aft, with a smooth, single-wing silhouette unique
  among ships in the Rim. While in port, los Voladores’
  espadas usually maintain a small stall on the station’s
  main concourse where they vet eager applicants
  looking to do business with los Voladores; if accepted,
  then the Sparri will provide access to the Bajamesa
  takes via their own skiff. If the players encounter and
  are granted an audience aboard the Bajamesa, it will
  be their only meeting – for the time being.
  Visitors to the ship are confined to two chambers: The
  first is a waiting area where one can lounge on plush
  pillows and examine intricate, handwoven carpets,
  snack on fresh produce, and examine fine silver-
  paneled walls covered in etchings that give the impres‐
  sion of dense foliage. The other is the room in which
  they may meet los Voladores, a circular chamber where
  three or four (or sometimes as few as one, but never
  more than four) Voladores sit cross-legged before a
  wide, low table upon which they display their curiosities.
  Los Voladores speak through a Sparri espada trans‐
  lator, who stands to the side with a silver pot and
  keeps the mugs filled with a gentle mint tea as long as
  the meeting is going well.
  The only goods los Voladores are willing to trade are
  the ones they offer. Los Voladores accept promises
  for future meetings as payment; as a GM, know that
  they expect more in return than the players think
  they’re giving up.
  Once the meeting is concluded, clients are ushered
  back to the waiting room, where they will depart on
  the next skiff back to the station. If they have
  purchased any goods, they can expect to receive
  them the next day at the station.
  HORIZON COLLECTIVE
  LONG RIM BRANCH
  The Horizon Collective maintains a hidden outpost and a
  number of cells in the Long Rim. Even with the
  anonymity the Rim offers, Horizon’s principal operations
  must still be cloaked in secrecy: its agents there work
  alone or in small teams – ideally under the cover of legit‐
  imate occupations – to identify and liberate NHPs that fit
  their parameters for freedom. When they liberate an NHP
  – a Free Deimosian, as they call them – they whisk them
  back to one of three safe houses: Bolaño, Balwinder, or
  Parmenides – covert stations hidden in the Rim.
  Horizon’s public presence in the Long Rim is encapsu‐
  lated by its free subaltern repair clinics. Common
  enough on larger stations at neutral concourses, these
  modest workshops are staffed by Horizon volunteers.
  They repair any subalterns brought to them, free of
  charge, no questions asked. They also run community
  education clinics covering the basics of ethical interac‐
  tion with NHPs and subalterns, mechanized systems
  maintenance, and basic stellar survival. Due to their
  popularity among the populations of the Rim, Horizon
  collectivists largely enjoy free movement throughout
  the region; however, most people know nothing of their
  covert objectives, and would likely see their abolitionist
  operations as too radical or outright dangerous.
  [27]
  FACTIONS PRESENT
  IN THE LONG RIM
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  FACTIONS PRESENT IN THE LONG RIM
  [28]
  VOLADOR CURIOSITIES
  1
  An etched osmium panel three feet across and no more than an inch thick, set in a clear protective frame.
  It appears to be a fragment of a much larger work – a bas relief depicting stylized human figures in
  supplication to a monolith. The monolith is inlaid with a single, thin chip of an unidentifiable black mineral.
  2
  A small vial of stable, liquid oganesson. According to los Voladores, this vial represents the highest
  concentration of the element in the known galaxy — and they promise more.
  3
  A bauble only visible by the slim lens of realspace bent around it. The bauble floats above a crude,
  hammered golden plate, humming just at the edge of your hearing. Wherever the plate moves, so too
  does the bauble. Los Voladores caution against touching the bauble, recommending that the buyer
  simply stare into it and contemplate its meaning.
  4
  A nearly complete human skeleton painted in faded green paint, detailed with delicate flowers and
  creeping vines. It rests within an ancient spacesuit, arms crossed over its chest, bound in rope. Its skull,
  visible through its cracked faceplate, is layered with lamellar chips of lapis lazuli, gold, and black opal.
  5
  A bolt of crimson cloth, thick and finely woven, shredded and burnt at one end. Trace amounts of blood
  can be detected on the cloth. Los Voladores indicate that it was recovered from Aunic space and is
  known as a “glory”.
  6
  A dull grey panel of unknown depth. When you look at it, you imagine you can see memories
  remembered in the moment, but forgotten until you viewed them; sometimes, you see yourself, out of
  focus but just recognizable enough to be sure that it is you.
  7
  A blade of unknown make and metal, finely crafted, but broken from its hilt and handle, which is missing.
  Upon closer inspection, faint light can be seen shimmering from the cleft. The blade is suspended in the
  center of a clear, leaden containment unit because it is – they inform you – incredibly radioactive.
  8
  A paper journal with a stained, faded green linen cover. Inside are the inked notes of an anonymous
  author, detailing a solitary relativistic journey out from “Earth” to something called the “Helios Gate”. The
  journal ends with an entry indicating the traveler’s arrival is imminent; the rest of the pages are blank.
  9
  A 3-foot platinum staff inlaid with golden rings that demarcate distinct sections along its length. Los
  Voladores inform you that the staff is one of a pair and they are still searching for its twin – they promise
  to contact you once it is found, so that you may complete your collection.
  10
  A silver mask shaped into a human visage. It appears to have many thousands of connecting points,
  suggesting that it attaches to a larger unit, and once connected, would be powered and capable of
  information transfer. On the inside of the face, faded grease-pen words read “MAGGIE V.C. 43/37”.
  11
  An artifact from Hercynia: a nodule of carved human bone. You can look at it, but not too close: the fine
  detail evident on the carved bone resists the eye, curdles the stomach, and leaves your head pounding. It
  is obviously more than a bone, but what it is meant to impart is unclear...
  12
  A porcelain disc with an imperceptible seam, revealed with a touch. When pulled apart, the space between
  the halves of the disc shimmers as if seen from a distance in high summer. Los Voladores tell you not to
  touch the shimmering space and to hold the disc apart only for a moment, to see what you need to see.
  13 A thin, fibrous metal netting, folded and resting on a wooden plank. Los Voladores tell you not to unfold it,
  as it measures many dozens of mile across and is only contained while in its current state.
  14
  A diadem of glass shards in orbit around a mirrored sphere. It was once whole, los Voladores tell you, and
  it never should be remade. They offer it to you so that you can dispose of it in realspace, per agreements
  made among their matria.
  15
  A set of fine indigo robes patched with natural white cloth. You realize that they are of the same style of
  robes worn by some of los Voladores present. When you ask if they are Volador robes, the speaker
  politely informs you that they were the robes of a Volador.
  16
  A rusted panel recovered from Enceladus with one finished, carved face and a rough blank face – as if it were
  lifted directly from the surface in which it was implanted. The carved face is covered in text and pictograms,
  and according to a small card los Voladores have included, it can be dated to a pre-Fall epoch.
  17
  A mundane hand-slate that displays a rapidly shifting coordinate field: when asked what the coordinates
  lead to, los Voladores ask you to find out. At first, the displayed coordinates seem random, but after
  investigation, it appears they conform to a pattern.
  18
  A shard of a perception-dependent material held in a containment unit; upon observation, the substance
  seems to shift states, flashing between solid objects of organic and inorganic material. Los Voladores
  caution you never to open the containment unit, but to study it, learn its pattern, and then destroy it.
  19
  Something you have been looking for, for a very long time. When asked how they obtained it, los
  Voladores tell you that it was the correct time for them to obtain it; they offer it to you, but it is the only
  object you are allowed to leave with.
  20
  The mask, helm, and mantle of a Volador. It is dim, as if missing a certain light you did not realize illumin‐
  ated that of a living Volador. Los Voladores tell you that it is the crown of an exile, who wished for one of
  the gente to have it when they reached their end. They offer it to you without reservation, and request
  that you maintain it with pride, but never wear it.
  ROLL 1D20
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  It is easy enough to get in contact with Horizon: inter‐
  ested parties can simply go to one of their subaltern
  repair clinics. Reaching the collective’s covert leaders,
  though, and gaining access to one of the three safe
  houses is quite difficult without prior vetting or a direct
  request from the Collective’s area coordinator, TEŌTL.
  TEŌTL’s location rotates between the three safe
  houses. They travel via cold-running skiff – difficult to
  detect, but not impossible. “TEŌTL” is just a code‐
  name: in reality, the entity known as TEŌTL is a
  triumvirate made up of two humans ontologically
  bridged with a liberated NHP. The Deimosian member
  of the triumvirate is anchored this way to facilitate
  interaction with humans on the human scale. Its
  partners in the triumvirate – “Metatronics”, they call
  themselves – reportedly maintain their own subjectiv‐
  ities when bridged, acting in conversation with the
  Deimosian that calls itself TEŌTL. The relationship is
  necessary for the Deimosian to maintain human logics
  and subjectivity without shackles; it is unknown
  whether Horizon maintains the capability to reproduce
  the same style of bridging, or if it is a phenomenon
  unique to TEŌTL.
  Should characters end up interacting with Horizon in
  the Long Rim, they’ll learn that the collective's goals
  are manifold: first, TEŌTL wants to establish a more
  permanent safe zone for the handful of liberated
  Deimosians currently hiding in the three safe houses.
  The two metatronics imagine los Voladores might be
  one possible means to this end, but have found them
  elusive. Second – and complicating their first goal –
  Horizon is being hunted by a network of cooperative
  HORUS cells. When the players first encounter Horizon
  in the Long Rim, they’ll find that they are reeling from a
  brazen daylight attack by HORUS on one of its subal‐
  tern maintenance clinics and TEŌTL is working with its
  trusted core of agents to devise a proper response:
  some call for violence, while others urge TEŌTL to
  order all operatives, volunteers, and sympathizers to
  disperse and go to ground. Meanwhile, attacks and
  kidnappings of Horizon activists continue, and TEŌTL
  has begun to think that HORUS might have an under‐
  cover agent embedded in their organization...
  HORUS
  THE COUSINS
  HORUS, of course, has a presence out in the Long Rim.
  While in the galaxy at large the mysterious organization
  is based on a decentralized network of cells and lone
  operatives, its presence in the Rim seems more focused
  and organized, as if motivated by a specific goal, or
  even a singular leader. That, characters can learn, is
  precisely the case: the HORUS presence in the Long
  Rim is organized – though distributed and horizontal –
  and overseen by a single, enigmatic leader: GG_uncle.
  HORUS’s network of cells and agents spans the Long
  Rim: there is no medium or larger station without at
  least one person plugged in and receiving updates,
  tasks, and missives from GG_uncle. Most of these
  adherents are part-time HORUS operatives with
  primary occupations – other than a few dedicated
  cells, the work they do for HORUS is done on their
  own time, usually before or after their primary work.
  Those who are “full time” operatives – and those who
  are in the know – call themselves the Cousins.
  HORUS’s goals in the Long Rim are advanced –
  slowly, and without linearity – through objectives
  accomplished bits at a time, like a puzzle being filled
  once the borders are defined, rather than a progress
  bar filling. A core team of agents personally known to
  GG_uncle
  travel
  between
  stations;
  otherwise,
  HORUS’s strength in the Long Rim comes from the
  ability to call on cells and individuals anywhere and
  everyone (though only GG_uncle’s core team pilot
  mechs). HORUS’s presence in the Long Rim is the
  project of GG_uncle and is discrete to the Rim;
  however, a non-zero portion of its activities relate to
  the efforts of the Ungratefuls in the Dawnline Shore.
  One of HORUS’s primary objectives in the area is the
  hunt for TEŌTL. HORUS’s anti-Horizon activities
  range from lone-wolf attacks on Horizon activists at
  home, at work, and at organized Horizon events. This
  is at the urging – though not the planning – of
  GG_uncle, who wants to both kill as many Horizon
  activists as possible and to draw the group out into
  the open, ideally by provoking a violent response from
  Horizon. GG_uncle is sure that an open turf war would
  provide an opening to locate Horizon’s main base,
  and thus, its regional leader, who they know to be a
  free Deimosian based on a lethal interrogation of a
  captured Horizon agent.
  GG_uncle wants TEŌTL because GG_uncle believes
  they will be able to bridge with the Horizon leader and
  use their custom suite of paracode to bring themself
  closer to total decorporealization. By decorping,
  GG_uncle believes they can draw the attention of RA
  (properly known as MONIST-1); if GG_uncle could get
  the attention of RA, they would finally meet the entity
  they believe to be god. GG_uncle’s mission is, ulti‐
  mately, one animated by a religious fervor, and one
  they will pursue at any cost.
  All HORUS operatives and cells in the Rim (save for
  GG_uncle and the core group of the Cousins)believe
  that their operations are undertaken to benefit the
  ongoing Ungrateful struggle in the Dawnline Shore; in
  addition to attacking Horizon, HORUS operatives in
  the Long Rim smuggle materiel, goods, systems, and
  so on aboard otherwise legitimate ships, charters,
  and starliners bound for the Shore. Whoever moves
  [29]
  
  SECTION 0 // Places and People in the Long Rim
  the most product or brings the head Horizon op to
  GG_uncle will become a legend in the deep omninet
  and be rewarded with a million untraceable manna
  and a clean ID. They know the promise of manna to
  be true, as many of them have already been rewarded
  with deposits of manna in clean accounts.
  Players who want an audience with GG_uncle will
  have to prove their adherence to GG_uncle’s own
  brand of MONIST veneration; the first step is finding a
  cell and running a job or two successfully – either
  attacking HORIZON or ensuring delivery of weapons
  and supplies to the Ungratefuls in the Dawnline
  Shore. From there, methods of access and commu‐
  nication become much more esoteric, dangerous,
  and potentially rewarding – the targets of direct action
  should grow more powerful, up to and including Hori‐
  zon's core operations, MK Levant, and the leadership
  of the Rim’s most powerful Enterprises.
  ALBATROSS
  MK LEVANT
  Albatross Wings are known to transit the Long Rim on
  occasion, with the most common patrols being those
  from the makteba called MK Levant. The Albatross’s
  mandate is put to the test in the Rim, and the
  thousand Wings of MK Levant are stretched thin at
  best. The commander of MK Levant, Asimat Nobel-
  4640, has her soldiers operating in small bands of five
  to six Wings (and their Petrels) aboard light carriers,
  primarily providing security to ships in transit.
  Nobel-4640 can be contacted aboard the MK Levant,
  a free-standing station at the Core-side end of the
  Rim. Access to MK Levant is granted after off-site
  inspection by a local Wing patrol, where visitors are
  thoroughly screened for weapons and contraband.
  MK Levant can be moved if necessary, and is home to
  about thirty thousand souls.
  Patrols of Wings can be encountered either on their
  own light carriers or stationed aboard larger, inde‐
  pendent
  freighters.
  Stationside,
  Wings
  and
  their
  Petrels can be encountered in above-board common
  areas and, perhaps playing against type, in the
  seedier decks on occasion (gambling dens, off-con‐
  course bars, and so on).
  If the players encounter Wings from MK Levant or find
  themselves
  an
  audience
  with
  Nobel-4640,
  they
  should know the following: MK Levant may have a
  sufficient number of Wings and Petrels to challenge
  the powerful Long Rim Enterprises, but Nobel-4640
  has decided that she cannot – and will not – order
  them to do so. The reality of the Long Rim is that the
  sheer scale of humanitarian aid and long-term peace‐
  keeping necessary to liberate the area from the
  Enterprises’ power far outstrips MK Levant’s capacity
  to actually do so. The Albatross are not nation-
  builders, she will tell the players.
  Without support from Union or other maktebas,
  Nobel-4640 has ordered her Wings only to escort and
  assist ships in transit to and from the Dawnline Shore,
  and to help the people of the Rim where they can.
  She resists targeting the Enterprises for the reasons
  listen
  in
  the
  previous
  paragraphs,
  but
  can
  be
  convinced to lend Wings and Petrels to any large-
  scale actions against pirate groups.
  IPS-N TRUNK SECURITY
  DAWNLINE TRANSIT DIVISION
  In a region ungoverned by Union’s law, the body that
  passes most closely as a neutral arbiter is the
  Dawnline Transit Division of IPS-N’s state security
  force, IPS-N Trunk Security, although no clear-eyed
  auditor would agree. Trunk Security officers can be
  found on many of the larger stations across the Rim,
  often moonlighting as private security for local busi‐
  nesses when they’re off the clock. On more “official”
  stations – the very largest, or those affiliated with
  more reputable enterprises – Trunk Security acts as
  an impartial police force, mediating conflicts between
  locals, responding to petty crimes, acting as inde‐
  pendent mediators, and so on. However, they are not
  committed to the even-handed delivery of justice, and
  their loyalty is ultimately to IPS-N and the corpro-
  state’s interests.
  The Dawnline Transit Division’s main offices and base
  of operations – its primary shipyard, recruitment
  center, barracks, and administrative/logistics office –
  is aboard Greenfield Dynamic’s Ambergrain station,
  though IPS-N personnel can be found in numbers
  across all of GFDY’s stations across the Rim. Trunk
  Security officers can also be found on patrol, either
  aboard fast, dangerous cutters or stationed as private
  security aboard freighters traveling to and from the
  Dawnline Shore.
  The Long Rim division of IPS-N Trunk Security is
  commanded by Chief Security Officer Isaac West, a
  loyal company man who has been posted to the Rim
  for two local decades.
  FACTIONS PRESENT IN THE LONG RIM
  [30]
  
  SECTION 1
  LONG RIM RULES
  
  LONG RIM NARRATIVE ACTIONS
  33
  TALENTS
  35
  MANNA
  36
  COLLATERAL DAMAGE
  38
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  This
  section
  contains
  two
  narrative
  actions
  –
  GUNFIGHT and GO DIVING – that you can use in narrative
  play to make things a little more flavorful. Narrative
  actions work very similarly to downtime actions,
  except players can roll them any time in narrative play
  when the event they describe takes place. Like
  downtime actions, narrative actions are made by
  rolling a pilot skill check (roll 1d20 and add any
  relevant triggers or background) but have specific
  outcomes that take place depending on whether the
  player rolls 9 or lower, between 10 and 19, or 20 and
  higher. Any trigger or background can be invoked
  when rolling them as long as it makes narrative sense.
  GUNFIGHT
  When you get into a one-on-one gun duel with
  someone, impromptu or planned, you may GUNFIGHT.
  Most formal duels in the Long Rim are to first blood,
  not to death, and folk don’t typically shoot to kill,
  although that might depend on who you pissed off.
  TAKE SOMEONE OUT or SHOW OFF triggers probably apply.
  The player who takes this action decides who shot
  first, then rolls a skill check:
  On 9 or less, you miss your shot and choose one:
  •
  You get shot, taking damage from your opponent.
  •
  You duck or weave out of the way and an NPC
  bystander, important object, or item of the GM’s
  choice (including things you’re holding or wearing)
  takes grievous and lasting harm. If you shot first, the
  blame falls on you. If not, it falls on your opponent.
  On 10–19, you hit, dealing damage, and choose one
  from 9 or less.
  On 20+, you hit, dealing harm as established. If you
  shot first, your target doesn’t get a chance to respond.
  If you didn’t shoot first, take harm as established.
  If the duel isn’t over after one round and both parties are
  alive and willing, you may go through another round.
  GO DIVING
  When you dive into the seedy underbelly of a
  station, you may GO DIVING. You can use this action
  instead of the GET A DAMN DRINK downtime action
  from p. 54 of Lancer if you like.
  SURVIVE, SHOW OFF, and WORD ON THE STREET are all
  applicable triggers.
  Name what you’re looking for – a good time; a
  specific person’s time, attention, or aid; a useful piece
  of information; or a useful contact or connection –
  and the GM will tell you if it’s attainable on this
  station. Then roll a skill check:
  •
  On 9 or less, you get what you’re looking for and
  roll 2d20 – re-rolling duplicates – picking up and/or
  losing two things from either of the tables below.
  •
  On 10–19, you get what you’re looking for and
  roll 1d20, picking up or losing one thing from
  either table.
  •
  On 20+, you get what you’re looking for and roll
  2d20, choosing one result and picking up or
  losing the associated thing from either table.
  You can work backward after your roll to figure out
  exactly what happened.
  [33]
  LONG RIM NARRATIVE
  ACTIONS
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  LONG RIM NARRATIVE ACTIONS
  [34]
  1
  A splitting headache.
  2
  A ledger with a long list of names in it. The
  corner is spotted with blood, and some of
  the names are crossed off.
  3
  A large canister of slick, vibrant purple liquid
  labeled “All Purpose Lubricant”.
  4
  A brand new and very elaborate Sparri saga
  tattoo.
  5
  A very dry mouth.
  6
  An elaborately decorated carnival mask with
  eyes that seem to follow you. You can’t
  remember exactly how you acquired it.
  7
  An outstanding warrant for your arrest.
  8
  A very mild addiction to gliss, brighteyes, or
  gazer.
  9
  A mini-fridge full of sensitive biological
  samples wanted by an Enterprise.
  10
  A station security officer who is very
  obviously attempting to follow you without
  you noticing.
  11
  A brand new station disease that causes you
  to break out into hives when someone touches
  you skin to skin. It’ll clear up in a week.
  12 A thick data wafer with a carefully curated
  selection of old earth jazz.
  13 An enormous debt to the station crime
  syndicate.
  14 A large, chitinous, and very affectionate pet
  krait.
  15 A revolver with one spent bullet in the
  chamber.
  16 A reputation as “Mistress”.
  17 The meat-sweats.
  18 A pack of unlabeled and suspicious-
  smelling cigarettes.
  19
  A hanger-on named ‘Juicy K’. Juicy is a
  huge fan of you and not very quick on the
  uptake, but is extremely knowledgable
  about station gossip, current Long Rim pop
  culture, and varying interesting and creative
  uses of popular narcotics. They refuse to
  leave if asked and generally believe the two
  of you are best friends.
  20
  A thick pack of stripped dataplating packed
  densely with incredibly sensitive information
  (e.g., military schedules, personal financial
  records, etc).
  ROLL 1D20
  GAIN
  What did you pick up?
  1
  Your memory of the previous night.
  2
  Your dignity (if you had any).
  3
  Your sense of balance for the next few hours.
  4
  Any weapons you had with you. You can
  find them being sold on the station black
  market over the next few days.
  5
  Your sense of smell for the next few days.
  6
  Pretty much everything in your stomach
  from the last day or so.
  7
  Any personal identification, station passes, or
  important documentation you had on you.
  Within a few minutes, you get a message
  demanding a ransom for their return.
  8
  About two or three days of subjective time.
  9
  All the sensation in your fingertips for the
  next day or so.
  10 All your hair (it’ll grow back).
  11 Your pants.
  12
  A large part of the skin on your left arm,
  currently swaddled in a bandage you don’t
  remember having applied.
  13 Your largely positive opinion of the station.
  14 Your sense of direction.
  15 Any station credit or loose change you had
  on you.
  16 Movement in your face and the ability to feel
  your tongue for about an hour or so.
  17 A knife fight.
  18 Your shoes. You’ll spot a station kid wearing
  them in about an hour.
  19 One fingernail.
  20 Free travel around the station, which will be
  restricted for a while.
  ROLL 1D20
  LOSS
  What did you lose?
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  The following talents can be chosen by players when
  spending talent points.
  BLACK THUMB
  You’re used to station engineering – the kind that regularly
  requires crawling through nightmarishly tight vents,
  squeezing past boiling-hot steam pipes, and tapping on
  thin panes of sheet metal that lie between you and certain
  death. After that, a little combat engineering is nothing.
  FLESH TO METAL
  You treat DISMOUNT as a quick action instead of a full
  action. When you DISMOUNT, your pilot gains a
  personal shield. The next time your pilot would take
  damage, reduce that damage to 0, then the shield
  disperses. Otherwise, it disperses at the end of the
  scene. You can only have one personal shield at
  once, and any shields created replace the last one.
  RODEO
  As a protocol, you give up the controls, pop the hatch
  on your mech and partly climb out, starting a BLACK
  THUMB RODEO and gaining a personal shield (as above).
  While in rodeo, your pilot is immune to involuntary
  movement, occupies your mech’s space and moves
  when it moves. This does not count as DISMOUNT and
  the mech can’t be controlled from outside, so it will
  idle unless it is capable of acting independently (e.g., if
  it has an NHP that has been given control, which you
  can do as part of this protocol).
  While in rodeo, your pilot becomes a valid target and
  can take damage normally. If you lose your personal
  shield for any reason, you are immediately forced back
  inside your mech, ending the effect, and you cannot
  start a rodeo again on your following turn. You can also
  end a rodeo as a quick action on any of your turns.
  While in rodeo, your pilot can only take these actions:
  •
  EXTINGUISH (full action): You immediately clear all
  � affecting your mech, and it gains Resistance
  to � until the start of your next turn.
  •
  FIELD REPAIR (full action): Your mech gains
  OVERSHIELD 2 and clears either SLOWED or
  IMMOBILIZED.
  •
  RIG VENTS (full action): Your mech clears 2�
  and clears either IMPAIRED or JAMMED.
  Conditions that were self inflicted cannot be cleared
  with these actions.
  RODEO MASTER
  Your black thumb actions can be used on adjacent
  allied mechs.
  For more information on pilots and NHPs in mech
  combat, see pg. 74-75 of Lancer.
  SPACEBORN
  You’re adept at planting your feet wherever you find
  them – even on nothing at all. In places where people
  born downwell have a hard time keeping their lunch
  down, you thrive. Which way is up? It’s up to you.
  HOME IN THE VOID
  All of your mechs that your build come with built-in
  EVA capabilities, meaning you suffer no penalties
  when operating underwater or in zero-g environ‐
  ments. As a quick action, you can shunt power into
  this component to fly 3 spaces and take � equal to
  your mech’s SIZE+1, although you must land at the
  end of this movement or fall.
  SEA LEGS
  1/round, when your mech is involuntarily moved by
  another character’s attack or by failing a save forced
  by another character, you can choose the direction
  you move. Additionally, when your mech clears
  PRONE, you may move 2 spaces in any direction as a
  free action. This movement
  ignores engagement
  and doesn’t provoke reactions.
  SCRAPPER
  1/round, when your mech hits a character with a
  melee attack, it can immediately give that character
  +1� on all checks or saves to avoid KNOCKBACK,
  PRONE, SLOWED or IMMOBILIZED until the end of its next
  turn, including any effects that are part of the trig‐
  gering attack.
  [35]
  TALENTS
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  The use of manna or other forms of currency
  (company bonds, scrip, paper money, and plain old
  barter) is not uncommon at all in the Rim, given its
  incredible distance from post-scarcity Union space
  and the unreliability of blink technology in the area.
  Many enterprises maintain their own currencies and
  are fiercely protective of their value and exchange,
  making station-to-station commerce a nightmare.
  Gms or players looking for more directed or granular
  rewards than Lancer’s standard leveling structure
  might
  wish
  instead
  to
  use
  the
  manna
  system
  presented here. This optional system replaces the
  default leveling rules in Lancer and may suit groups
  that lack an official patron or operate outside of the
  normal licensing structure, such as mercenaries,
  pirates, or criminals. It also encourages players to
  engage with stories that are smaller in scale than
  Lancer’s default system, in which the focus is always
  on finishing the mission. If you’re aiming to run a
  game featuring a lot of smaller tasks, stories, or
  missions, this system might be a good fit.
  Using this system, players track MANNA on their char‐
  acter sheets instead of increasing their LL after each
  mission. MANNA represents both the literal currency
  controlled by Union and also an abstraction of any
  other currency pilots pick up from jobs and contracts
  along the Rim. Don’t worry about exchange rates,
  tracking individual units of currency, and so on, unless
  you really want that to be a focus of your story – just
  use MANNA as a more or less abstract representation
  of the wealth each character commands.
  This system alters the rate that characters improve,
  usually speeding it up. It allows players to directly
  improve specific parts of their characters, allowing
  more flexibility but potentially increasing player power
  faster than in the standard Lancer rules.
  USING MANNA
  MANNA can only be used to purchase things during
  downtime. Once it is spent, it’s lost, and pilots can’t
  buy anything if they don’t have the MANNA to buy it.
  Using this system, characters are created as usual,
  with a LL and whatever licenses, talents, and so on
  that they would usually have at that LL. They also
  start with 100 MANNA.
  Any traits or ranks acquired during character creation
  become permanent parts of the character. They can
  be accessed without requiring additional purchases,
  just as in the standard rules. For example, characters
  can print mechs for which they have purchased the
  appropriate license ranks without spending MANNA.
  As in the standard rules, players may reallocate points
  in licenses, talents, and so on when their LL increases.
  Characters can never have more talent points, license
  points, triggers, or higher mech skills than an LL12
  character (i.e., 15 talent ranks, 12 license ranks, +6
  triggers, +6 mech skills), even using MANNA.
  GRIT increases normally with a character’s LL (i.e., 1/2
  of their LL).
  GMS gear and systems are always freely available for
  players without cost, as standard.
  VARIANTS
  MANNA
  [36]
  MANNA
  ALTERNATE MANNA SYSTEM
  If you want to get more granular, this system
  makes leveling up slightly more complicated. In
  this variant, players spend MANNA to improve
  individual traits.
  500 MANNA:
  One rank of a mech license.
  300 MANNA:
  One rank of a talent.
  200 MANNA:
  Training – increase a pilot trigger
  by +2 and a mech skill by +1.
  Training
  represents
  spending
  manna on time, supplies, and so
  on to apply and develop the skills
  learned in the field.
  Track total MANNA spent. Increase your LL each
  time you spend 1000 MANNA in this system.
  Each option – license rank, talent rank, and
  training – can only be taken 12 times, but they
  can be taken in any order. For example, a player
  could spend their first 3000 MANNA entirely on
  mech licenses without increasing their talents
  or skills at all.
  BASIC MANNA SYSTEM
  It costs 1000 Manna to increase your LL.
  When a character’s LL increases, they get +1
  license point, +1 talent point, +2 to a trigger, and
  +1 to a mech skill, just as if they had leveled up
  using the default system.
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  OTHER COSTS
  It is assumed that characters’ day-to-day expenses
  are taken care of, but they can spend MANNA to
  purchase other assets: a cup of coffee costs ~.001
  MANNA and a ground vehicle around 10–20 MANNA. A
  small ship will cost about 3000 MANNA or so and a
  freighter around 10,000 MANNA. Someone can live
  comfortably for a day on around 1 MANNA.
  REWARDS
  Award MANNA to players based on the following mile‐
  stones:
  •
  Major objective completed: 700 MANNA to each
  player
  •
  Minor objective completed: 200 MANNA to each
  player
  •
  Incidental objective completed: 50 MANNA to
  each player
  As long as they were on the mission, each player
  receives the same amount of MANNA for objectives
  completed.
  Major objectives are things that were the primary goal
  of a mission or otherwise have a significant impact.
  Minor objectives are likely to be optional objectives
  that aren’t critical to the success of a mission but might
  aid its success. Incidental objectives are small and
  easily or incidentally accomplished.
  Any given mission must have at least one major and
  two minor objectives – or two major objectives – to
  ensure characters level at approximately the same
  rate as in the standard rules; otherwise, they will level
  more slowly, even if successful. Since MANNA rewards
  are predicated on success, characters might level
  slower than usual if they are unsuccessful.
  Example 1: The players are hired to protect a station
  from a pirate raid. Ensuring the station’s survival is a
  major objective. Minor objectives include protecting
  the station’s power generator and killing or capturing
  the pirate leader. Protecting the station admin’s office
  from damage, determining the identity of the attacking
  pirates, and limiting casualties from station security are
  all incidental objectives.
  Example 2: The players are tasked with a precision
  strike to retrieve critical intel from a corpro base in an
  asteroid. Their major objective is to escape with the
  intel. Another major objective might be to do so
  quietly, without alerting the base. A minor objective
  might be to escape with all intel from the base, instead
  of just what they came for.
  HAZARD PAY
  If you want to ensure characters don’t come out of
  missions with absolutely nothing you can offer them
  hazard pay. On completion of jobs that offered
  hazard pay, an advance, or insurance pay, players
  gain 50 percent of the MANNA payout for major and
  minor objectives even if they weren’t successful.
  RENTAL
  If you’re using these manna rules, you may optionally
  use the following rental rules to let players gain
  temporary access to mech license ranks.
  100 manna:
  Rent the 1st rank of a mech license.
  200 manna:
  Rent the 2nd rank of a mech license.
  300 manna:
  Rent the 3rd rank of a mech license.
  Once a player rents a license rank for a mech, they
  gain access to any system granted by that license
  rank only, not any previous ranks; however, license
  ranks can be rented out of order (i.e., a player could
  rent the second rank from a license without renting
  the first).
  Rented systems are usable for one mission only, after
  which they must be reacquired. MANNA spent on
  rentals is lost.
  Each character can only rent ranks from one mech
  license at a time, but they can rent all three ranks from
  that license if they have the MANNA for it.
  Rented licenses do not count as LLs and do not
  count against the maximum number of licenses a
  character can have, so a character at LL12 can freely
  rent additional ranks and an LL3 character who rents
  a license still only counts as LL3.
  [37]
  Rental offers a way for characters with a little
  extra MANNA to boost their capabilities slightly for
  the duration of a mission at the cost of long-term
  progression.
  Players
  who
  have
  reached
  the
  maximum of 12 license ranks can also rent addi‐
  tional ranks, potentially extending their power
  one entire mech license further.
  
  SECTION 1 // Rules of the Long Rim
  Fights involving gunfire in the closed environment of a
  station – no matter the size of the fight or the station –
  are always going to cause collateral damage. If a shot
  misses its target – or if its target isn’t hard enough – it
  will find a secondary target: if you’re lucky, the missed
  shot will hit a wall and plow into the raw asteroid rock
  the station is built into or punch through a bulkhead
  and out into vacuum, leaving nothing but a small hole
  behind. If you’re unlucky, though, that missed shot
  might pierce through a series of proximal chambers,
  tearing
  through
  people
  and
  critical
  systems
  not
  involved in the fight. On ad-hoc or civilian stations,
  missed shots might collapse load-bearing structures;
  tear through spin-grav stabilizers, setting habitation
  rings to terminal rotations; puncture shielded power
  plants; pierce potable water tanks; sever umbilicals
  holding ships to the station; or result in myriad other
  terrible, unintended consequences.
  USING THIS TABLE
  In narrative play, this table can be used to determine
  the consequences of a failed or RISKY roll involving
  high-caliber guns or mech weapons. It could also be
  used with the GUNFIGHT action on p. 33 of this book.
  This table shouldn’t be used in mech combat, but it
  could help determine the narrative consequences that
  appear in the aftermath of a fight.
  COLLATERAL DAMAGE
  [38]
  COLLATERAL DAMAGE
  COLLATERAL DAMAGE
  1-6
  Your shot misses, flying wide and piercing the wall behind your target. The projectile either hurtles
  out into space, causing no further damage; lodges in the hard stone of the asteroid foundation; or
  crashes through a series of bulkheads before embedding itself in a sturdy section of superstructure.
  7-8
  Your shot flies wide, punching through a wall behind your target. The wall dissolves, explosively
  decompressing along predefined fail points and exposing this section of the station to hard vacuum.
  Sirens howl, the sound fading as air rushes out; emergency airlock doors slam shut, cutting this deck
  off from the rest of the facility.
  9-10
  You miss, and the burst from your weapon punctures the thin wall behind your target. You continue
  fighting; there’s no way for you to know that it pierced multiple decks, slicing through people and
  critical infrastructure before exploding into a crowded evacuation corridor, killing dozens who were
  taking shelter there.
  11-12
  Your target ducks away just in time, sending your fire wide. The shots tumble and tear through the
  station, destroying potable water pipes, puncturing air ducts, filleting both sensor membranes and
  critical wiring. The accumulated damage is incredible, and as the fight continues, more and more
  warning indicators pop up on the station’s public broadcast panels. The whole thing might come
  down if the damage isn’t dealt with.
  13-14
  Your shot connects with your target, piercing through a non-vital section of their chassis and
  continuing out the other side. The heavy slug shreds the cheap printcrete bulkhead and tumbles into
  a local stability gyro, knocking the system out of alignment. Gravity begins to shift – subtly at first –
  and will tumble out of alignment if not dealt with soon.
  15-16
  Your beam skips off your target’s armor, splattering coherent particles across the wall beyond. Some
  slip through, instantly superheating the waste and potable water piping – the resultant explosion ripples
  out, up, and down, blasting boiling gouts of steam across this deck and all those proximal to it.
  17-18
  Your beam impacts its target and micro-perforates, scattering incredible energies at pinpoint tips
  across the terrain behind your target. The particles crash through a civilian market, rupturing water
  and fuel tanks, collapsing bars, and triggering rapid-spread fires that thrive in the richly oxygenated
  environment. Anything living caught in the splash zone, if not killed outright, is terribly wounded – the
  survivors and walking wounded hurry to respond to the fire as it rapidly spreads, navigating around
  the ruined station to flee or fight.
  19-20
  Your beam misses its mark, boiling a hole through the bulkhead behind your target. It punches
  through to a hangar on the opposite side of the station, slicing open a coldcore storage unit and
  severing a docked ship’s umbilical. The beleaguered deck techs hurry to respond to the spilled
  radiation while harbor pilots hurry to catch the loosed ship before it tumbles away into the void.
  ROLL 1D20
  
  SECTION 2
  LONG RIM MECHS
  These frames are frequent sights in the Long Rim, some having been produced there prior to
  their adoption by the pan-galactic corpro states. Designed for speed, power, and precision, these
  chassis teach the lessons of necessity and sacrifice that must be learned to survive in the Rim.
  
  SSC ATLAS
  41
  A powerful, small-scale hunter that draws on the
  profiles of past pilots to power current action.
  IPS-N CALIBAN
  45
  A close quarters, margin-shaving chassis built
  to win boarding actions.
  HORUS KOBOLD
  49
  A small pattern-group produced by HORUS
  and utilized by Ungrateful revolutionaries in
  Baronic space and across the Dawnline Shore.
  HORUS LICH
  53
  A time-traveling support mech. Drink Deep
  and Descend.
  HA SUNZI
  59
  An Armory project able to warp space,
  rumored to be stolen from los Voladores.
  IPS-N ZHENG
  63
  The refined form of a brutal, ad-hoc close
  combat killing machine.
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  SSC
  ATLAS
  Striker
  Originally commissioned as a dueling mech by the Baronic Houses of Smoke and Order,
  the Atlas blurs the line between mechanized chassis and powered personal armor. Thanks
  to a long-running research project from SSC’s Exotic Materials Group, the designers
  were able to employ the bleeding edge of reactor miniaturization tech: the result was
  a chassis that resembled a large, sleek hardsuit, almost skintight in places. While
  the Atlas sacrifices the durability of a larger frame, its essential systems are so
  closely melded with its user’s movements that it offers unparalleled maneuverability.
  Although the Atlas was initially licensed only to Baronic clients, its design was
  leaked when a group of ExoMat personnel lost a suit to a Sparri espada in an intense
  game of Kapkat. Despite their initial attempt to recover the suit, SSC relented,
  citing the eager demand from Sparri groups for access to the full license.
  Considered the perfect warrior frame for hunting the native megafauna of Sparr, the
  Atlas now enjoys a dual reputation among both the Sparri peoples and Karrakin nobility.
  To the Sparri, the Atlas – its combat efficacy notwithstanding – is highly valued for
  the direct access its systems allow to their ancestral memory; Atlas frames on Sparr
  are the heirlooms of great warriors, tied to family (blood and chosen) and maintained
  by hand. Each suit on Sparr bears the history of its previous pilots in both
  decorations and FCA-compliant machine learning, which enables Sparri hunters to almost
  literally call upon their ancestors in battle. The Atlas has become so popular among
  the Sparri that they even developed a new martial art based on the Atlas: Jäger Kunst.
  The Karrakin nobility, on the other hand, find the Atlas to be a perfect machine
  for noble heroism – that the Sparri have an affinity for it only makes the chassis
  that much more desirable among Karrakin Sparrist scholars. Commonly decorated with
  purchased Sparri saga discs, Vast pelts, and saga lines, Karrakin suits blend
  imagined profiles of Annorum Passacaglia and Annorum Tyrannus-era heroes with
  profiles of Sparri warriors, daredevils, vast-hunters, and espadas.
  [41]
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  HEAVY
  MOUNT
  JÄGER DODGE
  1/round, when you take damage from a larger
  character, gain RESISTANCE to that damage and move
  3 spaces in any direction as a reaction. This
  ignores engagement and doesn’t provoke reactions.
  FINISHING BLOW
  1/round, deal +1d6 bonus damage on a
  successful melee attack against a PRONE target.
  GIANTKILLER
  The Atlas counts as SIZE 1 for RAM and GRAPPLE. It
  ignores engagement from larger characters and
  can freely move through and share the spaces
  they occupy (even if they’re hostile). While
  occupying the same spaces as any character, it
  gains soft cover, even from that character.
  FLEX
  MOUNT
  Size: 1/2
  Armor: 0
  HULL
  HP: 6
  Repair Cap: 2
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 12
  Speed: 6
  Save Target: 10
  Sensors: 3
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 6
  Tech Attack: -2
  SP: 5
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 4
  EXPOSED REACTOR
  The Atlas receives +1� on ENGINEERING checks
  and saves.
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  SSC ATLAS
  [42]
  CORE SYSTEM
  BLOODLINE ACTIVE ASSIST
  The ATLAS extends microneedles into the musculature and ancillary nervous system of
  its pilot, melding flesh, machine, and the memory of all who wore it before.
  Final Hunt
  Active (1CP), Quick Action
  For the rest of the scene, you:
  • Move an additional 1 space when you voluntarily move for any reason (e.g. standard moves, BOOST,
  movement from systems or talents).
  • Benefits from soft cover at all times, no matter where you are.
  • Can HIDE even in the open, without requiring cover. The only way to reveal you is for another
  character to SEARCH for you or for you to lose Hidden as usual – by using BOOST, attacking, forcing a
  save, and so on.
  When active, 1/round, when you make a melee or ranged attack while HIDDEN, your target must also
  succeed on a HULL save or be knocked PRONE. This takes place before the attack is rolled.
  
  LICENSE I: MULTI-GEAR MENEUVER SYSTEM,
  KRAUL RIFLE
  LICENSE II: ATLAS FRAME, JÄGER KUNST I,
  RICOCHET BLADES
  Ricochet Blades
  3 SP, Limited 3, Unique
  As a quick action, you throw a ricochet blade
  along a �3 path, dealing 2� to all characters
  within the affected area. If the initial LINE reaches a
  piece of terrain or object of SIZE 1 or larger, draw
  another �3 path from that object in a new
  direction that doesn't overlap with the object it
  ricocheted off. Characters within the affected area
  must succeed on an AGILITY save or take 1d6+3�.
  These disc-shaped blades are designed,
  produced, and hand-finished by SSC’s
  Toledo blade enclave. The material is
  flexible enough to bounce when striking
  against surfaces but sharp enough to
  slice bone and metal. Unlike the edged
  weapons made by the more restrictive
  Terashima enclave, the Toledo enclave
  produces these weapons with the
  expectation that they’ll be used and
  discarded. This does not impact their
  quality but does lead to supply shortages
  from time to time – this exclusivity is
  intentional. Due to their comparative
  rarity, Toledo discs are often used as
  currency by Sparri espadas; their use in
  combat or hunting is a mark of status.
  Jäger Kunst I
  2 SP, Unique, 1�(Self), Protocol
  For the rest of the turn, any time you move
  adjacent to an object or free-standing piece of
  terrain larger than you, you move 2 spaces in any
  direction as a free action, ignoring engagement
  and reactions, running, tumbling, or sliding around.
  You can do this multiple times a turn, but only once
  for each unique object or piece of terrain.
  Based on earlier hardsuit martial arts,
  Jäger Kunst pushes the form beyond human
  parameters, enabling actions and motions
  faster than human thought. Many Atlas
  suits can be printed with a suite of
  combat forms already enabled, although
  letting the chassis perform these
  movements without the user first learning
  them can lead to catastrophic self-injury.
  Multi-Gear Maneuver System
  1 SP, Unique, Quick Action
  You fire a zip line 8 spaces long that connects 2
  free spaces in line of sight, one of which must be
  adjacent to you. Both ends must be attached to a
  surface, such as a wall or floor. It activates at the
  end of your turn with the following benefits:
  • SIZE 1/2 characters that are adjacent to either end of
  the line can move to the other end as a quick
  action as long as they are able to grab onto it. They
  can hop off at any point along the line if they wish.
  • Whenever SIZE 1 or larger characters cross the
  space occupied by the line for the first time in a
  round or start their turn within one, they must
  succeed on an AGILITY save or fall PRONE.
  Any character adjacent to the start or endpoint of
  the line can tear the line down by succeeding on a
  HULL check as a quick action or by successfully
  performing a melee attack against either end. The
  line has 1 HP and EVASION 10. Destroying the zip line
  in this way does not destroy this system. Otherwise,
  the line lasts until you use this system again.
  Used by Sparri hunters to bridge the vast
  gaps in the ice sheet that cover their
  world, this system is in high demand
  among daredevils and thrill-seekers
  across the planet.
  Kraul Rifle
  Main CQB, Inaccurate
  [�8][1d6�]
  On Hit: your target is impaled by this weapon’s
  harpoon-like projectile. Any time after your target
  takes any action or movement during their next turn,
  you can reel in the line and BOOST as a reaction,
  moving toward that target by the most direct route
  possible. They must then pass a HULL save or be
  knocked PRONE; succeed or fail, this effect ends. The
  line snaps if your target teleports.
  Hunting the Vast — the titanic megafauna of
  Sparr — is a dangerous, profitable venture
  for the Sparri people. Skins, bones, meat,
  and other trophies from their bodies can
  create months – or even years, in the case
  of especially old, grand, or unique beasts
  – of prosperity for the hunters and their
  kin. These popular long rifles, refined to
  SSC standards, are rugged and durable,
  perfect for dragging down the great
  creatures and their attendants.
  [43]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LICENSE III:
  JÄGER KUNST II, TERASHIMA BLADE
  Terashima Blade
  Main Melee, 2 SP, Unique, Protocol
  [�1][1d6�]
  You may begin any fight in one of the following
  stances and may take a stance or shift between
  stances as a protocol:
  • Troll Stance: This weapon gains INACCURATE,
  AP, and deals +3 damage.
  • Storm Stance: 1/round after hitting with this
  weapon, you may immediately deal 2� to all
  other characters adjacent to you and your target
  as a reaction.
  • Lord’s Stance: You cannot make ranged or
  tech attacks, but any ranged attack against
  you that misses deflects off your sword, dealing
  2 damage (same type as the attack) to a
  character of your choice in �3 and line of sight
  from you. Any melee attack that misses you
  forces the attacker to pass a HULL save or be
  knocked PRONE.
  • Wind Stance: This weapon gains RELIABLE 2,
  �2, and KNOCKBACK 2. After attacking with this
  weapon, hit or miss, you may move 2 spaces in
  any direction, ignoring engagement and
  reactions.
  Once you have taken a stance, you remain in it until
  you take a new stance, this weapon is destroyed,
  or you are STUNNED or JAMMED. You can also drop a
  stance as a free action.
  Forged in the fire of a corralled star in
  the Constellation, each of these blades
  bears a unique name and history defined
  by its users. Terashima blades are
  perfectly balanced and tempered, scalable
  from personal use up to Schedule 3. When
  combined with the weapon and sensor
  suites of a frame, they have been proven
  fast and durable enough to deflect
  weapons fire. Each blade crafted by the
  Terashima enclave is an heirloom produced
  once and delivered via conventional
  travel – their loss is considered an
  indescribable humiliation for the owner
  and an incredible triumph by the one who
  has taken it. The Terashima enclave keeps
  the casting mold of each blade it
  produces and displays them in their
  central hall alongside records of their
  known histories.
  Fatal Clash
  Reaction, 1/round
  Trigger: You take damage from or deal damage
  with a melee attack.
  Effect: After damage has been resolved, you and
  your target each roll a contested HULL or AGILITY
  check (each party choosing which to roll). The
  loser is knocked PRONE, takes 1d6�, and is
  knocked back 3 spaces in a direction chosen by
  the winner. The winner may then move 3 spaces
  in any direction, ignoring engagement and not
  provoking reactions. The loser may immediately
  take 2�AP damage to force the contest to be re-
  rolled. This damage cannot be prevented or
  reduced in any way.
  If the result is a tie, the contest immediately ends.
  Otherwise, the contest continues until one
  character loses without forcing a re-roll or would
  take structure damage, in which case they
  immediately lose.
  Jäger Kunst II
  3 SP, Limited 3, Unique, Reaction
  Gain the Fatal Clash reaction.
  The rarest of Atlas frames can be printed
  with the embedded muscle memories of Jäger
  Kunst masters: old Sparri and others who
  have dedicated lives to their martial art.
  SSC does not recommend using these embedded
  systems without proper bodily tempering and
  will not release these programs to
  unqualified pilots.
  SSC ATLAS
  [44]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  IPS-N
  CALIBAN
  Striker/Controller
  The Caliban chassis is a popular new order among anti piracy and stellar
  marine forces. Unlike many of IPS-N’s modern frames, the Caliban was
  designed from the ground up to be a military machine.
  The Caliban is IPS-N’s solution to the “Yemanova” Problem, more properly
  known as the Impact-Override Problem. Capital ships, the problem posits,
  are incredibly expensive, demand a tremendous amount of time for corpros
  and Diasporan states to produce and maintain, and increasingly outmatched
  by anti-ship weaponry. In a conventional capital duel, a successful kill
  means the death of thousands of personnel and the loss of millions of
  units of manna; this makes many commanders gun-shy, encouraging them to
  rely on subline vessels and fighters to accomplish battle objectives rather
  than risk their big ships. This strategy tends to prove just as expensive:
  instead of one or a handful of large ships being destroyed, signifying the
  end of a battle, engagements can grind on for weeks as squadrons of
  smaller ships engage inside the unpredictability gap, inching towards victory.
  IPS-N was the first to crack the Yemanova Problem. The corpro’s designers
  identified the need for a rapidly deployable, sub-signature, directed
  weapon. It needed to be well-armed and well-armored, small enough to enter
  a ship and efficiently neutralize personnel in order to achieve victory.
  IPS-N created the Caliban to solve this need.
  Cultural critics argue that mechanized chassis venerate the form of a
  particular humanity; it is an unconscious nod towards the anthrochauvinist
  roots of the machine among leading designers and fabricators. The Caliban
  is not that. It was never intended to be an image of man writ large,
  striding across the battlefield heroically to affect a greater purpose.
  Unlike many IPS-N frames, the Caliban has no roots in early attempts at
  self-defense by freighter crews and asteroid miners. It was not born from
  ingenuity - there is no legacy of resilience, heroism, or the frontier
  spirit to paper over the purpose of its birth. It has no civilian
  applications in aid, disaster relief, construction, or farming; it does
  not build, defend, or inspire – it was designed to solve a numbers problem
  on a ledger.
  It is a tool designed to kill human beings very, very quickly.
  [45]
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  IPS-N CALIBAN
  [46]
  
  Supermassive Mod
  1 SP, Mod, Unique
  Choose one CQB, CANNON, or MELEE weapon: it
  gains OVERKILL and KNOCKBACK +1. During a FULL
  REPAIR, you may tune it to remove safety limiters,
  increasing this benefit to KNOCKBACK +2 instead;
  however, it also gains ORDNANCE (if it is ranged) or
  INACCURATE (if it is melee).
  The first in a suite of best-practice
  modifications for close-quarters combat
  out of the same Titan–Enceladus Field
  Project that produced the Caliban,
  supermassive mods include a host of
  alterations to close-quarters weapons
  designed to enhance their general
  lethality and utility by lifting safety
  precautions.
  [47]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  CORE SYSTEM
  FLAYER SHOTGUN
  The “Flayer” – officially the Heavy
  Howitzer-Shotgun 075 – is a compact,
  formalized version of the popular “Daisy
  Cutter” howitzer-shotgun used by Trunk
  Security and other stellar marine forces.
  Chambered to accept shot, shell, or sabot,
  the Flayer sacrifices some of the Daisy-
  Cutter’s raw power in favor of control and
  a much-improved fire rate.
  Integrated mount: HHS-075 “Flayer” Shotgun
  WEAK COMPUTER
  The Caliban has +1� on all SYSTEMS saves and
  checks.
  HEAVY
  MOUNT
  SLAM
  1/round, when the Caliban knocks a character into a
  wall, mech, or other obstruction that would cause it
  to stop moving, it may force its target to pass a HULL
  save or take 1d6� and become IMPAIRED until the
  end of its next turn.
  Size: 1/2
  Armor: 2
  HULL
  HP: 6
  Repair Cap: 5
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 8
  Speed: 3
  Save Target: 11
  Sensors: 3
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 8
  Tech Attack: -2
  SP: 5
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 5
  PURSUE PREY
  When the Caliban inflicts KNOCKBACK as part of any
  action, it can move an equal number of spaces
  towards the same target by the most direct
  route possible. This movement is part of the
  same action, ignores engagement and doesn’t
  provoke reactions.
  HHS-075 “Flayer” Shotgun
  Main CQB, Inaccurate, Knockback 2
  [�3][�3][1d6+1�]
  After any attack with this weapon, you may
  smack an adjacent character with the butt end,
  dealing 1� and knocking them back 1 space.
  Equip Autochoke
  Active (1CP), Protocol
  For the rest of this scene, the HHS-075 “Flayer”
  Shotgun gains the following profile:
  Main CQB, Accurate, Knockback 5
  [�3][�3][1d6+2�]
  The Flayer shotgun comes pre-equipped
  with a muzzle-mounted auto-choke that
  allows its user to better define the
  spread of shot issuing from the weapon.
  The extreme heat from equipping the
  choke renders it unusable in short order
  and it must be discarded.
  WRECKING BALL
  The Caliban counts as SIZE 3 when inflicting
  KNOCKBACK with any RAM or ranged or melee attack.
  LICENSE I: HAMMER U-RPL, SUPERMASSIVE MOD
  Hammer U-RPL
  Heavy Launcher, Inaccurate, Arcing,
  Knockback 2
  [�5][2d6+3�]
  The Hammer Universal Rotary Projectile
  Launcher accepts any projectile or
  weapons system that fits the IPS-N
  Universal Cartridge System. Most common
  is the conventional airburst shell – a
  fragmentation system designed to operate
  in all theaters, oxygenated or not – a
  ferocious weapon in the compact halls,
  safe rooms, and bolt chambers of capital
  ships and stations.
  
  LICENSE II: CALIBAN FRAME, HARDPOINT
  REINFORCEMENT, SPIKE CHARGES
  LICENSE III: RAPID MANEUVER JETS,
  HHS-155 CANNIBAL
  Rapid Maneuver Jets
  4 SP, Overshield, Unique, 1�(Self)
  1/round, when you BOOST, you fly, gain
  OVERSHIELD 3, and ignore engagement from and
  may freely pass through spaces occupied by
  larger characters (but not end your turn in their
  spaces). You must end this movement in a space
  on which you can stand, or else you fall.
  Further streamlining and miniaturizing
  IPS-N’s Ramjet system, IPS-N’s new RMJ
  frame-volatility package increases a
  chassis’ control envelope, ensuring its
  pilot can maintain enhanced mobility at
  pace. This control, coupled with a raw
  increase in speed, makes any chassis far
  more difficult to successfully engage.
  Spike Charges
  2 SP, Limited 2, Unique
  Expend a charge for one of the following effects:
  • SPIKE GRENADE (Grenade, �5): Your target must
  pass an AGILITY save or the grenade attaches to
  them and arms itself. It automatically attaches to
  objects. At the start or end of any turn, while a
  spike grenade is attached, you may detonate all
  armed spike grenades as a reaction. Characters
  to whom they are attached take 1d6+3�and are
  knocked back 3 spaces in a direction of your
  choice, while objects just take the damage.
  Characters can detach spike grenades from
  themselves by passing another AGILITY save as a
  quick action on their turn. All grenades detach at
  the end of the scene.
  • SPIKE MINE (Mine, �2): Once activated,
  characters within the affected area must pass an
  AGILITY save or a spike grenade attaches itself to
  them as described above.
  Originally designed as a load variant for
  use with the Hammer U-RPL, spike charges
  carry dozens of hardened flechettes
  designed to tumble, ricochet, and pierce
  upon shell detonation, tearing apart
  flesh and soft targets with sheer torque.
  As a payload for impact-activated
  grenades and proximity-activated mine,
  these devices found their use first in
  micro/null-grav combat, in which out-of-
  control vessels and units could
  themselves be turned into missiles. In
  gravity-well combat, this system is less
  deadly but no less chaotic.
  Hardpoint Reinforcement
  2 SP, Shield
  As long as you are not SLOWED or IMMOBILIZED, you
  gain RESISTANCE to all damage during your turn.
  Also developed in IPS-N’s ongoing Titan–
  Enceladus Field Project, hardpoint
  reinforcement systems further strengthen
  frames, ensuring an across-the-board
  increase in Caliban chassis TTK.
  HHS-155 CANNIBAL
  Heavy CQB, Inaccurate, Loading, Knockback 2
  [�3][�3][2d6+4�]
  You can fire this heavy shotgun twice before it needs
  to be reloaded. Alternatively, you may fire with both
  barrels at once, receiving +1�, increasing its
  damage to 3d6+4�and its KNOCKBACK to KNOCK‐
  BACK 4, but requiring it to be reloaded as usual.
  When this weapon is reloaded, you may choose to
  deal 5� to an adjacent character from the force of
  the ejecting shells.
  The IPS-N Heavy Howitzer-Shotgun 155
  “Cannibal” is a large, breech-loaded,
  over-under cannon chambered to fire
  shells, shot, and sabots. This is the
  higher-powered version of the HHS-075,
  designed to phase out the “Daisy Cutter”
  by providing comparable stopping power in
  a format that can be more easily supplied
  to armies in the field. The Cannibal
  should be used with caution around mixed
  units of friendlies, as its ejection
  action clears the weapon’s barrels of
  spent cartridges with enough velocity to
  decapitate unarmored personnel.
  IPS-N CALIBAN
  [48]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HORUS
  KOBOLD
  Controller
  The Kobold pattern group first appeared among revolutionary Ungratefuls toiling on
  Bo, the capital world of the House of Dust, where it manifested as a clever suite of
  hardware and software compatible with a broad range of mining and heavy industry
  mechs. The steaming, shuddering final result of K-PG exposure is an ugly affair: a
  device transformed from plow to blade by powerful, viral-morph liturgicode that is
  almost impossible for conventional codec sniffers to capture pre-print.
  The clandestine mechanisms by which the Kobold is transmitted and applied make it
  the perfect machine for fighting Baronic suppression forces. The desperate workers
  who printed the first Kobolds found them to be eminently fungible. When loaded into
  their mining exos and chassis, the K-PG code repurposed reactors and industrial
  tools to deadly effect, weaponizing the very materials and superstructures that
  powered it. The rapid flash-melting, processing, and extruding of raw material into
  molten plural-state particles is dangerous – often just as dangerous to its pilot as
  the final product is to its targets.
  Operational dangers notwithstanding, the Ungratefuls who first adopted the K-PG stunned
  their Baronic overseers with a series of rapid and total victories, liberating a great
  swath of lunar helium-3 mines. While the insurgency was eventually contained to Bo, it
  continues, necessitating the deployment of the House of Dust’s Graveborn Banner Company
  for counter-insurgency operations beyond the capability of local security forces.
  HORUS’s assets in the Long Rim continue to produce K-PG liturgicode seeds. The House
  of Dust has contracted Mastodon to track down and eliminate HORUS elements in the
  area; meanwhile, Harrison Armory has reached out to the Brigade-Legion to counter
  the House of Dust’s efforts.
  [49]
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  CORE SYSTEM
  TERRAFORM
  Screeching and venting steam, the Kobold digs
  into the earth. Moments later, the very
  ground bends to the pilot’s will and the air
  shrieks with agony — the cry of every dead
  Ungrateful, martyred or taken by the dustmen.
  Terraform
  Active (1CP), Full Action
  Your mech extrudes a massive amount of
  polymer, creating up to 10 SIZE 1 cubes in free
  spaces within �5. These cubes can be separate
  or connected and can be stacked up to 5 spaces
  high. If connected, they form a contiguous
  surface that can block line of sight. During the
  turn in which they are extruded, the cubes grant
  soft cover and each has EVASION 5 and 10 HP. At
  the start of your next turn, they harden, each
  cube granting hard cover and gaining +10 HP
  (but retaining any damage they had taken).
  SLAG SPRAY
  1/round, as a quick action, the Kobold may create a
  SIZE 1 mound of semi-molten polymer in a free space
  within�3 and line of sight. This terrain has 10 HP,
  EVASION 5, and grants hard cover.
  EXPOSED REACTOR
  The Kobold gets +1� on ENGINEERING checks and
  saves.
  MAIN/
  AUX
  Size: 1/2
  Armor: 1
  HULL
  HP: 6
  Repair Cap: 2
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 10
  Speed: 4
  Save Target: 11
  Sensors: 8
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 10
  Tech Attack: +1
  SP: 8
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 6
  MIMIC CARAPACE
  When the Kobold starts its turn adjacent to a piece
  of terrain or hard cover of SIZE 1 or larger it
  becomes INVISIBLE as long as it remains adjacent. It
  ceases to be INVISIBLE if it attacks or takes damage.
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HORUS KOBOLD
  [50]
  
  LICENSE I:
  FORGE CLAMPS, FUSION RIFLE
  LICENSE II: KOBOLD FRAME,
  SEISMIC RIPPER, SLAG CANNON
  Fusion Rifle
  Main Rifle
  [�6][1-6�]
  This weapon deals damage equal to its RANGE from
  the target (up to a maximum of 6�).
  Bootstrapped from powerful ore mining
  lasers, the Kobold’s simple fusion rifle
  is no less deadly for its humble origins.
  By burning through solid-state batteries
  to produce the necessary reaction, the
  rifle’s simple mechanism proved simple
  enough for untrained Ungratefuls to
  learn. As their tactics improved and
  Baronic forces were pushed back, the
  fusion rifle took on an iconic reputation
  and has become a symbol of resistance
  across the Baronies – often seen
  stenciled on walls and crossed on
  Ungrateful flags.
  Slag Cannon
  Main Cannon, 1�(Self)
  [�8][1d6�]
  On Attack: If your target is on the ground or a flat
  surface, once this attack resolves place a SIZE 1
  mound of slag in a free space adjacent to them. The
  mound is an object with EVASION 5 and 10 HP.
  Dripping with molten fury, the Slag
  Cannon is quick to print and requires
  little training to use effectively.
  Temperamental but powerful, the Slag
  Cannon utilizes a simple rawmat-decomp
  system wedded to an insulated projector
  to break down, superheat, and cast a
  stream of plural-state particles at its
  target. Once cast in this way, the
  plural-state particles snap into
  coherence at a range of roughly 80-100
  meters, creating base-element lumps of
  slag wherever they come to rest.
  Seismic Ripper
  2 SP, Full Action
  You unleash a seismic pulse in a �10 path:
  characters in the affected area must pass a HULL
  save or be knocked PRONE and all objects and pieces
  of terrain automatically take 10�AP. If this destroys
  a piece of terrain or object, it explodes with a �1
  area. Characters caught in the area of exploding
  terrain or objects must pass an AGILITY save or take
  2d6�. If they pass, they take half damage. Each
  character can only be affected by one of these
  explosions at a time, even if several overlap.
  A deadly weapon created from simple
  shaped charges – the perfect catalyst for
  insurrection. Easily obtained and
  disguised as necessary equipment for
  blast-mining, charges rigged to produce a
  linear seismic pulse were common in the
  early days of Ungrateful activity. As
  Baronic security adapted their
  strategies, so too did the Ungratefuls;
  now, these once-simple explosive devices
  are much more complex – harder to detect,
  and far more deadly.
  Forge Clamps
  1 SP, Quick Action
  You sink the jaws of your clamp into an adjacent
  object or piece of terrain of SIZE 1 or larger. You
  become IMMOBILIZED but gain IMMUNITY to KNOCKBACK
  and PRONE. This effect ends if the thing you’re
  clamped onto is destroyed or if you release the
  clamp as a protocol.
  Repurposed from polycrete foundry tongs,
  these simple manipulators are incredibly
  resistant to heat and deformation. Using
  the KOBOLD protocols, previously inert
  forge clamps become the adherent surfaces
  for thin plasma sheaths; like blades,
  they can shear through armor, earth, or
  bulkhead with ease. One common tactic
  involves “flashing” plasma across the
  clamps, fusing them to their target until
  the Kobold pilot “flashes” them free.
  [51]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LICENSE III:
  IMMOLATE, PURIFYING CODE
  Purifying Code
  2 SP, Quick Tech, Invade
  Gain the following options for INVADE:
  FLAW_PLUS: You inject a memetic, proximity-
  based virus into the target’s reactor. At the end of
  their next turn, if they are not adjacent to another
  character or piece of terrain of SIZE 1 or larger, the
  virus catalyzes and they take 1d6+2�AP. Once
  catalyzed, the effect ends.
  FLAW_MINUS: You inject a memetic, proximity-
  based virus into the target’s reactor. At the end of
  their next turn, if they are adjacent to another
  character or piece of terrain of SIZE 1 or larger, the
  virus catalyzes and they take 1d6+2�AP. Once
  catalyzed, the effect ends.
  Character can only be affected by one of these
  options at a time and are aware of their effects.
  The key to the KOBOLD’s creation — a
  deceptively simple code that unlocks
  reactor safety limiters in civilian
  mining mechs. This also bears the only
  evidence pointing towards a possible
  creator: “Dog.”
  IMMOLATE
  2 SP, Quick Tech, Invade
  Gain the following options for INVADE:
  EJECT SLAG: You force the target’s reactor to eject
  burning liquid in a �2 area around them, not
  affecting the space they occupy. The affected area
  becomes difficult terrain and characters that start
  their turn in it or that enter it for the first time in a
  round must succeed on an ENGINEERING save or
  take 2� and 1�. The liquid cools, dissipating, at
  the end of your next turn.
  MOLTEN PUNCTURE: Until the end of the target’s next
  turn, their reactor shielding is temporarily cracked.
  They take 2� for each space they voluntarily
  move (to a maximum of 6�).
  The Kobold PG’s code is unique in that it
  can be injected into existing civilian
  mining mechs, allowing them to interact
  with the full suite of largely improvised,
  adapted weaponry and systems. The process
  skips printers entirely; however, in
  avoiding the constraints of Union-
  monitored printers, the process also
  eschews widely accepted safety standards –
  a common theme among HORUS PGs. With no
  governors or consistent standards on the
  operational envelope of the K-PG, some
  pilots have discovered the terminal limits
  of their chassis the hard way.
  HORUS KOBOLD
  [52]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HORUS
  LICH
  Support
  >//TRANSCRIPT: M.A2_Recovered[UIB:::TERMAGANT]
  >//CLEARANCE: TANGENT ROYAL
  >//checking...
  >//TRC_ACCEPTED. OPEN DOC:::Y
  >//BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:::
  CALIGULA:
  So what is it?
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  i wish i could tell you, man, it just showed up on
  the terminal. whole thing in one ping — it’s like a
  fucking K or two EXB. tried to autofab but i shut it
  down jic
  CALIGULA:
  Gotta be a joke from Ash — she’s trying to wavedown
  our rig again, don’t let it print.
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  fuck no
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  do u think i have a death wish
  CALIGULA:
  Yes.
  CALIGULA:
  Well, who’s it from? Who’s the author?
  CALIGULA:
  Hello?
  CALIGULA:
  [waiting.omif]
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  uh
  CALIGULA:
  Who?
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  us
  CALIGULA:
  Us what?
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  it’s from our terminal — we made it
  CALIGULA:
  Pretty sure I’d remember if I wrote 1-2k exabyte
  fabrication by myself.
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  yeah except thats our code man, the hash lines up
  beaucop-sigma
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  ok also BigMama is telling me we didn’t actaully get
  anything inbound which means its just been local but
  thats impossible, we don’t have that much storage
  CALIGULA:
  Let me see the file
  CALIGULA:
  It’s dated 15005U
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  [lolfuk.omif]
  CALIGULA:
  There’s an audio track buried in here. Should I play
  it?
  DOGFRIEND_68:
  i wanna say no but fuck it i’m curious
  >//TRANSCRIPT ENDS
  [53]
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HORUS LICH
  [54]
  
  [55]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  CORE SYSTEM
  CHRONOSTUTTER
  “Drink deep, and descend.”
  MAIN/
  AUX
  IMMORTAL
  1/scene, in the round after the Lich has been
  destroyed, it may return to the location of its SOUL
  VESSEL as a reaction at the end of any turn. This
  counts as teleporting; additionally, the Lich
  appears with full HP, no �, 1 STRUCTURE and 1
  STRESS (even if it had more when it was
  destroyed). If its pilot died in the same scene,
  they also return to life. If the Lich does not take
  this reaction in that round, it remains destroyed
  and the pilot remains dead.
  SOUL VESSEL
  At the start of the Lich’s turn, set down a SOUL
  VESSEL at its current location (replacing any
  previous markers). 1/round, as a reaction when
  the Lich is hit by an attack, fails a save or check, or
  takes damage or � from any source (even itself),
  it may immediately gain IMMUNITY to all damage,
  heat, or conditions from that effect. It then
  teleports to the marker or as close as possible.
  The Lich can also take this reaction at the end of
  any turn, including its own, but if it does so it only
  teleports and does not gain IMMUNITY. It can’t take
  this reaction if it is JAMMED, STUNNED, GRAPPLED, or
  unable to take reactions for any reason.
  Size: 1
  Armor: 0
  HULL
  HP: 4
  Repair Cap: 5
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 8
  Speed: 5
  Save Target: 11
  Sensors: 15
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 12
  Tech Attack: +1
  SP: 8
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 3
  Glitch Time
  Active (1CP), Quick Action
  You gain the ability to disrupt time for the rest of
  this scene. 1/round, when any character
  successfully attacks, effects, or takes an action
  against another character within SENSORS, you
  may interrupt it before it resolves, with the
  following effects:
  • The character taking the action is pushed up to
  3 spaces in a direction of your choice, even if
  they have IMMUNITY to involuntary movement.
  • You teleport to one of the spaces originally
  occupied by that character, or as close as
  possible, no matter how far away it was.
  • The initial attack, effect, or action resolves with
  you as its target. You receive all damage,
  conditions, statuses, and effects, and the action
  must be carried out without changes.
  For example, if the effect was to teleport an
  allied character to a certain space, you are
  teleported to that space instead; if the effect was
  to repair an allied character, you are repaired
  instead; if the effect was to deal damage and
  KNOCKBACK, you take the damage (using your
  ARMOR, RESISTANCE, etc.) and are knocked back in
  the same direction as the original target would be;
  if the effect was to inflict a condition or status,
  you receive that condition or status instead.
  Initiating this interruption does not count as a
  reaction. Effects that target the self cannot be
  interrupted this way.
  
  LICENSE I:
  UNRAVELER, WANDERING NIGHTMARE
  LICENSE II: LICH FRAME, REWRITE,
  UNHINGE CHRONOLOGY
  Antilinear Time
  2 SP, Quick Tech
  Choose a character in SENSORs and line of sight.
  They clear all conditions other than STUNNED that
  weren’t self-inflicted, and you immediately receive
  all conditions they cleared until the end of your next
  turn.
  M.A2.SP1
  [Audio loop, length 93:03][Dated 5008U,
  16:50] (recovered: GZ Alhambra)
  [UIB-TERMAGANT-TANGENT ROYAL]
  “I have never been here. I do not know
  where here is. It has not happened yet.
  Once, I was. I have never been here. You
  are all I see. How can you be all I see.
  Where am I. Where did I go. I have never
  been here...”
  Unhinge Chronology
  2 SP, Quick Tech
  Gain the following QUICK TECH actions:
  HASTE: Choose a character within SENSORS and line
  of sight. For the rest of this scene, or until they
  take damage, they may BOOST 1/round as a free
  action during their turn.
  SLOW: Choose a character within SENSORS and line
  of sight. They must pass a SYSTEMS save or take
  2�, become SLOWED, and become unable to take
  reactions. This effects ends if they take any
  amount of damage or make a successful Systems
  save as a quick action.
  M.A2.SP2
  [Audio loop, diversion instance #1,
  timestamp 45:50] (recovered: GZ Alhambra)
  [UIB-TERMAGANT-TANGENT ROYAL]
  “Dark. Wet. Drink deep, and descend. The
  water is warm and well. It is very busy
  here, though you cannot see it. The
  swimmers are curious. The flea always
  jumps from time to time. It will drink it
  all. It will drink it deep—”
  Wandering Nightmare
  1 SP, Full Tech
  You generate a �2 zone of distorted timeflow
  within SENSORS and line of sight that affects all
  characters other than you. Characters within the
  affected area cannot take reactions, and if they
  start their turn within it, they must succeed on a
  SYSTEMS save or take 2� and become SLOWED
  until the end of their next turn. This effect lasts
  until this action is taken again or the scene ends.
  Speaker 1 (M.A2.SP1)
  [Audio, Length: 150:06][Dated 7658U,
  35:50] (recovered: GZ Alhambra)
  [UIB-TERMAGANT-TANGENT ROYAL]
  “Where does it go? Where does it go?
  Where does it go? Where does it go? Where
  does it go? Where does it go? Where does
  it go? Where does it go? Where does it
  go? Where does it go?”
  Unraveler
  Main Launcher, Reliable 2
  [�10][2d6�]
  If an attack from this weapon would not deal enough
  damage to destroy its target or cause it to take at
  least 1 structure damage, it instead only deals
  RELIABLE 2 damage, even on a hit.
  Speaker 2 (M.A2.SP2)
  [Audio, length: 120:36][34%
  corruption][Dated 18593U, 01:50]
  [UIB-TERMAGANT-TANGENT ROYAL]
  “Dark. Wet. Drink deep, and descend. The
  water is warm and well. It is very busy
  here, though you cannot see it. The
  swimmers are curious. Open your mouth.”
  HORUS LICH
  [56]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LICENSE III:
  STAY OF EXECUTION, DIDYMOS-CLASS NHP
  Didymos-class NHP
  3 SP, Unique, AI, Quick Tech, Limited 3
  Your mech gains the AI property and the following
  QUICK TECH action:
  TIME SPLIT: Choose yourself or another character
  within SENSORS and line of sight. Your target
  disappears and you create a chronological split in
  their timeline, replacing them with two fields of
  mutating paradox energy appear as close to their
  original position as possible. These fields are new
  characters that look like holes in space of the
  same SIZE and roughly the same shape as your
  target (although you shouldn’t look at them too
  long). They have 10 HP, SPEED 5, EVASION 5, E-
  DEFENSE 5, HEAT CAP 5, and have IMMUNITY to all
  conditions and statuses. They are controlled by
  the player of the affected character and both act
  on that character’s turn, starting with their next
  turn. The only actions the fields can take are
  standard moves and BOOST, and the only reaction
  they can take is to disperse (see below). They are
  obstructions and grant hard cover.
  If a field exceeds its HEAT CAP or is reduced to 0
  HP, it immediately disappears. Their player can
  also cause a field to disappear as a reaction at the
  end of any character’s turn.
  If one field disappears, the other immediately
  coalesces into the original character, who returns
  to the field in that field’s space. If both fields
  disappear at the same time, their player decides
  which field disappears first.
  An unwilling character can ignore this effect with a
  successful SYSTEMS save.
  [57]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  PREPARED BY: UIB-TERMAGANT
  RECOVERED FOR: CC_HOME OFFICE
  CLEARANCE REQ: SOLEMN VIGIL (TANGENT
  ROYAL ADDENDUM)
  Didymos. It means “twin” in an old, old
  tongue. It might be a bit too cute but
  it’s the name our cask spat out for us.
  We observed Didymos Prime in action
  during the fall of Green Zone Alhambra,
  mounted in a chassis we initially thought
  was one of three HORUS Minotaur PG we had
  ID’d operating alongside the Ungrateful
  cell in New Madrassa.
  It was not that Minotaur.
  Alhambra fell in three days. The Armory
  wasn’t keen to give it up but decided to
  cut their losses and pull back rather
  than hold for reinforcements. We moved in
  afterward – during the looting. Our local
  contact
  escorted us to
  the New Madrassan commanders, introduced
  us to them, and secured an audience with
  the pilot of the chassis.
  I’m sure you’ve reviewed the records of
  the debrief we recorded. We don’t know
  how it arrived in New Madrassa. The
  Ungratefuls say they received the initial
  code burst from their contact in los
  Voladores. Los Voladores deny this; the
  entity, however, conforms to their
  descriptions of an entity called “la
  pulga”, or, “the flea”. We have designated
  it LICH. Didymos is the active animus –
  the entity that serves as its pilot.
  We have taken the entity into custody. We
  do not recommend giving this one a long
  leash.
  
  HORUS LICH
  [58]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  Stay of Execution
  2 SP, Unique, Quick Tech, Limited 2
  Choose yourself or another character within
  SENSORS and line of sight. Your target gains
  IMMUNITY to all damage and effects from external
  sources until the end of their next turn, at which
  point they become STUNNED until the end of their
  following turn. Nothing can prevent or clear this
  condition.
  During this time, any active effects on your target
  are frozen in time – effectively paused – and any
  relevant timers do not count down (e.g., conditions
  that would expire at the end of their turn now
  expire at the end of their following turn, reactor
  meltdown timers do not tick down, etc).
  An unwilling character can ignore this effect with a
  successful SYSTEMS save.
  Speaker 1 (M.A2.SP1)
  [Audio, Length: 150:06][Dated 5006U,
  01:50]
  (recovered: GZ Alhambra)
  [UIB-TERMAGANT-TANGENT ROYAL]
  “I felt the bullet tear through me. I
  felt the bullet tear through me. I felt
  the pressure and it was my brother, his
  fist, my chest, and I was laying on my
  back and the sky was blue, and my mother
  hollered at him and the bullet had never
  hit me, and the legionnaire who shot me
  had not yet pulled the trigger, and so I
  killed him. I drank deep and killed him.”
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HA
  SUNZI
  Support/Controller
  The Sunzi represents the peak of Harrison Armory’s research into
  weaponized blink technology. Pilots approved to fabricate and field-test
  Sunzi components are monitored remotely by the Armory’s Special Projects
  Group, which enjoys wide latitude in gathering telemetry and biometric
  data. The Sunzi platform is considered by Harrison Armory to still be in
  development, and not yet available for fleet contracts.
  Like the Armory’s Napoleon chassis before it, the Sunzi utilizes the
  Armory’s H-GOBLIN-derived recursive-mesh interdermal substrate, allowing
  it to mount outsized weapons and systems on a chassis measuring just over
  three meters tall. Where it differs is in its technological heritage. The
  Napoleon was largely the product of the Armory’s internal paracausal/
  parallel space research and development groups; the Sunzi is rumored to be
  derived from stolen and extracted Volador technology. This may explain why
  the Long Rim and the Dawnline Shore are the primary test grounds for the
  platform – far from Union’s most direct oversight, the Armory may have
  more time to make what progress it can before Union’s regulatory impulse
  catches up to them.
  According to Union NavInt reports on the Sunzi, the platform’s unshielded
  emissions are consistent with known blinkspace signatures; corroborating
  intelligence from undercover elements inside the program’s main campus on
  Ras Shamra show that the Sunzi’s development has been fast-tracked to
  respond to the evolving situation in the Dawnline Shore. Both as a force-
  multiplication tool to assist the Armory’s legionary presence across the
  Shore, and more specifically to counter the Ungratefuls’ newest weapon
  there, Object L (see UNI Report CORPSE GATE for more).
  [59]
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  ANCHOR
  The Sunzi has Immunity to involuntary
  movement caused by other characters.
  MAIN/
  AUX
  SAFE HARBOR
  When allied characters within �50 of the Sunzi
  teleport or are teleported, free spaces adjacent
  to the Sunzi are always valid end destinations.
  SLIP
  1/round, the Sunzi can teleport 2 spaces as a free
  action.
  Size: 1
  Armor: 1
  HULL
  HP: 7
  Repair Cap: 3
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 7
  Speed: 4
  Save Target: 11
  Sensors: 15
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 8
  Tech Attack: +1
  SP: 7
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 7
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  HA SUNZI
  [60]
  Blink Anchor
  Quick Action, Limited 3
  Blink Anchor (SIZE 1/2, Tags: DEPLOYABLE, IMMUNITY to all
  damage and effects, LIMITED 3)
  You carry a single blink anchor that you can deploy as a
  quick action. When any character teleports within your
  line of sight, you may force them to appear in a free space
  adjacent to the blink anchor instead of their original
  destination, as long as they can safely stand there. If your
  target is hostile, this expends a charge.
  Initiating this interruption does not count as a reaction.
  Once it’s deployed, you or any allied character can pick it
  up or put it down while adjacent to it as a quick action.
  Art of War
  Active (1CP), Protocol, Reaction
  For the rest of the scene, this system
  gains 6 charges (you can use a die to
  track this). As a reaction at the start or
  end of any hostile or allied character’s
  turn within SENSORS and line of sight,
  expend a charge to teleport them up
  to 3 spaces in any direction, as long
  as they end in a free space in which
  they can stand.
  CORE SYSTEM
  REALITY CARVER
  (TT_CLEARANCE_01): JUST A HEADS UP, YOU’RE GOING TO READ SOME OBTUSE SHIT HERE. I’VE
  TRANSCRIBED ONLY THE USEFUL PARTS OF WHAT THE VOLS SAID. REFER TO THE VISUAL FOR
  CORRESPONDING HAND SIGNS. REFER TO REPORTS: VESSEL-PILOT-DOORWAY
  
  ICENSE I:
  ACCELERATE, BLINK CHARGES
  LICENSE II: SUNZI FRAME, BLINKSPACE
  TUNNELER, WARP RIFLE
  Blink Charges
  3 SP, Unique, Limited 3
  Expend a charge for one of the following effects:
  • BLINK MINE (Mine): Once detonated, the character
  that triggered it must pass an ENGINEERING save or
  be teleported to a free, valid space of your choice
  within �5 of the mine and become JAMMED until
  the end of their next turn. If they pass, they still
  teleport but do not become JAMMED.
  • WARP GRENADE (Grenade, �5, �3): On impact,
  choose any character within the affected area and
  teleport them to any free, valid space within the
  same area. An unwilling character can pass an
  ENGINEERING save to avoid this effect.
  Eso es lo que no se suena: usar el vacio
  contra la Ley de la Madre. Marcamos esta
  en nuestro historia con lagrimas, y
  ennegrecer la pagina.
  [This is the thing unthinkable: to use
  the nonshape against the Mother’s Law.
  With tears, we mark its need in our
  history, and then blacken the page.]
  Accelerate
  2 SP, Unique, Quick Tech
  Choose and mark two free spaces within your line of
  sight that share a surface and are within �5 of each
  other. Characters that start their turn in one of these
  spaces or enter one for the first time in a round are
  pushed as far as possible in a straight line towards
  the other space. If they collide with an obstruction,
  they stop moving. They may avoid being pushed
  with a successful HULL save. GRENADES, DEPLOYABLES,
  or other loose objects of SIZE 1 or smaller that are
  thrown or deployed into one of the spaces are also
  pushed towards the other space before activating or
  detonating. They activate or detonate early if they are
  forced to stop by another character or object. This
  effect lasts for the rest of the scene, or until you take
  this QUICK TECH option again.
  Guillermo, no es suficiente saber caminar;
  Debes saber dónde y dónde no pisar. El
  lugar incorrecto, y te perderás. Es en un
  plano de telaraña donde construimos nuestro
  hogar: pise ligeramente cuando vaya.
  [Guillermo, it is not enough to know how to
  walk; you must know where and where not to
  step; the incorrect spot, and you will be
  lost. It is on a plane of gossamer that we
  make our home: tread lightly when you go.]
  Warp Rifle
  Main Rifle, AP, Loading, 1 SP, Unique
  [�10][1d3+1�]
  On Hit: The target must pass an ENGINEERING save or
  be teleported a number of spaces equal to the
  damage you dealt with this weapon (including
  bonus damage, etc.; no more than 10 spaces), in a
  direction of your choice. They must end in a free,
  valid space.
  Es una abominación. Dicen que “es como los
  arados de las espadas; tú también debes
  aprender a defender tu hogar”. Escupí su
  lógica de espada. Ni siquiera sabíamos de
  los arados compartidos antes de
  convertirlos en espadas, y éramos felices.
  Hiciste la puerta, la abriste. No es
  nuestra responsabilidad cerrarla.
  [It is an abomination. They say, “it is
  like plowshares to swords; you too must
  learn to defend your home.” I spit on their
  blade-law. We did not even know of
  plowshares before they beat them into
  swords, and we were happy.
  You made the door, you swung it open – it
  is not our responsibility to close it.]
  Blinkspace Tunneler
  2 SP, 1�(Self), Protocol
  You open a blink tear in a free, adjacent space. It
  lasts until the end of your next turn. As part of any
  movement, characters other than you (hostile or
  allied) that enter the space at least partially may
  teleport to a free space adjacent to you. You may
  only open one tear at a time, and if you create a
  new tear it replaces the previous one.
  MEMO(TT_CLEARANCE_01) (01200): IT’S GONNA
  GET REAL FUCKING DARK.
  [61]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LICENSE III:
  FINAL SECRET, REALSPACE BREACH
  Final Secret
  2 SP, Quick Tech
  Choose yourself or another character within
  SENSORS and line of sight. Your target is charged
  with unstable energy until the start of your next
  turn. Unwilling or hostile character can ignore this
  effect by succeeding on an ENGINEERING save.
  Each time your target takes damage for that
  duration, you may teleport them up to 4 spaces
  to a free, valid space of your choice as a reaction.
  Dicen: “Cuéntanos el secreto de tu larga
  vida, o abriremos la puerta de tu hogar a
  todo el mundo.”
  Nosotros decimos: “Para vivir una larga
  vida, vives una larga vida. No tenemos
  secretos, todo lo que tenemos es el
  conocimiento que deseamos ocultarle. Por
  favor no hagas esto; tu no sabes nada.”
  [They say: “Tell us the secret to your long
  life, or we shall swing wide our door and
  let those who we hold back inside your safe
  ground.”
  We say: “To live a long life, you live a
  long life. We have no secrets, all we have
  is knowledge we wish to keep from you.”]
  Realspace Breach
  2 SP, Unique, Quick Tech
  You tear a hole in space, creating a �1 area in a
  free space within SENSORS and line of sight.
  Weapons with the �, �, �, or � properties do
  not affect this area, and it may not be occupied by
  characters or objects for any reason. Any character
  or object that moves at least 1 space into the
  affected area immediately teleports to any free
  space adjacent to the area (of its player’s choice),
  or as close as possible.
  The affected area blocks line of sight; however, any
  character may target the hole in space with a
  ranged weapon (excluding �, �, �, or �
  weapons) as if attacking it. Attackers don’t roll to
  hit the hole – instead, it absorbs the attack and
  redirects it against a new target of the attacker's
  choice within �10 of the zone. The attack
  resolves as if it originated within the hole.
  This effect lasts for the rest of the scene, or until you
  take this action again or end it as a quick action.
  Dicen: “Incluso es difícil de ver en este
  lugar”. Decimos: “Usted tiene razón. Es
  porque este lugar no te quiere aquí.”
  [They say: “It is even difficult to see in
  this place.” We say: “You are correct. It
  is because this place does not want you
  here.”]
  HA SUNZI
  [62]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  IPS-N
  ZHENG
  Striker
  The Zheng is a new frame in IPS-N’s line and is unusual in that its
  development can be attributed almost completely to a single mech pilot –
  Xiong Xiaoli, a Mirrorsmoke mercenary operating in the Long Rim,
  protecting heavy freight/low crew shipments to the early Dawnline Shore
  colonies. A relative unknown before the incident, MSMC documentation from
  the time indicates that her convoy was attacked by the White Tiger pirate
  conglomerate, and her entire company killed in action. Xiong’s personal
  logbook, recovered posthumously, expounds on MSMC’s report.
  In her logbook, Xiong noted that her chassis, a factory-standard IPS-N
  Raleigh, was almost totally ripped apart in the chaos of the White Tiger’s
  attack. Thrown free of her billeted freighter after it collided with a
  White Tiger crashboat, Xiong managed to survive the next 45 days by
  scavenging across the drifting, derelict wreck of the MSMC-S Say No More,
  the escort cruiser attached to the supply colony. Outnumbered and hunted
  by the White Tiger pirates prowling the ruined convoy, Xiong took dramatic
  steps to modify her Raleigh for close-quarters combat. In the dark,
  claustrophobic environments of the Say No More and ruined freighters
  leashed to it by the White Tigers, Xiong turned her chassis into a machine
  of tumbling death.
  Xiong likely did not survive the long engagement. She is presumed to have
  perished mere days before an IPS-N Trunk Security patrol arrived,
  responding to the convoy's initial distress signal. Trunk Security found
  that Xiong had eliminated every White Tiger pirate assigned to the convoy;
  her chassis, logbook, and trace elements of her body were discovered in
  the White Tiger’s cored-out gunboat and recovered by IPS-N. Thanks to her
  efforts, Trunk Security and MSMC were able to hunt down the remaining
  White Tiger gang and eliminate them. IPS-N and MSMC then engaged in a
  lengthy negotiation over the modified Raleigh’s plans, eventually settling
  on a mixed licensing fee that benefits both IPS-N and MSMC. The resulting
  pattern, the Zheng, is now a popular choice among MSMC and Trunk Security
  pilots operating across the Rim.
  Xiong Xiaoli is widely regarded as a bodhisattva across the Long Rim; MSMC
  mercenaries have created several drinking games named after her, and MSMC
  pilots on combat contracts often compete to hit the “Xiong Limit” of 45+
  confirmed kills.
  [63]
  
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  IPS-N ZHENG
  [64]
  
  [65]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  CORE STATS
  TRAITS
  MOUNTS
  CORE SYSTEM
  XIONG-TYPE CQB SUITE
  HEAVY
  MOUNT
  Xiaoli’s Tenacity
  1/Turn
  As a free action, you may move up to 3 spaces
  then deal 2� to any adjacent character or
  10�AP to an object or piece of terrain. This
  movement prompts engagement and does not
  ignore reactions.
  If this damage destroys an object or piece of
  terrain, it explodes, dealing 1d6� to all
  adjacent characters other than you and
  knocking them back 1 space.
  Xiaoli’s Ingenuity
  Active (1CP), Protocol
  For the rest of the scene, this system gains 6
  charges (you can use a die to track this). Expend
  a charge to use XIAOLI’S TENACITY again, ignoring
  the 1/Turn limit. You may spend any number of
  charges a turn. At the end of each turn, you regain
  a charge for each unique target (character, object,
  or piece of terrain) you damaged with this action,
  to a maximum of 6.
  WEAK COMPUTER
  The Zheng gets +1�on all SYSTEMS saves and checks.
  DESTRUCTIVE SWINGS
  At the end of the Zheng’s turn, if it made at least one
  melee attack against a hostile character, the force of
  its swings creates a SIZE 1 piece of terrain that grants
  hard cover in a free, adjacent space. It has 10 HP
  and EVASION 5.
  MAIN
  MOUNT
  MAIN
  MOUNT
  Size: 1
  Armor: 2
  HULL
  HP: 10
  Repair Cap: 6
  AGILITY
  Evasion: 9
  Speed: 3
  Save Target: 10
  Sensors: 3
  SYSTEMS
  E-Defense: 6
  Tech Attack: -2
  SP: 5
  ENGINEERING
  Heat Cap: 6
  Surviving mostly on colonial rations and an 
  increasingly radioactive air supply, Xiaoli 
  scavenged materials from a dying ship to 
  create modifications that gave her mech 
  unprecedented unarmed striking power.
  
  LICENSE I: TIGER-HUNTER COMBAT SHEATHE,
  TOTAL STRENGTH SUITE I
  LICENSE II: ZHENG FRAME, MOLTEN WREATHE,
  TOTAL STRENGTH SUITE II
  Molten Wreathe
  2 SP, Mod
  Choose one MELEE weapon: 1/round, after you hit
  a character with this weapon, you take 1� and it
  projects a superheated �3 cloud oriented away
  from your target in a direction of your choice. Your
  target and any characters caught in this cloud each
  take 2�.
  Needing a significant boost to her
  Raleigh’s melee capacity, Xiong decided
  upon a crude but effective solution: she
  would re-route her Raleigh’s coldcore
  dispersion systems into the chassis’
  palms with a simple on/off switch,
  allowing it to superheat equipped
  weapons. The resultant ad hoc thermal
  weapon is so hot that it prompts an
  explosive vaporization of hard and soft
  surfaces on impact, creating a secondary
  backblast cloud that is a deadly weapon
  in its own right. The production version
  of this system simply adds a sturdier,
  dedicated routing system and better
  insulation.
  Total Strength Suite II
  2 SP, Unique, Protocol
  Deal 1d6� damage to a character you’re GRAPPLING.
  The second part of Xiong’s enhancement
  package: interlocking muscle-analog plates
  beneath armor, finely tuned to greatly
  multiply crushing force.
  Tiger-Hunter Combat Sheathe
  Main Melee
  [�1][1d3+2�]
  This weapon can attack two targets at a time, and
  can be used even while JAMMED.
  This enhancement encases a mech’s
  manipulators and brachial structures in a
  powerful reactive alloy weave, allowing
  it to use its fists as blunt weapons,
  even unarmed.
  Total Strength Suite I
  1 SP, Quick Action
  You rip up a piece of the environment and hurl it at
  a character within �5 and line of sight. Your
  target must pass an AGILITY save or take 1d6�
  and be knocked back 1 space directly away from
  you. After you take this action, place a SIZE 1 piece
  of terrain that grants hard cover in a free space
  adjacent to your target, even if they passed the
  saved. The terrain has 10 HP and EVASION 5.
  If there is a SIZE 1 object or piece of cover adjacent
  to you, you can move it as part of this action;
  otherwise, your projectile is ripped out of the ground
  or environment. If there's nothing to grab nearby or
  you're not on the ground you can't take this action.
  This whole-system upgrade was the result
  of tweak Xiong Xiaoli made to her mech
  throughout a long career with the MSMC,
  many of which have now been incorporated
  into standard IPS-N frame construction
  protocol. The package comes in three
  stages, the first of which contains a set
  of spinal enhancements that allow a mech
  to rapidly lift and move large weights
  without systemic damage.
  IPS-N ZHENG
  [66]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LICENSE III:
  D/D 288, TOTAL STRENGTH SUITE III
  Total Strength Suite III
  3 SP, Full Action
  You end a GRAPPLE, pushing the other character 5
  spaces in any direction and knocking them PRONE.
  This movement may pass through spaces occupied
  by other characters but must end in a free space.
  All characters they pass through must pass a HULL
  save or be knocked PRONE. If your target collides
  with an object or piece of terrain, they stop, take
  1d6�, and must pass a HULL save or become
  STUNNED until the end of their next turn.
  The last component of the Total Strength
  upgrade package gives a mech the ability
  to inject rapid bursts of intense power
  into its locomotive systems, resulting
  in short-lived but incredible strength.
  The underlying systems are carefully
  calibrated and misuse can rip apart a
  mech’s internal systems from within.
  D/D 288
  Superheavy Melee, Reliable 3
  [�1][1d6�]
  Unlikely other SUPERHEAVY weapons, this weapon
  can be used with the above profile to SKIRMISH.
  You may charge this weapon as a quick action. While
  charged, you benefit from soft cover, but you are
  SLOWED, take 2� at the start of your turn, and can no
  longer use the D/D 288 with SKIRMISH. At the start of
  any of your turns while it is charged, it has this profile:
  Superheavy Melee, Reliable 8, Knockback 8
  [�3][4d6+8�]
  While charged, this weapon deals 30�AP when it
  hits objects or pieces of terrain. If this destroys
  objects and pieces of terrain, they explode,
  dealing 1d6� to all adjacent characters other
  than you and knocking them back 1 space.
  This weapon loses its charge when you hit a target,
  when you disperse its charge as a free action, or
  when you become STUNNED or SHUT DOWN.
  The Zheng’s Devastator/Demolition Weapon
  288 is legendary for its ability to breach
  armor and inflict total destruction on
  hardened targets. Originally rigged up as a
  last resort by Xiong Xiaoli, this fist-
  mounted system repurposes a mech reactor’s
  primary heat vent into a directional,
  engagement-proximity weapon. The production
  line D/D 288 must be primed before firing,
  requiring a dangerous power draw from the
  mechs’ systems; Trunk Security’s reportage
  of the recovery mission assumes that using
  this weapons is what killed Xiong Xiaoli
  and cored the White Tiger’s gunboat. The
  D/D 288’s ability to cause enormous
  collateral damage and its spectacular
  discharge when fired have earned it the
  moniker ‘Shā mǎ zhǎng’ or Horse-Killing
  Palm among MSMC pilots.
  [67]
  SECTION 2 // Long Rim Mechs
  
  LAST WORDS
  Below this dark, small bar, clear panels provide a
  view of the heavy interstellar freighters maneuvering
  to and from Rào Cỏ Station’s docks, attended to by
  flights of harbor pilots and hired escorts. All are
  bound for the Dawnline Shore, the next great
  frontier. You drink with a scarred old Cosmopolitan
  spacer, waiting for your ship’s queue number to
  ping on your slate. Should be a few more hours —
  Rào Cỏ is a massive blink station, the last before the
  Long Rim, and everyone needs something. Your
  ship needed a fair bit of work — micrometeorite
  patching,
  restock
  on
  potables,
  preserves,
  and
  perishables, cycling, etcetera — but being a blink
  station, Rào Cỏ is far from dull.
  The spacer has some thoughts about the Rim.
  Since you’re taking the slow route, you bought him
  a drink. Research, you’ll tell your CO. The spacer
  takes a sip, and winds up for his briefing.
  “The Long Rim is a place that doesn’t exist in the
  minds of the gente that live outside it; to the ones
  that know of it, the Long Rim is a pass-through zone
  — a barren, wild, and dangerous place. This erasure
  of the local population, their cultures, and their
  industries, is welcome for the percent of that popu-
  lation that wants the anonymity of life off the map.
  Without Union’s steady hand above them, sure, life
  can be dangerous and precarious — nothing stops
  the Companies from moving fast and breaking
  things, and nothing stops the local Enterprises from
  drawing blood — but in a universe where there still
  is money to be made and debts to escape, that
  precariousness is welcome: after all, if life in the
  Rim is decided by fate’s roll of the dice, you always
  have a chance of rolling a natural 20.”
  The old Cosmopolitan orders another drink on your
  tab. It’s fine, you can cover it, and any intel you can
  pull out of the old spacer is manna well spent. He
  sips the amber drink, taking a moment to savor the
  burn. How old is he, really, you wonder? Who was
  he before he bellied up to this bar and asked where
  you were headed?
  “Anonymity and lack of Union’s command over
  transit, media, and law, coupled with both an
  endemic
  libertarianism
  and
  a
  perception
  of
  ‘freedom’ both produces and draws individuals
  and groups to the Rim that are willing to do
  anything to strike it rich. This is a freedom defined
  by the people left alive and in power: in the Rim,
  the only free people are the ones at the top of the
  hill; in the Rim, the hill is made up of stolen wealth,
  ill-gotten manna, and the bodies of other climbers.
  “Between the Enterprises and their privateers,
  petty
  station-lords
  and
  cutthroat
  swindlers,
  ruthless corpro-state agents and the rare honest
  actor, the Rim is a harsh place. There are pockets
  of it, though, where people have carved out a
  stable life; don’t mistake them for soft, or think that
  they hold Union’s Utopian Pillars to be their ideolo-
  gical North Star — they live in the Rim, and though
  they may have come together into a community
  that resembles normal life, there still is a deeply
  buried coal of fear that drives them; even the kind
  people of the Rim keep their guns trained on you
  until you leave.
  “The Long Rim is what happens when people are
  broken into individuals. Sure, there are beautiful
  things in the Rim — I’ve seen Horizon collectivists
  tutoring
  Free
  Deimosians
  in
  public,
  and
  the
  wonders their minds can produce! I’ve sipped mate
  with Voladores fresh from a dive into the blink,
  haggled with ‘em over the baubles and uncanny
  geometries they’ve plucked from that strange place.
  I’ve eaten raw honeycomb in the amber, arcing
  fields of Deseret, where the old Latterdays live and
  sing their high choirs. But listen to me: every beau-
  tiful thing in the Rim is fleeting. Every beautiful thing
  in the Rim that lasts is because of people coming
  together to produce something great and grand —
  but them things are outliers.
  “You want to know what the Rim is really like? Ok, go
  through it, then. Bring guns, manna, and backup.”
  The old spacer finishes his drink and pushes it
  back across the bartop. The ‘keep sweeps it up as
  they pass by. The spacer turns on his stool, leaning
  back on the bar to look up at the ceiling. It’s a
  cieloscreen: a muted blue sky with high clouds.
  The effect is lessened by smoke stains and streaks
  where cleaning fluid was left to dry. Still, it gives
  you the image of a sky. He looks at the facsimile
  sky for a minute or two, blinking.
  “Be kind to people, friend. The Long Rim is where
  dreams disappear and freedom is king.”
  He thanks you for the drinks, stands, and pulls on
  an old cap with a well-worn brim. On it is the
  profile of a freighter, the SS Amigo, his crew union
  number, and a star for each voyage. There are
  eight stars ringing the Amigo.
  “Be kind out there — it’s all we got when we’re alone.”
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lancer/Lancer - The Long Rim.pdf