TEXT: C a m p a i g n  M o d e l
  Requires the use of the d20 Modern™ Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  
  2
  Fourth Millennium Campaign Model
  Developed by Kevin Brennan
  Written by Kevin Brennan and James Maliszewski.
  Published by Ronin Arts • www.roninarts.com
  ©2004 Kevin Brennan and James Maliszewski. All rights reserved.
  Special thanks to Joseph Makuch for significant contributions to the development of the Fourth
  Millennium setting, and to Derek Guder, Greg Higgins, and Trey Palmer for their assistance with Fourth
  Millennium Lite.
  All text describing game mechanics, including occupations, advanced classes, feats, the rules for purchas-
  ing restricted technology, and everything in the “Gear” section or under a “Game Rules” heading in the
  Technology and Equipment chapter, is declared as Open Game Content under the terms of the OGL. The
  following terms are Product Identity under the OGL: Alahdad, Anzani, Culture Wars, Emergence, Fourth
  Millennium, Mordovi, Muutzha, Orthodox Catholic Church, Procuracy, Procurator, Psaikhailou,
  Sarvadharmaani, Soyuznik, Stasis, Svobodan League, Svobodan, Takamatsu-Hegenauer, Yuan, and any
  other story or setting elements. 
  You may not distribute this PDF without permission of the author. d20 Modern™ is a trademark of Wizards
  of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is used with permission. Wizards of the Coast® is a regis-
  tered trademark of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and is used with permission. 
  
  3
  WELCOME TO THE END OF HISTORY….............4
  THE LAST MILLENNIUM......................................................4
  ABOUT FOURTH MILLENNIUM PRODUCTS.........................5
  CHARACTERS .................................................................6
  OCCUPATIONS........................................................................6
  Activist..................................................................................6
  Crafter ...................................................................................6
  Educator................................................................................6
  Newslogger...........................................................................7
  Tribal.....................................................................................7
  ADVANCED CLASSES.............................................................7
  Procuracy Field Agent .........................................................7
  NEW FEATS.......................................................................9
  Antithesis ..............................................................................9
  Armor Proficiency (Reflex).................................................9
  Conviction.............................................................................9
  Enemy...................................................................................9
  Reputation for Loyalty.........................................................9
  TECHNOLOGYAND EQUIPMENT ........................10
  PROGRESS LEVELS IN FOURTH MILLENNIUM .................10
  PL 7: The Genetic Age ......................................................10
  PL 8: The Nanotech Age ...................................................11
  PL 9 and beyond: Emergence ...........................................11
  General Guidelines.............................................................11
  THE STASIS .........................................................................12
  Enforcing the Stasis ...........................................................12
  Technological Restrictions ................................................12
  GENERAL TECHNOLOGIES.................................................13
  Weapons..............................................................................13
  Armor..................................................................................14
  Gear.....................................................................................14
  Experts and Robots............................................................15
  Nanotechnology .................................................................16
  Communications ................................................................17
  Medicine.............................................................................18
  SPACE TRAVEL....................................................................18
  Node Transfer.....................................................................19
  Spacecraft............................................................................20
  THE COSMOS IN 3001.................................................22
  THE SHARDS.......................................................................22
  Mordovi ..............................................................................22
  Horthval..............................................................................23
  Other Shards.......................................................................24
  THE SVOBODAN LEAGUE...................................................25
  Svobodan Culture...............................................................25
  Government of the Svobodan League..............................26
  CULTURES OF THE SVOBODAN LEAGUE ...........................26
  Citizenship and Culture .....................................................26
  Muutzha..............................................................................26
  Alahdad...............................................................................27
  Donegal...............................................................................27
  Anzani.................................................................................28
  Sarvadharmaani..................................................................28
  Yuan ....................................................................................29
  Associate Phyles.................................................................29
  Uncultured Worlds.............................................................30
  THE SYNDICATES................................................................30
  Major Syndicate Cultures..................................................30
  THE “REBEL STATES”........................................................31
  THE PSAIKHAILOU .............................................................31
  RELIGION............................................................................32
  Orthodox Catholic Church................................................32
  Ma’rifa ................................................................................32
  Hinduism.............................................................................33
  Other Faiths ........................................................................33
  ECONOMICS ........................................................................33
  Consortia.............................................................................34
  ORGANIZATIONS.........................................................35
  Department of Special Investigations (DSI)....................35
  Security and Intelligence Service (SIS)............................35
  Terrorists, Revolutionaries, and Separatists .....................36
  Merchant Lines...................................................................38
  GAME MASTERING FOURTH MILLENNIUM....40
  WHAT’S IT ALLABOUT?...................................................40
  FOURTH MILLENNIUM CAMPAIGNS AND ADVENTURES...31
  Colonists .............................................................................41
  Crime and Punishment ......................................................41
  Espionage and Intrigue......................................................41
  Exploration .........................................................................41
  Rebels..................................................................................41
  Religion and Philosophy....................................................42
  Trade and Commerce.........................................................42
  Warfare................................................................................42
  CONCLUSION.......................................................................42
  GLOSSARY......................................................................43
  OPEN GAME LICENSE...............................................45
  
  It is the year of our Lord 3001. 
  Earth is a distant memory to most of humanity,
  long since overrun and absorbed by parahumans
  who have modified their physical and mental
  structure to the point where they have little or
  nothing in common with their ancestors.
  Those who have chosen to remain human now
  live scattered throughout hundreds of alternate
  realities, trying desperately to avoid absorption
  into a neohuman collective. They have rejected
  new technologies, given up much of their own
  ability to change and adapt. Dominated militarily,
  politically and economically by the Svobodan
  League, these shards of human cultures fight and
  bicker constantly amongst themselves, each seek-
  ing to find the one true path that will allow them to
  flourish and grow without sharing the fate of
  Earth, or facing attack and conquest by the
  Svobodans.
  Here and there across the cosmos, there are a
  few brave individuals striving to make a differ-
  ence. Some of them fight the agents and advocates
  of parahumanity. Some strive to overthrow the
  human cultures who dictate that there can be only
  one way to live. Some travel to new earths, with
  the hope of founding new cultures that will change
  the failings of those who have come before. Some
  simply travel between the earths, trying to make a
  living in a cosmos torn by ideological and military
  strife.
  Welcome to the dawn of the fourth millennium.
  Welcome to the end of history.
  The Last Millennium
  Centuries ago, researchers found points in outer
  space that allowed spacecraft to make transits from
  our universe into others containing uninhabited,
  parallel earths. The diaspora that followed allowed
  every fringe group imaginable to spread across the
  cosmos. The ancient nation-state was long dead,
  replaced by phyles that took responsibility for their
  citizens no matter where they might happen to live.
  These phyles now had an opportunity to build soci-
  eties on their own terms, unfettered by the web of
  treaties and relationships that had developed on
  Earth, and many of them took it.
  Meanwhile, as newly created parahuman species
  stretched the definition of humanity almost beyond
  recognition, a backlash grew against the use of tech-
  nology to rebuild humanity. Religion made a pow-
  erful comeback. The greatest, but not the only, ben-
  eficiary of this movement was the now re-unified
  Orthodox Catholic Church. The conflict between
  Humanist and Neohumanist cultures increased in
  intensity until the 28th century, when the
  Neohumanists finally reached the goal that they had
  been striving towards—Emergence.
  The Psaikhailou were the first neohuman culture
  to successfully link the minds of their members. The
  resulting networked intelligence was the first truly
  alien culture. Using modified nanotechnology, it
  quickly began absorbing other neohumanist phyles
  on Earth. A military coup briefly united humanity
  under the rule of the Stabilization Pact. Before the
  4
  Welcome to the 
  End of History . . .
  
  Pact collapsed into the Culture Wars, it instituted
  several new phyles devoted to the monitoring and
  control of new technologies, known collectively as
  the Syndicates. The Syndicates began trying to per-
  suade other phyles to agree to limit or ban the devel-
  opment of new technologies that might lead to
  another Emergence. 
  The most powerful alliance of phyles, a group
  known as the Svobodan League, made a formal deal
  with the Syndicates to support the Syndicates’ con-
  trol of technology with military force. A short and
  brutal war against the Psaikhailou resulted in the
  loss of a dozen worlds to the Psaikhailou, the exter-
  mination of most life on five more, and the estab-
  lishment of the Svobodan League.
  The League consists of six member phyles, as
  well as many associated cultures. Although it is
  showing signs of cracking under internal strains, but
  it is still the pre-eminent military power in human
  space. It is still devoted to maintaining the Stasis—
  the ability of the Syndicates to oversee all techno-
  logical developments and outlaw any that threaten
  to change the nature of human life. The League will
  resort to espionage, assassination, covert raids, and
  even full-scale war to prevent any phyle from reach-
  ing the point where another Emergence is possible. 
  Not all phyles are willing to participate in the
  Stasis or join the Svobodan League. These phyles,
  known as the Shards, jealously guard their inde-
  pendence. Some would like to develop forbidden
  technologies, but many simply resent the political
  domination of the Svobodan League. The League
  deliberately keeps the Shards at a level where they
  are no military threat. That means that most people
  living in the Shards are denied the technological
  benefits that citizens of the League take for granted.
  This resentment breeds anger, mistrust, and even
  war.
  This status quo will not last forever. The
  Svobodan League is in a state of crisis, with one of
  its founding phyles riven by civil war and several
  subject phyles having successfully fought a war of
  independence. The Syndicates fear that the Stasis
  will fall if the League does, and are desperately
  looking for alternatives. Meanwhile, the enigmatic
  Psaikhailou are working towards goals that seem
  incomprehensible to the rest of mankind. Soon, it
  seems, the Psaikhailou will complete their absorp-
  tion of humanity, or we will have to accept a politi-
  cal and cultural Stasis as rigid as the existing tech-
  nological Stasis. Either way, mankind will have
  reached the end of history.
  About Fourth
  Millennium Products
  The Fourth Millennium line of PDFs from
  Ronin Arts and Third Millennium Games are
  designed to be used in any d20 System-based sci-
  ence-fiction game. They require the d20 Modern
  Roleplaying Game or a compatible set of core
  rules for play, but nothing more. Each is designed
  to be a modular plug-in to any SF setting, but they
  also include additional information that ties them
  into a greater whole.
  The Fourth Millennium Campaign Model is an
  overview of that whole. Like the campaign models
  in the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, it provides
  you with a framework for using the rules and ideas
  in Future SRD—but it’s not an exhaustive descrip-
  tion of the setting. That would take far more space
  than we have here. This supplement provides you
  with a framework—both to play in and to under-
  stand how the other supplements in this line fit
  together.
  5
  
  You should create characters for the Fourth
  Millennium setting using the rules in the d20
  Modern Roleplaying Game and Future SRD. 
  Occupations
  You may use any occupation from the d20
  Modern Roleplaying Game (although some, such
  as Blue Collar, are only appropriate for phyles
  which have limited themselves to approximately
  20th century technology) or Future SRD (all occu-
  pations). In addition, you may choose from the fol-
  lowing:
  Activist
  An activist is someone who is focused on caus-
  ing political and social change. They are typically
  the public face of their movement, writing for the
  newslogs, marching in demonstrations, and so
  forth. While some rare activists may have contact
  with terrorist or guerilla groups, most do not—if
  for no other reason than that their political agita-
  tion makes them someone the government is like-
  ly to watch.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose four of the following skills as
  permanent class skills. If a skill you choose is
  already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence
  bonus on checks using that skill.
  Bluff, Climb, Computer Use, Diplomacy,
  Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide,
  Jump, Knowledge (current events, history, popular
  culture, or streetwise), Listen, or Sense Motive.
  Reputation Bonus Increase: +1.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +0.
  Crafter
  31st Century society places a high value on
  hand-crafted items. The people who can create
  these items, and make them both artistically pleas-
  ing and unique, find their skills in high demand. In
  more backwards phyles, they may also find them-
  selves building a lot of the tools people need to
  stay alive. 
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13+
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as
  permanent class skills. If a skill you choose is
  already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence
  bonus on checks using that skill. 
  Craft (chemical, pharmaceutical, structural, or
  visual art), Disable Device, Knowledge (art or
  physical sciences), Repair, Research, or Treak
  Injury
  Bonus Feat: Select one of Builder or Creative.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +3.
  Educator
  Educators include primary and secondary
  school teachers, college professors, lecturers,
  tutors, personal trainers, coaches, consultants, and
  anyone else who makes a living by instructing oth-
  ers and spreading knowledge.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as
  permanent class skills. If a skill you choose is
  already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence
  bonus on checks using that skill.
  Computer Use, Craft (visual art or writing),
  Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (art, behav-
  ioral sciences, business, civics, current events,
  6
  Characters
  
  earth and life sciences, history, physical sciences,
  pop culture, tactics, technology, or theology and
  philosophy), Listen, Research, Sense Motive, or
  add a new Read/Write Language or a new Speak
  Language. 
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following:
  Creative, Educated, or Studious.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Newslogger
  A newslogger makes a living off of researching
  and submitting stories to media sites. The interests
  of a newslogger may vary from business, to cur-
  rent affairs, to celebrity gossip, but a successful
  newslogger must combine a passion for their sub-
  ject and the ability to discuss it well. Many, even
  most, newsloggers are part-time, orking at other
  jobs to bring in money.
  Prerequisite: Intelligence 13+
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as
  permanent class skills. If a skill you choose is
  already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence
  bonus on checks using that skill. 
  Computer Use, Craft (visual art or writing),
  Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (art, behav-
  ioural sciences, business, civics, current events,
  earth and life sciences, history, physical sciences,
  pop culture, tactics, technology, or theology and
  philosophy), Research, or Sense Motive. 
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following:
  Attentive, 
  Creative, 
  Deceptive, 
  Educated,
  Renown, Windfall.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1
  Tribal
  Tribal characters come from phyles that have
  explicitly rejected most technological develop-
  ment as “anti-human” and adopted a pre-industrial
  lifestyle. Tribals live in small groups, hunting to
  survive and making most of what they need them-
  selves. 
  Prerequisite: Age 15+
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills as
  permanent class skills. If a skill you choose is
  already a class skill, you receive a +1 competence
  bonus on checks using that skill. 
  Balance, Craft (pharmaceutical, structural or
  visual art), Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Hide,
  Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (current events,
  popular culture, or streetwise), Listen, Move
  Silently, Navigate, Ride, Sense Motive, Survival,
  or Swim.
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following:
  Animal Affinity, Archaic Weapons Proficiency,
  Atheletic, Guide, or Track.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1
  Advanced and 
  Prestige Classes
  The following advanced classes are appropriate
  for a Fourth Millennium game:
  D20 Modern Roleplaying Game: Any non-FX
  using class.
  Future 
  SRD: Ambassador, 
  Dreadnought,
  Engineer, Explorer, Field Officer, Helix Warrior,
  Space Monkey, Technosavant, Tracer.
  Classes from other sources should only be used
  with the permission of the GM.
  Procuracy Field Agent
  Procuracy Field Agents keep an eye on the mem-
  bers of other Syndicates in order to guarantee their
  integrity. They act as a kind of “internal affairs” divi-
  sion among the cultures of the Syndicates. 
  The Procuracy also possesses the authority to ini-
  tiate spot checks on research and development facil-
  ities throughout the League (and often beyond) in
  search of forbidden technology. This authority is
  universal and unquestioned. League law makes it a
  highly punishable offense to refuse a procurator free
  and total access to one’s facilities and research data.
  Like more traditional law enforcement agencies, the
  Procuracy does have certain limits imposed upon its
  activities in the interests of liberty, and they are
  required to show that they have some basis for their
  investigation.
  Procurators see themselves as the front line of
  defense against the Psaikhailou. They have frequent-
  ly conducted covert operations outside (and occa-
  sionally inside) the League to prevent violations of
  the Stasis. On occasion, they have broadened their
  mandate to act against individuals or organizations
  they believed to be acting against the interests of
  humanity. Questions still exist regarding their role in
  the suspicious death of Callixtus Savunthagam in
  2995 and their role in the Secessionist War.
  Nonetheless, the Procuracy is generally highly
  regarded, and the matte-black uniform of a
  Procurator commands respect throughout the
  League and in many places outside it.
  7
  
  Select the Procuracy Field Agent if you want
  your character to have access to controlled infor-
  mation and technology.
  Requirements
  To qualify to become a Procuracy Field Agent,
  a character must fulfill the following criteria.
  Skills: 9 ranks in Investigate, 9 ranks in
  Knowledge (technology).
  Feats: Oathbound (Procuracy).
  Class Information
  Hit Die
  The Procuracy Field Agent gains 1d8 hit points
  per level. The character’s constitution modifier
  applies.
  Action Points
  The Procuracy Field Agent gains a number of
  action points equal to 7 + half his character level,
  rounded down, every time he gains a level in this
  class. 
  Class Skills
  The Procuracy Field Agent’s class skills (and
  the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha),
  Computer Use (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft
  (chemical, electronic, mechanical, or pharmaceuti-
  cal) (Int), Demolitions (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),
  Disable Device (Int), Drive (Dex), Gather
  Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Investigate
  (Int), Knowledge (behavorial sciences, civics,
  earth and life sciences, physical sciences, street-
  wise, technology) (Int), Repair (Int), Research
  (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot
  (Wis).
  Skill Points at Each Level: 7 + Int modifier (6
  + Int modifier for parahumans).
  Class Features
  Procuracy Allegiance: A Procuracy Field
  Agent must select the Procuracy as one of his alle-
  giances. He may inspect any facility that manufac-
  tures Class Two or higher technologies at will, and
  arrest violators. If he ever gives up his allegiance
  to the Procuracy, he loses the privileges of being a
  Procuracy Field Agent (including all of the access
  abilities granted by this class). Furthermore, he
  may no longer advance as a Procuracy Field
  Agent.
  Technology Access: At 1st level, the Procuracy
  Field Agent is permitted access to Class Three and
  Four technology on a mission to mission basis.
  This equipment is requisitioned according to the
  rules in the “Requisitioning Equipment” section of
  the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game.  
  Technophile: At 2nd level, the Procuracy Field
  Agent adds one-half his Procuracy Field Agent
  class level to any Knowledge (technology) check
  made to identify an unfamiliar piece of technolo-
  gy.
  Information Access: Starting at 3rd level, the
  Procuracy Field Agent can make Gather
  Information checks without spending money or
  making Wealth checks, provided he is dealing with
  individuals or organizations that are not hostile to
  him or the Syndicates. The Procuracy Field Agent
  must make Wealth checks as usual when dealing
  with hostile individuals or organizations.
  Improved Technology Access: At 4th level,
  the Procuracy Field Agent is permitted access to
  Class Four technology on a mission to mission
  basis. This equipment is requisitioned according to
  the rules in the “Requisitioning Equipment” sec-
  tion of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game.  
  Restricted Access: At 5th level, the Procuracy
  Field Agent gains clearance to access restricted
  files or classified information from any source that
  allows the Syndicates to monitor its development
  and use of technology. He gains a +5 bonus on
  Computer Use checks made to defeat computer
  security and a +5 bonus on research checks.
  8
  Class
  Fort
  Ref
  Will 
  Defense
  Reputation
  Level
  BAB
  Save
  Save
  Save
  Special
  Bonus
  Bonus
  1st
  +0
  +1
  +1
  +2
  Procuracy Allegiance, 
  Technology Access
  +1
  +1
  2nd 
  +1
  +2
  +2
  +3
  Technophile
  +1
  +1
  3rd 
  +2
  +2
  +2
  +3
  Information Access
  +2
  +1
  4th
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +4
  Improved Technology 
  Access
  +2
  +2
  5th
  +3
  +3
  +3
  +4
  Restricted Access
  +3
  +2
  
  Antithesis
  You have a deep hatred for one Allegiance or
  group. 
  Prerequisites: Enemy (Same Group) Base
  Attack Bonus 9+.
  Benefit: When you are combating your antithe-
  sis, you gain an additional +2 to hit and skill
  checks. You will not willingly deal with your
  antithesis on friendly terms, and when you must
  deal with forces friendly to them, you take a -4
  penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks. 
  Special: You may only take this feat once.
  Armor Proficiency (Reflex)
  You are comfortable working with reflex armor
  and know how to let it do the fighting for you.
  Prerequisites: Defensive Martial Arts
  Benefit: You are able to use reflex armors and
  get the full benefit from them. Characters without
  this proficiency fight the armor’s responses to the
  threats posed by enemies and suffer a -4 penalty on
  to hit rolls and Reflex saves. 
  Special: This proficiency is available as a
  bonus feat for the Soldier Advanced Class. 
  Conviction
  You have a cause that you feel strongly about,
  and would sacrifice greatly to see that cause pro-
  tected. Commonly, this is Loyalty to a Phyle,
  Ideology, or Religion, but it may be a more
  abstract concept such as Honor. 
  Prerequisites: You must have an Allegiance.
  Benefit: When you are actively working to
  support your Allegiance, you gain +1 to hit and to
  all saving throws. 
  Special: You may take this feat more than
  once. It applies to a different Allegiance each time
  it is selected. Any Allegiance you take this feat for
  must take priority over other Allegiances or you
  will lose the bonus from the feat.
  Enemy
  You have one Allegiance or group that you
  detest. 
  Benefit: You gain +2 to attack and skill checks
  when combating your Enemy. When you must
  deal with your enemy peacefully, or with forces
  friendly to them, you take a -2 penalty on all
  Charisma-based skill checks.
  Special: You may take this feat more than
  once. Each time you take it, it applies to a differ-
  ent Allegiance or group. The feat does not stack,
  even if you encounter someone who belongs to
  multiple groups that you have as an Enemy.
  Reputation for Loyalty
  You have a sterling reputation among the mem-
  bers of a particular organization or group.
  Prerequisite: At least one allegiance. 
  Benefit: Select one allegiance that you have
  already formed. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus
  on Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information,
  Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks when dealing
  with characters who have the same allegiance. You
  receive a -4 circumstance penalty on those same
  checks when faced with characters who have an
  opposed allegiance. 
  Special: You may take this feat multiple times.
  Each time, it applies to a different allegiance. 
  9
  New Feats
  
  Progress Levels in
  Fourth Millennium
  The standard PL system presented in Future
  SRD works reasonably well in Fourth Millennium
  up to and including PL 6, except for gravity induc-
  tion technology . After that, though, Fourth
  Millennium posits a different path for technologi-
  cal development. 
  A particular phyle may limit its citizens to tech-
  nology of any PL. In most games, though, the
  important restriction is not the PL but the category
  assigned to the technology by the Syndicates.
  In Fourth Millennium, you may use the follow-
  ing guidelines for progress levels beyond 6:
  PL 7: The Genetic Age
  As this age begins, human nature itself begins
  to change. Humanity was no longer limited to
  using gene therapy to eliminate various inherited
  diseases and reduce undesirable personality traits.
  In the Genetic Age, humanity’s understanding of
  the workings of DNA was sufficient to allow for
  the creation of entirely new species. The Genetic
  Age was a time of cultural experimentation never
  seen before or since, a golden age that carried the
  seeds of its own destruction.
  There were many attempts to create “perfect”
  humans during this time, attempts that were never
  quite successful. While people could be made
  more or less prone to developing certain personal-
  ity traits, it was shown repeatedly that the environ-
  ment that those people matured in was as influen-
  tial as their genetic makeup. Society became
  increasingly fractured as people struggled to deal
  with genuinely alien cultures for the first time.
  Communication technologies encouraged this ten-
  dency, as people were able to find communities
  that would share and reinforce their views.
  Gauss weapons replaced firearms, as miniatur-
  ized power sources made them practical alterna-
  tives to firearms. The new guns were lighter,
  equally deadly, and capable of holding significant-
  ly more ammunition than a typical chemical
  weapon. Soldiers are equipped with powered
  armor, making them faster, more accurate, and
  vastly more deadly than any previous generation.
  By this time, technology has become the dominant
  factor in warfare, with humans distinctly less
  important than their fighting machines in deter-
  mining the outcome of a battle. 
  Computer technology also continued to
  advance. General purpose computers, which had
  been the norm before this time, were replaced by
  special-purpose expert systems, designed to run
  specific applications selected to fit the needs of the
  user. People have access to immense amounts of
  information at will, with almost everything ever
  written or recorded available online. The real chal-
  lenge in Genetic Age society is not in getting
  access to facts, but in being able to analyze those
  facts and come to useful conclusions.
  10
  Technology 
  and Equipment
  
  PL 8: The Nanotech Age
  In this age, nanotechnology made the transition
  from a specialized manufacturing technique to a
  pervasive constant. Almost all goods incorporated
  nanotech in some fashion, whether in the construc-
  tion process or as an integral part of their operation.
  Any device might incorporate an expert system to
  make it more useful, fix itself when broken, or
  adapt itself to the changing needs of its user.
  Complexity stopped being a factor in the manufac-
  turing process, and the wealth of a society was lim-
  ited only by its energy supply.
  As the age progressed, humans began to incor-
  porate nanotech systems into their bodies. In the
  previous progress level, genetic changes could only
  be applied to future generations. In the nanotech
  age, that was no longer true. People could re-write
  their own DNA, enhance themselves physically,
  and even re-write their own memories. The devel-
  opment of nanophages meant that these changes
  could just as easily be imposed on others. It was
  now possible to eradicate a culture without killing
  all of its members—a development that ironically
  led to the bloodiest conflicts in human history, a
  period known as the Culture Wars. 
  The widespread use of nanotechnology led to
  the development and widespread use of diamond
  armor and the replacement of gauss weapons by
  lasers. Lasers were slightly less effective than
  gauss weapons against unarmored people, but vast-
  ly more effective against diamond. The removal of
  humans from the tactical side of war became com-
  plete. Humans adopted a supervisory role in war-
  fare, setting objectives and determining goals to be
  achieved by the machines under their control.
  Perhaps it was for the best that true AI contin-
  ued to elude researchers. With no true desires of
  their own, the robots and experts never launched
  the revolution against humanity that many feared.
  Human society had become entirely dependent on
  expert systems in its day-to-day functioning, and
  the next logical step was to directly link the human
  brain to networks of expert systems.
  PL 9 and beyond: Emergence
  An Emergence marks the end of humanity, at
  least in any form that we can understand.
  Emergences occur when the linkage of a human
  brain to expert systems allows the creation of intel-
  ligences significantly beyond our own. They no
  longer share our viewpoint, or morals, or our
  instincts, and they are capable of understanding
  things that we cannot. Post-Emergence societies
  cannot be described, because we simply do not
  have the concepts we need. All we can do is resort
  to inadequate metaphors.
  General Guidelines
  Fourth Millennium can be considered a “firm
  science” setting: we’re prepared to bend physical
  laws slightly, but we try to avoid things in the set-
  ting which go too far beyond current knowledge.
  We’ve also ruled out some common technologies
  for dramatic reasons. The result is that certain com-
  mon science-fiction tropes don’t exist. Among
  them:
  No Antigravity. Even if it’s remotely possible,
  the power demands would be enormous; after all,
  you’d have to generate an inverse gravity well as
  strong as the Earth’s! Conventional propulsion
  methods can achieve the same effects far more effi-
  ciently. 
  No Aliens. This is a dramatic choice as it takes
  away from the most important dramatic question of
  the game: what does it mean to be human? Rather
  than have aliens who are just deeply spiritual
  humans with a rich cultural life, it seemed easier to
  simply use humans in that role. Don’t be concerned
  about introducing human cultures that are as
  unusual as any alien; back before the Psaikhailou
  Emergence people experimented with every social
  structure and enhancement you can imagine, and
  many that you probably wouldn’t want to. Yes,
  phyles are more conservative these days, but
  almost anything could be out there in the Shards. 
  No FTL. It’s impossible to have FTL without
  causing time paradoxes. The node system serves
  the same purpose; and besides, recent scientific dis-
  coveries are suggesting that systems with inhabita-
  ble earthlike worlds are pretty few and far between.
  With nodes, all the inhabitable—and therefore
  interesting—places are close together, encouraging
  people to see the universe.
  No AIs. The invention of true AI—a computer
  that is as smart or smarter than a human—is some-
  thing that Fourth Millennium assumes leads direct-
  ly to an Emergence, if it’s even possible. If many
  aliens are guys in suits, it’s equally true that much
  SF portrays AIs as guys in boxes, who might as
  well be humans despite living in an environment
  more alien than we can possibly imagine. 
  11
  
  In general, technology available to the League
  should be constrained both by scientific plausibil-
  ity and by practicality. You should feel free to
  break any or all of these rules when dealing with
  the Psaikhailou, of course. The Psaikhailou can do
  any number of things that the League firmly
  believes to be impossible, and they should always
  have some surprises waiting for your characters.
  The Stasis
  The Stasis is the mixture of
  laws, regulations, and protocols
  developed by the Syndicates to
  regulate the development and
  use of technology, as well as to
  the political, law enforcement,
  and military structures that
  maintain it. The purpose of the
  Stasis is to freeze the develop-
  ment of science and technology at
  a level that makes another neohuman
  Emergence impossible.
  All risky science and technology is man-
  aged by phyles who regard its control as an almost
  holy purpose, and the Svobodan League will bring
  all of its considerable military might to bear
  against any phyle that tries to violate the Stasis.
  Svobodans believe that the Stasis saved Humanity.
  The cost was a surrender of the old ways of look-
  ing at the world, a halt to progress, and a return to
  revelation. Soyuzniks aren’t primitives or
  Luddites—they don’t seek to return to a primitive
  lifestyle. They simply believe that the Stasis is
  necessary to preserve human nature and identity.
  This belief gives the League the political will to
  enforce the Stasis, even when the cost is high.
  Enforcing the Stasis
  The Stasis is difficult to maintain, and viola-
  tions of it are relatively common. It lasts because
  it can’t be violated in a meaningful fashion by a
  single researcher working alone. It takes years of
  training and a great deal of money to do that kind
  of work, and most of the researchers interested in
  technology end up in the one place they can per-
  form their research freely—the Syndicates. Even if
  a Shard state does sponsor a violation, they are
  unlikely to be able to make enough use of the tech-
  nology to have a chance of successfully resisting
  the League military. The restrictions of the Stasis
  are intentionally designed to make sure that it
  would take years, if not decades, for a Shard to
  build a military capable of resisting the League.
  Isolated violations are common, but potential
  Emergences require far more than that. 
  Within the borders of the League and other
  phyles that accept the Stasis, enforcement is rela-
  tively simple. Nanoforges actually have their inner
  workings encrypted so that only an authorized
  user, with the correct keys, can make them work.
  Nanoforges will simply not build any item
  that has not been previously approved
  by the Nanotech Syndicate—of
  course, any template in common
  use has long ago received this
  approval, and most new variants
  on common technologies can be
  reviewed and approved by
  experts.
  Outside the League, Stasis
  enforcement is dependent prima-
  rily on covert intelligence gather-
  ing, with the threat of military action
  as a backup. Procuracy Intelligence close-
  ly monitors states who are believed to be pursu-
  ing forbidden technologies. Voodoo teams work
  the trade routes, following up on rumors or sales of
  illegal tech. The Stasis has created a substantial
  underground economy in forbidden technology
  and has made criminal organizations extremely
  wealthy. 
  Although enforcement of tech law is officially
  the responsibility of the Syndicates (especially the
  Procuracy), several law enforcement agencies
  spend much of their time investigating breaches of
  the Stasis. The League and the Syndicates wage a
  low-intensity covert war, and occasionally an overt
  war, against violators to curtail their efforts to
  develop 
  proscribed 
  technology. 
  It’s 
  been
  enough…so far.
  Technological Restrictions
  The Syndicate classifies all technological
  developments into six categories, based on their
  potential to violate the Stasis. 
  Class One (Unrestricted). Items using this
  class of technology may be constructed and freely
  distributed without Syndicate involvement. With a
  few exceptions, any item that’s PL 5 or lower, and
  some PL 6 items, are Class One. Technologies are
  considered Class One unless they have the poten-
  tial to be used in a fashion that would allow people
  12
  
  to be engineered to exceed normal human poten-
  tial. 
  Class 
  Two 
  (Supervised 
  Manufacture,
  Unrestricted Use). Items using these technologies
  may be constructed only in facilities that are regu-
  larly inspected by Syndicate representatives, but
  once constructed may be distributed freely. This is
  the minimum level of restriction for nanotechno-
  logically-built devices, even dead ones—although
  almost all goods sold within the Svobodan League
  incorporate class 2 nanotech. Class Two technolo-
  gies do not themselves lead to the modification of
  human nature, but they require tools that could be
  misused in that fashion. Add +5 to the Purchase
  DC of all Class 2 items if purchased in a phyle that
  is not under the Stasis.
  Class Three (Supervised Manufacture and
  Use). These technologies must be built and used
  only under Syndicate supervision. Examples
  include anti-psychotic drugs. Class Three tech-
  nologies differ from Class Two in that their wide-
  spread use has significant social implications, but
  limited use to assist individuals does not. Class 3
  or higher items cannot be purchased legally in
  phyles that are not signatories to the Stasis—at
  least not for long.
  Class 
  Four
  (Restricted 
  Manufacture,
  Supervised Use). These items may only be con-
  structed by the Syndicates. Class Four technolo-
  gies are considered to be sufficiently high risk that
  any use of them poses a danger of causing an
  Emergence. General purpose experts, gene thera-
  py, and nanotechnological enhancement of
  humans are considered to be Class Four. 
  Class Five (Restricted Manufacture and
  Use). These items may only be built and used by
  the Syndicates. Genetic or nanotechnological
  modification of humans for any purpose other than
  medical need is Class Five technology, as are any
  technologies that allow the design or testing of
  such things.
  Class Six (Forbidden). Research and use of
  “Forbidden” technology is not allowed under any
  circumstances. Examples include “wild” nan-
  otechnology, immortality drugs, linkages between
  human brains, and any modification that threatens
  to alter what the Syndicates define as human
  nature. The technology to create Facers is consid-
  ered Class Six.
  Purchasing Restricted Technology
  Any technology that is rated greater than Class
  Two requires some special effort to obtain. The
  table below shows the additional effort required. 
  To legally purchase Class Four or Five technol-
  ogy, the character must have a Syndicate
  Allegiance. If the item is restricted (requiring a
  license) then the modifiers are cumulative. The
  Black Market Purchase DC number may optional-
  ly be reduced by 10 if the GM rules that the phyle
  is openly flouting the Stasis. This is not a stable
  situation, and the characters risk finding them-
  selves in the middle of an invasion if they stay in
  an area that’s doing so.
  Legal
  Black Market
  Time
  Class
  Purchase DC
  Purchase DC
  Req.
  Three
  15 (or +5 to restriction) +10
  1 day
  Four
  20 (or +10 to restriction) +15
  2 days
  Five
  25 (or +15 to restriction) +20
  4 days
  Six
  Not Legally Available
  +25
  8 days
  General Technologies
  Weapons
  Gauss Weapons
  Ultra-High-Temperature 
  Superconductors
  make Gauss Weapons very efficient. They can fire
  a variety of densities of ammunition for optimal
  use against armored, or unarmored opponents.
  They generally require very little energy compared
  to lasers and are as small and light as recoil will
  permit. However, they are ineffective against dia-
  mond armor and so are only common in the
  Shards.
  Gauss weapons fire a sharp aerodynamic bul-
  let, with a crystalline tip, and superconducting
  base. Better weapons fire smart rounds that sense
  impact, but wait for a while (5 cm worth of time)
  after penetrating the armor before fragmenting or
  exploding (although not much explosive can be
  carried in these small bullets).
  Lasers
  Most Svobodan military personnel and legally
  purchased civilian weapons are excimer lasers.
  The laser became the dominant weapon as a direct
  consequence of the development of diamond-
  based personal armor and portable, powerful ener-
  gy supplies. Excimer lasers emit energy at the
  13
  
  exact frequency required to dissolve carbon-to-
  carbon bonds between molecules. Since diamond
  and flesh are mostly or entirely carbon, this makes
  excimer lasers an extremely effective antiperson-
  nel weapon. 
  Personal laser weapons are unusual outside the
  League, as nanotech is required for construction of
  the beam focusing mechanism, tube construction,
  and power supply. Without nanotech, lasers are too
  bulky to compete with the reduced cost and weight
  of gauss. (Besides, without nanotech-constructed
  diamond armor, lasers are unnecessary).
  Armor
  Virtually all armor in the Svobodan League is
  made from a high-strength diamond compound.
  Generally, most armor is live, to prevent wear over
  time. It is common for people to use suits of armor
  that are hundreds of years old. 
  In the Shards, where nanotech diamond manu-
  facture is extremely rare, other materials are used
  as armor. Although less effective per unit weight
  than diamond, they still provide a reasonable
  degree of protection against lasers. However, they
  are far less effective against gauss weapons.
  Powered armor has an endoskeleton and micro-
  mechanical motors to compensate for the weight
  of the armor, and generally enhanced the physical
  capabilities of the wearer as well. Powered armors
  typically require the immersion of the wearer in
  oxygel, just like the sergeants aboard combat spi-
  ders and the crews of wetships. This makes wear-
  ing powered armor nearly impossible for individu-
  als not trained in the niceties of breathing a liquid.
  Therefore, one rarely encounters powered armor
  outside of the military. 
  Tactical expert systems are deliberately
  designed to be capable of learning, using a devel-
  opment of evolutionary programming. This pre-
  vents any two ship or vehicle tactical experts from
  having exactly identical procedures and the obvi-
  ous predictability that would result. 
  Gear
  In general, the equipment listed in Future SRD
  represents the low end of what is available in
  Fourth Millennium. Even the PL 8 equipment
  should be considered commonplace in the Shards,
  except where we specify otherwise. League tech-
  nology makes extensive use of nanotechnology
  and should generally be considered PL 9. 
  Weapons
  Universal: All gadgets are available. Techno-
  organic Makeup is a Class 4 technology.
  PL 5: All weapons and weapon gadgets are
  available. 
  PL 6: All weapons and weapon gadgets are
  available. Bio-Agent Ammunition is a Class 2 tech-
  nology.
  PL 7: Only the following weapons and weapon
  gadgets are available—
  • Ammunition, Seeker: Seeker ammunition uses a
  micro-computer and nanotech guidance sys-
  tems to control its flight path. It is a class 2
  technology.
  • Grenade, Dissolver: This weapon releases a
  cloud of nanites that attack the chemical bonds
  of any substance they come into contact with.
  As a result, they do 2d6 points of damage per
  round to all materials in a 5-foot radius burst.
  They use micromechanical propellers to remain
  within the area of effect. They will run out of
  power anc become inert after one minute.
  Dissolver grenades are a class 3 technology.
  • Grenade, Stun.
  • Plasma Weapons.
  • Rail Gun: APL 7 rail gun uses nanotechnology to
  produce extremely focused pulses of magnetic
  force and generate higher accelerations. 
  • Sound Suppressor.
  PL 8: Only the following weapons and weapon
  gadgets are available—
  • Lightning Gun
  • Pulse Rifle
  • Sonic Beam
  Additional weapons and gadgets will be
  described in future Fourth Millennium supplements. 
  Armor
  Universal: All gadgets are available. Techno-
  organic Makeup is a Class 4 technology.
  PL 5: All armor and armor gadgets are avail-
  able. 
  PL 6: All armor and armor gadgets are avail-
  able.
  PL 7: All armor and armor gadgets are avail-
  able. Chameleonic Surface is a Class 2 technology.
  PL 8: All armor is available. Morphic metal
  alloy is available; no other armor gadgets are
  available. 
  14
  
  Diamond Armor: Diamond armor requires a
  dose of magic on a monthly basis. However, it
  gives the benefits of the Ultralight Composition,
  Self-Repairing, and Morphic Metal Alloy gadgets,
  as well as providing the wearer with DR of
  10/laser. Diamond Armor is a Class 2 technology,
  is Restricted, and adds +15 to the Purchase DC. 
  Reflex Armor (PL 8): Various models of reflex
  armor are available to the Svobodan League Army.
  This description is of the Takamatsu-Hegenauer
  PDS-97, a low-end suit commonly assigned to
  Peacekeeper units who are expected to convince
  the locals of their generally unthreatening, non-
  hostile nature. Other variants will be described in
  Future Warrior, vol. 1. 
  Reflex armor, in all of its variants, incorporates
  a tactical expert that works with the wearer to be
  more effective in a combat situation. The wearer
  has to get used to a certain loss of control, as the
  armor itself will move the user, decide who to
  attack, and get out of the way of potential enemies.
  The tactical expert is able to display information in
  a HUD for the wearer or communicate through
  voice command.
  The PDS-97 is capable of interfacing its tacti-
  cal communications with other friendly units in
  the same area. For each allied unit beyond the first
  in a combat, the squad may add a +1 competence
  bonus to attack or defense checks. All people in
  the squad must choose the same bonus. Normally,
  the unit commander will choose, but if for some
  reason there is disagreement, the suits will auto-
  matically choose the defensive option. 
  The PDS-97 is a skintight bodysuit, with some
  bulkiness in the right places to preserve the mod-
  esty of the wearer. The suit uses a combination of
  color changes on the surface and 3-D image pro-
  jectors to camouflage the wearer and white noise
  generators to reduce sound, giving the wearer a
  +10 on Hide and Move Silently checks. 
  The helmet on the PDS-97 can open and close
  almost instantly, and will do automatically if the
  suit detects any potential threat to the wearer.
  When closed, the suit provides a completely sealed
  environment, enabling the wearer to survive
  biochem attacks or vacuum. 
  The PDS-97 gains all the benefits of Diamond
  Armor, above. In addition, the wearer gains +10 on
  Strength checks, due to the micro-musculature
  implanted throughout the suit, and +6 to Dexterity
  from the suit’s ability to detect and avoid incoming
  attacks, effectively target enemies, and adjust the
  wearer’s movement. If the wearer does not have
  Armor Proficiency (Reflex), the Dexterity bonus is
  lost. It also increases the ability of the wearer to
  fight enemies, allowing the wearer to perform one
  extra attack action each round. Finally, it boosts
  the wearer’s speed by 10 ft. per round.
  General
  Universal: All gadgets are available.
  PL 5: All gear and gadgets are available.
  PL 6: All gear and gadgets are available except
  for violet rations. Neural Scramblers and Self-
  Repairing gadgets are Class 2.
  PL 7: All gear and gadgets are available except
  for Galpos Devices and Projectile Deflectors. The
  Microcom is available at this PL. 
  PL 8:
  The Energy Shield, Personal Force
  Field, Photon Shield, and Regen Wand are not
  available. Plastiflesh is a Class 2 technology. The
  Neural Computer Link and the Wireless Neural
  Computer Jack are Class 5 technologies.
  Experts and Robots
  Experts
  Experts are special-purpose computers that have
  most of their operating parameters hard-coded into
  their systems. They can only add new information
  or functionality if it relates to the purpose for which
  they were designed. League law forbids the design
  and construction of general-purpose experts, as they
  could be used for the design and construction of
  restricted technology.
  Experts are powerful machines, but they remain
  just that—machines. Experts can learn, play games,
  even simulate emotions and carry on a limited form
  of conversation, but they are incapable of producing
  art, translating the operation of the human mind, or
  understanding abstract ideas. No pre-Emergence
  researcher was ever able to construct a working AI,
  and if the Psaikhailou have, they haven’t communi-
  cated their success to the League. 
  15
  Equip.
  Nonprof. Max Dex. Armor
  Armor
  Type
  Bonus
  Bonus
  Bonus
  Penalty Speed (30 ft.)
  Weight
  Purchase DC Restriction
  PDS-97
  Reflex
  +8
  +4
  N/A
  0
  30 ft.
  20 lb.
  30
  Mil. (+3)
  
  Natural language processing enables experts to
  understand most requests for information from a
  sapient being. People who need to use highly spe-
  cialized applications, or want to extend the capabili-
  ties of an expert, will learn a high-level program-
  ming language. The most common of these lan-
  guages, designed for everyday home and commer-
  cial use, is “Explãn.” Others exist, such as “Milplan”
  (used in the military) and “Navplan” (used by space-
  craft crews).
  Experts can store an astonishing amount of infor-
  mation—a typical home system is capable of record-
  ing over one decade’s worth of high-resolution 3-D
  imagery. If that home system has access to a plane-
  tary information network, it can be used to access
  any unclassified information known to humanity.
  The challenge is not in getting information, it’s in
  knowing what information you need and where it
  might be stored.
  A typical user interface uses projectors to create
  a 3-dimensional image in the air. The expert then
  detects the movements of the user and manipulates
  the image to respond to any motions the user makes.
  Most people also wear datagloves, which create the
  illusion of a tactile response by stimulating the user’s
  nerve endings.
  Robots
  Robotic systems are in fairly common use
  throughout the League and the Shards. Their long
  operating lifespan, coupled with the self-repair
  mechanisms built into the majority of models,
  means that a robot can continue to operate effective-
  ly for decades or centuries. Given the restrictions of
  the Stasis, many do, since there aren’t newer models
  coming out based on more advanced technologies. 
  Svobodans are very uncomfortable with robots
  that resemble humans or other living creatures too
  closely, and so most robots are designed with a
  deliberately artificial appearance. Since they’re also
  supposed to look friendly, the end result is that many
  household robots look very cartoonish. 
  Industrial robots, on the other hand, generally
  have a more utilitarian appearance. Many are multi-
  limbed, with the ability to use any limb for manipu-
  lation or locomotion. 
  Game Rules
  Experts
  Full rules for experts will be detailed in future
  supplements. Experts may have access to any feats
  and skills in the game, but may not have an Int
  greater than 2. 
  Any character with the Computer Use skill can
  be assumed to know any relevant language. 
  Robots
  Since robots, like experts, are limited to an Int
  of 2, they are not suitable for use as heroes. 
  If using a robot from Future SRD, you may treat
  the intelligence score as the apparent human intel-
  ligence they are capable of simulating. Robots that
  are designed with natural language processing
  capabilities can simulate conversations very effec-
  tively—but they do not have any real understand-
  ing of what they are saying. Rather, most access an
  immense library of data and conversational subrou-
  tines stored on the planetary net which contains
  conversation material on almost any subject. If
  these robots are cut off from the planetary network,
  their real limitations will rapidly become apparent. 
  Robots in Fourth Millennium may not use the
  following technologies:
  Locomotion—Inductor.
  Ability Upgrades—the Intelligence Upgrade is
  as mentioned above, but it only affects the simulat-
  ed conversational intelligence. In effect, the robot’s
  owner has paid for a higher priority on the distrib-
  uted computational network to improve the quality
  of the robot’s responses. 
  Robot Accessories—Photon Screen.
  Nanotechnology
  Nanotechnology is the art and science of build-
  ing complex, practical machines with atomic preci-
  sion. It is could, therefore, be called “molecular
  engineering.” Many members of the Nanotech
  Syndicate do refer to it as such.
  Basic Terminology
  All technological items in the Svobodan League
  come in two varieties: “living” and “dead”. Dead
  items are comparatively simple and inert, while liv-
  ing items are dynamic and can perform self-repair
  and other reactive tasks. 
  Nanites that can survive in the wild are a Class
  Six technology. That means that live objects need a
  power source, and must “eat” in order to function.
  Living objects need not eat often and they do so
  largely to enable their innate self-repair systems.
  What they eat is termed “magic” (micromechanical
  aggregated cells) tailored to the task at hand. 
  16
  
  There are multiple varieties of magic, each one
  associated with a particular technological endeavor.
  By convention and for convenience, each sort is
  named after a color. There is, however, no “general”
  magic that can be used to feed every living object.
  White magic is the closest to this since it is needed
  by almost everything. Magic creation, distribution,
  and sale rests firmly within the hands of the
  Syndicates.
  Nanoforges
  The commonest use of nanotechnology in the
  League is the nanoforge. Nanoforges are powerful
  experts that direct nanonic machinery. These
  machines then set about reorganizing raw materials
  on the molecular level to create the desired item. As
  such, nanoforges are the backbone of Svobodan
  industry. Most mass-produced items are created
  using a nanoforge.
  The Nanotech Syndicate licenses and inspects
  all nanoforges. Furthermore, only the Expert
  Syndicate manufactures and sells the experts that
  run the nanoforges. The Syndicate encodes each
  expert with a theoretically unbreakable quantum
  cryptographic public key that must be matched to
  the private key for that technology in the nanoforge.
  As a practical matter, the system probably can be
  defeated, but only through a massive investment of
  time and energy.
  Other Common Uses
  Nanotechnology pervades the industry of the
  Svobodan League, despite the Stasis. There are
  numerous everyday uses of nanotechnology that
  Soyuzniks accept without a second thought. A few
  of the most prevalent are listed below. Most are
  quite innocuous. 
  Full-wall video screens.
  Programmable “paint” that changes color, tex-
  ture, and pattern on command.
  Windows with variable transparency that allow a
  person to select how transparent or opaque they are,
  allowing a person to maintain a particular interior
  light level. Their transparency adjusts dynamically
  as the outside light level changes. In some homes,
  the walls themselves have a variable transparency.
  Seamless doors, cabinets, and closets with no
  handles, hinges, or cracks.
  Time-release and time-retractable “smart drugs”
  that expose a chemical catalyst at a set time and then
  retracts it at another time.
  Paint-on, expert-readable white boards that can
  be sprayed onto any surface and, when written on
  with a special stylus, read by an expert. 
  Reprogrammable “books” that retain the tactile
  feel of printed books and have the ability to keep
  one’s place in them by thumb, but which have
  changeable content. Such books are common among
  some phyles of the League, particularly the
  Muutzhans. 
  Restrictions
  Nanotech is an extremely high-risk technology,
  and its use and sale are tightly controlled. In addition,
  Svobodan nanoengineering has not yet managed to
  solve several problems with nanonics. The primary
  limitation on their widespread use is the continued
  inability to develop nanotech “von Neumann”
  machines that are capable of refining raw elements
  found in nature for their own use. Assemblers require
  pure sources of elements for use in construction and a
  regular supply of magic for self-repair. This has pre-
  vented the most egregious of the potential dangers
  posed by this technology from happening.
  Communications
  All but the most backward colony worlds in the
  League have an extensive fiber-optic communication
  system. Furthermore, with the development of nano-
  optics, almost every person in the League has some
  sort of personal communication device that is con-
  nected either into the local landline system, or to the
  satellite communication system orbiting the planet.
  With the extensive use of radio, microwave, and
  fiber optics in conjunction with easily and cheaply
  available experts, everyone on a planet is connected
  to a worldwide information network. In fact, it is
  quite a feat to manage to avoid being connected and
  therefore traceable. In general, Soyuzniks have
  instant access to any publicly available information—
  trivia contests are a thing of the past. Only undevel-
  oped outposts and colonies lack an information net. It
  is often one of the first services assembled on any
  world. 
  Telepathy
  Telepathy is a restricted use of nanotech. There is
  nothing supernatural or paranormal about it; it con-
  sists of a low-frequency transmission of sub-vocal-
  ized conversations to a wireless network. Some tele-
  pathic systems allow the transmission of sensory
  17
  
  information as well, but these are Class Six restricted
  technology. Rules for Telepaths can be found in
  Parahumans. 
  Medicine
  The growth and development of the science of
  medicine in the Fourth Millennium would astound
  observers from past eras. Several new technologies,
  from nanites to cybernetics to “smart drugs,” have
  revolutionized the way physicians conduct their
  duties. Consequently, humanity is healthier and
  longer-lived than at any time in the past.
  Psychiatry
  As a rule, the Psychiatric Syndicate does not
  allow the use of chemical or genetic therapy that
  alters the chemical operation of the brain. The sole
  exception is the use of recreational chemicals.
  Previous experience with such attempts to cure those
  defined as sick by society has shown that it can be
  far too easy to define somebody as “ill”. Involuntary
  treatment is limited to those individuals with prob-
  lems that can result in severe harm to themselves or
  to others. Physicians can diagnose most other prob-
  lems, especially those with a biochemical basis.
  Sufferers may then seek the help of qualified coun-
  selors and therapists. Most cultures provide financial
  support to those who suffer from diseases that are
  untreatable under the conditions of the Stasis.
  Biotechnology & Cybernetics
  Soyuzniks prefer cloned replacement limbs and
  organs to cybernetics. Biotech consortia grow these
  replacements from DNA samples provided by their
  eventual user. Cloned replacements take approxi-
  mately three to four weeks to grow. These replace-
  ments only re-enable the normal capability of the
  limb or organ that they replace. Improvements to the
  original are, in most cases, a Stasis violation. As a
  practical matter, it also takes time to adapt to new
  capabilities added to the human body, especially if
  those enhancements allow perception outside the
  normal human range. Even with assistance from the
  best neurological experts, adaptation may take
  months or years.
  The difference between biotechnology and
  cybernetics is mostly the materials used in construc-
  tion, since they perform much the same function.
  Cybernetic enhancements are capable of more sig-
  nificant feats, but at the same time are more difficult
  to maintain. 
  Game Rules
  The Gene Therapy templates and nanotechnol-
  ogy abilities are available in Fourth Millennium,
  but are Class 5 technology to anyone not born with
  them. 
  All equipment in the Cybernetics chapter is
  available with the exception of the Psi Implant. A
  future supplement will expand on the rules for
  Skill Implants, Feat Implants, and implanted com-
  puters.
  The mutation rules should be used with cau-
  tion, as they are somewhat cinematic in tone. With
  the GM’s permission, characters may take them.
  The following are sufficiently implausible that
  characters should not have them under any cir-
  cumstances: 
  Force 
  Barrier, 
  Radioactive,
  Telekinetic Mind, Telepathy, X-Ray Vision. 
  Magic Dependency replaces the mutation
  Neutrad Dependency. A character with Magic
  Dependency has built-in live nanotech systems
  that require steady doses of magic to remain func-
  tional. The character and GM should determine
  which abilities the character has that depend on the
  supply of magic, as these abilities will not function
  if the character does not get a regular dose.
  Space Travel
  Faster-than-light travel is, of course, impossi-
  ble. Back in the 20th century, Albert Einstein
  demonstrated conclusively that sending informa-
  tion at FTL speeds would mean that it was possi-
  ble for temporal paradoxes to occur. 
  In the centuries following his death, many
  ingenious theories were developed in the hopes of
  finding a way around this restriction. All of them
  fell by the wayside, either because the suggested
  method was found to violate physical law or
  because they would require the entire power out-
  put of a small star. 
  In the 25th century, humanity found a way
  around the problem. A team of researchers led by
  Dr. Iain MacInley noticed some odd energy fluxes
  while performing an electromagnetic survey of the
  solar system. After years of research, MacInley
  and his team theorized that the fluxes were, in fact,
  energy leakage between parallel or alternate uni-
  verses and proposed that the existence of these
  alternate universes might explain the “dark mat-
  ter” phenomenon that had plagued cosmology for
  centuries. 
  18
  
  Over the next 15 years, MacInley was able to
  verify his theory that the fluxes represented contact
  points with alternate universes. Several probes
  were sent “through” the flux, or at least so it was
  presumed—all that could be determined for certain
  was that the probes vanished and never returned. 
  The breakthrough that led to the development of
  node transit came with the sale of the University of
  Toronto to the Trans-Russian People’s Union. At
  that time, the TRPU was beginning to fracture as a
  result of conflicts between the Materialist, Alienist,
  and Spiritualist branches of its state religion, the
  Church of the Space Brothers1. The Materialist
  faction of the CSB believed that MacInley’s nodes
  were the conduit through which the Space Brothers
  reached our reality from their own, more advanced,
  universe. They assigned Dr. Andrei Kroschenko,
  the head of the Moscow Institute of Brain, to find a
  way to detect the passage of the Space Brothers
  through the node and communicate with them.
  Over the next few years, as the conflicts
  between the factions inside the CSB caused the
  TRPU to collapse into civil war, Kroschenko
  became more desperate. Finally, in flagrant viola-
  tion of the Nanotech Accords, he created a
  nanophage to incorporate electromagnetic sensing
  and interpretation hardware into human beings,
  hoping that it would allow them to “telepathically”
  communicate with the Space Brothers. Three peo-
  ple survived the nanophage—one of them
  Kroschenko’s daughter, Marya. 
  All three claimed to be receiving messages from
  the Space Brothers, but it was Marya who made the
  most dramatic claim—that she could “taste” the
  presence of several alternate universes mixed into
  the node. The shift in energy state that MacInley’s
  drive used to transit the node had to be precisely
  tuned to a particular universe or else the ship would
  disintegrate in transit, its atoms distributed at ran-
  dom between multiple alternate realities. 
  Desperate to successfully complete a transit
  before funding for the project was cut off,
  MacInley and Kroschenko developed sensors and
  experts to supplement Mayra’s new electrical sens-
  es so that she could safely pilot a vessel through the
  node. With a co-pilot, Laura Nozich, they were able
  to make a successful transit—but were shocked by
  what they found in each parallel universe.
  They found Earth.
  Node Transfer
  There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding
  node transit, and at least six theories that seek to
  explain them in wide currency (the most popular
  being a variant on MacInley’s original theory that
  relied on “many worlds”). 
  The known facts are as follows: Nodes are
  places where a telepath can move a volume of
  space from one universe to another with the help
  of a node transit drive. The nodes connect identi-
  cal points in space in alternate universes, the vast
  majority of which are close parallels to our own,
  down to the level of having the same planets in the
  same orbits. 
  There exists a probability curve from which the
  known star systems diverge from the earth. The
  two points of highest divergence are evenly divid-
  ed between a period within the last two billion
  years and close to the beginning of the universe. A
  small smattering of universes that diverged at
  other times are also accessible, but the two main
  loci account for 95% of all the universes so far vis-
  ited. This means that most settled systems are in
  fact close alternates of earths. No universe has yet
  been discovered that has any intelligent species
  occupying earth, human or otherwise. 
  Telepathic individuals can taste the presence of
  a node at close range without assistance, and at
  much greater ranges with a Kroschenko amplifier.
  The telepath can also sense the various “flavors”
  of the node, which tells him where they lead. Most
  nodes allow transits to more than one universe.
  Each universe has a distinct flavor that is common
  to all nodes that connect to it. A telepath can also
  calculate the exact frequency and timing required
  for the transit.
  One interesting side effect of the nodes is that
  the “closer” alternate universes possess stronger
  telepathic signatures and have a tendency to drown
  out the weaker, more “distant” universes. Some
  frequencies are simply too faint to be detected by
  human telepaths, although the Psaikhailou are
  known to use these routes.
  A few nodes are “unstable”, meaning that it is
  not always possible to transit through them to
  some of the universes to which they connect. An
  unstable node may have a regular cycle (such as
  the New Hong Kong node, which leads to the Yuan
  Frontier and is available for three months of the
  year) or be random and intermittent. 
  19
  
  The energy costs to make a node transit increase
  exponentially with the mass and volume of the tran-
  siting vehicle. This means that smaller ships are
  much more cost-effective than larger vessels. Nodes
  are known to be located throughout the solar sys-
  tem, but due to the difficulty of locating any in dis-
  tant orbits, practicality requires that almost all nodes
  that see regular use are in the inner system. 
  Spacecraft
  A
  government 
  like 
  the
  Svobodan League would be
  impossible without fast, reliable
  spacecraft. There are two broad
  categories of such vehicles in the
  Fourth Millennium: dryships and
  wetships. There are, of course, subdi-
  visions within these two groups. 
  Wetships
  Wetships are pure combat vessels used by
  the League military. The crews of wetships do not
  breathe air. Instead, they spend their entire tours of
  duty submerged in liquid oxygel, which allows
  them to survive the hundred-G accelerations com-
  mon in space combat.
  Oxygel is a dense oxygen-saturated fluorocar-
  bon fluid. It contains approximately three times the
  oxygen found in normal air, and is capable of
  absorbing the carbon dioxide found in the human
  lung. The fluid is dense enough to prevent the lungs
  from collapsing during high accelerations and pro-
  vide support and insulation against the shock of
  rapid maneuvers. In addition, it equalizes pressure
  across the body, preventing blood from draining
  away from the brain. 
  The pressure on the body in when fully
  immersed in oxygel is approximately equal to one
  atmosphere per 10G of acceleration. Since it is
  impossible to speak while breathing oxygel, most
  people who must do so regularly are implanted with
  experts that can intercept nerve impulses, translate
  them into speech, and broadcast them to other per-
  sonnel or experts.
  Naval personnel assigned to wetships are a rare
  breed. They undergo extensive physical and psy-
  chological testing to ensure that they can endure life
  on a wetship. The strain of living in and breathing in
  a fluid environment for six months out of every year
  is quite great. Most people are unable to make the
  adjustment.
  Wetships are uncommon outside the Svobodan
  League. Only antimatter drives accelerate fast
  enough to require a wetship environment, and very
  few phyles have enough energy resources to create
  enough antimatter fuel to power a wetship navy.
  Dryships
  Commercial spacecraft, as well as non-
  Svobodan military vessels, are
  almost all dryships. Dryships use a
  normal oxy-nitrogen atmosphere.
  Since artificial gravity has proved
  as elusive a dream as faster than
  light travel. Many of these ships
  have sections that can be rotated
  to provide comfort to passengers.
  Fusion rockets are the most popular
  mode of locomotion, but other
  propulsion methods are used in
  worlds throughout human space.
  Crew
  A typical spacecraft includes the following
  crew positions, although one person may fill sever-
  al roles on a smaller craft:
  Commander: The Commander is the person in
  charge of the spacecraft. The Commander often acts
  as the Fido as well on civilian craft.
  “Cosee”: Short for Communication and Sensor
  Systems Engineer, the Cosee manages communica-
  tions with other vessels, stations, and ground facili-
  ties, as well as monitoring sensors. 
  “Easy”: The Expert Systems Engineer (a.k.a
  ESE) is in charge of monitoring a spacecraft’s
  expert systems for any abnormal behavior. He will
  closely monitor flight-critical and launch data lines,
  mass memories and system-level software.
  EECON: The Electrical, Environmental and
  Consumables Systems Engineer monitors all power
  flows to internal systems aboard a spacecraft and
  manages internal power and life support.
  “Fido”: The Flight Dynamics Officer (a.k.a
  FDO or “Flight”) is in charge of plotting all maneu-
  vers and monitors the trajectory of a spacecraft in
  conjunction with the guidance officer.
  “Guido”: The Guidance Officer (a.k.a GDO or
  “Guidance”) monitors spacecraft onboard naviga-
  tion and guidance computer systems. On intersys-
  tem trips, he is also responsible for plotting and exe-
  cuting the node transit. Most Guidos are Telepaths
  as well—the only exception would be if they are on
  a ship incapable of making a node transit.
  20
  
  “Guns”: “Guns” is responsible for allocating
  power and monitoring the performance of the
  expert systems that control the weaponry aboard a
  military spacecraft. Civilian craft are rarely armed,
  and if they are, probably use self-guiding missile
  pods.
  PROP: The Propulsion Systems Engineer is
  responsible for monitoring and evaluating the
  reaction control and maneuvering systems during
  flight, as well as managing propellants and other
  consumables over the course of the trip.
  Surgeon: The medical officer monitors crew
  activities and tracks the health status of anyone on
  board. In the case of a medical emergency, the
  Surgeon must perform any emergency treatment.
  Game Rules
  In Chapter 6 of Future SRD, only the rules
  under “Realistic Space Travel”, with the exception
  of the Jump Gates, are applicable in Fourth
  Millennium. 
  Node Transit Drive
  The Node Transit Drive allows spacecraft to
  travel between parallel universes. Node transit
  drives require an immense amount of power, a
  requirement that increases exponentially as the
  craft grows larger. The effect on the spacecraft is
  dependent on the size:
  • Ultralight: All systems available immediately
  after transit. Node transit available after 10
  minutes.
  • Light: Weapons systems, defense systems, and
  engines available after 10 minutes; capable of
  node transit after 2 hours.
  • Mediumweight: Weapons systems, defense
  systems, and engines available after 2 hours;
  capable of node transit after 6 hours.
  • Heavy: Weapons systems, defense systems,
  and engines available after 6 hours; capable
  of node transit after 24 hours.
  • Superheavy: Superheavy craft are unable to
  generate enough power to make a successful
  node transit.
  If the spacecraft has an antimatter plant avail-
  able, all times are divided by a factor of 10. 
  Engines
  The Induction Engine, Gravitic Redirecotr,
  Inertial Flux Engine, and Spatial Compressor are
  not available in Fourth Millennium.
  Armor
  All armor types are available. Nanofluidic
  armor is a Class 4 technology. 
  Defense Systems
  The Displacer and Cloaking Screen are not
  available. The Nanite Repair Array is Class 5
  technology.
  Sensors
  All sensor arrays are available in Fourth
  Millennium.
  Comm Systems
  Only the Radio Transceiver and Laser
  Transceiver exist. 
  Weapons
  PL 6: All weapons are available. 
  PL 7: All weapons are available except the
  Gravitic Mine and the Mass Reaction Missile.
  PL 8: Only the Automaser, EMP Cannon,
  Maser Cannon, Heave Maser Cannon, and the
  Sliver Gun are available.
  PL 9: None of the PL 9 weapons are available.
  Grappling Systems
  Grapplers are available, Tractor Beams are not.
  21
  
  The Shards
  The collapse of the Stabilization Pact in the
  aftermath of the Psaikhailou Emergence left
  humanity divided, without even the semblance of
  a unified central government, for the first time in
  centuries. Conflicts erupted as phyles attacked
  their neighbors, afraid of another possible
  Emergence while having very little idea of what
  caused it to happen. The Culture Wars were a hor-
  rific period in human history, including genocide
  attempts against several parahuman species.
  When the Svobodan League formed, many
  phyles decided that they wanted no part of the new
  organization. They did so for many reasons:
  because they valued their independence, because
  they were unwilling to abide by the restrictions of
  the Stasis, or because of historical enmity with the
  members of the League. The League dismissively
  referred to these phyles as the “Shards,” a term
  that remains in use today.
  The Shards vary in size from a dozen or so
  worlds to one continent on a single world. Unlike
  the League, the Shards have no unified policies on
  any matter, including the Stasis—which is why the
  League sees them as such a threat. 
  Fourth Millennium products will never include
  a complete listing of the Shards, so that you can
  feel free to add your own to the mix. We’ve
  included the descriptions of a few below.
  Mordovi
  If there’s such a thing as an “honorable enemy,”
  the Mordovi are it. Although it opposes the League
  on a number of fronts, the Mordovi abides strictly
  by the Stasis (some say too strictly), sometimes
  assisting the Svobodans against other technophile
  Shards like Horthval. 
  Territory
  Mordovi is by far the largest Shard, comprising
  fourteen worlds. Its capital – and most heavily
  populated world – is Chuvash. Other worlds in the
  Dominate include: Buenaventura, Córdoba,
  Florencia, Kislar, Martan, Mitú, Neiva, San José,
  Shalina, Tunja, Vauya, Villavallencio, and Yopal. 
  History and Outlook
  The Mordovi are a rigidly autocratic society in
  which the term “civilian government” means little.
  All government ministers are also military officers
  and all Mordovi must serve in the military for part
  of their young adulthood. Like the League, the
  Mordovi believe military force to be a necessary
  deterrent to unrestrained technological dabbling.
  Unlike the League, the Mordovi generally believes
  it to be the only one. The Interdiction Service reg-
  ularly practices gunboat diplomacy against states
  that don’t toe the line of the Stasis.
  Technologically, the Mordovi are the League’s
  equal. However, Mordovans view technology with
  great skepticism. The government – and the
  Syndicates that assist it – has enacted significant
  22
  The Cosmos in 3001
  
  controls over its use, especially nanotechnology.
  Consequently, they view Svobodans as “lax” given
  their willingness to use technologies that “corrupt
  man and nature.” Svobodans, of course, argue
  against too rigid an interpretation of the Stasis,
  believing the Mordovi have sacrificed too
  much freedom for safety from the
  Psaikhailou. In turn, the Mordovi
  believe the League has sacrificed
  their humanity for comfort. The
  Mordovi require that a political
  officer appointed by the phyle
  regularly supervise any Class Two
  or greater technology. 
  This forthrightness and clarity of
  purpose is attractive to many
  Soyuzniks, a few of whom emigrate to
  the Mordovi. In its propaganda war
  against the League, the Mordovi laud
  these 
  expatriates 
  for 
  “abandoning
  Svobodan duplicity.” The League in turn
  has its share of Mordovi émigrés, most of
  whom appreciate its more nuanced
  approach to the Stasis. 
  Despite 
  these 
  differences, 
  the
  League and the Mordovi rarely fight one another
  directly, preferring to act through surrogates and
  covert operatives. This is a war of words and
  ideals, not weapons and starships. Even so, the
  League concedes little to the Mordovi, even as
  they work together to defeat the worst violators of
  the Stasis.
  The Players
  President-General Simone Lamisong. Head
  of the Executive Council, Lamisong is the public
  face of the Mordovi. Her power is extensive, but
  she leaves the day-to-day details of governance to
  her chancellor, Mitri Hevernin. 
  Minister-Colonel Van Aral. Aral heads the
  important Ministry of Technolgy and its enforce-
  ment arm, the Interdiction Service. He holds
  strongly anti-League opinions and even suspects
  the Syndicates of failing to toe the proper lie
  against the Psaikhailou.
  The Syndicates. These scientific phyles oper-
  ate freely within Mordovi territory and, as such,
  are suspected of collusion by both the Mordovi
  and the Svobodans. Undeterred by such narrow
  recriminations, the Syndicates go about their vital
  business.
  Svobodan Expatriates. These idealistic men
  and women (many of them young adults) are radi-
  cals who’ve accepted Mordovan propaganda about
  the League. While their actual importance is mini-
  mal, they’re an important symbol in the cold war
  between these two powers. Some paranoids
  even argue they’re part of a plot to desta-
  bilize the League government and
  replace it with an authoritarian clone
  of the Mordovi. 
  Horthval
  While Svobodan newsloggers
  commonly portray this Shard as a
  basket case constantly on the brink of
  collapse (which it is), the League gov-
  ernment nevertheless considers it a grave
  threat to the maintenance of the Stasis.
  Horthval is home to a variety of rogue
  research facilities, including nanotech and
  geneering. Its unstable leader, Antonio
  Horthval, also plays at terrorism, although
  his efforts to date have been amateurish
  and easily foiled.
  Territory
  Horthval consists only of three worlds: the capi-
  tal, Pasig, and two others, Korondal and Digos.
  History and Outlook
  Horthval is actually one of the youngest Shards,
  having been created only 60 years ago by Alfredo
  Horthval, a rebel against the Mordovi. Horthval was
  a shrewd operator, an officer in the Interdiction
  Service who claimed to be inspired by Svobodan
  heroes like Rakhel Lanzan and Conh Mgrdichian
  and a Svobodan understanding of the Stasis. He
  secretly approached the League government to back
  his rebellion against the Mordovi. Loyalist Premier
  Marcia Ching refused, worried about upsetting
  détente with the Mordovi. Consequently, Horthval
  looked elsewhere for support, including several
  Mordovan consortia that chafed under their narrow
  vision of the Stasis.
  After three years of fighting, Horthval success-
  fully gained independence for three worlds. He then
  set about to establish a regime in which “the boons
  of technology were not withheld from the people.”
  The practical effect of this ideology was rampant
  technological experimentation and immense power
  for the consortiate interests that backed it. In time,
  23
  
  Horthval’s megalomania proved too much for even
  the consortia, which found their assets nationalized
  and tech programs co-opted by Horthval. Not sur-
  prisingly, few benefited from these policies except
  Horthval and his children, Antonio and Margarita.
  Alfredo’s recent death sent shockwaves through
  the phyle. Most League analysts doubted either
  Antonio or his sister was capable of filling their
  father’s immense shoes. Neither had his iron will or
  rapport with the all-important military. Yet, some-
  how, Antonio managed to gain the support of key
  people and has retained control. How long this will
  last remains to be seen. For now, Horthval remains
  a serious threat – especially if Antonio continues to
  dabble in Stasis violations and anti-League terror-
  ism in equal measure. 
  If you’re a Soyuznik, don’t even think of going
  here. Horthval believes the League is out to get it –
  which isn’t far from the truth – and treats all
  Svobodans as potential spies. Visitors from other
  states (including other Shards) may not travel with-
  out a government guide. While in Horthval, visitors
  are bombarded with propaganda. On the upside,
  crime is not a problem; most criminal acts carry the
  death penalty here. Unsurprisingly, the League does
  not maintain diplomatic relations with Horthval.
  The Players
  Alfredo Horthval. So the man’s dead, what dif-
  ference does that make? For 57 years, he was the
  phyle’s lord and god. Even from beyond the grave,
  a man like that has power – especially when a size-
  able minority of the General Staff is less than
  impressed with his son and successor. Coup any-
  one?
  Antonio Horthval. The Hegemony’s new mes-
  siah. He cuts a rather sad figure compared to his
  imposing and iron-fisted father. Antonio’s just as
  cruel as Alfredo ever was (he’s been known to tor-
  ture servants for minor transgressions), but is, if
  possible, more xenophobic and paranoid. However,
  he does recognize genuine talent, having elevated
  junior officers to power who’ve found ways to
  make his harebrained schemes work. 
  Margarita Horthval. Antonio’s half-sister and
  occasional rival for power. Older than her half-
  brother, Margarita was not well liked by her father
  and so overlooked when he chose his successor.
  However, Margarita has allies in the phyle’s intelli-
  gence community, some of whom would be glad to
  see her replace her unstable brother. 
  The Military. Horthval has the largest per capi-
  ta military in the Shards. Many of its members
  spend their time “protecting” poverty-stricken
  worlds by shaking down their inhabitants for food
  and valuables. Antonio depends on these thugs to
  maintain his power and he affords them every
  opportunity to indulge themselves.
  Other Shards
  Dolezel
  Think the Dharmaani need to learn a few things
  about how to conduct a civil war? If so, you’ve
  obviously been to one or more of Dolezel’s shat-
  tered worlds. Deprived of the technology needed to
  re-educate their opponents into abandoning their
  heretical interpretations of Lezel, a economic and
  social philosophy developed by the founders of this
  phyle, the Dolezel have instead resorted to old-fash-
  ioned genocide. 
  Drohanna
  Illegal nanotech, Psaikhailou sympathizers, loot-
  ed churches, a dying dictator, and an emperor in
  exile. What more could you ask for? Drohanna is
  one of those places where you can get almost any-
  thing, but its instability means that one of its neigh-
  bors is likely to put an end to that pretty soon. 
  Erebus
  If the Organizatsiya has a summer home, this is
  it. Actually, it’s not a bad winter place either (or
  spring or fall or . . .). Erebus is astonishingly cor-
  rupt, but if you have the cash, it’s a wonderful place
  to live.
  Hatanaka
  An efficient conqueror that holds worlds better
  than it quells uprisings. Unpleasant neighbors (like
  Drohanna and Licia) and an oppressed underclass
  ensure it remains an armed camp. 
  Kanthuar
  These religious Luddites think even the Mordovi
  haven’t gone far enough in fighting the evils of
  technology. Fortunately, they’re confined to a single
  continent on Berat – far from the League or anyone
  else who matters. The Kanthuar live at a pre-indus-
  trial level of technology, enforced ruthlessly by an
  overclass that uses higher-tech gear to guarantee
  their control. 
  24
  
  Licia
  Ma’rifa rebels fight a losing war against a
  wacko who intends to destroy the Hatanaka for the
  greater glory of God (not to mention her own self-
  aggrandizement).
  Quan
  Decades of brutal military dictatorship, crime,
  and corruption – but they abide by the Stasis, so
  who are we to complain? 
  Zakoor
  A friend in need is a friend indeed, right?
  Thank Bog Zakoor’s friend is the League or they’d
  have an even harder time dealing with the revolu-
  tionaries that want to put an end to this one-party
  state. The plant life on Zakoor produces a number
  of mind and behavior altering chemicals that can
  be used to eliminate a number of common person-
  ality defects—and not incidentally violate the
  Stasis as well. The rebels make most of their fund-
  ing through the growth and sale of these pharma-
  ceuticals, explaining the League’s support for this
  rather unpleasant regime.
  The Svobodan League
  The Svobodan League is an alliance of distinct
  cultures (also called “phyles” by political scien-
  tists) that have banded together for defense against
  the Psaikhailou. Each of these cultures possesses
  worlds of their own and cultural enclaves else-
  where. Each possesses its own government and
  code of laws. 
  The government of the Svobodan League over-
  sees the mutual defense and economic well-being
  of the founding cultures and other phyles under its
  protection. The League is not, and was never
  intended to be, a “central government” in the sense
  of past federal states. Rather, the League is a coor-
  dinating body dedicated to ensuring that the cul-
  tures of the League survive the threat posed by the
  Psaikhailou and the Shards.
  Despite the rhetoric of its detractors, the
  Svobodan League is not a monolithic or an all-
  encompassing government. The League govern-
  ment restricts its activities to a number of specific
  areas and exercises jurisdiction over relatively few
  spheres. Most worlds and governments within the
  League possess a great deal of autonomy. 
  Svobodan Culture
  The Svobodan League works almost despite
  itself. It works because the member cultures of the
  League have found a set of principles—spoken and
  unspoken—that allow them to work together towards
  something that they perceive to be a greater good.
  These principles form the basis of “Svobodan
  Culture.”
  With the exception of the Syndicates, Svobodans
  are strongly religious. Most see God’s hand in the
  day-to-day workings of the universe. In part, it is this
  faith in a higher purpose to life that drives the strug-
  gle against the Psaikhailou. Life is a test and a prepa-
  ration for the world beyond. 
  Most Svobodans also feel a strong sense of duty
  to their phyles. Much of the average Soyuznik’s
  sense of self is rooted in his or her culture. The phyle
  is set up to preserve and protect that culture. Loyalty
  to one’s phyle is loyalty to oneself. This feeling of
  responsibility is pervasive across the social spectrum.
  However, blind loyalty is rare. Soyuzniks feel per-
  fectly capable of judging the actions of their leaders
  and are quite willing to destroy them if they go too
  far. 
  Soyuzniks also do not appreciate inquisitiveness.
  Surveillance technology is so widespread that there
  is no possible means to enforce privacy regulations.
  As a result, Svobodans tend to be very formal and
  careful to behave in ways that are above reproach—
  but at the same time, it’s very unethical to pry into
  another’s business or engage in gossip. Not that that
  stops anyone, but they have to keep their voices
  down when they do it.
  Svobodan culture stresses “authenticity” in
  everything. “Inauthentic” is a typical jibe at anything,
  whether it be a person, a device, or a work of art,
  which seems to violate social norms. Wood is pre-
  ferred to plastic or metal. Appliances and technology
  are usually made to look hand-crafted, and minor
  imperfections are deliberately incorporated to make
  each device one-of-a-kind. Svobodan homes and
  offices are filled with potted plants and indoor gar-
  dens. Most Soyuzniks have pets, and it is common
  for businesses to have a cat or dog on the premises.
  Soyuzniks detest virtual reality programs and
  games. Soyuzniks believe VR to be an attempt to
  avoid reality. Soyuzniks enjoy pao programs that
  employ live actors. Live performances, whether
  plays or musical concerts, are even more highly
  appreciated. Live-action role-playing is also a com-
  mon form of entertainment. 
  25
  
  Government of the 
  Svobodan League
  The Head of State of the Svobodan League is
  the President, whose role is largely ceremonial
  (although some Presidents have used the position
  to push a political agenda of their own). The Head
  of Government is the Premier, who must maintain
  the support of both houses of the Diet to remain in
  power. 
  The Diet is the supreme legislature of the
  Svobodan League. It consists of two chambers, the
  Senate, which is the upper house, and the Duma,
  which is the lower house. The Senate is by far the
  most important of the two houses—its members
  are appointed by the member phyles of the
  League, while members of the Duma represent
  geographical districts. Cabinet ministers, includ-
  ing the Premier, are members of one or the other of
  the Diet’s two chambers and are collectively
  responsible to the Senate. Together the Premier
  and cabinet administer the League, so long as they
  have the support of the majority of Senators. 
  The current Premier, Django Turbain, is also
  the President. This unusual concentration of power
  in a single individual was a result of the collapse
  of the previous government due to accusations of
  war crimes committed by the League in the
  Secessionist War. 
  Cultures of the
  Svobodan League
  Citizenship and Culture
  There is no such thing as “Svobodan” citizen-
  ship. The League does not grant citizenship to any
  individuals under its protection because it is not a
  phyle and only phyles can grant the privileges and
  responsibilities of citizenship. The “Uncultured,”
  as the Muutzhans especially are prone to call them,
  are people who do not belong to any culture at all,
  whether by choice or circumstance.
  Phyles determine one’s rights and duties, not
  the place of one’s birth. With a few exceptions,
  phyles require an “apprenticeship” period. This
  apprenticeship lasts an arbitrary amount of time, as
  determined by the culture in question. Among the
  founding cultures of the League, the period is gen-
  erally twenty years. Parents who are members of a
  phyle or apprentices can enroll their children at
  birth, of course. Prior to achieving full standing in
  a culture, prospective members are expected to
  immerse themselves in their culture of enrolment
  and to learn its ways in preparation for any num-
  ber of “cultural literacy” and citizenship tests.
  Those who pass are formally admitted into the
  phyle after taking an oath of loyalty, thereby gain-
  ing all that accrues to such membership. Those
  who do not are rejected, although there are often
  provisions for re-testing.
  Enrolment into a culture can occur in any num-
  ber of ways. Most commonly, parents enroll their
  children at birth to ensure that they will become
  full members by age 20. Enrolment later is com-
  mon as well. In such cases, there are provisions to
  account for previous experience and knowledge.
  Service in any branch of the League military
  grants automatic cultural membership in the phyle
  of one’s choice after 20 years. Some Home Guards
  have similar provisions. 
  Most cultures forbid “dual citizenships” but
  some make exceptions, especially in cases of cer-
  tain religious phyles, like the Saints and the
  Yehudim. In any event, the Treaty of Svoboda
  leaves such matters entirely up to the cultures in
  question. The League government cannot interfere
  in a culture’s induction process.
  Muutzha
  The Muutzhans are considered by outsiders to
  be the epitome of the Svobodan League. Many
  people (especially Muutzhans) tend to conflate the
  League with the Muutzhans, treating them as if
  they were one and the same. 
  Muutzhans value personal responsibility and
  honor above everything else. Muutzhan ethical
  philosophies emphasize acting in accordance with
  the “nature of man” and in accord with his inher-
  ent “duties” to his fellow man, to the state, and,
  perhaps most importantly of all, to God, his
  Creator. 
  Muutzhans are a strongly conservative and tra-
  ditionalist people. In conversation, they will fre-
  quently refer to the past in order to justify current
  actions and attitudes. Muutzhans are obsessed with
  history, particularly with the 24th century and the
  Renovatio. Many Muutzhans appear arrogant,
  pompous, and overly proud of their self-avowed
  superiority. They are sure of their culture’s duty,
  even right, to rule over “lesser” cultures. The
  League is good for them, these chauvinist
  Muutzhans argue, because it brings “civilization
  26
  
  and culture” to those “unfortunate souls.” To the
  average Muutzhan, their phyle is the single great-
  est force in human history, excepting perhaps the
  Orthodox Catholic Church. Perhaps. 
  The upper classes of Muutzhan society have
  pedigrees reaching back to the settlement of
  Muutzha. Families like the Lanzans and Rostov-
  Davisons can expect to run consortia or have
  members in the Premier’s Cabinet. In practice,
  these families amount to a noble class—people
  without ties to these families will find it almost
  impossible to reach the upper levels of society, and
  the old blood will forever be resentful and suspi-
  cious of the nouveau-riche. 
  Still, Muutzhans pride themselves on having an
  “aristocracy of ability,” even if this is more myth
  than reality. In theory, the social classes are very
  fluid, as would befit a genuine meritocracy. One
  can move freely up and down the ladder of socie-
  ty. In practice, however, most mobility is down-
  ward. Very few members of the lower and middle
  classes, especially those from colonial worlds,
  ever ascend very far from where they began. 
  Alahdad
  Modern Alahdad was born out of the rubble of
  the Psaikhailou War. As the main battleground for
  that conflict, its people and industrial base were
  devastated by Lanzan’s scorched earth policies. As
  a partial apology for the pain and suffering experi-
  enced during the war, the League launched a mas-
  sive economic aid plan. The wealth pumped into
  Alahdad allowed them to rapidly modernize,
  building an educational system and information
  network second to none. 
  Today, Alahdad is the economic powerhouse of
  the League. However, their economic success has
  a dark side. Alahdadi consortia have such a pow-
  erful voice in the running of the phyle that many
  detractors feel that the culture has simply become
  a tool of business. Alahdadi political figures have
  a reputation for corruption and ignoring abuses of
  power. Alahdadi consortia are ruthless in business,
  with industrial espionage and dirty tricks seen as
  normal business practice. In recent years, a num-
  ber of consortiate executives have died under sus-
  picious and violent circumstances. 
  Meanwhile, many Alahdadi have been left
  impoverished and disenfranchised and are forced
  to eke out a rough living on the streets. Many of
  them have turned to the mujahedin, secret societies
  that were once resistance fighters but who now
  make up one of the largest organized crime groups
  within the Svobodan League. According to urban
  legend, mujahedin can be identified by the red
  lines tattooed around their wrists, a practice
  intended to evoke the old pre-Ma’rifa image of a
  thief having his hands removed. If that was once
  true, it no longer is—why make things that easy
  for the police?
  Alahdad is a place where great opportunity can
  be found next to immense poverty. Profit is the
  overriding interest of the powerful, and the poor
  are simply swept aside or ignored. Those who are
  willing to take the risks will find it a place where
  they can become immensely rich, but failure will
  not be tolerated. 
  Donegal
  Of all of the members of the League, Donegal
  has drifted the furthest from its beginnings. The
  planet of Fiddler’s Green was settled in by a group
  of cultural restorationists attempting to recapture
  the social structure of ancient Ireland. Like the
  Anzani, the Donegalers attempted to structure
  their society around the extended family or tribe.
  Each tribe was free to structure its own internal
  affairs, which naturally led to a great deal of
  “group” freedom but very little individual free-
  dom.
  Each tribe is a social experiment, an attempt to
  develop one possible means of reshaping humani-
  ty through constant social, economic, and even
  military conflict. This is one of the reasons
  Donegal remains within the limits of the Stasis—
  violators are bound to be reported by other clans.
  Tribes are divided into two groups—the esdana
  (“commoners”) and the tiarnai (“lords”). The
  esdana are essentially human machinery, opti-
  mized for the talents and skills needed to fill their
  role in society. They are still human, and retain
  free will, but are largely unable to step outside
  their role in life. They are idiot savants, highly
  intelligent in a limited set of roles and unable to
  operate effectively outside that one context. 
  The tiarnai retain a measure of individuality
  denied to the esdana, and in fact are largely
  unmodified. Their ostensible role in the Donegal
  experiment is to remain observers and directors of
  society. Like all other Svobodans, they view tech-
  nology as the great shaping force of culture and
  deliberately limit the impact it has on them.
  27
  
  Furthermore, the tiarnai recognize that optimiza-
  tion implies specialization. Even minor enhance-
  ments, such as increased reflexes, shape the way in
  which an individual interacts with the world, as it
  encourages him to use that advantage to the exclu-
  sion of other options.
  Each tribe is led by a taioseach. The tribes com-
  pete amongst themselves to get their taoiseach
  crowned as the Ardri, or High King. The title itself
  is largely ceremonial; the Ardri is more of a first
  among equals than he or she is a ruler. Typically,
  the organizational and technological techniques
  used by the High King to gain the throne will be
  studied by other taoiseachs in an attempt to take
  control. The king’s fitness to rule is proven by his
  ability to hold the throne against all pretenders, so
  rebellion accepted and even expected. 
  Even though the Donegalers have a con-
  tinuous line of cultural descent from the
  Irish, their cultural mix seems less
  authentic than that of such fused cul-
  tures as the Anzani, Alahdadi, or even
  the Muutzhans (loathe though the
  last would be to admit it). Other
  humans feel uneasy at Donegal cul-
  tural occasions, as if they were
  “watching children playing dress-
  up”. This sense of unreality is
  strongest in the company of esdana.
  The tiarnai make other Svobodans feel
  uneasy for entirely different reasons.
  Anzani
  The Anzani are long-standing allies of the
  Muutzhans and are staunch supporters of the
  Svobodan League. The phyle’s founders stressed
  the need for a return to a mythical past––in this
  case a syncretistic “united Africa” that combined
  elements from widely disparate cultures. While
  this means that Anzani culture is not a direct
  descendant of any African culture, it has since
  become a true culture with its own history and
  internal logic. In this respect, at least, the
  Movement was successful in preserving at least
  part of humanity’s African cultural heritage, one
  which would otherwise have been lost.
  Family and tribe are the cornerstones of Anzani
  society. They not only serve as political units, but
  as economic and religious ones as well. The
  Anzani accord great respect to the family, which is
  a much more extended entity than is common in
  other League phyles. Indeed, to some extent, the
  tribe is viewed as nothing more than an extremely
  extended family. This familial feeling explains
  why the Anzani’s elective monarchy can function
  at all. Those leaders who maintain the confidence
  of their subjects do so because they treat them as if
  they were members of their own family. 
  This is not to say that the Anzani are a huge,
  happy, and well-ordered family, of course. Anzani
  politics and society are far more complex than
  that. Indeed, the web of alliances and interrelation-
  ships between families and tribes is difficult for
  most outsiders to comprehend, let alone navigate.
  Unsurprisingly, many Anzani are skilled diplo-
  mats, with an intuitive feel for social dynamics—
  skills that make them valuable additions to many
  League institutions.
  The Anzani emperor governs with a light
  hand, preferring to leave many matters up to
  the family or tribe. Since the foundation of
  the phyle, the Anzani have relied upon
  fraternal organizations called uja-
  maas. The ujamaas are mutual assis-
  tance groups that operate according
  to a system of favors and debts. A
  member can, in principle, gain
  almost any kind of assistance from
  fellow members by promising to
  pay back the debt later in kind.
  While most ujamaas are public organ-
  izations, many—including some very
  influential 
  ones—act 
  in 
  secret.
  Unsurprisingly, these secret brotherhoods are
  heavily involved in politics and business, being (if
  the rumors are to be believed) the true rulers of the
  phyle. 
  Sarvadharmaani
  Of all of the signatories of the Treaty of
  Svoboda, the Sarvadharmaani (or simply
  Dharmaani) represent the only “multi-cultural
  phyle.” That is to say, the only phyle whose basis
  for existence is not so much a single culture as a
  “supra-culture” based on common experiences (as
  well as geographical proximity) on Earth rather
  than shared cultural practices or beliefs. The
  Dharmaani are descendants of the Indochinese
  Union and espouse a political philosophy that con-
  siders shared experiences as the most solid basis
  for societal cohesion. 
  At the time of its foundation, the Dharmaani
  founders believed their respective cultures would
  work well together within a broader cultural
  28
  
  framework—better even than many more narrow-
  ly defined phyles. For a time, it appeared as if they
  were right. Confusing though their ways were to
  outsiders, they prospered after the fall of the
  Stabilization Pact and positively blossomed once
  they joined the Svobodan League. Dharmaani
  diplomats rivaled the Anzani and their entertainers
  were second to none. Likewise, Dharmaani com-
  munications technology became standard through-
  out human space.  
  That all changed during the Secessionist War.
  Opportunists within several of the constituent
  groups that made up the Sarvadharmaani looked
  on the War as evidence that they could gain greater
  independence within the League if they threatened
  to secede themselves. They likewise hoped that the
  League’s distraction in dealing with the rebels
  might give them greater leverage in dictating
  terms. A tepid response from the Dharmaani lead-
  ership (which was itself divided on how to handle
  the matter) only encouraged more radical ele-
  ments—some 
  reputedly 
  backed 
  by 
  the
  Psaikhailou—to pursue violent action, which
  quickly spilled over into civil war. 
  The Dharmaani civil war did hasten the end of
  the Secessionist War, a fact many of the Rebel
  States realize all too well. The League has made
  every effort to end the conflict, but with little last-
  ing success. Massive military resources have been
  showered on the “legitimate” Dharmaani regime,
  just as more Syndics have been sent to keep an eye
  on possible Stasis violations. Thus far, none have
  been recorded, but how long the situation will hold
  is anyone’s guess, given how unstable things are
  within Sarvadharmaani space.
  Low-level fighting is common on most
  Dharmaani worlds. Terrorism is likewise a con-
  stant threat. The Diet has approved a resolution
  allowing the use of mercenaries within Dharmaani
  space, making many worlds in this region free-fire
  zones. It has also brought many Uncultured into
  the core of the League, a situation that could prove
  even more volatile should the tottering official
  regime fall or renege on its contracts to these inde-
  pendent military contractors. Add to that possible
  Psaikhailou meddling and you’ve got a recipe for
  disaster, right in the League’s backyard. 
  Yuan
  After the Muutzhans, the Yuan are the largest
  and most powerful phyle in the Svobodan League.
  While they are long-time allies of the Muutzhans,
  they are also among their most vocal critics. Some
  commentators have gone so far as to call the Yuan
  “the conscience of the League.” To some extent,
  that’s because the Yuan are probably the most sin-
  cere democrats among the full member cultures of
  the Svobodan League. No other phyle places as
  much faith in the ability to the average person to
  govern the state than do the Yuan. 
  This belief in the inherent value of the average
  person has created a side effect that is problematic
  for others in the League, especially the
  Muutzhans. Citizenship in the Yuan phyle is easy
  to come by, since the opportunity to choose one’s
  own government is an inherent right of all human
  beings. Therefore, one need only speak Yuan pass-
  ably, be familiar with its culture and history, and
  swear an oath to the Yuan Xing Charter to gain
  entry. Consequently, more Uncultured individuals
  gain citizenship as Yuan than in any other phyle.
  This fact threatens to destabilize the delicate bal-
  ance in the League, or so the Muutzhans claim.
  The Muutzhans believe that it is imperative that
  the full member cultures remain of certain popula-
  tions relative to one another. To do otherwise, as
  the Yuan are doing, could throw the League into
  chaos. Of course, the Yuan believe that this yet
  another ploy by the Muutzhans to maintain their
  hegemony in the League and have yet to modify
  their citizenship policies. 
  Yuan space includes a lot of parahuman groups
  and phyles that have fled there to find an environ-
  ment where they could comfortably live under the
  Stasis. Many of these parahumans are unable to
  survive or reproduce without the aid of advanced
  technology, and the Yuan offer them the only truly
  welcoming home in the League. This trend has
  accelerated in recent years, as a single node in the
  New Hong Kong system has been found to lead to
  hundreds of new, inviting earths. It is the only
  frontier remaining in League space, and its discov-
  ery may trigger off a new Diaspora. 
  Associate Phyles
  Dozens of other phyles exist within the worlds
  controlled by the Svobodan League. Most are
  small and without much influence, being confined
  to a few million people or even to certain areas on
  single worlds. Nevertheless, they are worth men-
  tioning if only to show the variety of societies and
  cultures to be found within the League. A few of
  the most prominent Associate Phyles are listed
  below.
  29
  
  Yehudim: The world of Bat Zion is the current
  center of the Jewish faith. While all Jews are automat-
  ically granted membership in this culture, Orthodox
  Judaism dominates the planet. Many Conservative
  and Reform Jews also belong to other recognized
  phyles and live their lives as members of those cul-
  tures. 
  Saints: Mormons are an associate phyle of the
  League, based on the world of Deseret. 
  Sikhs: The Sikhs are an associate phyle of the
  League, living on the North American continent
  (called “Khalistan”) on the planet Come by Chance.
  The Sikhs were offered and refused membership in
  the Sarvadharmaani Confederation, a move that sur-
  prised many at the time but appears to have been wise
  in retrospect.
  Deutsch: The Deutsch, a phyle descended from
  the Germans on Earth, are based on the planet
  München in Colón province.
  Uncultured Worlds
  They go by many names in the fourth millennium:
  the Unguided, the Timid, the Dispossessed, and the
  Uncultured. Whatever their name, they are mistrusted
  and scorned by a significant portion of the Svobodan
  League. The Uncultured are any people who live with-
  in the borders of the League who have, either by
  choice or by chance, not been adopted into any recog-
  nized phyle. They are free agents in game of culture
  that dominates the League. As such, they are without
  the benefit of any society or government other than
  that imposed by League law. Discrimination against
  the Uncultured is common, and many of them choose
  to live on the frontier as a result.
  The Syndicates
  Of all the cultures within the League, none are
  more unusual than the so-called “Syndicates.” The
  Syndicates are unusual not so much for their beliefs or
  their societies, but for the role they play in the
  Svobodan League. Although these phyles have exist-
  ed since before the creation of the League and were
  heavily involved in its formation, the Syndicates have
  rejected taking any part in the traditional mechanisms
  of its government. Instead, they have chosen to remain
  aloof from the day-to-day running of the League and
  do not seek to gain the right to representation in the
  Diet or to vote for the President. While relative new-
  comers like the Alahdadi have signatory membership
  in the League, the Syndicates are content with their
  status.
  The Syndicates maintain the Stasis in one or
  more fields of expertise. They all exist as
  guardians against the misuse of current technology
  and the development of proscribed devices and
  systems. The League government has granted
  numerous privileges to the Syndicates, including
  monopolies over the technologies with which their
  cultures have concerned themselves.
  There are three reasons for this. Firstly, some-
  one needed to serve as guarantor of the Stasis.
  Secondly, none of the original phyles trusted them-
  selves or their fellows with this task. Finally, the
  Syndicates have shown no interest whatsoever in
  becoming involved in League politics. Syndicate
  members owe their allegiance to their phyle, not to
  the League or any of its constituents. Even those
  Syndics who aid the League government and mil-
  itary do so on a contract basis. When appropriate,
  their Syndicate can and often will recall them.
  For this reason, Soyuzniks never entirely trust
  Syndicate members, since their loyalty is not to the
  League and its inhabitants, but to their Syndicate.
  Syndics view themselves, as do many outsiders, as
  “a breed apart.” Their legendary oath to “serve and
  protect the uniqueness of humanity” places them
  outside most of League society. Soyuzniks view
  Syndics with a combination of awe and revulsion.
  The awe stems from their selfless dedication to the
  upholding of the Stasis, whereas the revulsion
  derives from the means required in doing so.
  Without the efforts of phyles devoted solely to
  the understanding of those elements of technology
  that could most harm humanity, there would be no
  means to differentiate the harmful from the help-
  ful. The signatory cultures of the League know
  well that technology is a necessity of life in the
  31st century. One cannot simply turn back the
  clock and return to a mythical “state of nature”
  where technology is unheard of (although some
  radical groups make the attempt). If the Stasis is
  not to ban the good along with the bad, there must
  be some group competent to judge the difference. 
  Major Syndicate Cultures
  The Biotechnology Syndicate controls the
  development and use of biotechnology. They are
  one of the most commonly seen Syndicates, as
  they are responsible for biological and paleonto-
  logical research across the League. In addition,
  Biotech Syndicate members serve in large num-
  bers aboard vessels of the League Expeditionary
  Forces.
  30
  
  The Cybernetics Syndicate is responsible for
  controlling devices that interface directly with the
  nervous system, whether biological or mechanical
  in origin. 
  The Eugenics Syndicate is responsible for
  overseeing permanent genetic or biological
  enhancements. They also track the bloodlines of
  telepaths in order to ensure that there is a good
  number of highly gifted telepaths available from
  sources other than the Donegal Protectorate.  
  The Expert Syndicate oversees the construc-
  tion and development of expert systems. In con-
  junction with other Syndicates, it also oversees
  any industry that heavily relies on experts. For this
  reason, many consortia and other businesses regu-
  larly contract Expert Syndicate members to work
  on their production lines. 
  The Nanotech Syndicate is one of the oldest of
  the Syndicates. Nanotech was one of the last new
  fields of technology developed on Earth, and so its
  potential for social upheaval was seen well in
  advance of its eventual use. Every site possessing
  a nanoforge has one or more members of this
  Syndicate to oversee its operation. As a result,
  Nanotech Syndicate members are common con-
  tract employees of consortia and other businesses. 
  The Psychiatric Syndicate oversees technolo-
  gy used to affect mental health. The Stasis does not
  regulate psychology and psychotherapy, of course,
  but any technology that has the capability of alter-
  ing personality on a long term basis is controlled.
  They are also responsible for monitoring the use of
  recreational drugs, in conjunction with the govern-
  ing body of each phyle.
  The “Rebel States” 
  In 2994, years of simmering resentment boiled
  over on the frontiers of the League. The
  Recognition of Cultures Act was defeated in the
  Senate after being overwhelmingly passed by the
  Duma. The act would have granted almost thirty
  unrecognized phyles Associate status, giving them
  the right to self-governance and representation in
  the Senate.
  As a result, several provinces on the edges of
  League space revolted. The Security and
  Intelligence Service (SIS), as well as some pop-
  ulist politicians cited Psaikhailou manipulation as
  the reason for the revolt. League forces mobilized
  to put an end to it quickly.
  Support for the war was never high among the
  Svobodan populace. The government itself vacil-
  lated between a number of strategies to crush the
  rebellion. By doing so, the government’s credibil-
  ity was undermined and hampered its cause. In
  addition, the ongoing civil war in the
  Sarvadharmaani Confederation placed great
  strains on the military resources of the League.
  The rebels fought surprisingly well. Their
  forces proved to be remarkably well equipped and
  possessed a great deal of military-grade technolo-
  gy, including spiders. To the present day, no one is
  quite certain how the rebels were able to gain
  access to this technology. Numerous theories have
  been put forth, but none has gained universal
  acceptance. 
  After years of warfare and great losses, the
  League finally decided to cut its losses and
  allowed 17 worlds their independence in 3000.
  The gross mishandling of the war and reports of
  atrocities led to the collapse of the government of
  Sixtus Karlov, the extraordinary assumption of the
  Premiership by President Django Turbain, and the
  courts-martial of several senior naval officers. 
  Today, the six Rebel States are loosely allied
  with one another in their concerted distaste for the
  Muutzhan-dominated League. Other than this,
  most have little else in common. They range in
  temperament from a largely benevolent republic to
  a religious dictatorship and everything in between.
  The League, of course, licks its recent wounds and
  look covetously at its former territories. The rebels
  realize this and know that a revanchist faction is
  powerful within the current government. That
  being the case, the rebels have decided to hang
  together in the knowledge that, if they do not, they
  will surely all hang separately.
  The Psaikhailou
  The Neohuman Movement had its birth in
  speculative fiction, but rapidly took on a religious,
  almost messianic quality. In the secular and mate-
  rialistic atmosphere of the early third millennium,
  the neohumans offered a path to salvation and
  exaltation that required nothing more than a faith
  in ever-more-powerful technology—a faith that
  seemed more than plausible in a world where
  technology changed faster than people’s ability to
  keep up with it. 
  31
  
  The ultimate goal of the Neohuman Movement
  was to create what they called the “Singularity”; a
  technological Rapture after which the future
  would be incomprehensible to those of merely
  human intelligence. Few, if any, neohuman advo-
  cates ever gave thought to the possibility that the
  outcome could be negative; or gave much thought
  to the fate of any who chose to be left behind. 
  One particular group of Neohumanists believed
  human aggression was tied into the deep program-
  ming built into us by the structure of our lan-
  guages. They created an artificial language, called
  Psaikhailou, and created a number of phyles in the
  years leading up to the emergence, but were
  repeatedly frustrated in their hope of civilizing
  humanity—until they somehow triggered the
  Singularity they had long sought and the first
  Emergence began. While not all emergent neohu-
  man collectives since have been triggered by fol-
  lowers of Psaikhailou philosophy, the term has
  entered common use to describe any collective
  intelligence.
  The Psaikhailou have a curious form of group
  mind. It is not true, as most Svobodans believe,
  that they are a single, monolithic intellect. Rather,
  each individual within a Psaikhailou collective
  finds its mind overlapping with several others.
  Portions of their identity are common to dozens or
  hundreds of Psaikhailou, and emergent behavior
  indicates that there are other “beings” present
  within a Psaikhailou group that exist without a
  physical body of their own. 
  Each Psaikhailou group is somewhat different
  in its outlook toward standard humanity and in its
  goals. The groups formed in the initial Emergences
  have passed through their expansionist phase and
  are no longer particularly interested in further
  growth. Their goals are outside the scope of this
  game, however. The greatest threat to the League
  today is not the Psaikhailou proper, but rather the
  neohumanist groups that would deliberately or
  inadvertently trigger another Emergence.
  Religion
  Numerous religions, most descended from
  ancient faiths, flourish in the 31st century. Several
  exercise great influence over the billions of the
  League. Many of the League’s phyles, both major
  and minor, are predicated upon significant reli-
  gious beliefs. Despite the variety of religions
  found in the League, only three are “major faiths.”
  These three religions represent about 85% of the
  population of the Svobodan League’s 18.9 billion
  inhabitants. 
  Orthodox Catholic Church
  The Orthodox Catholic Church is the single
  largest faith in the fourth millennium. Both the
  Muutzhan and Yuan cultures are predominantly
  Orthodox Catholic and there is a sizable Catholic
  minority among the Anzani. Its influence on both
  the Svobodan League and humanity as a whole is
  enormous. The Church is comprised of those
  believers who acknowledge the supreme authority
  of Earth’s bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, in
  matters of faith and morals. 
  The Church regards herself as the only legiti-
  mate heir, by an unbroken apostolic succession, of
  the commission and powers conferred by Christ on
  His Twelve Apostles. Many people, both within
  and without the Church, commonly call the
  Church the Roman Orthodox Catholic (ROC)
  Church, because of its association with the city of
  Rome on Earth, although the Roman Rite is only
  one of dozens. The Church calls herself “ortho-
  dox” because only she has held true to the deposit
  of faith handed down from Christ to the Apostles
  and “catholic” because of her universal character. 
  The Holy See remains on Earth, headquartered
  in the Papal State as it had been since the Apostolic
  Age. The Church was briefly forced to flee the
  Papal State during the reign of St. Lando II, only
  returning at the end of the Psaikhailou War. It is
  not known why the Psaikhailou chose the Church
  to be the sole representatives of humanity on the
  mother world—but it is a responsibility each Pope
  takes very seriously, including the current Pope,
  Clement XXXI.
  Ma’rifa
  Ma’rifa is a religion founded in Central Asia on
  Earth and based on a Gnostic interpretation of sev-
  eral monotheistic religions. The Arabic word
  ma’rifa literally means “knowledge” or “science.”
  As a religious term, it means “spiritual knowl-
  edge” or “enlightenment.” One who practices
  Ma’rifa is called an ‘Arifa. 
  Ma’rifa teaches that it is the primordial and
  universal religion, and even nature itself is ‘Arifa,
  because it obeys the laws that God has embedded
  in it. The religion borrows heavily from the
  Tasawwuf, or Sufi, tradition and emphasizes over-
  32
  
  coming of one’s individual ego to achieve close-
  ness to God. Its practitioners are required to study
  scientific knowledge as a means of knowing God.
  It teaches that no person is capable of leading
  another to God. The struggle against one’s ego is
  the “greater jihad,” which is more important than
  the “lesser jihad” against injustice and oppression
  in the world. Devout ‘Arifas tend to be very mys-
  tical and highly detached from the world. Since
  everything is a reflection of God, good can be
  found in anyone, no matter how evil, and forgive-
  ness is the highest virtue.
  In the Svobodan League, Ma’rifa is the second
  largest religion after the Roman Orthodox Catholic
  Church. Ma’rifa is the ancestral faith of the
  Alahdad and is popular among the Anzani. There
  are even ‘Arifas among the Dharmaani. 
  Hinduism
  Hinduism is a religion that originated in India
  on Earth. In the fourth millennium, it is the major
  faith of the Sarvadharmaani Confederacy.
  Hinduism is a major religion, not merely by virtue
  of its many followers but also because of its pro-
  found influence on many other religions during its
  long, unbroken history, which dates from about
  1500 BC. The corresponding influence of these
  various religions on Hinduism (it has an extraordi-
  nary tendency to absorb foreign elements) has
  greatly contributed to the religion’s variety of
  beliefs and practices. 
  Other Faiths
  Naturally, the aforementioned faiths are not the
  only ones in existence in the Svobodan League.
  Other prominent faiths include:
  Confucianism: This moral and religious sys-
  tem has its origins in the collection of sayings
  known as the Analects, attributed to Confucius.
  Confucianism is a system of ethical precepts for
  the management of society, based on the practice
  of jen—sympathy or “human-heartedness”—as
  shown in one’s relations with others and demon-
  strated through adherence to li, a combination of
  etiquette and ritual. 
  Daoism: This belief system describes an ideal
  human condition of freedom from desire and of
  effortless simplicity, achieved by following the
  Dao, or “the Way,” the spontaneous, creative,
  effortless path taken by natural events in the cos-
  mos. Quietistic in outlook, Daoists condemn as
  symptoms of excessive government the social
  virtues expounded by Confucius and his followers.
  Orthodox Catholicism in Yuan Xing has adopted
  and adapted many elements of Daoist thought. 
  The Evolutionary Church: Followers of the
  20th-century Catholic philosopher Teilhard de
  Chardin, Evolutionists believe that the Psaikhailou
  are messengers of God, sent to aid in the evolution
  of all creatures to a higher form. Evolutionists are
  almost universally reviled in the League, but they
  have made some inroads in the Shards and other
  minor states.
  Judaism: This faith is based on the religious
  beliefs, practices, and the way of life of the
  Yehudim, an associate culture of the League based
  on the world of Bat Zion. However, many adher-
  ents of Judaism maintain membership in another
  League culture, as well. Central to Jewish belief is
  the notion of monotheism, adopted by the biblical
  Hebrews. 
  Saints: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
  Day Saints is a faith marked by the importance of
  revelation, stress on the interdependence of spiri-
  tual and temporal life, and vigorous proselytizing.
  Saints base their beliefs on the Bible, the Book of
  Mormon, revelations to their prophet, Joseph
  Smith (Doctrine and Covenants), and The Pearl of
  Great Price (sayings attributed to Moses and
  Abraham). Saints are an associate culture of the
  League, based on the world of Deseret. 
  The Universal Church: The Universalists are
  one of only a few Christian sects still in existence
  besides 
  the 
  Orthodox 
  Catholic 
  Church.
  Universalists are charismatics who eschew tradi-
  tion and emphasize personal faith over adherence
  to doctrine. They do not bar anyone from becom-
  ing “elders,” their equivalent to priests. They
  remain a small sect without much influence in the
  League as a whole, though they have a greater
  influence outside its borders.
  Economics
  The growth and development of nanotechnolo-
  gy has placed the Svobodan economy on a firm
  “post-scarcity” footing. This means that the eco-
  nomic engine of the League is no longer material
  need. Nanotechnology makes most such needs
  easily obtainable and inexpensive, almost worth-
  less. Consequently, the economy of the League is
  largely driven by luxuries and fashions.
  33
  
  Despite the everyday use of nanotechnology,
  most Soyuzniks prefer to own handmade items.
  This is especially true of items of religious or cul-
  tural significance. Diamond statues of St. Brendan
  (patron saint of telepaths) may be cheap and
  durable, but they lack the cachet of a hand-carved
  wooden representation. 
  A significant segment of the economy is based
  on the exchange and analysis of information.
  Information remains one of the few inherently
  valuable commodities. A very large percentage of
  the workforce of the League engages in informa-
  tion analysis and repackaging. 
  The newslogs are one of the best examples of
  this kind of effort. Subscribers to a newslog can
  contribute recordings of musical and dramatic per-
  formances, opinion pieces, news stories, or any-
  thing else to the log. As other subscribers access
  the data, the system automatically allocates pay-
  ments to the source of the feed. Subscribers rate
  the stories for interest, factual accuracy, and qual-
  ity. The system tracks the reputation of contribu-
  tors over time, so that the best writers gravitate to
  the top of the feeds. There are mechanisms in place
  to prevent people from manipulating the feedback
  mechanisms, although some of the best infowar-
  riors know of ways to get around these protections.
  Most of the remainder work as overseers to
  expert systems. “Unskilled labor” is no longer a
  career option for people. The “average worker” in
  the League is employed in an extremely special-
  ized and technical occupation that likely involves
  the direction of experts.
  Consortia
  Without a doubt, the consortia are among the
  most influential non-governmental bodies in the
  League (aside from religions). The consortia are
  businesses that concentrate on certain “niche mar-
  kets” and produce little of great quality outside
  those markets. Competition between consortia
  within the same niche is fierce, but there are rela-
  tively few instances of cross-niche conflict.
  There are thousands of consortia in the
  Svobodan League. Many of these consortia are
  publicly owned and administered by a board of
  directors. Others are owned by private families or
  individuals. In every case, the personalities of
  those who run the consortium strongly influence
  the nature of it and its business practices. 
  Transporting large quantities of most goods
  through nodes is neither efficient nor cost-effec-
  tive. The few cargoes that are transported from
  world to world are largely high-value goods and
  luxury items that cannot easily be reproduced.
  Consortia distribute most of their product lines in
  a manner reminiscent of a franchise system. 
  The consortia themselves are primarily respon-
  sible for producing and distributing “data pack-
  ages.” These data packages are designs and
  schematics that will then be purchased by local
  manufacturers. These manufacturers, all of whose
  methods and materials (most of which is also pur-
  chased from the consortium) must meet the stan-
  dards of the consortia, will in turn produce items in
  accordance with the designs in the data package.
  This guarantees a consistency and uniformity
  among the products. Thus, a Takamatsu-
  Hegenauer laser pistol produced on Muutzha at the
  core of the League will be identical to that pro-
  duced on Bólivar on the frontier. A consumer can
  be assured of the quality of his purchase of a con-
  sortium product, no matter where he bought it. 
  34
  
  Department of Special 
  Investigations (DSI)
  DSI is an agency of the Ministry of Defense,
  and is the primary law enforcement agency of the
  League. The responsibilities of DSI include the
  investigation of espionage, sabotage, and subver-
  sive activities, as well as other actions related to
  the internal security of the League such as organ-
  ized crime, drug trafficking, and especially terror-
  ism. All of these responsibilities derive from its
  mandate as the primary enforcer of League law.
  DSI jurisdiction extends to over 300 matters
  within the territory of the Svobodan League,
  including data theft, extortion, racketeering, kid-
  napping, and a few tech crimes not under the aus-
  pices of the Syndicates. DSI also investigates
  infringement of civil rights. 
  DSI is the only law enforcement organization
  within uncultured regions. Frequently, DSI agents
  assigned to these areas are overworked and poorly
  supported. On these earths, DSI enforces League
  law and guarantees the safety of members of rec-
  ognized cultures. DSI agents operating among the
  Uncultured have almost military authority to com-
  mandeer civilian personnel, equipment, and instal-
  lations. 
  DSI also plans and organizes the domestic
  counter-intelligence forces of the League.
  Activities directed against the League government
  within League space, such as terrorism, espionage,
  and incitement to revolution, all fall within the
  jurisdiction of DSI.
  Security and 
  Intelligence Service (SIS)
  SIS is responsible for keeping the government
  informed of foreign actions affecting the League’s
  interests. “Big Sister” (as it is sometimes called)
  coordinates all League intelligence activities and
  other duties assigned to it by the Premier. Most of
  SIS’s work involves the collection, analysis, and
  dissemination of military, political, and economic
  data.
  SIS is also responsible for counterespionage
  activities. Its mission is to prevent the placement
  of foreign agents in sensitive League agencies.
  Within the territory of the Svobodan League, this
  work is coordinated with the Department of
  Special Investigations (DSI). There is, however, a
  great deal of rivalry between SIS and DSI. SIS
  views DSI as a junior partner without any real
  expertise in the area of espionage.
  Covert political operations by SIS have ranged
  from subsidizing friendly foreign politicians, par-
  ties, or pressure groups to providing assistance in
  combating subversion, to conducting paramilitary
  operations support certain exile forces with train-
  ing and equipment. 
  Voodoo Teams
  Voodoo Teams are small (6–12 person) groups
  of SIS agents with greater-than-average freedom
  of action. Usually assigned to vessels disguised as
  small merchant craft, Voodoo Teams report direct-
  ly to the Coordinator of SIS. By virtue of
  35
  Organizations
  
  Executive Order 2822-1029, Voodoo Teams may
  even legally operate within the borders of the
  League “to combat known and persistent threats to
  the stability of the League or any of its member
  cultures.” 
  Voodoo Teams serve as mobile strike forces
  that act against Psaikhailou agents, violators of the
  Stasis, terrorists, and other threats. The
  Coordinator frequently calls upon them to aid DSI
  in the investigation of the activities of League-
  wide menaces. Members of Voodoo Teams come
  from a variety of backgrounds, including the sci-
  entific community. In most cases, Syndicate mem-
  bers function as part of these teams as well. This
  ensures that the teams have the multi-faceted skills
  necessary to fulfill their missions.
  Voodoo Teams generally operate under
  extremely deep cover and have very little contact
  with SIS. Their mission requires that they build
  long-term credibility with groups including tech
  smugglers, pirates, and other dubious characters,
  and they have to be very careful when conducting
  their operations not to blow their long-term cover,
  and also have to frequently engage in dubious or
  outright criminal activities. 
  Controversy and Investigations 
  SIS has been investigated a number of times by
  various task force groups, one of which in 2999
  recommended major reorganization of SIS opera-
  tions. Following major intelligence failures during
  the Secessionist War, Premier Turbain has appoint-
  ed a group to act on some of these recommenda-
  tions.
  SIS has also come under extensive examination
  by the Diet. The Diet found that the Service had
  been engaged in unlawful domestic spying activi-
  ties and had been implicated in assassination
  attempts on foreign leaders. In addition, the spec-
  tacular failure of a Voodoo Team operating on
  Muutzha itself in 3000 resulted in the existence of
  these units being made known to the general pub-
  lic of the League. Not only was the public out-
  raged by the idea of espionage activities being
  sanctioned within League space, but also many
  Deputies of the Duma resented being left unin-
  formed about these activities. 
  Because of these and other similar abuses, the
  Duma and Senate have recently established per-
  manent committees to oversee SIS operations.
  These committees have exclusive jurisdiction over
  review of SIS activities. The role of the SIS
  Coordinator as the principal League intelligence
  officer and coordinator of activities of the other
  agencies has often been in dispute. Over the years,
  critics have made frequent proposals to divest the
  head of SIS of the coordinating role and assign that
  function to a member of the cabinet.
  Terrorists, Revolutionaries, 
  and Separatists
  Every society has its malcontents and the
  Svobodan League is no different. The structure of
  League society and the ongoing cold war with the
  Psaikhailou ensure that there are many such indi-
  viduals and groups. In general, those who oppose
  the League or seek to undermine it fall into three
  broad categories: unrecognized cultures, neohu-
  manists, and opportunists. The technological
  sophistication and precision of the League’s mili-
  tary machine all but ensures that small dissident
  groups have little hope of waging a winning war
  against it. Many of them have turned to terrorist
  tactics as a result.
  Terrorism continues to cause concern and dis-
  ruption throughout the League. Combating this
  menace remains a very high priority for the gov-
  ernment and the phyles of the Svobodan League.
  However, finding clear “patterns” in this form of
  political violence is becoming more difficult. 
  Despite the best efforts of DSI and other agen-
  cies, the threat of terrorism remains very serious.
  The bombing of the San Lexandra complex near
  Scarborough, Muutzha, in 3000 killed 19 League
  marines, wounded 240 other Muutzhan citizens,
  and resulted in many other casualties. A series of
  suicide bombings by extremist groups aiming to
  destroy the Gideon peace process killed more than
  600. Camenzindi terrorists on Mundo Plata
  grabbed the spotlight recently by seizing the gov-
  ernor’s residence and hundreds of hostages. The
  death toll from acts of terrorism rose from 16,230
  in 2999 to 39,116 in 3000, as the trend continued
  toward more ruthless attacks on civilian targets
  and the use of more powerful weapons. 
  Many of these weapons employed proscribed
  forms of nanotechnology. The threat of terrorist
  use of illegal technologies is an issue of growing
  concern. The Syndicates, especially the Procuracy,
  have pledged to assist the League government in
  its efforts to root out terrorist groups employing
  technology that violates the Stasis. 
  36
  
  Terrorist Groups
  There are far too many terrorist groups operat-
  ing in the cosmos to describe in detail here. For the
  benefit of those interested in such matters, the
  above list of prominent groups should suffice.
  Unrecognized Cultures
  The Camenzindi
  The Camenzindi were once full members of the
  League. Following their defection from Migail
  Lanzan’s war against the Psaikhailou, the League
  disenfranchised and punished them. The League
  no longer recognizes their culture and this has
  made the Camenzindi an extremely bitter and
  resentful group of people.
  Consequently, there are numerous Camenzindi
  terrorist and separatist groups operating within the
  League. Many receive covert support from the
  Psaikhailou, while sympathizers succor others.
  The Universal Church has taken up their cause and
  regularly petitions the Premier to review their
  case. Thus far, they have met with no success and
  few commentators ever expect them to do so. Even
  associate members of the League view the
  Camenzindi as traitors. 
  Libertarians
  The Libertarians have been causing problems
  for Human governments since the days of the
  Consociation of Phyles. Their stronghold had been
  the world of Heinlein, only two nodes away from
  Earth. The Psaikhailou absorbed Heinlein during
  the second Emergence and the Libertarians fled
  into what would later become League space.
  While not friends of the Psaikhailou, the
  Libertarians proved to be uncooperative allies of
  the League at best. They resent almost any form of
  “government intrusion” and are unwilling to pay
  taxes or abide by many of the most basic League
  laws and regulations. All chafe under the restric-
  tions of the Stasis. Naturally, these positions make
  the Libertarians unsuitable candidates for any
  form of membership in the League. 
  Today, the Libertarians do not present a con-
  certed problem for the League. Isolated
  Libertarian groups regularly create incidents with
  which DSI and local law enforcement must deal.
  Occasionally, a larger affair will attract the atten-
  tion of the entire League. Such was the case most
  recently in 2999, when a Libertarian group on
  Braemar took hostages in protest for the levying of
  new taxes to support the military during the
  Secessionist War. The incident ended with the
  deaths of the Libertarians and their hostages. This
  has hardened public opinion against the group.
  Since then, there have been few serious incidents,
  but DSI keeps a watchful eye on Libertarians
  throughout the League.   
  Neohumanists
  Neohumanists often operate in small cells, each
  of which has connections to other cells. This struc-
  37
  Group
  Leader/Goals
  Cause
  Location
  Size
  Began
  Anzani Liberation 
  Army
  Neohumanist group seeking to 
  Anti-government
  Anzani
  3000
  2863
  overthrow monarchy but gets 
  funding from illegal tech
  Army of God
  Suleimanov and Ortíz lead a 
  Anti-League, religious
  Muutzhan and Alahdad 
  1000’s
  2986
  weird ‘Arifa/ROC group funded 
  fundamentalists
  worlds
  by an unknown Shard.
  Bagrance
  Freelance group under 
  Anti-League, FLC offshoot
  Orléans
  ?
  3000
  Sophie Letourneau
  FLC
  Pro-Camenzindi
  Anti-League
  Mundo Plata and 
  8000
  2999
  Santo Domingo
  Liberdad Colón
  Colónian separatists supported 
  Recognition as a separate phyle
  Colón province
  10,000
  2942
  by Camenzindi and Psaikhailou
  Mordovan Freedom 
  Brigade
  Supported by expat Mordovans, 
  Anti-Mordovan
  Muutzhan worlds
  2000
  2865
  seeks to overthrow current 
  government
  Neral
  Neohumanist group seeking 
  Union with Psaikhailou
  Muutzhan and Yuan 
  ?
  2985
  overthrow of League
  worlds
  
  ture seems a conscious imitation of the “flexible
  hive mind” of the Psaikhailou. Most Neohumanist
  activities consist of using technology to give oth-
  ers the opportunity to experience the feeling of
  being one of the Psaikhailou. Rarely do
  Neohumanist groups act in a violent fashion. The
  larger Neohumanist community quickly disowns
  any such incidents that do occur.
  The vast majority of Neohumanists are simply
  discontented Uncultured who believe the
  Psaikhailou will offer them a better deal in life
  than did the League. Few of these groups actually
  support the Psaikhailou way of existence. Most are
  simply using the Psaikhailou as a convenient
  means to wreak vengeance upon the cultures of the
  League that have failed to recognize them. As
  such, these lukewarm sympathizers are much more
  willing to use violence against League members
  and property. 
  Opportunists
  As has always been the case throughout histo-
  ry, the ongoing conflict between the League and
  the Psaikhailou has proven a ripe opportunity for
  many groups to increase their own power and
  wealth. In many cases, the conflict itself has been
  the origin of these opportunists. In others, the con-
  flict functions as a useful smokescreen to their
  activities.
  The “Warriors Syndicate”
  The Warriors Syndicate is a shadowy brother-
  hood existing within the militaries of the
  Svobodan League and its member cultures. No one
  knows when the Syndicate was founded, but its
  first recorded appearance was during the Qihiran
  Rebellion last century. In any event, the Syndicate
  has been extremely active since the Secessionist
  War.
  The Syndicate exists as a brotherhood dedicat-
  ed to “preserving the honor and integrity of the
  League’s armed forces in the face of the
  Psaikhailou threat.” Warriors believe that
  Psaikhailou agents have infiltrated the military of
  the Svobodan League. They blame recent League
  defeats and changes of policy on these mysterious
  infiltrators. Warriors dedicate themselves to
  uncovering Psaikhailou agents and anyone they
  believe to sympathize with the Psaikhailou. They
  believe that military technology and warfare
  should be recognized as one of the Syndicates, and
  seek to create a phyle dedicated to preserving the
  martial supremacy of the League and promoting a
  strict warrior code of honor. 
  It would be very easy to dismiss the Warriors
  Syndicate as yet another crackpot organization.
  There is no question that its members are paranoid
  and even delusional. Nevertheless, they have been
  successful in rooting out genuine Neohumanists
  within the military. The most recent example was
  the arrest of General Idalgo Atul in 3000. For this
  reason, the government is careful to act too harsh-
  ly against the Syndicate, lest they lose a valuable,
  if unstable, ally.  
  Sic Semper Tyrannis
  This paranoid terrorist group has much in com-
  mon with the Warriors Syndicate. SST believes
  that the League is already secretly under the con-
  trol of the Psaikhailou. Psaikhailou agents, SST
  suggests, are everywhere and need to be rooted out
  and revealed for what they are. 
  Often these activities constitute mere harass-
  ment, an annoyance but nothing more. Recently,
  however, SST activities have become increasingly
  violent. Since the end of the Secessionist War, SST
  has assassinated at least one member of the
  Loyalist party. Several other politicians have been
  injured in attempted assassinations. 
  The Maccabees
  Named after the religious zealots of the Old
  Testament, this radical Orthodox Catholic group
  seeks war with the Psaikhailou and the reclama-
  tion of Earth. The Maccabees believe Earth to be a
  holy site, one that is now defiled by the presence
  of the Psaikhailou.
  The Maccabees have attempted to wage their
  war against the Psaikhailou alone. Because the
  League has stopped them in this effort, many
  Maccabees now believe that the League has also
  been corrupted. If necessary, they will oppose the
  entire Svobodan League to achieve their ends. 
  Merchant Lines
  Merchant lines exist throughout the whole of
  the League. They are particularly active on the
  Frontier and among the Uncultured. In most cases,
  the vessels used by a merchant are independently
  owned and operated. For a renewable fee to the
  central authority of the line, a merchant captain
  may join the line’s fleet of vessels. In return, the
  line provides the captain with steady work and a
  healthy cut of the profits.
  38
  
  While piracy is virtually unknown in the
  League, merchant lines do have problems with the
  underworld. Groups like the Organizatsiya and the
  mujahedin have taken a keen interest in merchant
  shipping. DSI estimates that many merchant craft
  and indeed merchant lines may be wholly owned
  or controlled by organized crime. Crime lords find
  merchant lines useful as an unobtrusive courier
  system. Contraband and proscribed technology are
  more easily smuggled in small, highly mobile mer-
  chant craft than in the larger freighters associated
  with the consortia. SIS Voodoo Teams disguise
  themselves as merchants for similar reasons. 
  There are far too many merchant lines active in
  the cosmos to list them all. The following is but a
  small sampling of the more prominent lines in
  operation today.
  Groumi Lines operates solely among the
  Uncultured and the Shards. Its owner, Tonio
  Groumi, is himself Uncultured and sees his com-
  pany as a “service” to the inhabitants of the fron-
  tier. This dedication to service has not, however,
  prevented him from making himself a very
  wealthy man.
  Jong Lines is a Yuan merchant company that
  has a stranglehold over routes into the Yuan fron-
  tier, through New Hong Kong. Even the consortia
  sometimes must deal with Jong Lines when ship-
  ping valuable cargoes through the unstable node
  that leads to the frontier.  
  The Tawfiq Guild is an Alahdad merchant
  group that operates mostly in the Shards. DSI
  believes that it is a front for one or more Alahdad
  mujahedin groups, although this has never been
  proven.
  Zahra Merchants’ Cooperative is another
  Alahdad merchant guild that operates throughout
  the entire League. In addition to its fine record of
  service, ZMC also serves as an advocate for small
  merchants against the consortia. ZMC has influ-
  ence in the Alahdad government as well as among
  members of the Duma.
  39
  
  Fourth Millennium is your game and you can
  use as you wish. It’s designed to allow for a wide
  variety of playing styles and even genres of sci-
  ence fiction. This might not be obvious from read-
  ing the Fourth Millennium Campaign Model, so
  this brief section is intended to explain how to do
  that. In addition, we’ll try to point out just what
  Fourth Millennium is about and what you can do
  with it. In the end, though, the game and its setting
  are what you make of them and we sincerely hope
  that you’ll use what’s presented here as a touch-
  stone for creating your own exciting adventures in
  the 31st century rather than as a straitjacket.
  Fourth Millennium the game is as much about
  choices as is Fourth Millennium the setting.
  What’s It All About?
  Fourth Millennium is about choices, specifically
  the choices humanity faces in the future as advanced
  technology offers us the chance to remake ourselves
  in exciting – or horrifying – ways. Certainly tech-
  nologies like genetic engineering offer us the chance
  to eradicate universally acknowledged scourges like
  inherited diseases and physical disabilities, but they
  can also be used less nobly, to eradicate the “wrong”
  gender or ethnicity. Some look to technology as a
  chance to transcend the limits of our human weak-
  nesses, while other see those weaknesses as integral
  to who and what we are. Embracing transhumanism
  might also mean abandoning humanity altogether.
  Would that be a bad thing? Is humanity, with its mil-
  lennial history of hatred, war, and oppression, such a
  good thing? What if there were ways to get rid of all
  those things through technology and become better
  people? What would it matter if we were no longer
  “human?” Who decides what makes you human
  anyway?
  These are the questions that are at the heart of
  Fourth Millennium. The game assumes that the cul-
  tures of the Svobodan League, who have adopted a
  specific understanding of what it means to be
  human, are the baseline from which all other cam-
  paigns will deviate. The Svobodans are a conserva-
  tive, even reactionary, culture. They saw what unre-
  stricted technology did to Earth. They fought the
  Psaikhailou. And they decided that the only way to
  save the rest of humanity from the same fate was to
  hold back the advance of science and in some cases
  roll it back to an earlier stage – by force, if necessary.
  For the Svobodans, the price of humanity is eternal
  vigilance. 
  Not everyone agrees with the Svobodans. Many
  Shards see the Stasis as a tool to maintain Svobodan
  supremacy. They fight back bravely against the
  League, trying to find their own way to deal with the
  thorny issue of what it means to be human. The
  Shards make an excellent place to run a Fourth
  Millennium campaign. Being technologically inferi-
  or to the Svobodans, their societies and cultures are
  closer to standard science fiction tropes. They regu-
  larly clash with one another, allowing for both diplo-
  matic and military solutions to their problems, not to
  mention the potential for espionage and intrigue.
  The Shards are therefore a good place to start play-
  40
  Game Mastering 
  Fourth Millennium
  
  ing Fourth Millennium if you don’t want to take it all
  in at once. In the Shards, you can use as much or as
  little of the overall setting as you wish. The only con-
  stants are technology and its consequences and even
  the consequences need not be omnipresent if you’re
  willing to stay away from the truly advanced toys
  like nanotech.
  Of course, the League itself isn’t monolithic. The
  various phyles that make up the League each have
  their own ways of looking at the cosmos, even with-
  in the context of the Stasis. In addition, each phyle
  represents a different genre of science fiction, which
  allows you to focus only on those that interest you,
  if you so desire. The Muutzhans, for example, are
  great empire-builders and spies. The Yuan, on the
  other hand, are explorers without peer, just as the
  Anzani are renowned as masters of intrigue.
  Depending on your wishes, you can tailor Fourth
  Millennium to only one or several styles of play. 
  Fourth Millennium
  Campaigns and
  Adventures
  Fourth Millennium is large and complex, filled
  with a lot of strange names, historical allusions,
  and hidden premises. A common reaction upon
  reading this material is something along the lines
  of, “Well, that’s nice, but what the heck do I do
  with it?” There isn’t space in this campaign model
  to lay bare all the secrets of Fourth Millennium or
  provide an in-depth explanation of why we chose
  to do what we did with the setting and its elements.
  We’ll detail that further in future releases, but for
  now, we have some advice that should help get you
  started.
  Fourth Millennium is a diverse enough setting
  that any science fiction story can, with at most a
  small amount of work, can find a place within it.
  Game Masters looking for inspiration can choose
  their favorite books, movies or TV shows as the
  basis for adventures and even whole campaigns.
  What follows is a listing of the most common sci-
  ence fiction genres and how they can be easily
  adapted to Fourth Millennium.
  Colonists
  The population of the entire Svobodan League
  is less than 19 billion human beings. That’s spread
  over dozens of worlds, all of which are the same
  size as Earth. That means many worlds are only
  thinly populated, leaving lots of wide-open spaces
  for rugged individualists to make their mark. Some
  of these worlds are far removed from the core of
  the League or are connected via an erratic node,
  making them functionally independent. That pro-
  vides many opportunities for adventure.
  Crime and Punishment
  The Stasis ensures that crime pays very hand-
  somely. Illegal trades in forbidden technology can
  be 
  quite 
  lucrative—and 
  dangerous. 
  The
  Organizatsiya is one of several criminal syndicates
  in the cosmos, along with millions of independent
  operators trying to make a dubious living through
  flouting the law. On the other side of the coin, there
  are the law enforcers—DSI, SIS, the Syndicates,
  and more—who exist to stop these rogues and keep
  the League safe. 
  Espionage and Intrigue
  Fourth Millennium is tailor made for espionage
  and intrigue. Nearly every group within the League
  maintains a spy agency of some sort. The Anzani
  phyle is riddle with conspiracies and secret organi-
  zations. Psaikahilou agents and their allies attempt
  to infiltrate the League and bring it down from
  within. Innumerable adventures can be had dealing
  with double-dealing, backroom deals, and techno-
  thriller tales. 
  Exploration
  The advent of node transit literally opened up
  whole new universes for exploration. Although the
  League itself has fairly stable frontiers, exploration
  is still ongoing via the New Hong Kong system in
  Yuan space. The League Expeditionary Force has
  sent several ships through that node in search of
  new worlds—as well as evidence of Psaikhailou
  presence elsewhere in the cosmos. Several Shards
  also have open frontiers and see them as a chance
  to escape the hegemony of the Svobodans. Finally,
  the League believes that there are several phyles
  cut off from contact with the rest of Humanity on
  the far side of Psaikhailou space. With no Stasis or
  Syndicates to guide their technological develop-
  ment, those phyles may be far stranger than any-
  thing known to the League. 
  Rebels
  There’s no question the Svobodan League is an
  oppressive government. It restricts technological
  41
  
  advancement and enforces its will on the cosmos—
  whether anyone likes it or not. Unsurprisingly,
  many people object to this and show their displeas-
  ure by taking up arms. There’s no reason the
  League has to be the “good guy.” In many ways,
  they’re every bit as bad as the Psaikhailou they’re
  fighting. A lot of exciting stories can be told about
  rebels fighting the Svobodans and seeking freedom
  from their overweening influence.
  Religion and Philosophy
  There’s great potential in Fourth Millennium for
  games that grapple with age-old questions like
  what it means to be human and what is our purpose
  in the cosmos. This genre can easily be added to
  another in order to give it a further dimension, such
  as a mercenary campaign that deals with the moral-
  ity of war or an espionage adventure in which the
  characters must do dubious things to serve “the
  greater good.” Likewise, a campaign centering
  around pilgrims traveling to the Papal State on
  Earth might offer another approach to confronting
  the Psaikhailou and what their Emergence means
  for humanity.
  Trade and Commerce
  There is still a place for individuals looking to
  make a dinar among the stars. The peculiarities of
  node transit make small merchant craft a viable
  alternative to working for a mighty consortium.
  Whether as free traders or members of a merchant
  line, these individuals can easily form the basis for
  picaresque campaigns that span the entire League
  and beyond.
  Warfare
  League troops act as peacekeepers on many
  Shard worlds, as well as military advisors. The
  ongoing Dharmaani civil war presents many oppor-
  tunities for combat. Mercenaries are common in
  the Shards, leading lives of danger as they contend
  with competing factions and the ever-present dan-
  ger of Svobodan intervention.  
  Conclusion
  In addition, each of the six major phyles of the
  Svobodan League supports different sub-genres of
  science fiction. You should feel free to change or
  expand on these, but they may be useful to you as
  a starting point:
  • Alahdadi: cyberpunk-esque special operations
  • Anzani: conspiracies and political intrigue
  • Donegal: high-tech power games
  • Muutzhans: empire building and maintenance
  • Sarvadharmaani: war stories
  • Yuan: exploration and commerce
  Fourth Millennium is a “specific generic” sci-
  ence fiction game. It’s specific in that it provides a
  detailed setting and treatment of how the cosmos
  and technology work. It’s generic in that there’s
  room somewhere for any story you can imagine.
  The only question is finding the right place or
  approach to tell the tale. Future sourcebooks will
  provide much more information on how to do just
  this, including multiple campaign outlines, adven-
  ture seeds, and innovative plot trees that allow the
  you to tailor the grand events of the setting to your
  own tastes. What are the Psaikhailou up to? Who
  will win the upcoming presidential elections? Will
  Pope Clement die? We’ll provide lots of options
  for these and other setting-changing events. Best
  of all, each plot tree works with every other,
  regardless of the choice the GM makes in each
  one. 
  Fourth Millennium is your game. Make of it
  what you will.
  42
  
  biot. A non-sentient artificial organism. 
  cosmonaut. Any crew member aboard a space-
  craft.
  cosmos. The sum of all known universes.
  dead. A technological item that is unable to
  modify or repair itself.
  dryship. A spacecraft with a standard gaseous
  oxy-nitrogen atmosphere.
  earth. A planet orbiting at a distance of 1 AU
  from its primary, with an atmosphere capable of
  being terraformed to support human life, and a sur-
  face gravity of ~1g. When in lower case, the term
  refers to any parallel of humanity’s homeworld. A
  similar convention exists for other planets.
  Earth. The original homeworld of the human
  species. 
  Emergence. An Emergence is a rapid and rap-
  idly expanding breakdown of individualism and
  union of telepathically linked minds into a
  Psaikhailou collective. 
  expert. Short for expert system. A special-pur-
  pose computer designed to perform a specific
  function. 
  facer. A telepath who is part of a Psaikhailou
  collective. Facers are capable of separating from a
  group mind and functioning independently, as well
  as understanding the motivations and behavior of
  normal humans. Facers are biologically identical
  to telepaths. 
  Farside. A (possibly mythical) region of
  human worlds cut off from contact with the rest of
  the cosmos by the Psaikhailou.
  live. A device that is able to repair or modify
  itself using magic. 
  magic. The raw building blocks that allow live
  materials to rebuild or reconfigure themselves.
  memetic implant. A nanotechnological device
  that is used to modify the behavior of an individual
  by implanting memories, information, or altering the
  hormonal balance in the brain. They are largely inef-
  fective at altering human behavior in a predictable
  fashion. 
  newslog. A major information database focusing
  on current events. Newslogs accept stories from any-
  one, but use sophisticated automatic filtering sys-
  tems and subscriber feedback to ensure that the
  information is factually accurate. 
  nanophage. A nanotechnological device that
  uses the human body as an environment to grow and
  reproduce. Nanophages will often modify their host
  in some fashion.
  neohuman. A parahuman (q.v.) who possesses
  genetic or technological enhancements that shift
  their psychology outside the human norm. 
  neohumanist. A general term for Psaikhailou
  sympathizers. 
  node. A point in space/time where a properly
  equipped spacecraft can make a transit between uni-
  verses.
  pao. Phased Array Optics—a technology used to
  produce three-dimensional images.
  parahuman. A sentient being descended from
  homo sapiens whose ancestors have undergone sig-
  nificant genetic or nanotechnological modification. 
  43
  Glossary
  
  phyle. A human polity with a shared history
  and culture. Phyles are the basic unit of political
  structure in the fourth millennium. They differe
  from the earlier nation-state in that they claim
  jurisdiction over their citizens wherever they may
  reside.
  Procuracy, the. The Syndicate responsible for
  policing the abuse of technology.
  Psaikhailou. A generic term for a neohuman
  civilization with a collective mind. The term is
  derived from an artificial language developed in
  the 28th century that was specifically designed to
  simplify telepathic communication.
  Quexana Protocol. “Any attempt to violate the
  Stasis should be interpreted as a military attack
  against the Svobodan League, and the League
  reserves the sole and unhindered right to respond
  to such attacks”. Attributed to Premier Alonso
  Quexana, 2834.
  Renovatio, the. The period during the mid-to-
  late 24th century during which the Orthodox
  Catholic Church revitalized itself and became the
  religion of the majority of humanity. The
  Renovatio also began the split between human and
  neohuman ideologies that later led to the creation
  of the Stabilization Pact and the Emergences.
  Shard. A phyle that rejects the Stasis (and thus
  has broken away from human unity in the face of
  the parahuman threat). Most Shards are not actual-
  ly in violation of the Stasis, rejecting it because it
  is seen as a tool to maintain Svobodan (and most
  specifically Muutzhan) hegemony over the cos-
  mos. 
  Soyuznik. Muutzhan slang for a citizen of the
  Svobodan League.
  spider. Combat drones deployed in ground
  conflicts by the Svobodan military.
  Stabilization Pact. A short-lived human mili-
  tary regime that came into existence following the
  first Emergence in an attempt to quarantine Earth.
  Its attempt to create and enforce a “universal
  human culture” failed and led to the creation of the
  Svobodan League.
  Stasis. A series of protocols which limit the use
  and distribution of technology in order to prevent
  Emergences.
  Svobodan League. An political and military
  alliance of phyles dedicated to upholding the
  Stasis.
  Syndicate. A group devoted to monitoring
  some aspect of the Stasis and controlling a group
  of related technologies.
  telepathy. The combination of a neural-expert
  interface and electromagnetic communications to
  allow the transmission of thoughts and sensory
  impressions to other individuals.
  wetship. A spacecraft which uses a liquid
  oxygel atmosphere to enable its crew to function
  under extremely rapid acceleration. 
  44
  1 The Church of the Space Brothers no longer exists. In the aftermath of Kroschenko and Nozich’s successful transit, membership
  skyrocketed, but would eventually decline as no sign of the Space Brothers (or any intelligent life) was found in any solar system.
  Eventually the Church developed neohumanist leanings, interpreting Marya’s writings to suggest that the Space Brothers were human
  descendants time-travelling to the future. They ultimately became one of the epicenters of the Psaikhailou Emergence. 
  
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  Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker,  based on
  material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard
  Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy
  Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Blood and Guts Copyright 2003, RPGObjects; Author
  Charles Rice. 
  Ultramodern Firearms d20, Copyright 2002, Charles
  Mcmanus Ryan.
  Modern Player’s Companion, Copyright 2003, The Game
  Mechanics Inc., Author: Stan!
  Fourth Millennium Campaign Model, Copyright 2004, Kevin
  Brennan and James Maliszewski. Published by Ronin Arts,
  www.roninarts.com.
  45
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Party/d20 Modern/Ronin Arts/Fourth Millennium Campaign Model.pdf