TEXT: L 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  C . H . C . S .  
  L E A 6 U E B O O H  0 
  I 
  "Tango Sierra Niner. qou are clear all the waq home.'' 
  Home. Jaqne Pawn smiled at the word. heeping her Eagle straight and steadq to- 
  ward the Norlight border. The iohar grass a thousand meters below her was bloom- 
  ing. giving the Northern Plain a wild haleidoscopic tinge. Rolling hills broke the flat- 
  ness of the fields and Jaqne could see how railwaqs and interstates linked the 
  various population centers. Her positioning radar indicated that she should begin 
  her approach and she turned the high-performance fighter tourard the landship 
  carrier that was patrolling the border areas. 
  The steel and polqmer behemoth was her home for now. but the lands to the north 
  called to her heart. She remembered her youth in Hossuth. her pilgrimages to Sorrento 
  and her family's move to Valeria. It was on14 in Norlight territorq that Jaqne felt that 
  she could relax. be free lutth her faith. and trust in her fellolu man. She uas a 
  daughter of the Prophet and his peace Mas with her alwaqs. 
  Jaqne remained oblivious to the gunfire far below 
  The Worthern lights Eonfederacq brings Heavq Gear fans into the heart of the North The largest 
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  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I
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  CHAPTER 1: IKTAOOUCTION .............................................. 
  4 
  11 
  THE LANO OF THE PAOPHET .................................................. 
  5 
  1.11 EOWTEWTS ................................................................. 
  5 
  CHAPTER 2: LEAGUE OVERVIEW ....................................... 
  6 
  . 3.5 
  5.21 ME PEOPLE'S mnw .............................................. 
  3.2.2 THE TwlI PlllRRS ................................................... 
  3.2.3 tiBEnnt oEnotnnnE Prim ................................... 
  M H ~  
  tnows OF innum ............................................ 
  3.31 ME EOUNEIL of MnYons ......................................... 
  21 
  GEOGARPHY ................................................. 
  5.3.2 EEOWOMlE UEVELOPnEWT MltlRlSSlOi .................... 
  21.2 noumiis nin vntm ......................................... 
  8 . 
  3.5.3 THE Pnomrs SHiEtn ........................................... 
  21.1 Pinins RIO snvnnini ..................... 
  3.3.4 THE HOLSOW mi ............. 
  ..................................................... 
  ............................. 
  2.2 
  HlSlOnY 
  .. 9 . 
  2.21 THE BlATH OFME NU: ............................................... 
  9 
  2.2.5 TIMES Of EOllLlET ................ 
  2.2.6 nnn OF THE nitiniEE .............................................. 
  IS 
  2.31 nnm nEsountEs ............................................... 
  14 
  2.3.3 mnoE ..................................................................... 
  is 
  .21 
  22 
  25 
  24 
  25 
  .26 
  27 
  28 
  .29 
  41 
  ME WORTH .................................... 
  4.1.2 ME nmi m o m  PnoTEEmnnK ................... 32 
  4.21 THE SOUMERI REPUBWE ........................................ 
  34 
  4.2 
  W E S O I  ..................................................... 
  4.2.4 ME m n n  SUI Eninnns ................................... 
  ss 
  4.3 
  nEBnotnnos ........................... 
  ................... 36 
  4.31 PEnEE nivm .......................................................... 
  37 
  ...................................... 
  MlAPTER 3: NORLIGHT POLITICS .................................... 
  16 . 
  4.3.2 Po nT mtun nio wmnt 
  31 
  3.1 
  mtmtnt sinumnf ........................................................ 
  17 : 
  4.3,s nnssnnn ............................................................... 
  37 
  1.1.1 THE Pnmu nin tmnm of vntmin ............. 11 . . CHAPTER 5: REGIONS OF THE LC ................................. 
  38 
  . 5 1  
  WORLIGHT n m t  utxtoPnEH 
  ........... 39 
  5.2 
  EIDER ............................................................................. 
  40 
  ................................... 
  43 
  3.2 
  mtmtnt PnnnEs .................... 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  5 4 
  IlWSBAUEH ............................................ 
  46 : 
  6.4.3 RESIDENEE .................................. 
  95 
  S 5  
  HElENR ................................. 
  49 . 
  6 4 4  RITES ........................ 
  95 
  s I 
  tiviimWE ......................................... 
  55 . 6,s 
  nm RHO Enrmmr ............................. 
  97 
  5 9  
  SESSHU ......... 
  65.2 MUSIC .................................. 
  5.6 
  HOSSUTH ................................... 
  52 
  . 
  6 4.5 FOOO AND OAlNH 
  ....................... 
  96 
  s.8 
  pmopoiis ............................................ 
  sa . 
  6 5.1 THE MEOlA ................................... 
  97 
  5.12 
  SOAAEWTO ........................................................................ 
  70 . . CHAPTER 1: GAMEMRSTER RESOURCES ....................... 
  100 
  5.13 
  vntwoni num ..................................................... 
  74 
  . 
  5.14 
  YELE ...................................................... 
  7.2.1 WEAPOWS .............................................................. 
  102 
  7.2.2 OUlCH AESPOWSE TEA1 EOUlPMEWr 
  7.2.3 RELIGIOUS PRARPHEANAllR ........... 
  5.16.2 NOATHEAW PLRlNS ROWnEA .................................... 
  85 . . 
  CHllPTER 6: CUlTUAE AND SOCIETY 
  6.2 
  AEiiriion .......................................................................... 
  aa 
  .............................................. 
  a7 . 7.3 
  HOR~IGK 
  CRMPRIGHS ............................. 
  7.4 
  STOEH /PES AM PEnsoWniiriEs ...................................... 
  112 
  6.4.1 1AW6UR6E .............................................................. 
  94 . CHAPTER 8: NORLIGHT CAEATURES .............................. 
  120 
  6.4.2 EOUCRTlOl ............................................................. 
  94 . 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Three shots rang out in quick succession and shattered the peaceful summer afternoon. Sister Raychel was in 
  motion before the third retoes echo had faded and was darthg down the alley towards the source of the gunfire. 
  Her armored cloak barely slowed her down as she raced passed citizens and pilgrims diving for cover. Her fighting 
  staff was drawn in her right hand. Reaching a marketplace, she poked her head around the corner. 
  "Raychel Noris here," she said into a communicator once she had popped back behind the corner. "Armed robbery 
  in progress at Gomnger Square. Three assailants, two with pistols one with a shotgun, all on desert bikes. One 
  citizen down already." Raychel heard the central monastery acknowledge her report; she knew that other brothers 
  and sisters of the Order of Dorothea - 
  responsible for the policing of Sorrento - 
  would be on their way any 
  minute. That might be too late, however. She switched her staff t o  her left hand and drew her Mezek 9mm pistol 
  before turning the corner again. 
  The lead thug took a money bag and thanked the merchant he had robbed by pistol-whipping him on the head: a 
  coworker was already bleeding t o  death thanks t o  three gunshot wounds. "Okay, LeVs get outta here -" 
  "Hold it!" Raychel was behind the flimsy cover o f  a vegetable stand and pointed her pistol a t  the thug. Her staff 
  was leaning against the stand. "Drop your weapons." 
  Jaime turned his weapon on her without hesitation and Raychel responded with two rounds t o  his chest, knocking 
  him off his bike. The leader returned fire, transforming a melon next t o  Raychel i n t o  a burst of orange mist. She 
  quickly readjusted her aim and fired, catching him in the leg. The merchant he had just robbed, apparently only 
  slightly dazed, finished the job with a blow t o  the back of the head. He crumpled t o  the ground. The merchant 
  didn't keep track of the third crook, however, and he was suddenly facing a pistol t o  the back o f  his head. "You drop 
  it, sister, and step on out of there." 
  The religious appellation was laced with so much spite it made Raychel's stomach turn. She didn't have a choice, 
  though, and dropped her pistol and took a few steps out in t o  the square. Without being asked she raised her arms 
  slightly, t o  show she had no weapons. She watched as the thug, holding the gun left-handed, turned the accelen- 
  tor on his bike while keeping the citizen i n  his sights. Suddenly, he raised the kick stand and tore off down the 
  swear toward Raychel. 
  She had only an instant t o  react. He wanted t o  run her down and her firearm was well out o f  reach. Not her staff, 
  however. I n  one easy movement, she reached for the weighted traditional weapon o f  her order and spun clockwise 
  t o  build momentum. By the time she was around the bike was almost on top of her. The thug couldn't avoid the 
  swinging fighting staff. 
  Raychel was very satisfied by the impact she felt as her blow took the criminal right off his bike - 
  no one got 
  away from her. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  On 29 Summer TN 1464, a mere ten years after the Human Concordat abandoned Terra Nova to its 
  fate, a boy named Mamoud Khodaverdi was born i n  the agricultural hamlet of Sorrento on the 
  Irrian Plain. This boy would grow to influence his region and planet like no other Terranovan. At 
  the tender age of twenty cycles, Mamoud's spirit rose t o  commune with the Gentle Spirit which 
  guides the universe. Enlightened and blessed, this Gentle Prophet would preach his word of love 
  and peace first among his closest friends and then to residents of the Badlands'enclave of Massada. 
  His message evolved over the cycles, taking root in the sands of the desert and the fields of 
  Sorrento. When Nathani Reiss, Mamoud's oldest and dearest friend, returned north after the Prophet's 
  death, the word of peace followed him. The new faith, known as Revisionism, spread like wildfire 
  among the scattered people of the Irrian Plain, bringing a beacon of hope to a dark time of strife 
  and exploitation. The power of this simple message of love and guardianship moved millions out 
  the chaos of Reconstruction and into a prosperous future. Before he too left this plane to join the 
  Gentle Spirit, Nathani would bless the creation of a league of city-states dedicated to advancing 
  and protecting the peace so loved by the Prophet. The Northern Lights Confederacy was born. 
  Faith, however, i s  a double-edged sword. I t s  power can transform a fractious region into a 
  peaceful nation, and a placid field into a killing ground. The NLC has waged campaigns of 
  harassment i n  the name of peace; loyal citizens have been ostracized for their divergent faiths. 
  The struggle to keep these extremes in check is ongoing and is reflected by people across the 
  NLC. For much of the nineteenth century, the church was fragmented and without direction and 
  the league paid a price for this. Corruption and immorality became rampant and the league fell 
  into the plague of the Judas Syndrome. Second Follower Thor Hutchison has led a Revisionist 
  revival, drawing the people back to the faith with a return to traditional values and a call for a 
  moral government. The church's ascendancy, however, has brought back an intolerant streak in 
  the people of the league, leading to the increased repression of non-Revisionist citizens and 
  secret networks of informers reporting on those who "lack faith." A conflict between church and 
  state i s  rising and the threat could lead several disparate parties to vie for support from the 
  people; the power these groups wield is derived from what they garner from common folk. 
  The NLC is faced with many other challenges. The rise of tensions with the South has forced 
  many to prepare for war, and other conflicts have resulted. The current government of Kathe 
  Adjanni, long an ally of the labor movement, had to re-evaluate its policies because the league 
  must increase military and industrial production to make itself ready for war. The centralist 
  policies of the government have created a backlash among the city-state governments who have 
  begun to push for a decentralization of power back to the local governments. Some of the conflicts 
  in the league are more than political, however. Two Wounded Knee smuggling cartels are busily 
  fighting overthe Norlight underworld, leading to a terrifying growth i n  the violent crime rate. Even 
  further in the shadows, the intelligence war between North and South is reaching a fevered pitch, 
  leaving no tangible traces other than a sense of disquiet and fear i n  the halls of power. 
  The Northern Lights Confederation was built under a doctrine of peace and brought order to a 
  people victimized by chaos. I n  the aftermath of the War of the Alliance, however, the traditions 
  of peace and order have been replaced by mistrust and aggression. The NLC i s  on its way to 
  tearing itself apart. 
  The Northern lights Confederacy Sourcebook gives Heavy Gear Gamemasters and players all the resources they need to 
  set roleplaying campaigns i n  the NLC. Chapter 2 presents general information on the league, covering i t s  physical geog- 
  raphy, tumultuous history and economy. Chapter 3 examines the internal politics; it pays much attention to the legal 
  power structure of the league, including the House of Congress, Chamber of Valeria, presidency and recognized political 
  parties. Other groups influence the league, including the shadowy Prophet's Shield and the criminal Kolson cartel, and 
  they are also featured in chapter 3. Chapter 4 examines foreign relations and focuses primarily on the political relation- 
  ships between the confederacy and other leagues. Attention is also paid t o  policies toward foreign civilians and the 
  growing shadow war between Terra Nova's intelligence agencies. Chapter 5 details all the major regions of the league, 
  including its 14 city-states, each with its own character and concerns. Chapter 6 examines the powerful influence of the 
  Revisionist Church, and many other aspects of Norlight society. Chapter 7 presents a variety of resources to Gamemasters 
  who wish to set games or campaigns i n  the NLC, including archetypes, campaign seeds and guidelines for Norlight 
  characters. Finally, Chapter 8 gives a sampling of Norlight wildlife. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  ' 
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  : 
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  The long last note of Marcia Esteban's Aurum, the national anthem of the Northern lights Confederacy, sounded 
  over the assembled crowd as the twin-star flag was raised over Podinger Plaza in Kenema. It was the 16th anniver- 
  sary of the Treaty of Westphalia and Kenema had come out t o  mark the occasion. Before the great podium stood 
  row upon row of saluting soldiers and retired veterans. The southernmost rows were made up of locally stationed 
  Northern Guard troops, while their Norlight Armed Forces counterparts dominated the northern rows. Veterans o f  
  the war in a variety o f  uniforms or civilian dress stood i n  the middle. Karl Methoras, commander of the Kenema 
  "Gear Police," stood in his police Gear pilot uniform. Beside him was Colonel Stacey Diggs, his friend and his 
  wartime commanding officer 
  in the elite Cut's Paws regiment of the Northern Guard. They had both lost many 
  friends during the war and their thoughts were with them as the morning's speeches began. 
  Karl scanned the crowd. Now a veteran of many police operations, he could never quite let his guard down. Security 
  detail was being handled by MPs and other Keneman Police officers, but he looked around nonetheless. He noticed 
  that Stacey was doing the same: special forces did that t o  you, he supposed. 
  Stacey noticed it first, a man wearing the traditional trench coat of the Northern Guards strider corps walking 
  toward the podium, pushing his way through fellow veterans. About ten meters from Karl's privileged position, he 
  moved into the cleared aisle running west from the podium. He had a determined look on his face and was holding 
  something in his right hand. Karl and Stacey recognized it simultaneously: a detonator. 
  . . 
  ' 
  choice." 
  ' 
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  . 
  * 
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  . . 
  ' 
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  . 
  . 
  signal for now. 
  . 
  . . 
  . 
  "Because he was right." 
  Karl and Stacey drew their sidearms but didn't fire. The veteran saw them and quickly pulled open his coat t o  reveal 
  more than enough explosives t o  make this a treaty day t o  remember. "You're going t o  listen t o  me. You've got no 
  "What do you want t o  say?' 
  Stacey lowered her weapon, confidant that Karl and the guards on the podium could 
  cover her. Putting her weapon back i n  her holster, she made a covert sign t o  Methoras. Wait. 
  "You wouldn't understand. I'm a Jerusalemite and now my wife and I can't even raise our children according t o  our 
  faith. We tried t o  teach our kids the holy texts at home and our neighbors call us names, and business people won't 
  do business with us. I'm sick o f  it: people have t o  realize what they're doing." 
  The man swallowed and his hand tm'tched nervously. He scanned the group on the podium before continuing. "I 
  fought for this country during the War of the Alliance. I had my leg blown off by a GREL and had t o  have it regrown. 
  And now I'm being spat upon. You Revisionists think you've built such a great league, such a beautiful nation o f  
  peace. You just don't see what hypocrites you are." 
  "I do understand, you see I'm Jerusalemite too." The bomber hesitated a second and Stacey's hand flashed the 
  Karl fired a shot from his pistol, shattering the detonator and the hand holding it. Stacey moved quickly t o  bring 
  the shocked bomber down, pinning him t o  the ground and - 
  Karl noticed - 
  shielding him from the soldiers on the 
  podium. Later, after the man was i n  custody, Karl asked her why. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Covering half the territory of the Confederate Northern City-states, the Northern Lights Confederacy includes a wide variety 
  of geographic and climatic zones. From the fringes of the Badlands south of Sorrento to the tundra on the slopes of the 
  Whitetop Range, the NLC i s  a diverse land. Nonetheless, several recurring images have become symbols of the Norlight state. 
  Tour guides and local citizens alike speak of the high mountains, fresh air and cold lakes, perhaps because of the sharp 
  contrast these elements cast against the endless silicate seas of the Badlands and the humid swamps of the South. 
  The southern belt of savannah and plains which run from the Badlands to a mountainous girdle around the North is not 
  as sharply separated from the equatorial desert. Homesteading, ranching and a frontier atmosphere rule there as much as 
  in the equatorial deserts, although more plentiful water reserves allow for intensive agriculture of grains and johar 
  grasses. I n  the Autumn weeks when the different varieties of johar bloom, the seemingly endless plains explode into a 
  cacophony of color and the area seems far removed from the numbing constancy of the desert landscape. The mountain 
  girdle which cuts off the rest of the league from the plains features some spectacular heights, especially in the Tershaw 
  Range overlooking the Northern Plain. Near the city-state of Innsbruck, Mount Pekyns rises above its neighbors and 
  attracts tourists and sport-enthusiasts all cycle long. This rugged terrain features some of the league's major city-states, 
  including Kenema, Livingstone and Skadi, and the "mountain folk" have cast their influence over the national character. 
  Large valleys, forest and lakes stretch beyond the girdle. The cooler temperatures and plentiful water supply accomodate 
  a wide variety of plantlife and wildlife, which i n  turn provide raw materials for a rich economy based around farming, 
  lumber extraction and herding. The Whitetop Range rises to surround the pole, and these peaks are covered in snow and 
  their slopes feature tundra and taiga vegetation. Whitetop Spire, the hemisphere's highest peak, tops the range and has 
  been the site of many daring climbing attempts over the cycles. 
  Like both its neighboring states, the Northern Lights Confederacy stretches t o  the edge of the Badlands desert i n  several 
  places. With the rare exception of the eastern portion of the Northern Plain - 
  which was ceded to local communities i n  
  the TN 1740s - 
  the exact southern borders of the league are unclear. The semi-arid savannah of the desert borders is 
  considered a buffer-zone between the unaligned Badlands and the NLC, but this rule of thumb is often broken. The 
  territory south of the Irrian Plain is especially tightly controlled by Norlight authorities, who are concerned with protect- 
  ing the holy city of Sorrento and the valuable agricultural land nearby. 
  Within the well-established borders, the savannahs give way t o  lush plains. Together, the Northern and Irrian Plains form 
  the agricultural heartland of the league, producing johar, wheat and other staples. Unlike the Great Western Plain, these 
  areas are relatively uneven, full of ridges made from low hills which mark ancient geological upheavals. Rivers and streams 
  become more and more plentiful as one travels north toward the mountains, but several important accesses t o  the 
  MacAllen network exist even in the southern-most region. The agricultural lands around Sorrento are especially rich i n  
  such natural wells. 
  The plant life of the plains consists largely of various native and imported grasses and wild flowers. The most 
  widespread indigenous plain species is undoubtedly johar, a diverse and rugged family of tall grasses with 
  extensive root systems. Many of the grasses have edible stems (green johar) or roots (red and orange johar), 
  whereas others can be used for cosmetic or pharmaceutical products. Several varieties of cereals of Terran 
  origin have also been introduced, thanks t o  colonial-era breeding efforts and genetic manipulation. Bipedal 
  grassrunners, small flying flappers, insectoid field skags, johar worms and wheat-jackets live i n  these fields. 
  Larger herding animals such as springers also inhabit the southern edges of the plains and extensive ranching 
  has led t o  their introdum'on further north. A healthy number of predators feed on the smaller herbivores, 
  including the dawg, a canine-sized family of predators. Barnabus iguanas and aerial toussains (a.k.a. "daks") 
  can also be found i n  the southern olains. 
  The Belt region features low precipitation, ranging from desert-like conditions on the southern fringe t o  an 
  extended dry season i n  the north. Rainfall is generally more plentiful i n  Summer, when moisture-bearing 
  winds come down from the Arctic basin and other northern valleys. Rainfall i s  most heavy i n  the Northern 
  I r i a n  Plain near Smolensk and the along the Mercantile border near Kossuth because o f  large gaps i n  the 
  mountain chains which encircle the northern hemisphere. The temperature i s  subject t o  very few variations, 
  and remains between 20° and 25" C all cycle-long. The irregularities i n  the mountain chains, and a few large 
  openings into the MacAllen cave network create some micro-climates with greater fluctuations, but these are 
  relatively rare. The largest such anomaly is the Sesshite Forest, a huge saguaro forest which hugs the southern 
  slopes of the Tershaw Range on the edqe of the Northern Plain. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Three geographically recent and major mountain chains form a band around the league. The Serpentine features very 
  sharp peaks which stretch as far north as Skadi, then dip to low hills i n  the Livingstone Pass before rising again to merge 
  with the Eastridge Range. This second chain then travels westward i n  a broad arc with many passes and rivers, before 
  merging with the Tershaw Range, which continues until the border of the United Mercantile Federation. The mountainous 
  belt also includes the more ancient Westridge Range, which encircles the Western Frontier Protectorate to the South and 
  is cut by the Serpentine Range t o  the west. Other more ancient ranges include the Red Hills, which cut off the Aurora 
  Basin from the Big Valley and the Exeter Hills, which circle around the east of Lake Clearwater. The Whitetop Range, 
  another recent geological formation, forms a rough semicircle around the north pole, cutting off the Big Valley from the 
  Arctic basin. These ranges define a great number of valleys, including the Arctic Basin, which stretches across the polar 
  region between the Whitetop and Westridge Ranges. The southern most part of the Basin houses Lake Clearwater, the 
  largest freshwater body on Terra Nova. The high mountains and relatively heavy northern precipitation form many rivers 
  and streams, which feed a wide network of large and small freshwater lakes, including Lake Aurora and Lake Petersen in 
  the Aurora Valley. 
  The large valleys of forest and grasslands that are overlooked by tall mountains are the most widely recognized Norlight 
  terrain. Although the historical core of the league is the Irrian Plain, the modern Norlight character i s  firmly tied to the 
  hard-working and a friendly nature of mountain and valley-dwellers. The Tershaw Range (including cities such as Innsbruck) 
  i s  perhaps the biggest center of this modern spirit. 
  The forests and mountains shelter a wide variety of plant and animal life. The saguaro, a large moisture- 
  trapping tree, i s  the dominant forest species i n  the southern valleys, while Terranovai Pine - 
  a colonial-era 
  genetically engineered conifer - 
  accounts for about 40% o f  northern forests. A wide variety of mosses thrive 
  on the forest floors and i n  the cold upper altitudes and latitudes. Several varieties of johar - 
  often longer 
  stemmed - prosper i n  the valleys, while several unique varieties border rivers and lakes across the hemi- 
  sphere. Many of these have potent medicinal and hallucinogenic effects and .a few are even banned by Norlight 
  law. Valley fauna is similar t o  that of the plains environment, while the more dense vegetation cover of 
  saguaro forests shelter larger herbivores. The woodspringer, a relative of the plains springer, lives off the 
  lichens and berries of the forests. Great dawgs also prowl the forests, hunting woodspringers i n  packs. Moun- 
  tain species include rockspringers, large herbivores related t o  plains springers and jumpspiders, large and 
  agile predators. Relatives of the desert hoppers are also common i n  the hills. 
  Climate varies significantly i n  the north based upon mountaineous elevation or proximity t o  the cool polar 
  region. The southern valleys feature a mean temperature between 20 and 25" C, with regular precipitation 
  which reaches its peak i n  the summer. The high Arctic basin features lower temperatures, reaching freezing 
  only immediately around the pole, where cold air accumulates. Similar conditions prevail at the higher alti- 
  tudes, where thin, icy air leads t o  the coolest climates on the planet. The Whitetop Range i s  unique i n  that it 
  features plentiful and consistent snowfall and even some small glaciers. Although the north i s  spared some of 
  the wrath of the Badlands climate, the instability of the planetary atmosphere i s  still a factor. Sudden wind 
  and rain-storms are a fact of life, and tempests raging further south tend t o  have large-scale side-effects i n  
  the temperate and circumpolar zones. One recurrent symptom of large tempests i s  wide-scale upwelling of the 
  moisture-laden air masses over the northern basins. This can Lead t o  violent rain-showers and flooding, 
  snowfall i n  the colder regions and catastrophic hail storms near the upwelling points. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Until the rise of the Revisionist faith which binds the huge nation together, the various city-states of the NLC were linked 
  only by economic trade or cycles of conflict. I n  the colonial era, many corporations indulged in the exploitation of the 
  plains and mountains of the northern hemisphere. The Human Concordat began infrastructural development with the 
  creation of the maglev lines between burgeoning settlements as early as TN 499. The Beta Maglev i n  particular, running 
  south from the Port Aurora spaceport t o  the ChemCol oil-drilling facilities on the Irrian Plain and into the Badlands, 
  played a central role i n  the creation of the NLC. This vital trade link lead to the growth of city-states such as Petropolis, 
  Valeria and others. When Earth announced that it was cutting all ties with Terra Nova, the city-states of the northern 
  hemisphere entered a pattern of violence and bloodshed that lasted fifty cycles. The largest of the settlements became 
  city-states and began the construction of make-shift military forces to defend themselves. These citadels of power 
  claimed swaths of rural landscape and resources as their own and fought to defend them from foreigners and marauding 
  raiders, while extracting tributes from smaller communities. 
  Regional warfare was continuous i n  this period. I n  TN 1472, well-armed Keneman forces sacked the cities of Aberdeen and 
  Kartoom i n  the Auroran Basin, and thus subjugated a whole region. Only Yaramir in the Eastridge Range foothills was able 
  t o  resist extended Keneman attacks. The situation was just as bad along the Beta Maglev, where the twin cities of Valeria 
  and Port Aurora fought throughout Reconstruction. Petropolis, Skadi and Livingstone also battled at the cost of thou- 
  sands of lives. 
  Further south, i n  the hamlet of Sorrento, the beginnings of a renaissance occurred i n  TN 1485 when two local youngsters 
  - 
  Mamoud Khodaverdi and Nathani Reiss - 
  left the bloodshed behind to seek their destiny in the Badlands. Guided by 
  blessed visions granted t o  Mamoud, i n  a voyage remembered as the First Peregrination, the young men traveled to the city 
  of Massada where they began a life of contemplation which would send bolts of faith across the planet. By TN 1496, a 
  small community of Mamoud‘s followers had established themselves i n  Sorrento and began teaching his “Gentle Way” 
  (sometimes called Revisionism) to the locals. In TN 1507, Mamoud left his mortal coil and Nathani returned to Sorrento 
  along with a large number of followers in the Second Peregrination. The travelers were welcomed by the local Revisionists 
  and created a network of religious communes which would form the cradle of the Northern Lights Confederacy. 
  Nathani returned to his birth-place to find a land soaked i n  blood and crying out for freedom from violence. While his 
  local missionaries had established islands of peace nearby, whole cities lay sacrificed to the altar of greed and fear. 
  Nathani knew that unity could stand in the way of violence and began sending missionaries out to spread the Gentle Word 
  . Nathani himself met with the local agricultural homesteads and proposed a tight cooperation and sharing of resources. 
  The community of greater Sorrento was born from these meetings and included dozens of homesteads and hamlets which 
  cooperated on every level and formed a militia to ensure their defense. 
  Although few sure records survive, Nathani Reiss was born around TN 1460 as a simple farm boy, yet grew to 
  become the founder of the Sorrento Revisionist Church. He was the first to recognize the destiny of Mamoud 
  Khodaverdi, doing so well before the Gentle Prophet himself ever did. By the time he became of age in the TN 
  1470s. he was dedicated to protecting Mamoud, whom he loved like a twin. Nathani protected Mamoud, as 
  Mamoud advanced on his path toward enlightenment, and when the young Prophet was tempted to reject his 
  destiny, Nathani was always there to guide him back to the path. When Mamoud acquired true comprehension 
  of his own role in the TN 1480s Nathani never hesitated to accompany him into the desert. All through these 
  journeys, he learned from the Prophet and their bond grew ever stronger. When they arrived in Massada, 
  Nathani helped to build their first temple with his own hands and watched with pride as the gentle Word 
  spread through the city-state. 
  The schism that occurred between Nathani and Jakob Khodaverdi after the Prophet’s death is a matter for 
  great contention. Some claim that Nathani had grown jealous of the bond between Mamoud and Jakob’s 
  mother, Galen: others say Nathani felt slighted by the Prophet‘s choice of Jakob to lead the church. Most 
  Northerners believe that Mamoud knew that the land of their birth needed Nathani’s return and made his 
  choice in consequence. Regardless of the truth, Nathani and a large contingent of his followers returned to 
  Sorrento to join the Revisionist commune which had been founded while he was in Massada. From there his 
  teachings and faith would spread across the hemisphere. 
  Except for his Third Peregrination to Valeria which created the NLC, Nathani spent the remaining cycles of his 
  life in Sorrento where he guided the course of his church. Many of the most important figures in the church’s 
  early history learned at the knees of the Second Follower and his personal influence remains strong even 
  today. Like Mamoud, Nathani had little confidence in recording devices and always preferred spoken commu- 
  nication. Several of his disciples took extensive notes of his remembrances, however, and they were compiled 
  into a final form in the TN 1550s. This text became the second book of the Sorrento church‘s Khodaverdia. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  The people of the north were ripe for conversion and thriving Revisionist communities were established by missionaries 
  in city-states as far away as Valeria and Sesshu by TN 1515. A new religion which seemed to attract followers by the 
  hundreds and traced its loyalty t o  Sorrento, Revisionism was branded as an insurgent movement by many local poten- 
  tates. Kenema expelled Mamoud's followers from the city limits i n  TN 1512 and Yaramir did the same i n  TN 1513. Located 
  near Sorrento, Petropolis witnessed an invasion of the faithful and responded with violence in TN 1516. On 29 Spring of 
  that cycle (now remembered as Red Friday), Northern Petrochem attempted to expel the members of a Revisionist commune, 
  who refused t o  be moved. Violence exploded and three dozen of the faithful were killed before cooler heads prevailed. More 
  blood was shed i n  the countryside, where the faithful were often attacked by raiders. I n  response, a close aid to the Second 
  Follower named Gay1 Daran converted the Sorrento militia into a more potent force designed to defend the faithful on their 
  journeys. Dubbed the Army of Peace, it was sent to protect communities across the Irrian Plain. From TN 1516 to 1520, it 
  constantly clashed with the Petropolitan Militia. I n  TN 1518, it also defeated a Keneman expeditionary force sent into the 
  Plain. With this force, Sorrento established its security and announced itself as a military as well as political power. 
  While the militarization of Sorrento and the spread of missionary activity laid the foundation for the creation of the NLC, 
  it was Reiss himself who took the final step. By TN 1521, Sorrento and Petropolis had reached a rough peace and the 
  major conflict along the maglev line was between Valeria and Port Aurora. Pushed by the appeals of his followers and 
  rumors that Port Aurora wished to pull Petropolis and Srnolensk into its conflict with Valeria, the Second Follower himself 
  decided to travel to the area of conflict. This travel is remembered as the Third Peregrination. Nathani entered the 
  negotiations with a combination of wisdom and dynamism that helped resolve many of the impasses. Soon an armistice 
  was signed, and lasting peace became a possibility for the first time since the departure of the gateships for Earth. This 
  had an especially profound effect on Liana Breas, High Councilor of Valeria. Breas was taken by the aging Second 
  Followefs deep wisdom and drive to spread his ways, and the two began a friendship that would last the rest of Nathani's 
  life. Two seasons later, Breas traveled to Sorrento where she accepted conversion to Revisionism and pledged her city- 
  state to the protection of the faith. 
  Breas' bold statement was applauded by the healthy Revisionist community in Valeria and decried by the leaders of Port 
  Aurora and Petropolis. Their concerns grew even greater when the Valerian Guard and Army of Peace were integrated into 
  a coordinated military force. Petropolis immediately drove its Militia south toward Sorrento but was repelled by Valerian 
  forces. Petropolis ceased hostilities after a massive Revisionist-backed strike paralyzed the city-state i n  TN 1923, and Port 
  Aurora was forced to surrender the following cycle. Envoys from Sorrento, Petropolis, Port Aurora and Smolensk (which 
  welcomed conversion to Revisionism) soon traveled t o  Valeria t o  begin discussions of a permanent solution for the 
  regional crisis. Liana Breas began to push for a political union based on the shared faith of the region and her views 
  gained popular and political support. On 18 Summer TN 1525, the Articles of Peace were signed and the Northern Lights 
  Confederation was born with Valeria as its capital. 
  Liana Breas was born in TN 1454 from disillusioned gray-collar workers in Port Aurora. Soon after their daughter 
  was born, they moved to Valeria to start a new life. Liana's youth was tainted by her parents' dark moods and 
  cynicism. By TN 1473, her mother died from lung poisoning due to the poor safety measures at her job. I n  
  reaction to her death, Liana got actively involved with a young reformist party. the Valerian Growth Union. 
  At 25 cycles, Liana took over the VGU with aggressive demands for changes. She led fiery campaigns and 
  protest marches, using the media with sawy and negotiating for improved working conditions for the lower- 
  class. Six cycles later, she left the VGU to run as independent Councilor in the High Council. She easily won 
  over her adversary, Councilor Markis Delwath, a conservative gentleman who held that position for thirteen 
  cycles. She boldly spoke against the corruption which plagued the High Council. Because of this, she made 
  herself numerous enemies and survived four assasination attempts during the first cycle of her mandate. I n  
  1491, she married her former political opponent, Markis Delwath, who gave her two children (Andre7 and 
  Katryne) in the following cycles. 
  After the death of her husband in 1507, she left politics and dedicated herself to raising her son and daughter. 
  I n  1513, she was asked by former political allies to step once more into the ring and categorically refused. She 
  changed her mind in 1519, when the situation between Valeria and Port Aurora threatened to degenerate into 
  a violent conflict. Her return to politics was applauded, and she was easily elected High Councilor. I n  1521, 
  she worked with Second Follower Nathani Reiss to resolve the problems between her city and Port Aurora, and 
  soon converted to Revisionism. 
  Breas left the Council in TN 1529, at the age of 75 cycles. She could not quite leave the political scene, 
  however, and became a goodwill ambassador for the Sorrento Church until her death in TN 1537. She left 
  behind a budding league which was supported by a strong faith. A statue of her image figures prominently in 
  the Gardens of Valeria behind the parliament building. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The birth of the NLC may have ended the bloodshed along the Beta Maglev, but it ushered in a period of greater conflict. 
  Revisionist citizens of other city-states began to agitate for their municipalities to join the new Confederation, but few 
  potentates were anxious to submit themselves to the new league. I n  Livingstone, local police regularly waded into the 
  crowds with tear gas, clubs and rubber bullets, while in Kenema agitators defylng the Revisionist expulsion were tried for 
  treason. Clearly, chaos was still the order of the day and the NLC needed to respond. 
  In TN 1530, the newly baptized Norlight Armed Forces were sent out on the "Great Crusade" to protect and, if necessary, 
  liberate Revisionist communities that faced oppression. An Auroran force set out from Valeria toward Kenema, while an 
  Irrian contingent left from Sorrento tower, Skadi and Livingstone. The Irrian Campaign was the most successful. I n  
  anticipation of the crusaders' arrival, a revolt spread through Skadi which ousted the city's regime and welcomed the 
  Norlight forces. From there, the Armed Forces started for Livingstone. Fighting was far more difficult against the industrial 
  city-state, but it too eventually surrendered. The Auroran crusaders cut a swath through the Auroran Basin, but Kenema 
  proved a harder nut to crack and a lengthy siege ensued. Finally i n  TN 1535, Kenema surrendered to superior forces and 
  was brought into the fold. The Keneman government was tried i n  Valeria for the deaths of those it had executed for 
  treason. 
  The Crusade ended i n  TN 1537 after it turned its attention to the city state of Yaramir. The Yaramite government of 
  Primarch Nestor Kiriya, which had previously expelled and persecuted Revisionists, at first seemed ready to bow to 
  Norlight demands i n  exchange for its continued independence. I n  TN 1536, Kiriya allowed for a small Revisionist com- 
  mune to open within the city limits, but the faithful were kept under close watch. When the crusaders swept through 
  several communities i n  Yaramir's sphere of influence i n  response to demands from local Revisionists, the Yaramir com- 
  mune's inhabitants became hostages. Primarch Kiriya demanded a Norlight withdrawal from the region and threatened to 
  hold the local Revisionists responsible for any actions taken by the crusade. Refusing to let themselves be intimidated, 
  the NLC expedition marched straight for Yaramir. On 12 Summer TN 1537, 55 members of the Revisionist commune were 
  publicly executed in Yaramir Square; the crusaders saw red. 
  The defiant city-state was not prepared for the full assault that followed. Swollen by volunteers from newly annexed 
  regions, the Norlight forces burst through Yaramite defenses and put the city to the torch. In an orgy of violence harking 
  back to pre-Revisionist times, soldiers and civilians alike fell under the gun. Before order was reestablished, 3500 Yaramites 
  were dead and many more wounded. The city itself lay i n  ruins. Sobered and terrified by the bloodlust they had encour- 
  aged i n  the name of peace, the leaders of the NLC put an official halt to the Great Crusade. 
  For almost three decades, Norlight diplomats established embassies in most major city-states and, in the aftermath of the 
  Yaramir Massacre, shied away from expansionist policies. President Gabryel Emsala (TN 1547-1561) encouraged other city- 
  states to form leagues of their own i n  the interest of a balanced political situation. Norlight diplomats actually served as 
  mediators in the negotiations which led to the creation of the Tershaw Cooperative Alliance i n  TN 1553, which brough 
  together Zagazig, Innsbruck, Djakarta Point, Swanscombe and Kossuth. Unfortunately this policy would have dire conse- 
  quences when one of the northern leagues embarked on a massive expansionist campaign. 
  The United Mercantile Federation, formed in TN 1551 i n  and around the Marathon Basin, was backed by a very well- 
  developed military industrial complex with a rapacious business philosophy. I n  TN 1566, Mercantile forces pushed into 
  the Tershaw region and faced down TCA defenders. The Mercantile expansion into the region rested on a two-fold strategy 
  typical of corporate affairs. The military forces drove straight for the gold and silver mines of Djakarta Point, while the 
  Mercantile diplomatic corps targeted the matriarchy of Swanscombe by offering the city the right t o  persevere its own 
  social policies while benefitting from Mercantile power. I n  TN 1567, Swanscombe announced it was joining the UMF; 
  Djakarta Pint fell to military conquest soon thereafter. Left with little other option, the remaining Tershan city-states 
  (and independent Sesshu) appealed for protection from the NLC and joined the league i n  the next few cycles. Exeter and 
  Franklin Harbor, located along Lake Clearwater, also joined the NLC during this period - 
  anticipating that the UMF would 
  soon turn its attention to them. 
  The next hundred cycles were characterized by constant border wars between the NLC, UMF and the Western Frontier 
  Protectorate. The Tershaw Range and Northern Plains were sights of vicious struggles, and troops moved across the region 
  as often as their might would allow. No fixed borders were established until after the creation of the CNCS. This low-level 
  warfare exploded to a fever pitch again i n  the TN 1660s, when Mercantile forces briefly occupied Kossuth and laid siege 
  t o  Fort William. While these forays were ultimately repelled, the NLC and WFP became convinced that the UMF needed to 
  be brought down. Signing a secret pact, the two leagues formed a combined expeditionary force which gathered i n  the 
  Lake Clearwater region, posing a threat t o  the Mercantile capital of Lyonnesse. I n  the Summer of TN 1669, the expedition- 
  ary force moved into the UMF and attacked what it believed to be a weak link i n  the Federation: the city-state of Pioneer. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Battle of Pioneer, although remembered as the first victory of UMF armored walker vehicles (see Northern Vehicles 
  Compendium One: Gears and Striders, p. 14). nevertheless sent a message that Mercantile expansionism could only lead 
  to total war. Border skirmishes continued, but large scale Mercantile campaigns were directed toward the Badlands 
  instead of its neighbors. The creation of the Allied Southern Territories i n  TN 1681 sent shock waves through the North. 
  The Southern Republic was clearly ascendant and aggressive, and Norlight-sponsored discussions on Arctic cooperation 
  began i n  TN 1683. Mercantile resistance to the plan of unification would continue until the UMF's defeat against the AS1 
  in the Merchant War of TN 1686-1688. The Confederated Northern City-states were born on 1 Spring TN 1692. 
  The CNCS was conceived as a very loose alliance between independent leagues, and remained as such for the first forty- 
  cycles of its existence. The leagues were all represented by appointed councilors i n  Valeria, who made decisions about 
  military and economic cooperation. Even in diplomatic and military circles, the CNCS only had strict authority when 
  conflicts arose between member leagues. Under these provisions, the final borders of the North were drawn by TN 1700. 
  St. Vincenfs Plague and the subsequent war were the major turning points of the post-colonial period, and brought large- 
  scale suffering to the NLC and laid the ground-work for the current shape of the CNCS. The bioplague released during a 
  battle i n  the Eastern Desert killed huge numbers of children in the Irrian Plain within a cycle. Such a devastating blow to 
  the heart of their church sent Norlight citizens into an uproar. It was Norlight delegates who pressed for concerted 
  military action against the South and it was the Norlight Armed Forces who launched the first assault of the war. 
  Seasons of disease and cycles of warfare exhausted and destroyed much of the NLC. Several city-states were almost 
  destroyed by Southern forces, a whole generation was killed or maimed and the economy collapsed. Second Follower Lara 
  Domion rose from this chaos to begin the process of healing at the end of the war. She is largely credited with drafting the 
  armistice agreement. Domion's message of reconciliation and reconstruction kept the NLC together i n  the dark post-war 
  days and led to the strengthening of the CNCS as a superstructure to support the whole hemisphere i n  its time of need. 
  Most notably, the Northern Guard was established as an independent armed force and the CNCS Supreme Court was created 
  at this time. 
  Bjoris Sonders was born i n  TN 1678 in a small Badlands homestead county known as Newstone, near the UMF 
  border. I n  his early teenage years, as most rebellious children at the time , he got involved with a pack of 
  Dawgs. This cultural movement, which died out during the eighteenth century, preached violence, anarchy and 
  social sabotage. Sonders' particularly violent tendencies were enhanced by his large size, his natural talent for 
  brutality and his modest intellect. Upon reaching the age of 15, he dominated most of his pack mates. Three 
  cycles later, he left the group and walked north to join the UMF military as a soldier. He took to military life 
  as i f  he was born to it, and rapidly became an accomplished soldier. 
  I n  TN 1711, he was given the opportunity to transfer into the recently formed Heavy Gear unit, and demon- 
  strated a natural talent for Gear piloting. He survived several encounters with his machine and, as its neural 
  net grew some habits and a semblance of personality, he finally gave it a name, Bowser. I n  TN 1717, he was 
  put under the command of Major Rowan Kempder. Soon after he reached his fortieth birthday, he was named 
  Duelist of his regiment. When the UMF forces marched toward the St. Vincent's wreckage, Bjoris Sonders was a 
  hardened, brutal veteran who thought he knew it all. 
  Sonders knew that Kempder was hardly an innocent man. It was widely known through the ranks that he was 
  using his position to make illegal transactions on the side. While no saint himself, Sonders always resented his 
  commanding officer's complete lack of honor. When Kempder warned the Southerners off the wreckage of the 
  St. Vincent, Sonders opposed his decision and insisted they should be crushed in a show of force. He made no 
  secret of his disagreement with Kempder, who was reluctant to discipline him because of Sondets position as 
  regimental Duelist and the effect it would have on troop morale. 
  Before Kempder could refuse the duel offer from the Southerners, Sonders had already gone to meet his 
  opponent on the battlefield. While very proficient i n  Gear piloting, Sonders was sorely lacking i n  tactics and 
  was no match for his Southern opponent. Upon learning of his Duelist's defeat, Kempder declared the duel had 
  not been properly presented and accepted, and that the result was invalid. He then threw his forces against 
  the South's and the St. Vincent's War began. 
  While Sonders survived, Kempder did not. He was courtmartialed after the war, but the unfortunate death of 
  his commanding officer and the absence of any solid testimony against Sonders resulted in an innocent 
  verdict. The truth about what really happened to Kempder is still unknown and is a matter for speculation. 
  Sonders was later discharged on a technicality, which suited him just fine. The events of the war provoked by 
  the folly of Major Kempder sickened him, and he spent most of his remaining cycles as a semi-recluse. 
  Curiously, his assigned Gear neural net was taken out of circulation at the same time. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Lara Domion is remembered as the last of the truly great Second Followers. A l l  her successors (save the current follower, 
  Thor Hutchison) seemed to guide the faithful into conflict and confusion. The NLC was well on its way to full recovery by 
  the time of Domion’s death i n  TN 1762, but then the Church became locked in a series of theological and political debates 
  that unraveled some of Domion’s work. Several Second Followers of the period have been judged unfavorably by history, 
  such as the mystic Ali Murayr - 
  who is said t o  have spent four cycles in silent contemplation before stepping down from 
  the post i n  TN 1799 - 
  and Lena Morales - 
  who repeatedly called for the annexation of Massada by the NCC in the TN 
  1840s. The church decentralized during the nineteenth century because Sorrento seemed unable to exert consistent 
  authority. Some regions (including Valeria) saw very liberal interpretations of church doctrine, while others such as 
  Livingstone were home to staunch traditionalists. 
  Despite the terrifying legacy of the war, North-South conflict continued. The nineteenth century saw a relentless series of 
  skirmishes i n  the Badlands, diplomatic cold wars and covert operations. The flow of trade along the Beta and Gamma 
  maglevs was suspended on several occasions, with resulting economic recessions. The so-called “Judas Syndrome” which 
  gripped the planet in the early twentieth century, was an expression of the cynicism of the previous 100 cycles. With 
  tensions building toward a global war, many Norlight citizens grew willing to sell out their league for a quick reward. I n  
  TN 1909, the government of President Elias Garbel was forced to resign when it was revealed that defense minister Jakob 
  Spek had been passing secrets to agents of the Humanist Alliance. Even the church was gripped by internal dissent, and 
  Second Follower Maximilyan Bengali was forced to step down after two cycles service to be replaced by Thor Hutchison. 
  The attempted invasion of Terra Nova by the Colonial Expeditionary Force was a time of both suffering and triumph for the 
  NLC. CEF orbital bombing damaged many of the league’s major city-states, especially Kossuth, Livingstone and Kenama. 
  The major ground warfare occurred on the borders of the UMF and WFP, but Norlight soil saw i t s  share of bloodshed as 
  well. I n  the Spring of TN 1915, a CEF task force crossed the Serpentine Range and outflanked Terranovan defenders i n  the 
  WFP. They drove for the industrial center at Livingstone, slaughtered the defenders and occupied the metropolis 21 
  Spring. The CEF then sent forces to try and secure the northern extension of the Serpentine Range. They were met by 28th 
  Heavy Gear regiment, who fought them back. The CEF was forced to withdraw from Livingstone before they were com- 
  pletely cut off from their lines of supply. 
  As far as most Norlight citizens are concerned, the war was won thanks to two men: Field Marshal Anders von Breslau and 
  Second Follower Thor Hutchison. Von Breslau led Terranovan military forces to victory on the battlefield; Hutchison kept 
  the nation together i n  the face of hardship, using radio and trideo broadcasts to bring a voice of hope to those fighting 
  to save their homes. The CEF repeatedly tried t o  assassinate these two men, even bombing Sorrento i n  TN 1914 to silence 
  Hutchison. 
  After the Treaty of Westphalia symbolized the end of the war, its two heroes had unparalleled prestige. Retiring from 
  military command, Anders von Breslau became Norlight president i n  TN 1918. Meanwhile, Hutchison was finally able to 
  reign i n  the internal divisions of the church and spark a true renaissance in Sorrento Revisionism. The faithful were at the 
  heart of the reconstruction movement, funneling huge amounts of charity money from relatively prosperous areas to 
  those hit hardest by the war. Added to the efforts of the von Breslau government, this charitable work helped ignite a 
  period of optimism. Von Breslau remained a strong advocate of inter-league cooperation and built much of his foreign 
  policy of strengthening the links forged during the war. 
  Unfortunately, conflicts that were so prevalent before the war could not be silenced forever. The fiscal policy of the von 
  Breslau government became unstable i n  the TN 1920s when the UMF began to reassert their financial independence. 
  Social critics also criticized the President for building too many monuments to the heroes of the war and not enough 
  homes and highways for those who survived it. Criminal activity along the Badlands fringe also increased i n  the post-war 
  period when guerrillas from the war became desert bandits. In the TN 1924 elections, von Breslau’s Liberal Democratic 
  Party was soundly defeated and People’s Party leader Kathe Adjanni became president. 
  Adjanni sees that conflict with the South is not over. She has maintained the strength of the Norlight Armed Forces and 
  increased contributions to the Northern Guard. Her most critical electoral partner has been the Twin Pillars, a religiously 
  based party that ensures that her government remains true to the traditions of the church. Second Follower Hutchison 
  continues to remain i n  power, and is sometimes directly consulted by President Adjanni on key issues. This cooperation 
  led to the CNCS protectorate over Massada (see Into the Badlands, p. 42 and 64) i n  TN 1929. Adjanni was reelected i n  TN 
  1930 and currently heads a strong coalition government, although she continues to face challenges from both religious 
  and secular circles. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The structure and history of the Northern Lights Confederacy encourage a large degree of economic self-sufficiency. The 
  planet's largest league, the NLC has the human, industrial, natural and financial resources to sustain its own economic 
  growth indefinitely. Natural resources have long created a strong base for the Norlight economy. The Irrian Plain is both 
  the breadbasket of the nation and one of its major energy producing regions, thanks to the massive Irrian O i l  Reserve 
  exploited in and around Petropolis. Lumber and farming are also strongly represented further north in the valleys between 
  mountain ranges. Mining spurred the impetus to inhabit these selfsame ranges, creating several of the largest Norlight 
  city-states, such as Kenama and Innsbruck. Today, however, industrial production is the most vibrant sector of the 
  mountain economy. The national capital of Valeria is the center for the service industry, with most major financial 
  institutions based there, along with retail chains and media conglomerates. 
  The confederate model which binds the various member city-states together into a league also encourages trade most 
  strongly within the national borders. International trade has, however, always had a role to play and the creation of the 
  Confederated Northern City-states encourages strong economic ties between its three member-leagues. This has caused 
  problems i n  the past because of the economic power of the United Mercantile Federation, which has been accused of 
  tiying to drown the Norlight market, or even the influx of cheap knock-offs from the CNCS protectorate of Timmins. The 
  government imposes hefty import tariffs, but this creates its own problems and can conflict with military alliances and 
  political agendas. Among other problems, has been the rise i n  illegal trade. Custom barriers and harsh legislation of 
  "immoral" materials have created a wealthy black market that has long been dominated by Wounded Knee cartels. Two of 
  these cartels are i n  the midst of bloody turf war which has spilled over into the fields of the NLC. 
  The NLC is home to a wealth of natural assets that have been at the center of regional economic development since 
  colonial times. The Irrian Plain region i s  among the richest resource areas because of the favorable climate for agriculture 
  and large energy reserves. Both Sorrento and Smolensk are built on the grain and johar economies, making the plain the 
  breadbasket of the NLC. 
  Deep under this topsoil lies the largest easily-accessible petroleum reserve on the planet. The city-state of Petropolis was 
  built on this reserve and has been drawing crude oil from the Irrian soil for centuries, with plans to do so for generations 
  to come. The Red Hills and Tershaw Range are especially rich i n  mineral wealth, including the huge iron ore reserves that 
  built Kenema, and the diversified ores and precious metals which are at the center of Innsbruck's economy. The great 
  Skadi Forest which hugs the Serpentine and Westridge Ranges fuels the Norlight lumber business. Even further south on 
  the Northern Plain, farming and ranching continue to be important and the city-state of Kossuth harnesses climactic 
  conditions t o  produce huge quantities of wind and solar power. Their economies are further bolstered by exports to other 
  leagues and some wealthy Badlands settlements. 
  The NLC is a highly industrialized economy which produces a full gamut of manufactured goods. Every city-state i n  the 
  league is home to some industrial manufacturing, but several city-states have become the industrial capitals of the 
  region. Kenama started as a mining town, but is now known as the motor-city of the league. Shaian Mechanics and 
  Keimuri Gear are only two of the vehicle producers that are headquartered i n  the city-state. Livingstone is dominant i n  the 
  manufacturing of heavy materials, housing huge steel foundries and several other vehicle producers. The capital region of 
  Valeria, although better known for its wide range of service industries, also provides a resource pool for important 
  industrial manufacturers. 
  Ever since the rise of leagues, however, Norlight heavy industry has been playing catch-up. The beta maglev provides an 
  easy connection to the Mekong Dominion, and industrial competition with Southern producers has been an economic fact 
  of life since the colonial era. The powerful industrial base of the United Mercantile Federation has also hampered indus- 
  trial development, especially i n  the domain of military production. Norlight governments often respond with protection- 
  ism, but political concerns make large-scale economic barriers between the NLC and UMF very difficult. 
  Light industry has flourished under the various trade protection agreements, however, and all city-states harbor numerous 
  one or two-product manufacturers who depend on the regional market to survive. Operating out of small factories, 
  hangars or even basements, they produce basic consumer goods using small automated or semi-automated micro-facto- 
  ries. Supplies and basic material almost always come from the city-state or the nearby territories, giving the industry an 
  almost complete independence from imported material. Though they must still face competition i n  the form of foreign 
  goods from the Badlands and the South, these small operations give employment to a great many Norlight citizens. A few 
  of these micro-industries have been able t o  transform themselves into major economic powers; the Consortium which 
  owns Keimuri Gear, for example, includes several micro-industrialists. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Norlight trade policy has long been oriented toward the protection of the internal market. Key economic sectors, such as 
  vehicle manufacturing, agriculture and mining are protected by tariff barriers that make foreign products less competitive 
  than locally produced ones. I n  typical Norlight fashion, the nature and goals of these tariffs are constant fuel for political 
  debate, but relatively little change i n  the base policy has occurred over the past several decades except for the post-war 
  free-trade policies of the von Breslau government. Several concessions have have been made to reflect political and 
  military alliances, however. Arms manufacturers are charged duty separately from all other industries and often negotiate 
  much lower duties. Sales to Northern Guard units located i n  the NLC are not subject t o  tariffs, thanks to CNCS agreements 
  which allow the sale of Mercantile and Western gears, tanks and other weapon systems to benefit from low tarit% to the 
  Norlight Armed Forces, police departments and local militias. 
  Trade with the south is more tightly controlled, although the two maglev lines i n  the league ensure that a healthy amount 
  of inter-polar exchanges are made. Several Mekong corporations have established strong markets for consumer goods i n  
  Norlight city-states. Valeria tends not to consider these sales as an economic threat and tariffs are relatively low. The 
  league's public and private morality legislation, however, impose a barrier of its own, since southern media and entertain- 
  ment products are regularly scrutinized at customs for content. Whole classes of products (such as recreational drugs) are 
  completely and many others are severely regulated. A significant number of custom brokers operate in Valeria and several 
  foreign trade centers to advise clients on the best ways to prepare products for export to the Norlight market. 
  Badlands trade is far less clear cut than any of the other inter-league exchanges. Several key entry points exist for 
  legitimate desert trade, including the gamma maglev terminus at Franklin Harbor and the caravan routes which lead to 
  Sorrento and Yele. These major trade stations feature full customs checks and border controls, but do not account for most 
  Badlands products which are imported into the NLC. While most Paxton Arms goods enter through legitimate channels, a 
  great deal of goods traded with the Badlands are smuggled. While the Northern Guard, Norlight Armed Forces (NAF) and 
  Norlight National Police (NorPol) patrol the border, smugglers have an easy time penetrating their surveillance net. Local 
  citizens, fiercely self-reliant frontier dwellers, tolerate smuggling as a statement of independence from Valeria. 
  Trade with small Norlight-affiliated settlements on the border falls under much the same rules as with the Badlands 
  communities, but with less stringent tariffs and paperwork. Their status as formal allies of the NLC has forced the 
  authorities to accept many concessions i n  the name of good relations, even though several of these settlements are no 
  different in appearance and economic power than many of their unaffiliated 
  neighbors. This has caused more than one 
  heated discussion between customs officers and local merchants, where the latter argues (quite reasonably) that he has 
  to pay more customs fees than his next-door neighbor, who simply signed a document of allegiance. These policies are 
  what allow second-rate goods from the CNCS protectorate of Timmins t o  flood the Norlight market despite protests from 
  domestic producers. 
  The smugglers who bring contraband into the NLC usually appear as a panoply of unrelated bands of rovers and 
  unscrupulous caravan merchants. The truth, however, is that most of them owe allegiance to a Wounded Knee 
  cartel. The dominant Kolson cartel has long had a majority share of the Norlight smuggling market - the 
  major source of their power - 
  but are currently caught in a vicious conflict with the Forzi cartel. The Forzi are 
  taking advantage of Kolson leader Jeremiah Dupree's preoccupation with the New Coalition trade block to try 
  and take away his hold over the NLC. 
  Roman Forzi , the younger cousin of cartel leader Maraka Forzi, is the capo assigned the task of leading efforts 
  in the NLC. Roman has set himself up in an elaborate mountain villa outside of Kenema, where he directs an 
  army of smugglers, corrupt police officials, laundering agents and enforcers. Roman was placed in charge of 
  Norlight operations both as a reward and a precaution. His cousin recognized his skills and ambition and gave 
  him an assignment that would make use of his abilities while keeping him away from the center of cartel 
  power. Roman was well aware of this ploy, but plans to build his own powerbase in Kenema to prepare for a 
  coup in Wounded Knee. As a back-up plan, Roman has also established imoprtant connetions in Peace River. 
  To attain his goals, Roman is fighting a battle on two fronts. His most immediate enemy is Sundra Turai, the 
  Kolson cartel leader responsible for the NLC. Based in Port Aurora, Turai has not shied away from escalating 
  the Kolson-Forzi conflict. NorPol Commissioner Gabrielle Khaleed poses a more worrisome threat. The chief of 
  Norlight law-enforcement is busy acquiring resources for her understaffed border patrols and has been crack- 
  ing down on several key contraband centers. Several of Roman's lieutenants have recommended assassination 
  to deal with the commissioner, but Roman fears a massive retaliation. 
  I n  an effort to strengthen and consolidate his positions against both the Kolson cartel and Norlight law 
  enforcement agencies, Roman has recently begun to rely more and more on the Forzi connem'ons in Peace 
  River. He feels there is little the far-away Kolson could do if he were to establish a permanent operation 
  between Norlight territory and the Badlands city-state. I n  addition, elements in Paxton Arms have proved 
  reliable in supplying some of the vehicles and weaponry the Forzi need for their operations. Though in a 
  precarious position, they remain one of the Ford's greatest shadow assets. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  . 
  ' 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  Pietr Paulk. 
  . . 
  ' 
  : . 
  . 
  . 
  ' 
  "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Northern lights Confederacy." 
  The whole room turned t o  face the great staircase in the Valeria legal Academy's main ballroom. Kathl Adjanni 
  scanned the crowd as she made her way down. The hall was filled t o  capacity, everyone was here for a charity dinner 
  for humanitarian relief of the besieged city of Basal. The dinner was sponsored by the Prophet's Shield, a charity 
  tied t o  the Revisionist Church. Kathe picked out luminaries such as CNCS Chief Justice Winston Stark and Marshal 
  "Quite an affair, Madame President." Johannus Stoller, a respected retired CNCS judge, wore a formal three-quarter 
  length blazer with his robes of office slung over his shoulders. He was standing with a Norlight colonel. "I'm sure 
  we will raise a fair amount for those caught i n  the Basalite revolution." 
  "I 
  certainly hope so, Judge Stoller." Kathl was somewhat wary of Stoller: he had a tendency t o  slip political advice 
  into any conversation. "It i s  an important cause, after all." 
  "That's just what I was discussing with the Colonel Dantl here. He seems t o  feel that this i s  a waste of time." 
  "A waste of time, Colonel?" Adjanni kept her calm, despite her irritation with Dante. "These people are fighting 
  for their lives. Would you have us let the Basalites starve and condemn them t o  death?" 
  "Not at all, Madame President." The officer wore the crisp uniform of the Norlight Armed Forces, decorated with a 
  medal of valor and an impressive number of service ribbons. "I merely feel that humanitarian aid i s  only part o f  
  the solution. Basal i s  besieged by Southern forces and fighting a war o f  liberation. To send them bandages and 
  rations with no means t o  free themselves seems, if you'll forgive me, hypocritical." 
  Kathl had fielded this criticism many times before and was not about t o  be riled by it. "I'm sure you realize, 
  Colonel, that foreign policy i s  set in agreement with our allies. The humanitarian aid policy has been agreed t o  by 
  all members of the CNCS." 
  "But Madame President," Dantl said and cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable challenging his commander-in- 
  chief. "If we continue this policy, we are just prolonging the agony o f  the Basalites. They need weapons and 
  military support if they are going t o  free themselves from the Patriarch and his Republican masters. Some of these 
  rebels are Revisionists, Madame President, we owe them -" 
  ''I realize what we owe them, Colonel." Kathl had been fighting t o  get extra aid t o  Basal for the Last cycle. She 
  couldn't tell Dante, but covert agents of the her government were busy funneling military support t o  the Eastern 
  rebels. "Until the political climate changes, however, we have t o  provide what support we can. Now if you will 
  "Of course, Madame President; my apologies for the outburst." Dante awaited Adjanni's departure before turning 
  t o  face Stoller once more. "She has strong feelings about Basal, judge. We can use that." 
  "That we can, my boy. President Adjanni will be useful t o  the Prophet's Shield for a while longer." 
  . . . 
  . . . 
  ' 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  . . 
  ' 
  excuse me?" 
  . . 
  . 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  St. Vincent's Square in Valeria encapsulates the polyglot essence of political power in the Norlight Confederacy better 
  than any other symbol. Sitting around the massive public plaza are such buildings as the Norlight Presidential Palace, the 
  Norlight House of Congress, the CNCS Supreme Court and the CNCS Inner Council. Various other ministries, embassies and 
  departments are housed i n  buildings on the square or along the eight great boulevards which radiate from it. Aurora 
  Boulevard runs t o  Madras Place, where the Valerian Chambers, the city-state's own legislature, stand. While the display of 
  government architecture i s  a great tourist attraction, it also speaks of the multiple divisions of authority and jurisdiction 
  that characterize Norlight politics. Both the NLC and the CNCS were cast as loose confederations when they were created, 
  leaving the authority of their member states intact. While centralization has occurred, especially after the devastation of 
  St. Vincent's War, the NLC remains one of the most decentralized leagues on Terra Nova. 
  Historically, all three levels of government (CNCS, NLC and individual city-states authorities) have been i n  a constant 
  state of conflict. Kathe Adjanni's government, while best know for labor reforms, has been responsible for a concerted 
  effort to increase the jurisdictional powers of the league. Anders von Breslau was a strong proponent of cooperation 
  between members of the CNCS, but the UMF and WFP interpreted such moves as efforts to impose Norlight control over the 
  confederation. President Adjanni has responded to these criticisms by acquiescing to stronger Mercantile and Western 
  involvement i n  CNCS activities, while directing parallel (some would say contradictory) initiatives of her own. 
  Executive power in the NLC is not concentrated in a single individual, but is spread among the President and the members 
  of the Chamber of Valeria. After the legislative elections, the seven members of the Chamber are chosen by a majority vote 
  of the legislature. Chamber representatives are members of the legislature who transfer their congressional voting power 
  t o  the house leader of their party. The Chamber of Valeria itself elects a President, usually from within its ranks. The 
  election of Chamber members is usually a two-round affair. At first, congressional representatives vote for the candidates 
  they feel are most qualified (usually along party lines), which leads to a fractious Chamber filled with bitter political 
  rivals. The Chamber is obligated, however, to cooperate lest it be recalled by the Congress, so minority members elected 
  in the first round often refuse t o  participate in the government. A series of back-room negotiations ensue, with parties 
  campaigning for Chamber seats and minority leaders debating whether they are willing to serve in a joint cabinet. The 
  second round of voting serves to ratify the agreements from these negotiations, and the election for President occurs 
  after that. 
  Once an agreement on membership has been made, the President and Chamber are supposed to cooperate i n  setting 
  policy and directing the nation. Members of the Chamber serve as the directors of ministries and governmental depart- 
  ments, effectively fulfilling the same purpose as a cabinet. The indirect election of the Chamber and President often 
  means that political sawy is more important than broad popularity, but the President is still seen as the symbol of the 
  nation as a whole. The Chamber and Congress encourage this as a safe-guard. If the government becomes unpopular, the 
  President is made a scapegoat; if the government succeeds, presedential coattails are ridden into the next election. 
  The current Chamber is made up of four members of the People's Party (including President Kathe Adjanni), two members 
  of the Liberal Democrats and one from the Twin Pillars. Adjanni has used a policy of national independence to bring 
  together her political allies, but she has been forced t o  make serious concessions on several social issues of importance 
  t o  Norlight citizens, a sacrifice which could eventually prove costly. 
  Four major political parties and several fringe patties currently hold seats in the House of Congress. The 
  People's Party, Twin Pillars and Social Action Party have banded together to form a governing majority and 
  hold the seats in the Chamber of Valeria. While the present coalition is united enough to form a government, 
  the opposition is quite divided. The liberal Democrats dominate the scene, but they have no control over the 
  smaller fringe parties who often make the most inflammatory comments in the House. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Norlight legislature is elected every seven cycles (the precise date is selected by a resolution) and includes a 
  representative from each of the77 electoral districts across the league. The distribution of districts has long been subject 
  for debate because of a marked favoritism towards urban residents. While the 14 city-states account for slightly over half 
  the league's population, they elect 54 representatives t o  the Congress. Rural-based reform movements have become an 
  endemic part of the political scene, and the Social Action Party currently holds seven seats i n  Congress and one in the 
  Chamber. While Social Action is the only rural party currently in the House, most other parties have a regional power base 
  of some sort. The People's Party, currently in the majority, has a stranglehold on the Livingstone and Skadi areas and has 
  many representatives in the Tershaw Region as well. Even the Liberal Democrats, who pride themselves on being a 
  national party, remain centered in Valeria. 
  The House is responsible for passing all national laws, as well as approving the budget presented by the Chamber every 
  Autumn. While the Chamber usually represents the most powerful blocks of the House, legislative discipline is far looser 
  than many party leaders would hope for. The Chamber is responsible to the House of Congress which implies tight 
  discipline, but to actually force a new Chamber election the House must pass a special resolution with a two-thirds 
  majority - 
  a very unlikely event, given party factionalism. Consequently, most congressional representatives feel free to 
  vote their conscience (or i n  the best interest of their district) and the government must woo their support on an 
  individual basis. The undesirable job of obtaining the needed votes falls t o  the party whips in the Chamber. Passing 
  controversial legislation and approving the national budget are long and arduous processes, with congressional gridlock 
  a fact of life. 
  The final days of the Anders von Breslau government were characterized by an inordinate amount of congressional 
  gridlock. When von Breslau brought down a budget in TN 1923 that still held to a policy of harmonization with the UMF, 
  even after the Mercantile government had taken distinctly nationalist economic steps, the House refused to pass it. Total 
  paralysis resulted. Those opposed to the budget plan were numerous enough t o  block its passage, but not large enough to 
  pass a resolution for a new Chamber election. For three full seasons, the business of government remained stalled. On 1 
  Winter TN 1924, when the stalled budget was to come into effect, civil servants found their salaries frozen along with a 
  wide variety of government entitlements. After two weeks of protest, the government had t o  pass a new budget counter 
  to most of their announced fiscal policies. Regina Faurest, the minister of finance, was forced to resign i n  an effort to take 
  the blame away from the president. Nevertheless, von Breslau's inability to resolve gridlock without completely backing 
  down guaranteed the former Field Marshal's defeat in the TN 1924 elections. 
  r
  The NLC is the most liberal-democratic state on Terra Nova, but unelected special interest groups wield a great deal of 
  power in Valeria. The various agencies and departments of the state have become special interests of their own, each with 
  a different agenda for which they lobby the Chamber and House. The Norlight bureaucracy, although small when compared 
  t o  the Southern Republic, is unfavorably compared to the privatized Mercantile market or its "lean and mean" Western 
  equivalent. Most private citizens see those who draw a government paycheck - 
  especially from the Revenue Ministry - 
  as ineffectual parasites. Bureaucrats wield significant power, responsible as they are for the day-to-day application of 
  policy and accounting for up to half of the population of Valeria. Specialized government agencies with a greater tradition 
  of independence, such as the diplomatic corps, the Norlight National Police (NorPol) or the Norlight Intelligence and 
  Security Agency (NISA), have their own lobbyists and do their best to limit their association with the "bureaucratic 
  incompetents". 
  The city-state governments are granted wide powers and rights by the Norlight constitution, but a constant tug of war is 
  waged between the central and local levels. The von Breslau government was a consistent proponent of increased central 
  power and their policies led to a backlash that continues to this day. The Council of Mayors was created as a body to 
  represent the constitutional interests of local authorities. The Council maintains offices in Valeria and contracts several 
  prominent lobbyists to represent them. The Revisionist Church also weilds significant power over the political scene, 
  through several routes. The Twin Pillars is a heavily Revisionist political party which controls 13 seats i n  the House, while 
  the Prophet's Shield is a hemisphere-spanning network of charitable organizations and social action groups tied to the 
  Church which serves as an avenue for political power by creating a huge net of contacts. 
  Other interests also use national lobbying groups to ensure that they are heard i n  Valeria. The labor movement, currently 
  with a receptive ear in President Adjanni, is divided into two major league-wide associations: the Affiliated Workers' 
  Union (AWU) and the Labor Congress (LabCon). The AWU is most popular i n  Kenema, Valeria and the Tershaw Range 
  region, with most of its members working i n  high-technology industries. Based i n  Livingstone, LabCon is most powerful 
  in resource extraction industries. The Agricultural Congress serves a similar role as the labor unions, representing and 
  organizing the NLCs farmers and ranchers. Business leaders have their own avenues of influence as well. The most obvious 
  is the Norlight Business Council, a lobbying and advisory board that incudes members from the top twenty-five corpora- 
  tions i n  the league. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  A large nation with a complex government, the Northern Lights Confederacy i s  just as susceptible to behind-the-scenes 
  manipulations as any other state. Several powerful individuals exert a strong influence over the affiirs of the nation, some 
  from recognized positions of power, others from behind facades of impartiality. The rise of tensions with the South and 
  the escalating conflicts between religious and secular Norlight interests have created both opportunities and challenges 
  for all these power brokers. Chapter 7: Gornernoster Resources includes full page character sheets on several other impor- 
  tant Norlights, including criminal leader Sundra Turai and intelligence baron Brigman Kaine. For more details on Wilson 
  Stark and Thor Hutchison, see Character Compendium 1, pp. 10 and 22. 
  . . 
  ' 
  . . 
  ' 
  Kathe Adjanni was elected on a 
  a doctrine of national assertion 
  than she has broken, and she re 
  Party, she has had to make barg 
  sponsive and responsible government and 
  nni has been able to keep more promises 
  Despite leading the labor-based People's 
  p her league's post-war economy healthy, 
  close advisor until his disappearance in TN 1931. With tensions rising between North and South, Adjanni has 
  also seen fit to reestablish some ties with the CNCS leadership and often meets with Winston Stark and 
  Victoria Edden-Smythe. Adjanni suspects, however, that the march toward war i s  being manipulated from 
  behind the scenes and she is to recruiting a small group of agents to investigate the matter, including her own 
  intelligence director Brigman Kaine. 
  The Chief Justice of the CNCS, Winston Stark is known as a man of dignity and stern demeanor. He hides a 
  dangerous political agenda under his facade. He i s  dedicated to eliminating the power of the Revisionist 
  Church in the North. To him, the concept of moral guidance from the church is a fallacy used to promote the 
  power of one man. Many prominent politicians, bureaucrats and business people are in Stark's debt and he 
  uses them with care and precision. President Adjanni has been less receptive, but he has been able to use the 
  True North Party and the Liberal Democrats to goad Adjanni into supporting his views. He does not realize that 
  she suspects him of being f i r  more than he appears. Other allies have great power in the legal and bureau- 
  cratic sectors, making Stark among the most influential men i n  Valeria. Stark is most concerned with displac- 
  ing the strongly Revisionist Victoria Edden-Smythe, Grand Marshal of the CNCS, because she will be granted 
  wide sweeping power in the event of war. Stark's best chance is Pietr Paulk, the current Marshal of the Norlight 
  Armed Forces. By suppotting him, Stark hopes to cut back the power of the Northern Guard vis a vis the 
  Norlight Armed Forces and ensure himself a position of influence during wartime. 
  The leader of the Sorrento Revisionist Church, Thor Hutchison has dedicated his life to guiding the faith of his 
  flock. The corruption that ran rampant in Petropolis when he was a priest there and Valeria's inability to do 
  anything about it convinced Hutchison that the Church's moral guidance was needed to protect the well being 
  of Norlight citizens. Since his rise to the post of Second Follower, Hutchison has spent many cycles ensuring 
  a theological unity within the church and exerting influence over decision-makers. Many leaders and thinkers 
  have aligned themselves with Hutchison's "renaissance of faith," calling for clerical supervision at many 
  levels. The Second Follower also wields power through the Prophet's Shield, an association of the faithful 
  which is publicly dedicated to charity and social a&.on, 
  while maintaining discreet influence in the avenues 
  of power. Hutchison i s  well aware that he is playing a dangerous game. To guard against setting up petty 
  dictators that would oppress his flock in the name of faith, Hutchison keeps a careful eye on the Shield and 
  his other followers. 
  The current marshal of the Norlight Armed Forces, Paulk is a devout man who spent several cycles as a young 
  initiate in Sorrento during the TN 18905, before deciding that he could better serve his nation and his Church 
  in uniform. He was one of several 
  ates who studied directly with the aging Second Follower Ramesh 
  Jubair, and learned a respect for life and a deep faith that the truth of Mamoud would eventually set the 
  people of Terra Nova free from strife. As a soldier, he was willing to shed blood as necessaty and proved 
  himself to be a dedicated leader. A brigadier by the time of the War of the Alliance, Paulk led several cam- 
  paigns in the Karaq Wastes and UMF. He worked closely with Anders von Breslau, who asked him to lead the 
  Norlight Armed Forces in TN 1921. Paulk respects Thor Hutchison greatly, but has become vely concerned with 
  the extremes of the Revisionist revival. He tries to be a voice of reason and has attracted the patronage of 
  Wilson Stark. He fears, however, that the Chief Justice may be a more dangerous man than Hutchison. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The NLC i s  a representative democracy whose political system encourages active and heated competition between a 
  variety of political parties. Two separate traditions of party formation coexist in the league and create a dialogue between 
  traditions of political conservatism and protest movements. Many of the major parties sitting i n  the House of Congress in 
  TN 1933 can trace their origins back to the early days of the league, when they formed around an important political 
  movement, social group or regional interest which they continue to represent to one degree or another. The Liberal 
  Democratic Party is mostly identified with the "establishment." It has formed the most governments since its creation and 
  continues to wrap itself in the national flag. The People's Party, the faction which leads the current governing coalition, 
  i s  also a long-standing party that has been associated with the labor movement for almost a century. 
  The,endurance of traditional parties is contrasted by the constant appearance of protest parties, which gather around a 
  charismatic leader or a hot topic. The Norlight electoral system, i n  which votes are cast for individual Congressional 
  representatives rather than parties themselves, allows for small parties to spring up at election time, often based on 
  regional interests. The Social Action Party, the minority contingent of the current governing coalition, began as such a 
  party. They gained attention during the Judas Syndrome as a voice for rural electors tired of the corruption running 
  rampant among the political class. Unlike many other instant parties, Social Action has been able to find a secure 
  electoral base among the ranchers and farmers of the Northern Plain, and has made reasonable showings i n  the last three 
  elections. Several other small parties have sprung up since the war to form an influential congressional fringe (see 
  sidebar, below). 
  The Twin Pillars Party, the last member of the current governing coalition, sits i n  a somewhat unique situation. A long- 
  standing party, it has spent most of its existence on the political fringe and has held influence only in the heavily 
  Revisionist heartland of the Irrian Plain. With the Revisionist revival of Second Follower Thor Hutchison, however, the 
  party has received much wider support, making it a national power to be reckoned with and placing it as the number two 
  member of the governing coalition. As the political and social struggle between religious and secular elements intensi- 
  fies, the Twin Pillars sees its fortunes on the rise. 
  Born and raised in Petropolis, Raja Mondanian joined the Twin Pillars political party in TN 1918 after retiring 
  from the chaplain service of the Norlight Armed Forces. When Ali Rayas, the mayor of Petropolis, became the 
  leader of the Twin Pillars party the following cycle, Mondanian knew his party had a real future. Over the next 
  five cycles, he became one of Rayas' most important supporters and organized grass-roots "circles" of Twin 
  Pillars voters. I n  TN 1924, Mandanian was elected to Congress. Six cycles later, after having proven himself an 
  adept political negotiator and won his seat a second time, he was nominated to the Chamber of Valeria and 
  took up the mantle of Minister of Culture in the second Adjanni government. 
  Mondanian i s  disillusioned with the Twin Pillars' alliance with Kathe Adjanni's People's Party. The rise i n  
  Southern aggression over the last five to ten cycles, the ongoing revolution in Basal and drastic increase i n  
  violent crime in the NLC have convinced the Minister that the time has come for the NLC to take more drastic 
  actions, both at home and abroad. Within his own cultural mandate, Mondanian fully supports the Revisionist 
  revival of Thor Hutchison and has initiated several policies to promote religious activities in daily life. He also 
  wishes to introduce a new round of morality legislation to impose more stringent limits on broadcast media, 
  but he i s  frustrated by Adjanni and Ali Rayas' refusal to support these plans. 
  The ~ o ~ g ~ e ~ ~ i o ~ ~ l  
  Friflqe 4 
  The Norlight electoral system allows for the election of parties with a very small popular base, as long as they 
  can achieve a simple majority within an electoral district. Strong regional sentiments have allowed a signifi- 
  cant number of fringe parties to be represented in the House of Congress. Official party status i s  only granted 
  to groups of six or more representatives, so fringe party members usually end up sitting as independents. 
  These independent parties often act as muckrakers, and make a great deal of noise on issues about which they 
  feel strongly, using the media to attract attention to themselves. 
  The most influential of these fringe groups is the True North Party. Led by retired NAF Brigadier Wilhelm 
  Miehn, the True North holds five congressional seats and has consistently pushed a radically nationalist 
  agenda on the floor of the House and i n  the press. Meihn has managed to become the Valerian media's 
  "favorite loudmouth," always good for a sound bite or two, and uses this notoriety to build a nationalist bloc 
  in Congress. This rough and ready alliance is called the Norlight First Movement, and includes members of 
  other fringe parties (such as the True Voice from Skadi) and some members of the Liberal Democrats and Twin 
  Pillars. Raja Mondanian, one of the Twin Pillars representative in the Chamber of Valeria and the Minister of 
  Culture and Society, is an ally of the movement and represents their interest in the Chamber. 
  The political rumor mill in Valeria i s  currently of the opinion that the True North Party will capitalize on the 
  Norlight First Movement during the next elections. This may well become a self-fulfilling prophecy; every 
  pundit who puts forward this theory gives Miehn more coverage and support. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The majority partner i n  the governing coalition, the grass roots of People's Party is in the working classes of the Serpentine 
  Range city-states and the agricultural workers of the Livingstone Basin. The party was founded shortly after the creation 
  of the NLC, and remained a regional phenomenon until the time of St.-Vincent's War. During the long reconstruction 
  process which followed the devastating conflict, the party forged important alliances with labor movements on a national 
  scale and became one of the recognized political voices of the working Norlight citizen. The People's Party developed into 
  a significant player on a national scale, taking part i n  many governing coalitions and leading three during the eighteenth 
  and nineteenth centuries. Always pro-labor, the People's Party has had several other allies. With the rise of Revisionist 
  activism on behalf of the popular classes, the party and the church have become associated over the last 40 cycles. 
  Second Follower Hutchison considers the President and her government as good leaders for the state and they, in return, 
  acknowledge the important role that the church must play in Norlight society. Of course, the extent of this role is a matter 
  of great debate within both the church and the party, and a disagreement could lead t o  serious repercussions in the future. 
  The People's Party is a conservative movement which is most concerned with protecting working citizens and the long 
  established Norlight "safety net" of social programs. Under President Adjanni, who rose to the party's leadership i n  TN 
  1907 after a career as a labor negotiator, the party has supported a program of national consolidation aimed at ending 
  glaring inequalities in societal programs across the league. Some have accused Adjanni of turning the entire league into 
  a Sesshite welfare state, but Adjanni is far more concerned with ensuring a respectable standard of living for all. I n  
  factshe has made several attempts to break Valeria's commitment to fund Sesshite extravegance, to no avail. Her greatest 
  goal, however, is to end the corporate rule of Petropolis and Kossuth. Although the latter maintains a decent social safety 
  net, Petropolis has a long history of labor strife and poor working conditions. 
  The Party currently leads a coalition government which includes members of the religiously-minded Twin Pillars (see 3.2.2 
  The Twin Pillars, p. 22) and the Social Action Party. The latter partner i s  an agrarian reform party popular in the Northern 
  Plain and Arctic Basin. Social Action is led by Andreas Poddinger, who serves as Minister of Agriculture and Regional 
  Development and is a close friend of President Adjanni. While the President's ability to establish warm personal relation- 
  ships with her political allies has strengthened the current government, it is increasingly unpopular within her own party. 
  Lazlo Stanislav ran for party leadership against Adjanni and maintains a strong core of support within rank and file 
  members. As the Adjanni administration has been forced to change its policies, Stanislav has revived his leadership bid 
  and does not hesitate t o  criticize his own party during Congressional debates and in the media. 
  > 
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  Director: 
  Party Leader, Kathe Adjanni 
  I Representatives: 
  27 Conaresrional Seats. 4 Chamber Seats I 
  A l l  the members of the People's Party elected to the House or Chamber form the caucus which is the ruling body 
  of the party itself. I n  fact, the elected members tend to be concerned more with the day to day affiirs of 
  government than with party organization, and so a body known as the "special committee" takes charge. The 
  committee is chaired by the party whip (the congressional leader) and includes elected and non-elected party 
  members. It is responsible for ensuring discipline within the caucus and making long-term strategy decisions 
  regarding campaign efforts, funding and policy. The committee reports to the party leader and is usually renamed 
  the election committee as Norlight citizens prepare to go to the polls. The People's Party also has an administrative 
  wing which manages party resources and organizes local acthities with the regional support committees. 
  Several city-states also have People's Parties of their own, which are affiliated with the national party. 
  The People's Party is in the process of reevaluating its policies for the future. The Adjanni administration has 
  begun to shift the NLC to a war-footing, increase military funding, accelerate modernization of existing 
  forces, and prepare agricultural and industrial production for war-time needs. This has led to some very hard 
  decisions, in terms of labor and fiscal policy. While the government, including members of the People's Party, 
  Social Action Party, and the Twin Pillars, seems prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, the party is less 
  sure. Congressional discipline is a serious problem and large numbers of People's Party congressional repre- 
  sentatives have voted against important government legislation. Opposition members of the House have 
  started to gather support for a non-confidence vote in the current government and rumor has it that the move 
  is gaining popularity within the disgruntled membeh of Adjanni's own party. Party whip Elias Thorne has his 
  hands full uncovering caucus members who are contemplating such a move. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  The Twin Pillars Party is the most important religious party in congress. Founded i n  TN 1651 i n  the Irrian region, the party 
  was created by those who believe the Revisionist Church must play a role i n  the government of the state. The exact nature 
  of this role has always been a subject of great debate within the party and within Norlight society as a whole. Most of the 
  party's representatives feel that the state should remain secular but that the church needs to have some say on policy. The 
  Twin Pillars exists to ensure this influence . Its longest standing platform is a call for the institutionalization of the 
  Church's involvement, through a clerical committee which approves legislation i n  several key areas. The power and 
  influence of the party has varied substantially over time, rising with waves of fundamentalist feelings and waning with 
  periods of secular sentiment. The Revisionist revival spearheaded by Second Follower Thor Hutchison has been very good 
  for the party, and their congressional representation has reached impressive proportions. Historically, whenever the Twin 
  Pillars have achieved any large-scale electoral success, their agenda has been co-opted by a larger party - often the 
  Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats, however, have become a very secular party and the Twin Pillars are able to 
  stand on their own to form part of the current government. 
  The upswing i n  the Twin Pillars' fortunes is a post-war phenomenon which began with Ali Rayas' assumption of the 
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  leadership i n  TN 1919. Rayas is the former mayor of Petropolis, a devout Revisionist, and a close friend of Marshal Pietr 
  Paulk, the commander in chief of the Norlight Armed Forces. Taking advantage of the increase i n  religious activism and 
  sentiment after the war, Rayas brought together the organizational networks of many political and social action groups, and 
  used the established networks of church-run charities and community groups to revitalize the Twin Pillars. The party began 
  to receive support from the Prophets Shield, which now provided5 political contributions and the use of its facilities for 
  meetings and lobbying, and is covertly engaged in political manipulation, intelligence gathering, and media manipulation. 
  Rayas is a member of the Shield, but he is uncomfortable with its use of dirty tricks and tries to keep their use to a minimum. 
  He i s  especially unsure about Reverend Maya Fajil, the Shield's leader, whom he suspects of having an agenda all her own. His 
  success can be traced to the simple desire of most Norlight citizens to see the church assume an important political role. 
  Since TN 1924, the party has been in an alliance with the People Party and forms part of the current government. 
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  Vital ~tati$tics 4 
  The Twin Pillars party i s  built on a base of grass-roots local organizations which cooperate to support their 
  representatives in Valeria. These groups, or circles, include anywhere from a few to over one-hundred people. 
  Circles serve several important functions, beyond simply forming the membership of the party. The Twin Pillars 
  takes community relations seriously and the circles act to bridge gaps between average citizens and the party 
  leadership. Each circle i s  expected to mobilize support for the party i n  their community. They also create 
  forums for public expression on the issues of the day. The opinions-expressed in the forums are given serious 
  consideration and party supporters expect the leadership to take these opinions into account. Most forums 
  occur on a weekly or semi-seasonal basis and are held in community centers, open air meeting grounds or 
  church basements. Circles are organized regionally and circle delegates nominate party candidates. Most 
  decision-making bodies in the party are run like circles, with very little hierarchy within the group. Usually, a 
  single speaker is named to be the moderator of debate and (if necessary) to be the public face of the circle, 
  but no strict chain of command exists between members. The day-to-day management of the party is the 
  responsibility of a special administrative circle, while issues of policy are handled by the caucus circle (the 
  elected members) in consultation with regional representatives. 
  The party is most concerned with pursuing its agenda of "moral government." The party was built with the 
  convim.on that the "twin pillars" of Norlight society (the church and the state) must work in unison to guide 
  the league. The religious revival of Second Follower Hutchison has inspired the party, and many members now 
  consider an electoral victory in the TN 1936 elections a real possibility. With that in mind, some suggest a 
  withdrawal from the current governing coalition in order to distance the party from President Adjanni. AB 
  Rayas has argued against such a move; he points to the influence he now wields as a member of the Chamber 
  as evidence that the Twin Pillars can continue to have significant power i n  the government without sacrificing 
  their chances for victory. Rayas is becoming increasingly concerned about the most extreme wings of his 
  party. Some call for an outright religious state and Rayas had heard whispers of coups, the succession of the 
  Irrian Plain or other extreme measures if the Twin Pillars finds itself sidelined once more. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Long considered the Norlight party par excellence, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has held a majority of national 
  governments since its founding in TN 1545. The party was born as a reaction to the soul-searching and anti-nationalist 
  sentiments that swept the young league i n  the cycles following the Yaramir massacre (see The Greot Crusade, p. 11). After 
  more than a decade of reexamining the worth of the NLC, a new generation of political and social thinkers emerged that 
  argued for a renewal of national pride. According to them, the massacre had been a terrible tragedy, but the league was 
  still a worthwhile enterprise with the best living conditions i n  the hemisphere. The citizenry was willing to accept a 
  leadership that was not afraid t o  stand tall and fly its own flag high, and step on a few toes if necessary. The movement 
  soon grew into a political party, which swept into power i n  TN 1547 under the leadership of Gabryel Emsala. Under Emsala, 
  the government pushed the league into becoming an active international player once again, sponsoring the formation of 
  the Tershan Cooperative Alliance and moving to protect peregrination routes through the Karaq Wastes to Massada. 
  Emsala's policies set the pattern which her party has followed ever since. LDP governments have overseen a strengthening 
  of military power to secure trade routes and borders while pushing for international cooperation. It was the LDP admin- 
  istration of President Alburt Dowel that proposed and signed the Valeria Agreement to create the CNCS. The LDP has 
  always seen the CNCS as a positive step for the North, but insists on strong Norlight leadership of the confederation. 
  Valeria is the greatest power base of the LDP. Local affiliates of the party control the municipal government and eight LDP 
  members sit on the CNCS inner council. The party garners strong support from the Auroran region, as well as Kenema, Yele 
  and the Lake Clearwater districts. The party previously enjoyed significant support from the Irrian region, but is currently 
  out of favor with the more fundamentalist thinkers with i n  the Revisionist Church, who guide much political thought in 
  the area. Historically, the LDP has supported a significant role for the Church in a strong secular state. Since the war, 
  however, the LDP has distanced itself from this policy. Anders von Breslau agreed to join the LDP and lead the government 
  between TN 1918 and 1924 to pursue a policy of a strong alliance with the other members of the CNCS based on a secular 
  state-to-state relationship. The failure of this policy led to a biting electoral loss i n  TN 1924, but the party has been able 
  t o  rebuild itself as the main opposition and achieved a good showing i n  TN 1930. Having distanced themselves from von 
  Bresalu, the LDP has rebuilt its support based on pro-business policies, but remains identified with a more secular state. 
  Those critical of the political aspects of Thor Hutchison's Revisionist revival have few other political options than the LDP, 
  and the party attracts support in the Northern Plain region as well as in the corporate enclave of Petropolis. 
  I Hrrdauartemr 
  Valerian Policv Center, Valeria, NLC I 
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  rnnctor: 
  Party Leader Nathani Engleton 
  Representation: 
  20 Congressional Seats I 
  The LDP i s  the most tightly run political party in the NLC. The LDP inner council directs the party at each level 
  of government, determines overall policy and plans campaigns. Nathani Engleton is party chairman and serves 
  as opposition leader in the House of Congress. Unless a better candidate appears, Engleton will become 
  President if the LDP win the next elem'on, but he will have to resign as party chairman. The need to exercise 
  control over local and hemispheric branches of the party is seen as incompatible with wielding national 
  executive power, so party leadership i s  separated from the Presidency. When Anders von Bresalu was Presi- 
  dent, for example, he led an LDP government, but never led the party. Beyond the five-person inner council, 
  Engleton also leads the shadow cabinet in the House, which presents criticism on the policies and legislation 
  put forth by the government. 
  The LDP believes i n  coordinated electoral strategy and has just come out of the successful TN 1932 campaign 
  for the CNCS inner council, which saw eight of the 18 Norlight seats go to the LDP. While preparing for local 
  elections i n  seven city-states in the next two cycles, all is seen as prelude to the TN 1936 Norlight elections, 
  when Engleton plans to form the next government. The LDP is unlikely to win a strict majority of congressional 
  seats in TN 1926 and will have to form a coalition with smaller parties. To prepare the way for such an alliance, 
  the LDP must begin to build bridges with potential partners, but identifying which party to court has become 
  difficult. Shedding the party's current secular image might allow an alliance with the Twin Pillars, but would 
  alienate present supporters. Siding with the Social Union Party might threaten business support, while ap- 
  proaching the Norlight First movement could undermine the LDP members of the CNCS inner council. Despite 
  junior members' fears, Engleton knows that if the LOP wins the most seats in the elem'on, political allies will 
  become available. Engleton has more confidence in Valerian power brokerage than in the veracity of party 
  policies, an opinion shared by his close ally, Winston Stark. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Representation in the House of Congress and Chamber of Valeria i s  only one avenue to power and influence in the 
  Northern Lights Confederacy. Leverage and connections have as much to do with the ability to get things done as the 
  results of an election. To a great extent, Valeria runs on political influence; its downtown area teems with government 
  bureaus, consultant's offices and lobbying firms. The Northern Lights Confederacy has always held a corporate view of 
  society, and expects important social groups to have special representation at the highest level, regardless of the results 
  of a congressional election. Outside observers often point to the power of the Revisionist Church as proof of the Norlight 
  tendency toward theocracy, but big business, unions, local governments and many other groups a l l  have their own voice 
  in the capital. 
  The centralist policies of Presidents von Breslau and Adjanni have created an impetus for a municipal counter-movement 
  that finds its most clear expression in the Council of Mayors. This assembly puts pressure on the national government t o  
  return powers and moneys to the regional administrations in support of the confederate model which originally shaped 
  the NLC. Economic interests, in turn, find their most potent expression i n  the Economic Development Commission (EDeC), 
  an advisory body created by the Ministry of the Treasury. EDeC brings together unions, big business, agrarian and commer- 
  cial interests to suggest and approve policy from the ministry. It also provides a forum for all these interests to compete 
  for influence and power. 
  O f  course, not only social classes or economic interests exert influence over Norlight politics. Other, less legitimate groups 
  hold a great deal of sway in the capital and throughout the league. The most subtle of these unofficial centers of power 
  and influence is the Prophet3 Shield. Recognized as a charitable foundation with nationwide support, the Shield includes 
  many of the most powerful people in Valeria as members. Shield clubhouses and charity functions are important avenues 
  for political deal making and social climbing in Valeria and elsewhere. The Shield, however, i s  more than a venue for 
  influence peddling. The directors of the Shield use their membership - 
  through the extraction of favors and confidences, 
  and other less subtle means - 
  to advance the agenda of Second Follower Thor Hutchison and his most fervent supporters. 
  The Kolson cartel, a powerful group of Wounded Knee smugglers, also wields i t s  own illicit power over the league. The 
  cartel has long influenced the smuggling and banditry of the Badlands frontier, but its war with a competing cartel has 
  forced it into the city-states to take over the existing underworld. Corruption i s  now its stock and trade, and violence i n  
  the streets has been one of its most useful tools. In response, the Norlight National Police has gained resources and 
  leverage with which to fight its battle against the cartels. 
  One of the NLCs most respected political reporters, Carmen Melfas is a common sight in the halls of power of 
  Valeria. Melfas began her career as a print reporter in Franklin Harbor and her syndicated weekly column 
  continues to appear in the Franklin Reporter, the paper which launched her onto the national scene. She is also 
  a correspondent for the NorStar Hermes 72 trideo network and her reports from Valeria are featured regularly 
  on the evening news and on Forum, a top-rated political discussion show. Melfas also leads her own news 
  production company that handles all her freelance work and her print column. Melfas Productions' most 
  noticeable products are Carmen's weekly print column (Views in Valeria) and a series of i n  depth documentary 
  reports (In Focus) which appear every three weeks on the Badlands-based Satellite News Service. 
  Melfis' honest and witty style makes her very popular, especially with viewers in their twenties and thirties. 
  She has managed to establish special relationships with several influential people, including CNCS Chief 
  Justice Winston Stark and Laurent Belli, the mayor of Exeter. Thanks to these connections, she has recently 
  been chosen by NorStah news division to do several long interviews with key players in the political scene. 
  Her firsts interview is with Second Follower Thor Hutchison. A Jerusalemite, Melfas intends to ask the reli- 
  gious leader about the rise in religious discrimination in the NLC, but has come under pressure from NorStar 
  executives to keep the discussion friendly and open. That her freedom to do her job is challenged by her 
  bosses has irritated Carmen. She is convinced that the time has come to dedicate an I n  focus broadcast to the 
  topic of religious intolerance and the power of the Revisionist Church. 
  Pourer and the Media 4 
  With the concept of a free press enshrined in the constitution of both the NLC and CNCS, political coverage by 
  the media is widespread and thorough. From the political journals like the Valerian Report to the less-than- 
  truthful coverage of the Northern Inquirer, the flow of power and influence is tracked and funnelled by the 
  media. Broadcast journalism has become a favorite avenue for political maneuvering, and the number of news 
  shows featuring detailed analysis, debates and in-depth reports is always growing. Perhaps the most influen- 
  tial of such programs is Forum, an hour long, twice weekly show which appears on the NorStar Hermes 72 
  satellite trideo network. Forum dedicates each broadcast to a fairly in-depth coverage of a single issue. It 
  begins with prepared background reports and then welcomes well-known or influential politicians and ana- 
  lysts to debate the issue. Forum is hosted by Natnan Kolbert, NorStar's senior political correspondent, and 
  reaularlv areets members of the Chamber of Valeria, EDeC and the Council of Mayors on its set. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  A constant thorn i n  the side of Kathe Adjanni's government, the Council of Mayors voices the concerns of local govern- 
  ments and prevents any loss of power t o  Valeria. A variety of cooperative inter-city bodies have existed since the early 
  days of the league - 
  in fact the league itself was once thought to be just such a body - 
  but the current Council was only 
  born in TN 1903. Even then, it existed merely as a forum for articulating shared concerns and planning economic 
  cooperation, supposedly free of the byzantine machinations that were sweeping Valeria at the time. Ultimately, the Judas 
  Syndrome would not spare the council, and several mayors were brought down i n  scandals between TN 1908 and 1912. The 
  Council returned to the fore, however, after the War of the Alliance. A t  first, it contented itself with helping t o  coordinate 
  reconstruction and relief efforts, but the policies of the von Breslau government soon made it a political forum. Anders 
  von Breslau pursued a policy of tight cooperation on hemispheric and global scales, and proceeded t o  limit the jurisdic- 
  tion of municipal governments. The Council of Mayors became an avenue for protest and opened up a political lobbying 
  ofice i n  Valeria to exert pressure on the Norlight and CNCS governments. The Council was one of the important groups 
  which .toppled the von Breslau government, and gave Kathe Adjanni her position. 
  The council is not pleased with President Adjanni. The current government campaigned against the integration policies of 
  von Breslau, but has not taken any steps to devolve powers toward the city-states. Adjanni has managed to keep her 
  power strong, intervening i n  key areas that the city-states claim are within their own jurisdiction, including law enforce- 
  ment and social programs. As Terra Nova lurches towards war, the President has also initiated several league-spanning 
  economic policies. I n  theory, almost all the mayors and regional representatives sitting on the Council are opposed to 
  these policies, but local and philosophical differences have kept the Council from being as effective as when it opposed 
  von Breslau. The renaissance of faith spearheaded by Second Follower Hutchison has split the Council, with some mayors 
  criticizing the church's support of league-wide social programs and legal reforms. Others firmly back the agenda. 
  The crime on the Badlands' frontier has led some mayors to support the increased profile of the Norlight National Police, 
  while others call this an infringement of local rights. Divisions between corporate enclaves like Petropolis and Kossuth, 
  and city-states with pro-labor governments have also led to divisions i n  the Council. Zagazig Mayor Irene Mugabe was 
  named chairperson of the council as a compromise candidate between the various factions, and does her best to organize 
  her fellow mayors. Mugabe has no intention of being remembered as the captain of a sinking ship and is trying to identify 
  the group most likely to lead the Council to a renewed sense of purpose. She is currently leaning toward Laurent Belli and 
  his Clearwater faction. 
  The Council includes all the municipal leaders in the NLC, as well as five rural regional representatives. Only 
  Second Follower Hutchison. the nominal leader of Sorrento, has declined personal involvement in the council 
  and has assigned Ali Gujil as the city-state's envoy. Other mayors use envoys, but will sit at full council 
  meetings which occur every two seasons or when called for by circumstances. Between meetings, the office of 
  the council is staffed by managers and lobbyists to maintain the council's presence and coordinate efforts. 
  Much of the council's decisions are reached through teleconferencing, which has become prevalent thanks to 
  the Hermes 72 satellite network. Although Irene Mugabe officially chairs all meetings, the real power in the 
  council orbits around the faction leaders. Laurent Belli, the young mayor of Exeter, leads the Clearwater 
  faction, which i s  opposed to the Revisionist Church's use of national resources, while Emil Grou-Durtrie, CEO 
  of Petropolis and Northern Petrochem, leads corporate interests which tend to put business ahead of all other 
  concerns. 
  The concerns that grip the council are those that divide the league as a whole. The place of the Church in 
  politics and society has polarized many of the city-states, while the upswing i n  violent crime has left some 
  unable or unwilling to refuse national aid. Internal dissent has crippled the council's effectiveness, leading 
  some to question its usefulness. Laurent Belli and his Clearwater faction (which includes Franklin Harbor, the 
  Clearwater region and Kossuth) are the most dynamic group within the council and they have been able to co- 
  opt much of its resources to its causes. Although the council has yet to make any major proclamation on the 
  Church other than saying that it "has a role to play" , Belli has been able to use the council's contacts and 
  lobbyists to promote his viewpoints. This has made him a popular leader i n  Exeter, an influential figure in 
  Valeria and a target of disparagement among the most fervent political supporters of the Church. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  The Economic Development Commission (EDeC) is a powerful advisory body that was created i n  TN 1918 as the National 
  Reconstruction Board (NRB) by President Anders von Breslau. I n  the aftermath of the War of the Alliance, several city- 
  states had been crippled by orbital bombing and ground warfare. The entire economy was under a war footing and a Large 
  numbers of soldiers were returning home and needed jobs. The NRB was charged with planning the reconstruction effort 
  and brought together business leaders, industrial unions, farming cooperatives and the national bureaucracy. I n  its early 
  cycles, the NRB worked closely with similar agencies i n  the UMF and WFP under the aegis of the CNCS' reconstruction 
  program. Some criticism was heard that the board was a bureaucratic nightmare or that it was yet another avenue t o  shift 
  decision making from the city-states t o  Valeria. Still, the NRB was recognized as having achieved its mandate of ensuring 
  the transition from a wartime to a peace-time economy. 
  Under Kathe Adjanni's government, the NRB has not been shut down as expected. Rather, it has transformed from a post- 
  war recovery board t o  a permanent commission on the economics of the league. Adjanni, elected on a pro-labor platform, 
  was anxious t o  keep her promises of union input in economic decisions, while not alienating the business leaders of the 
  League. The NRB format seemed convenient t o  both goals, and still provided a way t o  streamline economic consultation. 
  EDeC was born. Since TN 1924, the Commission has been the main forum for debate on fiscal, economic and trade issues 
  i n  the league. EDeC itself has no official power other than that the Ministry of the Treasury must consult it before 
  establishing or modifying the annual budget. The Adjanni administration, and most especially Treasuty Minister Wilyam 
  Benz, have made serious efforts t o  make these consultations meaningful, however, and press releases from EDeC get 
  ample coverage i n  the business media. This attention has made EDeC the principal forum of economic influence i n  the 
  League. 
  Wilyam Benz has become a powerful figure in Norlight politics. Before he was elected t o  the Chamber of Valeria as part of 
  the People's Party i n  TN 1930, Benz had a firm background i n  labor organization i n  his native Kenema. There, he had 
  gained the reputation among corporate leaders as a hard negotiator, but a reasonable opponent. These qualities made him 
  a good choice to head EDeC. Over the Last three cycles, Benz has developed a friendship with Tetsuko Hatsushiba, the 
  chief executive of Shaian Mechanics. The two men were enemies over the bargaining table in Kenema but are now 
  cooperating t o  give the NLC an independent industrial base and sever its dependence on the United Mercantile Federa- 
  tion. This relationship has come under fire from Labor activists and other members of the People's Party who do not 
  understand the nature of their partnership. 
  ~ ~ g a ~ ~ ~ a t l ~ ~  
  4 
  EDeC i s  divided into a series of boards which specialize in cerTain issues or economic sectors, all of which 
  ultimately report to the Advisory Board. Beyond this last board, which presents recommendations to the 
  minister, EDeC includes the labor relations, taxation, and agricultural development boards, among others. In 
  theory all these committees are supposed to have the same power and their findings and suggestions are to 
  be included in the Advisory Board's reports. In reality. the board's influence shifts with the political wind. The 
  Industrial Development Board, chaired by Shaian Mechanics' coordinator Tetsuko Hatsushiba, currently holds 
  the most sway: Hatsushiba now sits on the Advisory Board and other EDeC members have been courting his 
  favor and influence. 
  The Adjanni administration's economic policies are currently in Rux, with pro-labor policies readjusting under 
  the need for a "tighter ship," and increased industrial production as the league puts itself back on a war 
  footing. Tetsuko Hatsushiba has used this need for economic renewal to present his corporation as a candi- 
  date for economic leadership in the league. Shaian has already become the major political and economic 
  power in Kenema, and Tetsuko would like to see it assume the leadership role that Northco enjoys in the UMF. 
  Shaian uses a caste system of labor organization similar to the Paxton Arms model, and the coordinator feels 
  this could be applied to most labor relations issues in the league. Labor unions are opposed to such a 
  transformation, but the Kenema-based Affiliated Union of Workers has spoken in favor of limited caste mod- 
  els, pointing to guaranteed job security as compensation. Minister Benz and President Adjanni are listening 
  to these proposals with increasing interest. They are also seeking to strengthen Shaian's international position 
  as a counter to Northco. The most recent agreement on this level has been the contract for the Lion, a new 
  Shaian Mechanics Gear aimed a t  the Norlight Armed Forces and designed to compete with the Northco Jugoor. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Prophets Shield is many things. To some it is a charitable trust, t o  others a social club or a political tool. The Shield 
  began as an association of clerics dedicated t o  a renaissance within their church. Brought together i n  TN 1880 by Thor 
  Hutchison, the Shield became a support network for his bid t o  become Second Follower. It was also the basis for a new 
  generation of religious leadership he brought with him. The Shield was expanded to include secular members who shared 
  their religious cohorts' dedication t o  the faith. It was at this time that the Shield developed into a public organization. 
  On its public face, the Shield became a forum for the influential t o  dedicate their skills for the good of the faith. The rich 
  and famous were approached t o  donate time and money to good will efforts and the resulting charity functions soon 
  became one of the North's most important social venues. The Shield then created meeting houses for its august member- 
  ship and encouraged them t o  make use of these for meetings and social occasions, slowly becoming a sort of "old boy's 
  network" for the faithful. This social aspect has made Shield membership an important pillar of the careers of many 
  political and business leaders. 
  The Shield also exists for a covert political purpose. The inner circle of the Shield includes all the Second Follower's closest 
  advisors within the church. All together, they control the entirety of the organization, made up of clerics and secular 
  individuals, who share Hutchison's dedication t o  a renewed and Revisionist North. Hutchison uses these people t o  exert 
  political influence at all levels. Members of the Shield are told that they can expect favors from the organization and are 
  asked t o  do acts of service i n  return. Copied reports, leaked information and hidden confidences merge together t o  give 
  Hutchison and the Shield a power few people realize they wield. Hutchison distances himself from direct manipulation of 
  the Shield, confiding i n  several of his close associates t o  do this job. Reverend Mother Maya Fajil i s  the Shield member most 
  directly implicated i n  political affiirs, and is a trusted ally of the Second Follower. Fajil has overseen the creation of several 
  specialized groups within the Shield to undertake secret operations for her. The Watchers, a group of prominent Shield 
  members responsible for overseeing secular members (see Character Compendium 1, p. 82), is only one such group; others 
  include a cabal of intelligence agents, and a group of members in the Justice Ministry. The latter i s  especially potent because 
  it includes several senior Norlight National Police (NorPol) operations directors and the Justice Minister Ethan Marion's 
  personal aid. Thanks to these agents, Fajil is able to stall NorPol's investigation into the affairs of Prophet's Shield. These 
  measures may soon prove inadequate because NorPol Commissioner Khaleed has taken a personal interest i n  the investiga- 
  tion. Second Follower Hutchison is kept abreast of only some of these operations, and he fears that Fajil may be creating a 
  power base too independent from his own. She has always been able to convince him of her dedication t o  his cause, however. 
  mal Name: 
  Headquarters: 
  Dimtor: 
  Goals: 
  Society for Charitable Action 
  The Reiss Center for Truth. Sorrento. NLC 
  Second Follower Thor Hutchison, Reverend Mother Maya Fajil 
  Channels chanty and social action (officially), forwards tne agenda of the Second Follower 
  The public face of the Prophet's Shield i s  organized into a large number of regional societies, each managing 
  local functions and providing a "clubhouse" for local members. Every regional society is tied to the headquar- 
  ters of the Shield in Sorrento, where action on a national or hemispheric level is overseen. The headquarters 
  i s  also responsible for supervising spending of the regional offices and ensuring that the Shield does not 
  become co-opted by local power-players or undesirable elements, such as business people dealing with organ- 
  ized crime. The Shield's duties as a charitable social club mask a three-tiered structure.The top tier consists of 
  around a dozen people; it includes Thor Hutchison himself and his closest advisors, and can be compared to 
  a theocratic cabinet. The second tier is larger and is comprised of clerics who have been recruited for Hutchison's 
  political agenda. They oversee the network of favors controlling the secular allies and other church members 
  who make up the third tier. Few people working with the Shield realize the full extent of its influence and 
  think nothing of the small favors occasionally asked of them. 
  The third tier of the Shield is seeking to advance the cause of righteous living. Chanty, social and political 
  campaigning are all part of the members' daily activities, as are constant recruiting of people to join the cause 
  for a renewed faith. The hidden core of the Shield has similar concerns, but i s  prepared to take more drastic 
  action. Reverend Mother Fajil directs day-to-day operations with a careful hand, planting the seeds of wider 
  support for the church and awaiting the time when more extreme measures may be necessary. Her most 
  pressing concerns are NorPol inquiries and the struggle to reign in criminality in the inner city and Badlands 
  frontier. Fajil must keep NorPol away from her affairs, but feels compelled to provide what assistance she can 
  to break the hold of the Wounded Knee cartels on the Norlight underworld. So far, her agents in the Justice 
  Ministry have allowed her to do both, but they may be exposing themselves to internal investigation. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Kolson cartel is the leading smuggling cartel from Wounded Knee, a lawless CNCS protectorate in the Westridge Range 
  of the Badlands. Although Wounded Knee is far from the borders of the NLC, the Kolson cartel wields enormous power in 
  the league through an extensive underworld network. The cartel built its power base on the huge Norlight market for 
  illegal, contraband, and controlled materials and has long maintained a stranglehold on the supply of these products. 
  Items smuggled by the cartel include drugs, banned media (including pornography and anti-Revisionist hate-literature), 
  weapons and slaves. Much of their profit comes from more mundane contraband, such as immoral Southern trideos that 
  are not available through sanctioned distribution networks. The Kolson rose t o  power at the end of the last century during 
  a bloody conflict with three other cartels and many independent smugglers. The cartel banded together many of the 
  small-time smugglers and rovers from the north Karaq and Eastern savannahs into a coherent network of smugglers and 
  enforcers. In exchange for their cooperation, these bands received monetary compensation and supplies of arms and 
  other goods. By the beginning of this century, Kolson established itself as the most reliable supplier of illicit materials to 
  the region. Jeremiah Dupree, then a high ranking lieutenant i n  the cartel, arranged for Kolson to deal with pre-existing 
  criminal and black market organizations i n  the NLC, and became suppliers rather than crime lords. This allowed them to 
  avoid a costly underworld war and to keep their profile much lower. 
  In the years after the War of the Alliance, profits soared for the cartel as the Norlight border regions became wilder and 
  wilder. Their control began to slip, however, as many Badlanders traveled north to profit from the frontier opportunities, 
  and millions of marks worth of reconstruction moneys flowing to the region fueled a boom i n  the underworld economy. 
  This allowed other cartels to gain small footholds i n  the region, which would come back to haunt the Kolson. I n  the last 
  cycles, Dupree, now leader of the cartel, has been looking to assume control of the New Coalition economic alliance i n  the 
  Badlands, and the Forzi cartel has taken advantage of this to move into the NLC. The Forzi have been highly aggressive, 
  using their power-bases i n  the UMF to displace local crime families in the Tershaw Range and Red Hills. Dupree has had 
  to respond, sending Sundra Turai, a trusted lieutenant, to oversee Norlight operations. 
  Turai has used a well-established network of connections i n  Valeria and several other key city-states to respond to the 
  threat of the other cartel. Although the Kolson cartel is reputed t o  be less violent than the Forzi, Turai recognizes the 
  power of fear and has had no qualms about spilling blood i n  her quest to eliminate the threat posed by Roman Forzi. She 
  is also busy building special relationships with several local authorities. Her greatest success is in Kossuth;where 
  local 
  law enforcement officials have recognized their interest in avoiding a gang war and are working to target Forzi supporters. 
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  The Kolson Cartel i s  run by Captain Dupree and a group of trusted lieutenants, each with a personal power 
  base in some part of the cartel. Norlight operations are supem’sed by Sundra Turai, who began her career as 
  a Valerian crime-boss. Turai now lives in Port Aurora and directs operations from a hidden mansion. She is 
  assisted by lieutenants of her own, who all owe her loyalty to one extent or another. Up until a few cycles ago, 
  the cartel was heavily implicated in smuggling operations only, purchasing some local products (such as Yelan 
  drugs) and selling many foreign goods to local black marketeers and crime families. With the Forzi move to 
  exert direct control over Norlight organized crime, Turai has been forced to move in the same direction. Where 
  possible, she has tried to co-opt existing organizations, and eliminate only the most recalcitrant leaders. 
  Nevertheless, there has been a vast increase i n  bloodshed over the past two cycles, resulting in unwanted 
  police attention. 
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  The ongoing war with the Forzi cartel is Sundra Turai’s prime concern. I n  the Irrian region, her organization 
  remains i n  relatively firm control, but the rest of the league has become an open battleground between the 
  smugglers and their respective groups. The city-states of Kenema, Innsbruck, and Livingstone are dealing with 
  spiraling crime rates related to the gang war. The Badlands frontier, especially along the Nolthern Plain, also 
  remains under contention with Forzi, Kolson and independent rovers who are fighting over every inch of 
  territory. Norlight crime bosses caught between the two cartels have begun to fight back, increasing the 
  bloodshed in the inner-cities. NorPol‘s anti-cartel task force i s  a n increasingly pressing problem because 
  certain valuable Kolson criminal enterprises have been shut down and the task force is galvanizing Norlight 
  efforts against the cartels. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Law enforcement i n  the Northern Lights Confederacy is divided between local police departments and a national police 
  force charged with administering confederate law and policing rural areas which cannot afford police of their own. The 
  Norlight National Police (often called NorPol) was founded i n  TN 1601 i n  an effort to centralize and standardize the NLC. 
  Since then, it has gone through cycles of being among the most powerful groups in the NLC and others of being an under- 
  funded auxiliary force responsible for speed traps on interstates. NorPors fortunes are directly linked t o  the current 
  policies of the Chamber of Valeria and has greatly benefited both from the centralization policies of the von Bresau 
  government and the nationalist policies of President Adjanni. NorPol commissioner Gabrielle Khaleed is one of the few 
  prominent state agency leaders to have served under both von Breslau and Adjanni without any weakening of her position. 
  The high level of rural c r h e  i n  the post-war period has made NorPol a powerful force on the Norlight scene, and its budget 
  has faced limited constraints over the last decades. Commissioner Khaleed has transformed her force's image in rural 
  regions. For most of its existence, local homesteaders and ranchers have thought of NorPol as an irritant from Valeria. The 
  upswing in violent activity, however, has allowed Khaleed to cast her officers as the defenders of local inhabitants. This 
  has led to an upswing in recruitment in rural areas and increased cooperation with local marshals. 
  In urban areas, NorPol is responsible for investigating crimes that cross regional borders. Murder, assault, abduction and 
  theft remain within the jurisdiction of local authorities unless the victims are somehow under national protection. Crimes 
  against members of the House of Congress and Norlight judges for example, are matters for NorPol. NorPol also has the 
  authority to intervene in any case that may have broader implications (such as serial murders or kidnappings); and i s  
  expected to respond to requests for assistance from local authorities who are overwhelmed. This arrangement can lead to 
  conflicts between NorPol and local forces who may resent national intervention. Ethan Manon, the Adjanni government's 
  Minister of Justice, has tried his best t o  keep any tensions to a minimum by clearly defining the types of cases i n  which 
  NorPol has a "special interest." Currently, cases involving organized crime and the Wounded Knee cartels, are sure to 
  attract NorPol's attention. 
  : . . 
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  b Vital ~
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  Legal Name: 
  Norlight National Police 
  I Headauartem: 
  The Borden Facilitv. Port Aurora. NLC I 
  DiWCtOr: 
  Commissioner Gabrielle Khaleed 
  1 Goals: 
  Enforcement of the Laws of the Northern Lights Eonfederacv I 
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  The organization of NorPol has a military flavor, with the Commissioner - named by the Justice Ministry - 
  overseeing a series of regional and operational directors. Regional directors operate form bureaus in city- 
  states or rural townships, and oversee NorPol resources and assignments under their jurisdiction. Operation 
  directors are in charge of whole sectors of activity, including psychological profiling, rapid response, under- 
  cover operations, anti-cartel operations and political security. They coordinate training, allocation of re- 
  sources and operations over a national scale. Regional directors work from their regional bureaus, while 
  operational directors are based out of NorPol headquarters in Port Aurora. NorPol officers are deployed i n  a 
  variety of ways depending on the task assigned to them, but the most public face of the force is a small group 
  of investigators. Normal investigations are carried out by a single primary officer, accompanied by one or more 
  secondary investigators. Priority cases, such as those which attract political attention or involve long term 
  efforts, are usually carried out by a team of agents drawn from a variety of specialties who work closely together 
  until the case is solved. These groupings of investigators are called Focused Investigative Units (nus). 
  Commissioner Gabrielle Khaleed i s  most concerned with the gang war between the Kolson and Fom smuggling 
  cartels in Wounded Knee. The two cartels have extended their influence throughout much of the Norlight 
  underworld, and are busy killing each other off, with innocent citizens caught in the middle. In rural regions on 
  the Badlands frontier, NorPol i s  tlying to shut down rovers and smugglers, while in urban areas, agents are 
  investigating links between known cartel supporters and unsolved crimes. Khaleed has been relatively success- 
  ful coordinating with city-state authorities in anti-cartel task forces and joint operations, but the Northern 
  Guard and Norlight Armed Forces have been reluctant to get involved in anti-smuggling operations. Khaleed 
  realizes, however, that not all crimes can be traced to the cartels. Prompted by the concerns of both Winston 
  Stark and President Adjanni, Khaleed's Political Security Bureau (PSB), which is responsible for the safety of 
  political figures, is investigating the poss 
  ty of widespread political blackmail. Among the PSB's targets i s  
  the Propheis Shield. Khaleed is thus far unaware that two of her most trusted operations directors are in fact 
  members of the Shield and are blocking progress in the investigation. She knows, however, that several members 
  of the Shield have provided key information on cartel activities and is taking steps to remedy to the situation. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Paul Berthyo felt right at home. Kenema's Krash Klub was throbbing. On stage, three darkly clad, bald-headed 
  women named "The Black Jezebels" were performing, and the lead singer seemed determined to do permanent 
  damage to her vocal chords. It wasn't quite Mekong, but it was close. 
  Berthyo had been in the Northern Lights Confederacy for three weeks already, but had arrived i n  Kenema only last 
  night. An experienced intelligence agent, he was only mildly taken aback by the profound contradictions of the so- 
  called Land of the Prophet. Every type of puritan was given free speech enough to condemn the immoral South and 
  the backward Badlands: meanwhile, inside this club people were singing about revolution, prostitutes were plying 
  their trade, most patrons were on Strat and he was here to receive orders to assassinate someone. Berthyo shook 
  off any urge to make judgments: he was a trained professional and he had a job to do. 
  * . . 
  ' 
  . 
  Berthyo saw the table where he was supposed to sit. A lithe woman, presumably his contact, was already there. 
  Before approaching, he rapidly reviewed the scenario - 
  he would give the right code word and she would pass to 
  him a simple datadisk containing encoded orders to tell him just who he would be "silencing" within Shaian 
  Mechanics. He walked toward her. "You with anyone?" 
  . . 
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  "Pas du tout," she answered in Universal French. Her accent betrayed the upper-crust education one would expect 
  from a Southern Republic Intelligence Directorate operative. "Won't you have a seat?" 
  Everything was perfect, Berthyo realized, except that it was a trap. He and his team of MILICIA special operatives 
  studied language as an extra measure of security. His contact was supposed to answer with the subtly musical 
  intonations of an Olduvite, not the crisp speech of a Republican. He slipped his hand through the opening i n  his 
  overcoat and pulled his composite pistol from its holster. "No thanks," he said. 
  Berthyo moved quickly through the thrashing audience. He reached the center of the chaos before he saw them 
  moving in. Two men from the other side were approaching, including the bouncer. He should have noticed that it 
  wasn't the usual person at the door tonight. The band screamed single hits at a feverish crescendo and the dancing 
  became wilder. Berthyo moved suddenly toward the stage. 
  His two pursuers were snared i n  the writhing bodies, but Berthyo slipped through them like a fish through water. 
  His trainer would have been proud. Pride, however, almost got him killed suddenly when he was knocked forward. 
  Berthyo responded by rotating quickly to stop his momentum. He drew his pistol and fired. When he realized he 
  had just put a 7 millimeter round through a fan's cranium, it was too late. Then the screaming started. 
  "Don't move!" A l l  the Norlight agents were drawing their weapons to pin Berthyo down: he would have been done 
  for if not for a critical advantage. The crowd was hysterical, and no one could fire without hitting a bystander. 
  Berthyo charged into the frenzied crowd that stampeded for the door. He let himself be carried by the flow of 
  bodies, and he slipped out of his overcoat. It was amazing how one layer of clothing could change a man: Berthyo 
  brushed right against the Norlight agent that was scanning the frothing crowd running out of the club. Berthyo 
  slipped around a corner and was gone. 
  His mission might be scrapped, but it would take more than that to capture Paul Berthyo. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The creation of the Confederated Northern City-states in TN 1692 supposedly put an end to aggression between the three 
  leagues of the North. The supra-national structures of the new confederations were established to facilitate hemispheric 
  cooperation on a variety of issues, including foreign policy, military action and economic trade. Few people in the North 
  had any intention of giving up their national independence, however. Like the NLC before it, the CNCS was designed to 
  group together partners rather than erasing national identity. Its own resources were very limited in the early days and 
  have only grown stronger through global conflicts such as St. Vincenl's War and the War of the Alliance. Despite an 
  evolution toward Northern integration, which includes the recognition of the CNCS Supreme Court as the ultimate judicial 
  : . . 
  authority i n  the North, the member leagues remain separate entities that sometimes work at cross-purposes. 
  The Northern Lights Confederacy, larger and more populous than its neighbors, has historically seen the CNCS as an 
  extension of its power. This outlook was particularly popular in the century from TN 1750 to 1850 when the NLC was able 
  to catch up to the technologically powerful gap between it and the UMF and gained economic power to match its size 
  and scope. During those hundred cycles, the Norlight presidency was considered the most powerful post in the North, 
  often making final decisions concerning CNCS foreign policy and approving the nomination of the Northern Guard's Grand 
  Marshal. Many historian's blame this policy - known as "the Lion's Pride," after the title of a scathing analysis of Norlight 
  policy which appeared in TN 1823 - 
  for the rise of the Judas Syndrome in the TN 1900s. Mercantile and Western officials 
  were understandably frustrated by having much of their power taken away from them; Their efforts to reassert themselves 
  behind the scenes created intrigue which spread throughout centers of power. 
  The aftermath of the War of the Alliance saw Anders von Breslau leading a government dedicated to "peace and coopera- 
  tion." For the first time, CNCS institutions grew at the expense of Norlight ones as von Breslau allowed fiscal, foreign and 
  military policies to be shaped by all Northern partners. Economic reconstruction plans were harmonized across the 
  hemisphere, the CNCS Inner Council came to direct foreign policy initiatives, and the Northern Guard gained a military 
  independence it had never enjoyed before. Since von Breslau's defeat, President Adjanni and Foreign Minister Ethan 
  Scope have been busy reversing or modifying these policies, reasserting their league's independence. In foreign policy 
  circles, she has continued to support CNCS Inner Council initiatives, but has not hesitated to launch independent programs 
  of her own. Fiscal cooperation has been reduced and political relationships between the three Northern leagues have cooled. 
  : 
  Ethan Scope has been in the diplomatic corps since his graduation from the Valeria Legal Academy i n  TN 1883, 
  when he became a junior legal analyst for the Foreign Ministly. Throughout his career he has sewed as senior 
  legal secretary at the embassy in Lyonnesse, senior aid to the ambassadors in both Peace River and Strath- 
  Clyde, a member of the CNCS inner council during the War of the Alliance and deputy Foreign Minister during 
  the von Breslau government. Scope has been a long-time member of the rural-based Social Action Party 
  because of i t s  "clean government" policies. I n  TN 1924 when Social Action became a part of a new governing 
  coalition, Scope was approached to be their representative on the Council of Valeria and sit as Foreign 
  Minister. He has sewed as such ever since. 
  Despite his affiliation with a rural political party, Scope is a product of the diplomatic service rather than 
  political campaigning. He values competence over popularity and has created a ministly staffed by lifetime 
  diplomats and relatively few political toadies. Scope has been the driving force behind the NLC's increasingly 
  aggressive foreign policy vis i vis its allies in the CNCS and fully supports the use of intelligence gathering 
  and covert operations in Western and Mercantile territory. Scope still retains some allies within the CNCS from 
  his days in the inner council, however. NGIS Colonel Sonya Gem' is among these friends and Scope, who lost 
  several family members during the war, has provided aid to Operation: Hawk, Gerti's illegal hunt for CEF 
  collaborators (see Into the Badlands, p. 40). 
  Although both the Western Frontier Protectorate and the United Mercantile Federation are subject to exten- 
  sive covert intelligence gathering operations on the part of the Norlight government, the UMFgets more than 
  its share. Although technically an ally of the NLC, the UMF is seen by several Chamber members as a potential 
  future menace. Though they consider outright militaty actions to be unlikely, they are well aware of the 
  economic and commercial might of their large neighbor. Already, they feel that too many Norlight lives depend 
  on imported technologies and manufactured goods, a situation none too pleasing. Ethan Scope is one of the 
  most outspoken members of this faction, and has instigated a series of discrete operations destined to gather 
  information that could be used to provide additional leverage against the Federation, should push come to 
  shove. He has also put aside some of the analyst resources that are,normally devoted to the decryption and 
  evaluation of Southern intelligence, and ordered them to work on the results of the latest ops aimed at UMF 
  targets. This has proved extremely unpopular amongst many members of the Norlight intelligence community, 
  who do not share Scope's opinions. The Miinister has found allies, however, in Shaian Mechanics, the huge 
  Keneman corporation anxious to find a new edge against Northco. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Although they have been allies for over two centuries, distrust lingers between the two largest leagues of the CNCS. The 
  United Mercantile Federation's campaign of northern expansion in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which saw 
  the annexation of Djakarta Point and Swanscombe and led to the Battle of Pioneer, continues to color relations between 
  Lyonnesse and Valeria. The high capitalism of the UMFis largely alien to the Norlight populace, who are used t o  corporate 
  power being offset by the power of the national state and tempered by the moral influence of the church. Nevertheless, 
  the two leagues cooperate diplomatically and militarily within the structure of the CNCS, while trade and tourism between 
  the two leagues are extremely well developed. The economic power of the UMF has long been a concern i n  Valeria, 
  however, and trade tariffs have always existed to protect certain sectors of the Norlight economy. President Adjanni has 
  continued to use tariff protection to safeguard domestic employment. The Mercantile diplomatic corps, however, has 
  pressured the CNCS inner council t o  pass a motion to limit tariffs and allow for more open hemispheric trade and economic 
  cooperation. 
  Thanks to the advice of Anders von Breslau, who advocated greater cooperation i n  the North, the Adjanni administration 
  has spent much of the last three cycles preparing for the day when the Mercantile motion will pass in council. EDeC and 
  other Norlight bodies have been working t o  develop the Norlight economy by encouraging state investment and tax 
  breaks so that it can compete with the UMF. I n  the domain of military production, the state has signed accords with 
  Kenema-based Shaian Mechanics t o  increase Gear production for the NAF in order to support a new line of machines which 
  can compete with the Northco Jaguor. The diplomatic corps and NISA have been investigating rumors of a secret alliance 
  between the UMF and Mekong Dominion and have uncovered that initial negotiations are under way. Attempts to sabo- 
  tage these accords through disinformation have thus far been only partially successful. Taipan Judyth Ramona, a Mekong 
  leader know to be negotiating with UMF Treasurer Banderas, has been the principal target for NISA operations. An agent 
  codenamed "Magisty" has infiltrated Ramona's negociating team and subtly encouraged others to question the validity of 
  dealing with Banderas. Magisty is unaware that he has been identified as a threat by chief negotiator Jeremiah Hito. 
  Should the negotiations with the Dominion prove successful, it is likely that the Norlight government would instigate a 
  series of trade measures to defend themselves against this new and powerful economic alliance. As a result, the so-called 
  "trade wars" might intensify, possibly hurting the economy of both leagues in the process. I n  addition, several prominent 
  Norlight analysts, such as Burtan Malone and Eva Maxey, have suggested that private companies might foment trouble i n  
  an effort to regain their economic advantages, using whatever political allies and backing they can muster. These fears 
  have contributed to Norlight efforts to reduce economic dependence on the UMF. 
  The smallest league of the Confederated Northern City-states, the Western Frontier Protectorate is often thought of as the 
  NLCs "little cousin" by Norlight politicians. I n  the times of UMF expansionism i n  the North, the NLC and WFP became 
  close allies i n  reigning i n  the power of their aggressive neighbor. To a certain extent, this proximity has remained i n  
  place. Trade across the northern extension of the Westridge Range (which separates the two leagues) is brisk and travel 
  between the leagues is free of all but the most rudimentary customs formalities. Latent Norlight paternalism and the 
  fiercely independent Western nature have, however, led to a certain amount of political discord between Valeria and Fort 
  William. Within the CNCS inner council, the seven Western votes have often been the deciding factor i n  debates between 
  the NLC and UMF and the Western delegates have not been afraid to extract concessions from one side or the other i n  
  exchange for their voting power. 
  Aggressive Western diplomacy i n  the Badlands has also been the cause of certain problems. The WFP does not benefit from 
  any natural barrier to the South other than the Barrington Basin itself and has been historically anxious to keep its 
  borders secure. A "thin tan line" of savannah communities are protected by the WFPA as a buffer zone between the forts 
  and any desert aggressors. Rover gangs and independent powers are pursued aggressively and, i n  the post-war period, 
  conflict with Port Arthur and Wounded Knee cartels has been a fact of life. President Adjanni's diplomatic corps has 
  criticized Western policy i n  this regard, which they feel destabilizes the global situation, but the WFP has refused to back 
  down, knowing full well that the NLC needs Western military strength. Indeed, the WFP's army serve as a buffer for the 
  NLC, halting aggression from the south before it can spill over into Norlight territory. The Protectorate served just such a 
  purpose during the War of the Alliance and Western leaders resent their Norlight counterparts forgetting that their people 
  died to keep CEF forces from spilling over into the NLC. 
  As a result, the Protectorate has started to ignore many of the NLC's requests, going as far as to sometimes withhold votes 
  i n  the CNCS Inner Council whenever a motion is passed that would benefit the Confederacy. The Westerners are unwilling 
  to be treated as just another minor neighboring group. Proconsul Zucco Adamo, currently the most prominent leader of 
  the WFP, has been the driving force behind renewed Western nationalism vis a vis the NLC. His main political rival, 
  Proconsul Lang Regina, was born a Norlight and promotes somewhat less reactionary policies. Foreign Minister Scope 
  realizes that Lang is far from a puppet of his government, but he supports a policy of providing her with covert aid against 
  Adamo. Lang herself is unaware of such aid and would put a stop to it immediately were it to come to her attention. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Norlight relationship with the South has long been characterized by competing tendencies toward political hostility 
  and economic trade. Ever since the formation of the Allied Southern Territories, the leadership of the NLC has identified 
  it as hostile. The creation of the CNCS came in direct response to the southern threat and the perception of danger from 
  across the Badlands has never really left Valeria. The expansionist policies of the Southern Republic, of course, have much 
  t o  do with this hostility, but Norlight outlook on their Southern neighbors contributes as well. Most Norlight casual 
  observers imagine the South as a teeming mass of sinners and temptation. The current wisdom holds that some sort of 
  limited armed struggle between the poles is immanent i n  the next ten to twenty cycles. 
  . . . 
  . . 
  The polar confederations of Terra Nova may not officially be i n  a state of war, but their intelligence agencies are locked i n  
  a deadly struggle. Much of this battle is fought by analysts, computer experts and satellite technicians, but covert agents, 
  saboteurs, assassins and commandos all pLay their part as well. The major Norlight players i n  this dangerous game are the 
  Norlight Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), which i s  the league's major civilian international intelligence agency, 
  headed by Brigman Kaine. Other players include NorPol Counterintelligence Unit (CIU), the Northern Guard Intelligence 
  Service (NGIS) and the Norlight Armed Forces' own Office of Military Intelligence (NAF/OMI). Covert strike forces are 
  maintained by NISA and NGIS and several special forces units of the Northern Guard and NAF. The most famous of these 
  are the Guard's legendary Cat's Paws Gear regiment (stationed near Zagazig) and the NAPS elite Desert Action Group 
  (operating from Kossuth). 
  Southern opposition i n  the intelligence war is a dizzying panoply of agencies and units. The most infamous are the 
  Southern Republic Intelligence Directorate (SRID) and the Legion Noire special forces legion. SRID is thought to have a 
  well-established network of informers and "moles" i n  Valeria and other Norlight centers of power; but several of these 
  agents have already been identified. More mysterious are the Republican Army's Infiltreun, 
  whose agents report from 
  within the NAF or Northern Guard. Of the AST vassal states, the Mekong Dominion is the most active i n  the espionage 
  game. A wide-ranging freelance intelligence network has been set up i n  the NLC, which has made serious inroads i n  
  corporate and criminal circles. The Dominion relies heavily on "ghost squads" of special forces along the Badlands frontier 
  and occasionally within NLC borders. 
  NISA Director Brigman Kaine i s  the unquestioned - 
  but not unchallenged - master of the Norlight intelligence scene. 
  His agency has the largest budget, answers directly to the Council of Valeria and has been granted bureaucratic oversight 
  over NAF/OMI and NorPol CIU, with several important liaisons with the NGIS. Kaine is a trusted member of the Norlight 
  state apparatus, and is responsible for some of the most sensitive operations in the league. President Adjanni and Foreign 
  Minister Scope have charged Kaine with carrying out detailed intelligence not only on enemy powers, but on allies within 
  the CNCS and possible insurgent groups within the NLC. Kaine has personally decided that Second Follower Thor Hutchison 
  constitutes a threat to state security and has launched NISA operations to identify his centers of power and weaknesses. 
  Kaine has also identified Chief Justice Stark as an ally i n  the struggle against Hutchison. 
  . 
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  I
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  I 
  Miles Owen is one of Brigman Kaine's trusted assistants. He also happens to be a deep infiltrator for the 
  Southern Republic. Background checks have only found an irreproachable life, topped off by an exceptional 
  service record, and no one has managed to discover that he is actually a highly motivated mole. I n  fact, 
  except for the strange circumstances of his escape from his native Eastern Sun Emirates, no one has any 
  reason to suspect foul play - Owen has made sure never to get involved in anything that might bring 
  suspicion on him, even going as far as helping to foil a Southern intelligence operation. 
  Owen first escaped the ESE at age 7, pulled out of a life of misery and pain by a special team of agents from 
  the Southern Republic. Their motives, however, were far from altruistic. Owen was gently brainwashed and 
  indoctrinated to see the Republic as a savior to which he owed everything. Then-SRID director Jacques Molay 
  sent him to the NLC as a refugee under the name of Miles Owen (his real name i s  Josef Noma). Other than 
  Molay and the team that performed the "conversion," no one is aware of this. 
  Agents from the North and South are constantly involved in undercover struggles in an effort to gain an edge, 
  however tenuous, over the other side. The highly secret Operation Blue Zephyr was an ambitious record- 
  snatching operation, designed to acquire a complete list of Northern agents and sympathizers currently active 
  in the South. 
  Miles Owen almost got caught, quite inadvertently, in Blue Zephyr. Unaware of his (extremely secret) infiltra- 
  tor status, agents of the SRID took an interest in him in the hope of either buying him off or blackmailing him 
  into helping them. Owen saw through their schemes, but the actions of some poorly trained turncoats in his 
  department threatened to bring unwanted attention on him. Rather than just finding a way to scare them off, 
  he unmasked the entire operation. Although it cost the Republic several good agents, it only helped reinforce 
  i 
  Owen's position. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The "Lion and Eagle" analysis of foreign affairs regards the NLC and Republic as the two significant power centers on Terra 
  Nova, coloring the relationship between Valeria and Port Oasis. Official policy has long considered the Republic as a threat 
  not only to Norlight security, but to the prospect of peace on any scale. Consequently, diplomatic relations have been cool 
  t o  say the least, with outright hostility the order of the day more often than not. The nineteenth century was especially 
  tense, with skirmishes i n  the Badlands a constant backdrop to political relations. The only glimmer of hope i n  the period 
  came i n  the TN 1840s, when a certain detente took hold and a few important agreements were reached. The most 
  noteworthy among them was the Rothchilde Accords of TN 1843, which limited1 nuclear arsenals. I n  the postwar period, 
  the von Breslau government tried to capitalize on the bridges built during the conflict to establish friendly relationships 
  with the Republic, but these efforts met with only limited success. President Adjanni has been satisfied with allowing the 
  CNCS government to dominate overall relations with the Republic as long as she is allowed some input. Norlight diplo- 
  matic initiatives have been focused on specific issues, such as the trade along the gamma maglev or the deployment of 
  troops in the Badlands. 
  Civilian relations between the two global superpowers are mutually disdainful. Stereotypically, Norlight citizens think 
  Republicans are an immoral and oppressed people, while Republicans think of Norlights as moralistic religious fanatics. 
  While these generalizations may hold true for the median of both societies, many Norlights have friendly relationships 
  with their Southern counterparts. The gamma maglev which links Franklin Harbor to Port Oasis allows for easy trade and 
  travel between the leagues. Although not as intense as with the Mekong Dominion, trade with the Republic has been 
  ongoing. Travel is limited, but Franklin Harbor welcomes wealthy Southern vacationers on a regular basis. A fair number 
  of war veterans have fond memories of their Southern compatriots, although the increased aggressivity of the South i n  
  the last decade has soured most people still in the service. 
  As the population of both leagues gain more contact with one another, it is very possible that they could eventually learn 
  t o  coexist peacefully. The various governmental powers, however, have too much at stake to allow this to happen. The 
  threat of war is just too profitable. 
  A schizophrenic relationship exists between the Northern Lights Confederacy and the Mekong Dominion. The Norlight 
  diplomatic corps and its CNCS equivalent issue a stream of criticism and contempt for the Dominion. Norlight media take 
  great pleasure in reporting the latest poverty statistics for the Dominion's underclass and the excess of their corporate 
  taipans. The Dominion, for its part, regards the NLC as a nation of blind fools, holding on to religion for its own sake 
  without using it as a motivating force. Despite this mutual dislike, trade between the two leagues has always been strong 
  and is currently at an all-time high. The beta maglev between Valeria and Mekong explains this relationship for the most 
  part. Business leaders on both sides of the Badlands are more than willing to put aside political and cultural hostility in 
  exchange for access t o  large foreign markets. The Norlight government - and especially the Economic Development 
  Council - 
  are also well aware that in the Dominion, trade and diplomacy are one and the same. They recognize that t o  
  stave off the possibility of the taipans establishing a hold on the Norlight economy (and hence political influence) they 
  must keep exports i n  line with imports. Import tariffs have also been maintained to limit Dominion impact on certain key 
  areas of production, such as vehicle and heavy industry. Dominion imports are largely consumer goods, while exports t o  
  the dominion include foodstuffs and lumber. Tourism between the leagues is restricted to the very wealthy. Academic 
  exchanges are more common, however, and several Norlight scholars live and work i n  Olduvai. Dominion scholars are more 
  rare i n  the NLC, but a few teach i n  some of the large universities i n  Valeria and Yele. 
  While the Southern Republic is considered the most dangerous intelligence opponent of the NLC, the Dominion is i n  fact 
  the power which employs the most lethal methods of attack against Norlight targets. Over the last decade, the Mekong 
  Assembly has approved a campaign of assassination and sabotage designed t o  destabilize the league. Corporate security 
  agencies, NorPol and NISA are well aware of this campaign and have been largely successful in protecting potential 
  targets. Several operations were successful, however, including the sabotage of Northern Petrochem Refinery 15, south of 
  Petropolis, which was destroyed i n  a firestorm i n  TN 1929. I n  the face of such assaults, Norlight policy seeks to tighten 
  security and respond by controlled retaliation. NISA assassins eliminated sixteen suspected Dominion agents and control- 
  lers i n  TN 1930. 
  The director of most covert operations i n  the NLC is Niklas Jiang, the senior executive of International Consumer Products' 
  Valeria bureau. Personally assigned to Valeria by Speaker and ICP CEO Miyako Sogabe, Jiang is the power behind the 
  Mekong Embassy in Valeria and leads the small enclave of Dominion business people who profit from trade along the beta 
  maglev. Highly cultured and refined, Jiang cultivates the image of the "reasonable Dominionite" in Valeria and stands in 
  sharp contrast to the stereotypical Norlight view of rapacious Mekong business people. By cultivating alliances with many 
  of the large commercial brokers of the league, he has made himself a man of influence and prestige. Meanwhile he gathers 
  intelligence on economic weakness and eliminates dangerous targets. Jiang controls several "ghost squads," including 
  the White Tigers, a band of twelve elite saboteurs who are personally loyal t o  him. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Northern Lights Confederacy and Humanist Alliance have very little to do with each other. No direct communication 
  lines link the two leagues and cultural differences are difficult t o  bridge. The NLC does maintain a small embassy in Perth, 
  however, headed by Julian Marsh, a former professor of international sociology at Port Aurora College. Marsh has been 
  spearheading a campaign to encourage cultural exchanges between the two leagues, with only limited success. Commer- 
  cial exchanges are extremely limited, although some high-technology Humanist consumer goods do find their way t o  the 
  Norlight market, usually through Badlands or UMF trade houses. Among the general populace, the Alliance is seen in two 
  distinct lights. To some, the league is portrayed as a utopian society that has been enslaved by the Southern Republic. 
  Others see it as an immoral oligarchy held together by brainwashing and terror. Stories of Humanist hypnotherapy 
  techniques and the disappearance of dissidents - 
  some true, others fabricated - 
  often appear i n  the more sensational 
  branches of the Norlight press. 
  Ambassador Marsh and other members of the diplomatic corps are well aware that the Alliance has integrated Republican 
  rule the least of all the vassal states of the AST. Marsh has repeatedly argued that the severe degree of social control in 
  the Alliance is a sign of resistance because the Illuminatus keeps control over his league to prevent Republican domina- 
  tion. Like all diplomatic stations, the embassy in Perth shelters a NISA bureau that is actively establishing contacts with 
  anti-Republican elements i n  the Alliance. Marsh and his agents have established largely low-level contacts and are being 
  monitored by Humanist intelligence agents loyal to Gavin Hypolite and his nationalist movement (for more information, 
  see Character Compendium 1, p. 34). Ella Kayman, the CNCS diplomat meeting with Hypolite i n  Port Arthur, has chosen 
  not to inform her Norlight counterparts of her encounter because she i s  anxious to protect Hypolite and to ensure her own 
  political assets. 
  If and when the Humanist Alliance manages to break free of the Allied Southern Territories' grasp, the Norlight govern- 
  ment would certainly be interested i n  establishing a more formal trade and defense relationship with them. Not only 
  would the Alliance be a formidable foothold i n  the south, it also represents a treasure-house of advanced technology that 
  could be used to great advantage by Norlight scientists. There i s  also a slight possibility that prolonged contact with the 
  NLC might help change the caste system into something which would allow more personal freedom - 
  and thus possibly 
  open new markets for Norlights products and, hopefully, their faith. Currently, Sorrento Revisionism is almost unknown i n  
  the Alliance and is not see kindly by the Illuminatus or the upper echelons of the preceptor caste. Ambassador Marsh has 
  tried with only a mild degree of success to show the Humanist leadership that they have nothing to fear from the church. 
  The relationship between the NLC and the Emirates is currently the center point of Norlight diplomatic initiatives in the 
  southern hemisphere. Historically, the two leagues have had cool political relationships, but a constant Row of trade 
  flourishes along the beta magle, with Norlight manufactured goods being traded for Eastern products. This relationship 
  has never been hugely profitable, however, because of the much heavier trade between the ESE and Mekong Dominion. 
  Cultural understanding has always been distorted. Most Norlights see Easter feudalism as the most backward social system 
  on the planet and a base example of Southern oppression. The presence of large numbers of Massadan Revisionists in the 
  ESE has led to a certain amount of sympathy and friendship, but the schism between the Sorrento and Massadan sects has 
  reduced this relationship to one of paternalistic concern on the part of the religious establishment. The suffering of 
  Eastern Revisionists is a stock part of many Norlight sermons. 
  The rebellion in Basal has catapulted the ESE t o  the center stage of Terranovan diplomacy. Livingstone businessman 
  Apollonius Sinclere has led a media blitz to gather public support for Emir Shirow and his beleaguered rebels. A members 
  of the Prophet's Shield, he has gathered charity moneys to buy supplies which are then smuggled to the rebels. Sinclere 
  has publicly cast the rebellion i n  a religious light, portraying the rebellion has a battle between the moral oppressed and 
  immoral oppressors, emphasizing the Revisionist elements among the rebels. Strategically, the rebellion provides the 
  North as a whole with a prized opportunity to both bog down Southern military forces i n  a doomed struggle and to set up 
  a friendly government i n  enemy territory. Norlight resources have been used to smuggle not only humanitarian supplies, 
  but weapons and strategic intelligence t o  the rebels. NISA and NGIS agents have also been assigned the task of fanning 
  the flames of rebellion i n  other Eastern cities. 
  Regardless of the outcome of the Basal rebellion, the Confederacy holds little hope for the future of the Eastern Sun 
  Emirates. Many doubt that the poorly-developed league could contribute anything to the short and medium term prosper- 
  ity of the NLC. Even if the Emirates' population managed to throw off the shackles put on them by their abusive masters, 
  they would constitute a nearly worthless market due to the great poverty of the inhabitants. The obvious solution, for the 
  NLC to supply monetary and technical help to transform the backward feudal society into a modern state, is currently not 
  very popular among business and military circles. Apollonius Sinclere, however, has been arguing that because of the 
  enclaves of Massadan Revisionism i n  the ESE, the NLC has a moral obligation to help the league. Second Follower Thor 
  Hutchison, in private conversations with Sinclere, has expressed his hope to see the Gentle Word spread throughout the 
  Emirates. Both men share a conviction that their faith can become a catalyst for freedom. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The equatorial desert of the Badlands is a political and military buffer and a resource frontier by the policy makers of the 
  NLC. Common citizens see it as a wild and lawless frontier. Its freedom and danger is allluring. At the same time, the 
  immorality which reigns supreme is a cause for concern. Norlight foreign policy on the Badlands has not recognized it or 
  any of its localities as true political players on the global seen. The NLC and the CNCS have felt that they could generally 
  do as they please i n  the deserts. 
  Since the time of St. VincenYs War, Norlight foreign policy i n  the Badlands has operated under the aegis of the CNCS. Since 
  the re-establishment of secure borders after the war, CNCS policy i n  the Badlands has been directed by its Ministry of 
  Trade and more specifically by Deputy Minister Ella Kayman. Kayman launched a policy of establishing exclusive trading 
  relationships with desert communities with limited success. Currently, the CNCS Ministry of Defense is demanding more 
  authority and may well receive it as tensions grow with the South. The Norlight state does not have a firm position i n  this 
  debate and continues to abide by CNCS policy i n  the region. President Adjanni and Minister Scope, however, have no 
  qualms about initiating independent policy where necessary. 
  The gang war between the Forzi and Kolson smuggling cartels costs Norlight lives and has turned many areas of the 
  league's border into a lawless frontier. To counter this, Kathe Adjanni authorized the unilateral use of NAF units against 
  smuggling operations in the Badlands. Ella Kayman criticizes these moves because they "undermine CNCS efforts to 
  establish form trade accords." She is, however, afraid t o  lose Norlight support for her broad policies, so her protests are 
  mild. Rumors fly that Adjanni is considering an NAF strike on Wounded Knee itself to cripple Forzi and Kolson resources, 
  but CNCS have refused to sanction a move that might destabilize the city-state (which is a CNCS military base). Some 
  Western delegates i n  Valeria have voiced approval for such a move, however. NAF resources have also been deployed t o  
  protect pilgrimage routes to Massada, although this time with clearer CNCS approval. 
  The True North Party, a Norlight political formation, is another of the government's many concerns as far as the Badlands 
  are concerned. Germain Dunkel, one of the senior representatives of the Party, has often used the desert seas as the 
  backdrop for several of his more paranoid policies and schemes. His position as a close friend and advisor to Retired 
  Brigadier Wilhelm Miehn, the party's leader, often give his words more importance than they are truly worth. Foreign 
  Minister Scope has tried to have Miehn and Dunkel sanctioned within the House of Congress because of their inflamma- 
  tory moves i n  the Badlands, thus far without success. Miehn's nationalist policies have garnered more and more attention 
  and Scope's opposition to them might well come back to haunt him come the next elections. 
  fi A ~ ~ n i t o  
  ~ a ~ a h  
  4 
  Marah is the chief representative of an association of small settlements and communities on the Badlands 
  border of the Confederacy. The second son of a johar grass farmer, Benito served as a soldier in the War of the 
  Alliance, where he served on the front as an infantryman. Soon after the conflict, he returned home and 
  helped rebuild the farming settlements of the region into a strong community. With the help of some Norlight 
  army friends, he secured several local trade agreements with the Desert Trade commission. 
  Not everything about Benito Marah i s  clean-cut, however. The deals with the Norlight government came about 
  quite easily, which has made several other council members suspicious of his resources and motives. Marah 
  himself seems very accommodating to his Norlight contacts, several of which are still serving either with the 
  NAF or with the Northern Guard. Marah realizes that the global climate is turning towards war once more and 
  knows that he must make friends now if his community is to be protected when the bu 
  have accused him of betraying his home for the NLC, but he is ready to accept suc 
  assuring the safety of his family, and he has begun to make arrangements to flee north when the time comes. 
  ~~~~~~ 
  Sea 4 
  The harsh environment of the Badlands has historically forced people to gather together for protection and 
  security. Golden Sea i s  an association of small settlements and communities on the Eastern Desert border of 
  the Norlight Confederacy. The association's council, led by Benito Marah, has arranged several trade agree- 
  ments with NLC representatives to give the association access to a wider market. I n  addition, the overall 
  agreement has some provisions for an eventual mutual defense agreement, which would probably prove more 
  beneficial for Golden Sea than the large northern league. 
  While the agreements make the inhabitants nominally part of the NLC, they remain Badlanders at the core and 
  this has caused problems and friction with the officials assigned to watch over them and their interests. 
  Quotas and trade tariffs never went well with the Badlanders' free economy spirit, and many farmers have 
  started to garner support against Marah. This has led to an unpleasant situation that has been d 
  various local settlements for the past few seasons, and many fear that things could degenerate into strife and 
  violence. Several of Marah's rivals have begun associating with rovers and smugglers currently involved in the 
  Forzi-Kolson cartel war. These people empathize with the free-spirit and rough life of the smugglers more than 
  Marah's plan to integrate the economy more strongly with the Norlight market and its regulations. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Traditionally, to Norlight diplomats, Paxton Arms, the corporate power i n  Peace River, is a wild card in global politics. The 
  huge producer has aggressively placed itself at the center of the Terranovan arms trade, setting the standard for whole 
  classes of weaponry and selling to both North and South. This has made Paxton a thorn in the side of domestic arms 
  manufacturers, but the reliability and competitive price of Paxton weaponry has ensured them a place i n  the Norlight 
  arsenal. Politically, Peace River exerts a positive influence on the tumultuous Badlands, because it can exercise pressure 
  on independent communities t o  "please its clients." I n  the immediate postwar situation, Peace River became an even 
  more attractive asset because it took a greater interest i n  Badlands stability by establishing the Peace River Defense 
  Force and its protection zone, and because Port Arthur matched i t s  power i n  the deserts. 
  Over the last seven or eight cycles, however, the situation has changed. I n  TN 1925 the PRDF backed away from protecting 
  the safety of pilgrims to Massada and allowed the Southern MILICIA to set up several garrisons i n  the southern portion of 
  the Karaq Wastes, decisions which sent shock waves through the North. Although the PRDF would return to patrolling 
  several important pilgrimage routes after diplomatic protests and threats of boycotts from the North, the trust of the 
  Adjanni administration was lost. Political instability within Peace River over the last several cycles has nourished doubts 
  about the political value of Peace River as a neutral power. The terrorist Badlands Revolutionary, Front has embarked on 
  a serious bombing campaign i n  Peace River and the prospect of a full scale revolt i s  now seriously discussed among polar 
  diplomats. Were this to occur, the production facilities of Paxton Arms could either be destroyed or fall to a foreign power. 
  Even assuming a stable Peace River, the Terranovan political scene is now a zero-sum game where neutral powers (such as 
  Paxton) are assumed to be enemies. 
  President Adjanni and her diplomatic corps have fully backed the current CNCS initiative to negotiate an exclusive trade 
  agreement with Paxton. Foreign Affairs Minister Scope knows full well that these appeals are unlikely to reach fruition 
  immediately, but he believes that as war approaches and internal terrorism intensifies, Northern protection may become 
  very attractive t o  President Simosa. Arinsun's major concern now is that Simosa will lose the election this year and be 
  replaced by a less receptive leader. 
  The Norlight diplomatic corps have been supportive of the growth of Port Arthur. While Western and Mercantile policy was 
  tinged by the suffering of the war and concerns over i t s  might, NLC ambassadors and representatives i n  the CNCS inner 
  council have advocated friendly relationships with the Terran expatriates. Even the von Breslau government saw the 
  advantages of using Port Arthur as a foil to Paxton Arms in the Badlands. The Adjanni government has encouraged CNCS 
  efforts to make the city-state a large trading partner. The diplomatic corps' outlook is motivated by a belief that it would 
  be better to deal with a well-established state than an outcast power ready for anything. As tensions with the South rise, 
  the last thing the CNCS wants is to be dragged into a war i n  the Barrington Basin. 
  The creation of the New Coalition under Arthurian protection has led to some concern because it challenges the current 
  Northern diplomatic effort to establish exclusive trade arrangements with Badlands communities. President Adjanni is 
  content to allow the CNCS, WFP and UMF to lead the way on NuCoal, since the Westridge Area i s  of only indirect economic 
  significance to her league. She has, however, established some friendly diplomatic relations with Prince Gable, aimed at 
  cooperation against the Wounded Knee smuggling cartels. 
  In the minds of most Norlights, the most important relationship between their league and the Badlands is with Massada, 
  the holiest site in their religion. Every cycle, tens of thousands of Norlight pilgrims travel to the holy city, retracing the 
  Second Peregrination of Mamoud and Nathani, and the city is considered the most important place on Terra Nova for 
  Revisionists. This sentiment and the dangerous nature of the Badlands have made the idea of annexing Massada a 
  constant on the Norlight political scene. Even the Twin Pillars Party recognizes that outright annexation without the 
  approval of the First Follower i n  Massada could only lead to religious strife. Most Norlight governments suggest a military 
  protectorate over the city-state and have initiated unilateral patrols along major pilgrimage routes. Until recently, the 
  First Follower has always refused such offers. 
  With North-South tensions rising i n  the late TN 1920s the situation changed: MILICIA units began to establish firmer 
  control over the southern Karaq Wastes. At the same time, the Peace River Defense Force announced that it could no 
  longer guarantee safety t o  pilgrims traveling t o  Massada. I n  early TN 1929, a protectorate was announced after a sum*t 
  between the First and Second Followers. Since then, the NAPS 16th Gear regiment, the Blue Angels, has served as 
  protector of the city-state. Colonel Nee1 Garner Fulan, commander of the Angels, has repeatedly requested reinforcements 
  as tensions increase in the Wastes. First Follower Draven Capac has thus far refused to approve such actions, but President 
  Adjanni, Marshal Paulk and Grand Marshal Edden-Smythe have nevertheless prepared plans to deploy two additional 
  regiments. They agree t o  deploy these forces unilaterally if Capac will not sanction their use. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  ' 
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  "Definitely mind-control lasers. There's no way we're dealing with hypnotism or drugs." Lyson Miller was abso- 
  lutely adamant: after all, his full spectrum analyzer was rarely wrong. His brother didn't seem convinced. 
  "You always were a simpleton, Lyson." Gerik Miller pulled out a small sensor device which he directed toward the 
  south. "You've completely overlooked the possibilities of sonic devices. Heavy amounts of drugs or overt hypno- 
  tism are totally unnecessary with the application of targeted ultra and sub-sonic vibrations in the alpha and mu 
  zones. Those would go straight to the cerebellum and affect a whole range of behavior." 
  "Don't be a braggart, Gerik." Lyson took another sip from his prideshake - 
  thoroughly tested for drugs, nano- 
  emitters and radioactive particles - 
  before continuing. Helios was reflecting pleasantly off of the shining surface 
  of Lake Clearwater while a light mist rolled into shore; he was enjoying his "working vacation" in Exeter very 
  much... 
  perhaps too much. "Where would these sonic devices be located?" 
  "They could be anywhere, inside any decorative ornament or under any seat." Gerik passed his hand under a park 
  bench looking for emitters then aimed his scanning equipment at a conveniently placed lamppost. He didn't find 
  anything and hesitated for a second. "Of course the use of small emitters would increase the risk of discovery. 
  Sonic transmission itself can be modulated at such a frequency that the waves themselves can't be detected: it's 
  the transmitter which i s  vulnerable. My feeling is that there is a single central emitter of unparalleled power." 
  "And just where would this device be, Gerik?" 
  "Where else?" Gerik pointed southeast towards the center of Exeter. Rising above the surrounding buildings was 
  the great Exeter Stonehead, fully sixty meters tall. The ancient idol cast its peaceful gaze over the whole water- 
  front. Both Mullers were so taken by the stone enigma that they didn't notice the youth running up to them until 
  he was a hair's breadth away. One easy push and Lyson was off-balance; an instant later his handbag, full of 
  valuable equipment, was gone and the youth was running off. 
  "Hold it right there!" The Exeter police officer's order was met with an astonishing and fascinating display. A l l  the 
  locals walking along the waterfront quite simply moved aside; they did so as a unit, almost like a group of 
  automatons receiving an order. They left the officer a clear view of the apparently unaffected thief running 
  straight at her. The Millers were speechless. 
  The thief, sensing the threat, reached to his belt and pulled out a knife, perhaps hoping to frighten the police 
  officer enough for him to get away. The tactic failed. The policewoman pulled her firearm and took aim, a small 
  underslung targeting laser activating automatically. I n  the mild mist, the thin red beam could be seen clearly 
  linking the barrel of the pistol to the thief's chest. There would be no escape. 
  The thief stopped and dropped both his knife and his prize. A second officer then arrived and arrested the youth. 
  He read him his basic rights i n  a pleasant but firm tone, while his partner covered him. The scarlet target-pointer 
  faded only once the handcuffs were in place. 
  Lyson Muller was very satisfied. "See, I told you: mind-control lasers." 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Northern Lights Confederacy - 
  like most leagues on Terra Nova - 
  continues t o  live through the echoes of the chaos 
  of Reconstruction. At that time, military power suddenly became critical as a dazzling array of warlords and petty 
  potentates scrambled for valuable resources. Out of these conflicts arose a series of city-states based on the most 
  successful of colonial-era urban centers, each of which was able t o  create secure defenses for itself and extend its power 
  over surrounding regions. Of course, some of these citadels were more powerful than others and they fought their own 
  wars for over a generation. Only the formation of the NLC itself, between TN 1525 and 1575, brought an end t o  armed 
  conflict between individual city-states in the northern hemisphere. 
  The nearly continuous warfare and conflicts that have raged between the NLC, its neighbors and the Allied Southern 
  Territories has maintained the tactical importance of the city-states. Other than the relatively clear demarcation of the 
  Westridge Range between the NLC and the Western Frontier Protectorate, the borders of the league are ill defined. The 
  Badlands border is especially loose, not even hugging the edge of the desert savannah like the borders of most other leagues. 
  The border with the United Mercantile Federation is similarly arbitrary, cutting right though the Northern Plain, Arctic Basin 
  and Tershaw Range. These lengthy borders are very difficult to defend completely and Norlight Commanders have had t o  rely 
  on a buffer strategy that allows attacking forces t o  penetrate rural territories somewhat before being repelled. The city- 
  states and several rural military encampments maintains the strong citadels in this flexible line of defense. Almost all 
  Norlight Armed Forces are stationed in or near a city-state, while the Northern Guard is posted t o  both rural and urban bases. 
  The heritage of Reconstruction and very real security needs in border areas continue to cast Norlight regional develop- 
  ment in the city-state model. The existing urban centers are the focus of most large-scale economic development, 
  including industrial plants and transport centers. Rural areas (including a fair number of mid-sized hamlets) account for 
  about half of the Norlight population and receive support from the national government, but large scale development 
  programs are usually tied t o  a city-state. Exceptions include agricultural and ranching programs, but even these are often 
  cosponsored by a local city-state such as the recent Johar Restoration Program begun near Smolensk. 
  The largest league on Terra Nova, the Northern Lights Confederacy is equipped with a very well developed 
  transportation system. This network includes two maglev lines (beta and gamma), an extensive network of 
  railways, interstate highways, river and lake shipping and a well-developed air transport service. The most 
  historically critical communications link in the NLC i s  the Beta maglev, which runs from the Eastern Desert to 
  Petropolis, Smolensk and Valeria-Port Aurora. This axis created the impetus for the formation of the NLC and 
  allowed for the development of the Irrian Plain region. The gamma maglev has been less critical because it 
  linked Franklin Harbor to Fort James in the WFP. 
  The most well-developed travel and cargo system in the NLC is the national railway. While transport companies 
  are private, the maintenance of the major rail links between the city-states is a national responsibility. Smolensk 
  is the hub of the Norlight rail system, with lines running south and north to supplement the beta maglev, and 
  others running south-east toward Skadi, Livingstone and Yele, and still others running west towards the Tershaw 
  Range. Large interstate highways also link the city-states and major rural regions. These numbered roads are 
  generally fenced six-lane affairs that are used mostly by large trucking companies and rural inhabitants. Some 
  interstates have been expanded to super-highway status, such as the ten-lane link between Livingstone and 
  Valeria. The Tenhaw Range region has an impressive network of intestates which wind through the hills and 
  stretch into the United Mercantile Federation. Shipping is important in the Lake Clearwater and Auroran Basin 
  regions. Valeria-Port Aurora uses the Thorn river to Lake Clearwater, and from there the Perten river winds 
  through the Auroran Basin to link with Kenema. Air transport is a small but thriving sector, providing atmospheric 
  and trans-orbital links between major city-states. Cargo air transport, although more expensive, is nevertheless 
  popular because of the time saved over rail links, but passenger travel remains the purview of the wealthy. 
  b ~ ~ r l i ~ h ~  
  Zephyr Rail 
  Norlight Zephyr Rail is the Largest corporation in Smolensk. NZR manufactures a wide variety of locomotives, 
  rail wagons, train rails and a variety of support material for the transport industry. NZR is also responsible for 
  maintenance of much of the rail network throughout the Irrian region and several key ground links to other 
  regions of the NLC. Under Chairwoman Dolorys' Thoras stewardship, which began in TN 1925, NZR has ex- 
  panded from production and maintenance to providing rail service creating its subsidiary Zephyr Transport 
  (known as "ZeeTran"). ZeeTran has been able to leap to the fore of the passenger rail market. Their express 
  routes between Smolensk, Petropolis and Skadi are very successful and the Double Horn line between Sorrento 
  and Valeria (with stops in Petropolis and Smolensk) provides an inexpensive alternative to the maglev. 
  Chairwoman Thoras also currently sits on the board of Terranovan TransRail (TNTR), the international consor- 
  tium that manages the globe's triple maglev network. Some have accused her of handicapping the beta 
  maglev line to benefit her own ZeeTran subsidiary, but Thoras sees herself as assuring an alternative to a 
  system designed primarily for interpolar, not regional, transport. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  According to the brochures, Exeter i s  the only perfect place on all of Terra Nova. Its streets are clean, its people are happy, 
  and the unemployment rate is just 1.1%. The buildings are always in immaculate condition and crime is limited to minor 
  infractions, usually committed by teenagers or visitors. The city's pristine, white marble public buildings and the citizens' 
  ready smiles, while pleasing at first, have been known t o  unnerve more than a few tourists who are accustomed to a bit 
  more "grit." Norlight flags fly on public buildings, and religious tolerance is a fact of life. All in all Exeter is the "perfect 
  place to live." 
  Many people have fabricated their own theories as to why Exeter has developed into this near utopia. The Northern 
  Inquirer, among other trash tabloids, regularly has articles about mind-controlling drugs i n  the water supply, laser 
  hypnosis beams from outer space or subliminal messages broadcast over local trideo stations. While these claims are 
  considered outlandish, many people take vacations i n  Exeter only t o  see the controversial city for themselves, creating a 
  small, but lucrative tourist boom. Several prominent sociologists and anthropologists have devoted numerous hours to 
  study the city i n  an attempt to uncover how Exeter has succeeded where so many other cities have failed. Though many 
  theories continue to circulate, both outrageous and serious, a definitive answer has yet t o  be uncovered. Local take all 
  the attention i n  stride, taking a perverse pleasure i n  leading tourists on and approaching them with bogus offers to join 
  ancient arcane orders or participate i n  hypnosis experiments. 
  Most citizens trace the "perfection" of their community to its peaceful and uniquely privileged history. Exeter began as a 
  small colonial era farming and fishing community on the eastern tip of Lake Cleamater and actually prospered during 
  Reconstruction. Isolated by the water and the Exeter Hills from most of the violence, the burgeoning city-state regrouped 
  the local villages into a defensible community which engaged i n  trade with Franklin Harbor. Only the rise of the United 
  Mercantile Federation in the sixteenth and seventeenth century saw a real military threat to Exeter and the city state 
  rapidly joined the NLC t o  ensure its protection. The creation of the CNCS led t o  a great decrease i n  military presence and 
  the city-state went on t o  escape almost alleffects of St. Vincenfs Plague (hence avoiding the maniacal fervor of the war), 
  was the site of no major Judas Syndrome betrayals and was spared occupation or orbital bombing during the war of the 
  Alliance. Historians claim that this peaceful history has created a peaceful community; conspiracy buffs claim it to be 
  evidence for their arcane theories. 
  Exeter and the surrounding region are also home to an unusually high number of Stoneheads, including several of the 
  largest in the northern hemisphere. This coincidence is the center of many theories about the city-state. The most famous 
  was popular i n  the TN 1850s and held that Exeter was built atop a huge "Stonehead graveyard" that contained evidence 
  of a race of super-aliens inhabiting Terra Nova. 
  !ita1 Statistics 4 
  Location: 
  57O45' W, Ill"# W 
  .. . 
  . -. . . 
  Population: 
  Agriculture, dairy production, fishing I 
  Principal Industry: 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Date 
  1. Exeter Marina 
  Featuring long civilian docks for sailboats and 
  yachts, the Exeter Marina is dominated by a 
  long boardwalk lined with shops and cafes. Tour- 
  ists usually spend their evenings slowly walk- 
  ing along the Marina, enjoying the sights. 
  The Large campus of Clearwater College houses 
  a well-respected liberal arts college. The CC 
  School of Archaeology is especially well-re- 
  spected. 
  This large processing plant produces a wide va- 
  riety of "Pride of Exeter" gourmet ice-cream and 
  dairy products for export across the hemisphere. 
  4. Municipal Buildings The town hall of Exeter was recently renovated 
  and now features a beautiful bas relief of lake 
  scenes. 
  The most infamous of "conspiracy cafes," the 
  Mesmm thrives i n  the shadow of the great Ex- 
  eter Stonehead. It advertires itself as featur- 
  ing a full array of mind-control lasers. 
  A large round-about in the center of the lake 
  district, Stonehead Circle features one of the 
  largest Stoneheads in the hemisphere. Most 
  theorize that the head was cawed in the TN 
  300s by early explorers. Some feel it has been 
  there even longer. 
  A designer of productivity software for the mod- 
  ern office, Exetech maintains state-of-the-art 
  facilities that employ over 1,500 local citizens. 
  The grounds feature low-rise architecture, small 
  parks and paths. 
  Located at the southern end of the waterfront, 
  the New Hope Compound is home t o  a small 
  Blue Crescent community. The shaved heads and 
  tattoos of the order are not an uncommon sight 
  in the city streets of Exeter. 
  2. Clearwater College 
  3. Pride/Ex Facilities 
  5. The Mesmro 
  6. Stonehead Circle 
  7. Exetech Facilities 
  8. New Hope 
  The people of Exeter are widely regarded as a model community. Crime i s  the lowest of any city-state on Terra Nova, 
  usually limited to minor cases of teenage vandalism or tourists accidentally breaking a minor by-law. Unemployment is 
  one of the lowest i n  the North and suicide is virtually non-existent. According t o  the local tourist office, Exeterites are the 
  most contented people on all of Terra Nova. Some others call them lemmings who blindly follow the city leaders, happy 
  with anything that is done to them. 
  Exeter has a very strong sense of community. Many citizens volunteer their time to help out with holiday celebrations, 
  local sports matches or any number of events that encourage public pride and spirit. A l l  Revisionists theoretically 
  dedicate Wednesdays (the so-called Gentle Day) to peregrination, a call to community service. In Exeter, this dedication 
  is unparalleled, with almost the entire population participating i n  communal activities, city maintenance and beautifica- 
  tion. Exeter is home to a relatively large number of Jerusalemites as well as a small Blue Crescent commune. They are 
  welcome t o  participate in communal activities, and many do. Furthermore, as a part of the school curriculum, children 
  must donate five additional hours a week to the city t o  help in any way they can. This has developed a strong sense of 
  responsibility and belonging which only grows as they mature. 
  Even though Exeteh darker side is certainly overshadowed by its content demeanor, Exeter is not a perfect city. An increas- 
  ing number of teenagers are beginning t o  show signs of escalating rebellious behavior. Some adults blame their children's 
  change i n  attitude on the increasing numbers of bars and nightclubs which try to make a buck off the tourist boom. A few 
  of the nightclubs have catered to a more "rebellious" clientele, and are quickly coming under attack from various community 
  groups who feel that this music and atmosphere are not good influences on their city. One of these clubs, the Host, was 
  recently burned to the ground i n  a horrendous blaze. Luckily the fire occurred during the day when the bar was closed and no 
  one was hurt. Exeter police commissioner Connie Wang has assigned to investigators to the case, but she is beginning to 
  think they may be corrupt because the case i s  not progressing. It remains to be seen if the Host will reopen. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  Exeter is a democratic city-state, with elections held every five cycles (the next election i s  scheduled for Spring TN 1936). 
  Presently, Exetet's government is headed by Laurent Belli, who i n  his first term has already shaken up the political scene. 
  Not content to solely manage his home city, Belli has become a major player on the national scene, leading one of the 
  major factions within the Council of Mayors. Belli's relaxed manner, sharp wit and occasional burst of flirtatiousness have 
  been criticized by some of the more conservative elements of Exeter, but most locals seem to like the young mayor who 
  has been able to move beyond the straight-laced image of city. Internally, Belli's greatest concerns have been to keep his 
  city clean and peaceful. He has successfully held off numerous heavy industries which have attempted to develop facili- 
  ties within Exeter, keeping pollution levels well below the average, instead attracting smaller industries producing con- 
  sumer goods and high-technology equipment. Belli's principle concern is keeping the religious schisms that are currently 
  cutting up the rest of the NLC from dividing his community. His city council includes both Revisionist and Jerusalemite 
  members and he wishes to see peaceful coexistence continue. He has attracted the attention of Chief Justice Stark and 
  the two have begun cooperating to identify the divisive religious elements in Northern society. Belli has begun trying to 
  piece together the complex web of relationships within the Prophet's Shield, thus far with only limited success. 
  Those who feel Exeter i s  simply too good to be true point out that Belli seems to have done a good job hushing up any 
  negative press about his community. Of particular interest was the discovery at the end of TN 1931 of a small cult among 
  teenagers on the campus of Clearwater College, Exetet's small Liberal Arts university. Press coverage was sparse at best, 
  but rumors have surfaced that the students were involved i n  an ancestor cult centered around Yuri Gropius, the man who 
  attempted t o  create a utopian society with the Humanist Alliance. While no definitive ties between the discovery of this 
  cult and Exetet's peaceful society have been made, more than a few have speculated on possible connections and stories 
  of Humanist mind-control gas have become popular i n  the tabloids. Belli has been surprisingly efficient i n  isolating and 
  quarantining any physical evidence about the cult. 
  Exeter's economy is based largely on agricultural and dairy products, including the highly popular Pride of Exeter brand of ice 
  cream. The Pride of Exeter recently won a libel case against the Northern Inquirer over the paper's report that the Pride of 
  Exeter contained mind-altering chemicals. Several cutting edge software and hardware corporations have also set up shop in 
  Exeter over the last fifty cycles, while medium-scale manufacturing has also moved into the region over the last few cycles. 
  The endless supply of conspiracy theories about Exeter also make a bizarre but significant contribution to the economy. 
  The most obvious by-product is the arrival of curious tourists with disposable income. Several hotel and resort chains have 
  opened branches within Exeter while several restaurants and nightclubs cater to tourists who are interested in seeing the 
  "mind-controlled" city. One night club in particular, The Mesmro, draws huge numbers of youngsters - 
  tourist and local 
  alike - 
  with their controversial advertising campaign. They advertise that their music is laced with subliminal messages, 
  their light show is an elaborate mind-control experiment sponsored by the government and that all their drinks have 
  mind-altering chemicals. Some people have argued that this advertising campaign is immoral but The Mesmro has no 
  intent of stopping as it continues to draw huge crowds to its doors. Even more extraordinary is the so-called Exeter 
  Project. Based in the UMF capital of Lyonnesse, the Project is dedicated to cracking the secrets of Exeter through "the 
  application of science." The project has attracted the patronage of several top executives i n  need of entertainment and so 
  has a great deal of disposable income to spent on satellite photography analysis and field research. Teams of bizarrely 
  equipped "researchers" and overly theatrical "paranormal investigators" can be spotted around town at almost any time 
  of year. Most members of the Project have very eclectic (and often not-quite-legitimate) training and seem willing t o  
  spend large amounts of money in Exeter on facilities, equipment, interviews and test subjects. Locals consider extracting 
  large payments from these visitors a sort of profitable civic pastime. 
  (Music Scene Bi-Weekly, 9 Spring, TN 1933) - 
  The recent release of A Legocy of Conspirocy by Underground 
  Authority has taken the music industry by storm. UA's debut album quickly climbed the charts and has 
  maintained a presence in the Top 20 for the past 18 weeks and shows no signs of slipping any time soon. Their 
  post-shock style of scratchy vocals and throbbing beat have added fuel to the numerous theories of corruption 
  and wrong doings that float around the North while pounding the alternative music scene into submission. 
  Lead singer Stevie Graves' lyrics are rife with accounts of conspiracy by CNCS Chief Justice Winston Stark, the 
  Revisionist Church and the Norlight city-state of Exeter, to name a few. Under constant attack by conservative 
  politicians, clergy and parents alike, Graves seems to thrive under the pressure and controversy. "I don't care 
  what they say. I know the truth. They know the truth also. they just can't let it out. I've seen it and it can't 
  be contained any more. The truth is right here!" Regardless of how accurate their proclamations are, one truth 
  stands out, Underground Authority is here to stay. Indeed, the band's choice to play only small venues on the 
  first leg of their Northern tour has created a manic demand for tickets. The tour kicks off with two shows at 
  Exeter's infamous Mesmro Club on 21 Spring. The Exter Project i s  expected to be in attendence and wishes to 
  interview UA's songwriter about his sources. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Franklin Harbor, the Norlight Confederacy's smallest city-state, i s  located at the northern end of the gamma maglev line 
  and south of Lake Clearwater. Originally a small settlement based around the maglev terminus, which was extended from 
  Fort James in TN 755, Franklin Harbor quickly grew into a select community of Terra Nova's rich elite. The beautiful, 
  peaceful slopes of the Westridge Range overlooking the waters of Lake Clearwater attracted a select group of colonists and 
  corporate officials to the area and the intense interest drove real-estate prices up to the point that only those with 
  substantial amounts of money could purchase land. Over the following cycles the small community began t o  develop into 
  an idyllic getaway as numerous spas, mineral springs and health clubs invested in the area, eager to profit from the 
  copious flow of marks from its wealthy citizens. When the Human Concordat withdrew from Terra Nova, Franklin Harbor's 
  population shrunk to almost nothing, but the presence of the lake and the maglev attracted Reconstruction era settle- 
  ment and the city-state became a small trading power by the TN 1490s, reaching an agreement with Western city-states 
  for secure communication and attracting many settlers from the Badlands. By the TN 1570s, a significant Revisionist 
  community had grown in Franklin Harbor, which provided popular support for the decision to join the NLC as a protective 
  measure against the expansionist United Mercantile Federation. 
  For two centuries Franklin Harbor remained a quiet community, with exclusive vacation homes providing a small, but 
  wealthy tourist trade. In TN 1786, however, Chimera Holidays Inc., one of the North's largest resort chains, opened up the 
  market and purchased a half kilometer stretch of land on the edge of the city, overlooking the lake. As development began 
  on the expensive resort and people learned of the vacation spot, reservations began to flood in. Before the resort was 
  completed, Chimera had booked the first four cycles solid, with much of the following cycles booked as well. As soon as 
  this information reached the public, six other capitalist groups rushed to purchase land in the area and began to develop 
  resorts of their own. 
  The citizens of Franklin Harbor suddenly found their peaceful retreat threatened as resorts unexpectedly besieged them. 
  They quickly called a town meeting and passed strict zoning laws that relegated resorts and retirement communities to 
  the eastern sector of the city stretching along the waterfront. The western waterfront was resewed for commercial outlets 
  and residences. Essentially the city legislated itself into remaining a "small town" which profited from millions of marks 
  in tourist revenue. 
  The city has faced a new challenge in recent cycles with the arrival of the Overlook Jerusalemite Commune. Transplanted 
  from Valeria, it has been the victim of an ugly strain of discrimination. The Lake Clearwater region has always been known 
  for its tolerance, but fevers are running high and some fear drastic measures will be taken by local Revisionists. 
  b ~ i ~ a l  
  ~
  t
  ~
  ~
  l
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  t
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  LoutioR: 
  53"15' N, 158'30 W 
  Principal Industries: 
  Tounsm, health foods 
  I Population: 
  100.000 DLUS 140.000 seasonal inhabitant 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  1. Gamma Terminal 
  Built on the principle of an oasis tower, the 
  gamma maglev terminal complex houses the 
  local offices of Terranovan TransRail (TNTR), 
  customs facilities, and limited warehousing fa- 
  cilities. A smaller line leads from the terminal 
  to a maintenance facility to the northeast of 
  the city. The terminal was rebuilt i n  TN 1805 
  after a catastrophic maglev crash which de- 
  stroyed the old station. 
  2. Mountainfresh Plant I n  the hills t o  the south of the city, the 
  Mountainfresh Water bottling plant sits near the 
  Terlaw Spring, renowned for i t s  purity. 
  Mountainfresh water can be found across the 
  northern hemisphere and is sought out by finer 
  restaurants. The bottles of water are delicacies 
  i n  the Badlands. 
  The largest Jerusalemite commune in Franklin 
  Harbor, the Overlook community sits atop a cliff 
  face with a spectacular view of the lake. Most 
  members are immigrants from Valeria who have 
  come seeking a more tolerant climate.The Vale 
  River runs through the center of the commune 
  and spills into the lake at Vale Falls. The com- 
  mune's presence has lead to considerable fric- 
  tion with some local Revisionists because of 
  the increase i n  Jerusalemite population. 
  kran Island Resort is the most exclusive resort 
  i n  Franklin Harbor and owns the entire island 
  outright. Linked to the mainland by Sheridan 
  and Rostov Bridges, the island features personal 
  bungalows, private beaches and marinas for all 
  guests. 
  The main waterfront i n  Franklin Harbor lines 
  the shore of the commercial district. Restaurants 
  and shops crowd along a broad boardwalk. Slips 
  for a variety of yachts and tour boats complete 
  the image. Day cruises to the islands of Lake 
  Clearwater are a popular choice among visitors, 
  while many locals have their own small craft. 
  3. Overlook Commune 
  4. Ezran Island 
  5. Marinamaterfront 
  The 100,000 people who call Franklin Harbor home cycle-round are i n  the unique position of being outnumbered by the 
  140,000 who have permanent homes elsewhere and use their residence i n  Franklin Harbor as a seasonal getaway. The cool 
  lake weather is most attractive in the Summer and the population dips to about 130,000 during the Winter. Roughly 3,000 
  Franks (residents of Franklin Harbor) are employed by the resorts and live locally all cycle long, hence earning full 
  citizenship privileges. To receive these privileges, a Frank must prove local residence for 140 days out of each cycle. This 
  marks a clear political as well as social divide between Franks and visitors. 
  The divide between visitors and residents has generated no small amount of mutual resentment. Many Franks view the 
  resorts and the thousands of tourists that come to the city each cycle as an invasion of their lives. Tourists, i n  turn, are 
  often struck by how the people of Franklin Harbor are so cold and rude when one wanders out of the commercial districts 
  which live off the tourist trade. This attitude, however, has done little to halt the influx of people coming to take 
  advantage of the spas, saunas, mud baths and mineral springs, or those interested in swimming and fishing i n  nearby Lake 
  Clearwater. Since Franks are well known for their elitist attitude towards visitors, resort staff are forced to compensate. 
  People who travel a great deal have often commented that the resort staff i n  Franklin Harbor are easily the nicest and 
  most helpful people they have ever met. Only because the resorts have been careful to hire charismatic employees has the 
  tourist industry in Franklin Harbor continued to thrive. 
  Social conflict has been growing between the religious communities i n  Franklin Harbor as well. Jerusalemite communities 
  have existed nearby since Reconstruction and coexisted peacefully, but the construction of a new commune using zoning 
  for resorts has brought out latent prejudices i n  Franks. First Citizen Nathaniel Leecheks has been faced with trying to keep 
  his sleepy community from fragmenting more than it already has. That he has been at all successful is largely thanks to 
  his close friendship with Rebi Yakob Wein, an elder of the native Jerusalemite community of Franklin Harbor. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  As Franklin Harbor grew into an independent city-state during Reconstruction, it quickly became clear that most of the 
  inhabitants were unwilling to turn over their decision-making ability to a politician. A participatory democracy was 
  adopted whereby all decisions are passed by vote in a town meeting where any Frank of at least 19 cycles could vote. This 
  system has continued to this day with the only restriction on this procedure being a minimum of 5000 people must be 
  present for a vote to be considered binding. This has resulted i n  a lack of action on small, seemingly unimportant matters 
  due to low attendance of these meetings. To deal with this, the first speaker, a volunteer whose sole responsibilities are 
  to call and chair meetings, will only call a town meeting if she feels that enough people will attend, at which point 
  numerous issues are dealt with. At times, it will be a season or more before an issue is considered important enough that 
  it might draw the minimum number of citizens, resulting in a slow moving system. On the other hand, however, the 
  populace is considered to be exceptionally content as the progress of their community is truly a reflection of their desires 
  and not the desires of politicians. The First Citizen -along 
  with a small circle of advisors and administrators- can exert 
  a great deal of power by delaying town meetings and directing the city personally in the meantime. Nathaniel Leecheks, 
  who gained the first citizenship in TN 1921, has been accused of using this privilege to represent the wealthy tourist 
  interests away from the eyes of the populace. 
  In reality, Leecheks has had t o  face the realities of Franklin Harbor. As religious and political tevsions have grown 
  throughout the league, the existent divides i n  his city-state have gotten worse. Locals. empowered by their citizenship 
  and encouraged to think only of their own community, have become more and more boisterous i n  their disapproval of the 
  tourist population, despite the fact that it i s  tourist marks that keep Franklin Harbor alive. The rise of fundamental 
  Revisionism has also brought religious conflict to a historically peaceful community. Leecheks knows full well that town 
  meetings are more and more likely to degenerate into shouting matches and calls for drastic, unrealistic action on the part 
  of the city. The First Citizen has had to limit the number of meetings and impose a very strict agenda on each one he calls, 
  if only to keep the city-state functioning. To support his unpopular position, Leecheks has been forced t o  make a deal 
  with the devil, in the form of the Forzi cartel of smugglers. I n  exchange for secure, discreet facilities (and easy access to 
  the gamma maglev) the local Forzi leader (Dunkan Gorell) provides Leecheks with economic support, dirty tricks and other 
  illegal or semi-legal resources to keep him i n  place. 
  Franklin Harbor's main legitimate sources of income are tourism, the maglev and health food. A large tourist industry of 
  souvenir vendors, restaurants. resorts and tours feeds off the hundreds of thousands of visitors who amve in Franklin Harbor 
  every cycle. The commercial heart of the city-state, along the western waterfront, may be free of resorts and hotels, but 
  nonetheless exists primarily for the benefit of tourists. Commercial outlets for major nationwide chains, local boutiques and 
  upscale restaurants tend to crowd out the simpler stores that target local residents as their clientele. The gamma maglev 
  terminus, maintained by Terranovan TransRail (TNTR), brings in some of the imported goods for sale in Franklin Harbor along 
  with Western citizens looking to enjoy local resorts. Goods from the Badlands, WFP and even the Southern Republic enter 
  through Franklin Harbor and are shipped elsewhere i n  the league by train or transport aircraft. Ambitious tourists wishing t o  
  attend the gambling dens of Khayr ad-Din also pass through Franklin Harbor. Because it is a port of entry to the league, the 
  Foreign and Treasury Ministries maintain security, immigration and customs checkpoints at the maglev terminal. 
  The second source of income for Franklin Harbor began as an offshoot of the tourist industry. Eighteen cycles ago, 
  Chimera Holidays Inc. began an advertising campaign espousing the virtues of Franklin Harbor's "pure and healthy" 
  environment. Restaurants i n  the area began to utilize this advertising ploy to draw Chimera's clients to their doors, 
  contending that their foods were the purest in the city. Suddenly, Franklin Harbor was regarded as the place to go t o  get 
  the purest food i n  the North. I n  almost no time, several companies began to market products made i n  Franklin Harbor and 
  continued to develop the image begun by Chimera Holidays Inc. Today, one of the most successful products exported from 
  the city i s  Mountainfresh bottled water. Mountainfresh bottles their water from the Terlaw spring, a deep upwelling of 
  extremely pure water from the MacAllen network located i n  the Westridge Range overlooking the city-state, and ships it 
  throughout the North to be sold for outrageous prices, which most socialites are too eager to pay. The large spring helps 
  feed the Vale River that flows into Lake Clearwater, just west of the city-state itself. The Crystal Home resort complex 
  straddles part of the river, whose water is cool and clear enough to allow for spectacular underwater visibility. Scuba, 
  snorkeling and minisub tours of the river -and 
  lake- 
  beds are among the resorYs most popular attractions. 
  Franklin Harbor also has a large underground economy. The terminus of the gamma maglev and the quiet nature of the 
  community make it an ideal entry point for contraband and illegal products. In the past, the local community had led a 
  largely successful effort t o  keep organized crime out of the city, but the accord between First Citizen Leecheks and the 
  Forzi cartel has changed all that. The Forzi now use Franklin harbor as an entry and storage point for their operations 
  (using two different resort complexes as cover operations); they keep local street operations to a strict minimum so as not 
  to attract attention. Terranovan TransRail's local station chief has recently been replaced by Klaara Nathaniels, who has 
  proven unreceptive to Forzi "gifts." Nathaniels has requested assistance from NorPol and a major series of operations may 
  well shatter the calm facade of the city-state i n  the near future. A NorPol Focussed Investigative Unit has already arrived 
  in town and has a few suspected Forzi agents under observation. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  events and clubs. 
  Nestled i n  a series of deep valleys amongst the spectacular heights of the Tershaw Range, Innsbruck appears a rough and 
  tumble city. It climbs up the valley walls i n  a series of terraces to meet the Saguaro forests on the slopes and plateaus, 
  and flows down to belching refineries and slag hills on the valley floors. These twisting streets and the chaotic mix of 
  houses, factories, and pubs reflects the nature of Innsbruckers themselves. 
  The city is defined by three things: mining, beer, and motor sports. Two thirds of the population rely on the mines for a 
  living and after a day down the pit, most of the workers need a drink. With the miner's drinking came brewing, and 
  Innsbruck is now the brewing capital of the north, and quite possibly the world. Why Innsbruckers are addicted to loud 
  motor sports i s  unknown, but the city rings t o  the roar of engines and its many and varied tracks host a multitude of 
  Founded i n  TN 530 by a mining consortium, Innsbruck attracted tough people who relied only on themselves. As they 
  built a home, Innsbruckers proved a rough lot, working hard, drinking hard and playing even harder. The face of Innsbruck 
  grew to reflect their tough-minded independence as the inhabitants objected to obeying anything so petty as building 
  ordinances. The city's work ethic allowed it t o  prosper as it dragged the mineral wealth out of the Tershaws, but at a cost 
  i n  blood. Indeed, thousands of miners died over the centuries because of poor colonial working conditions. During 
  Reconstruction, Innsbruck was able to defend itself against i t s  enemies (usually Kenema) and became part of the short- 
  lived Tershaw Cooperative Alliance; Innsbruck accepted integration with the NLC i n  TN 1568, the first TCA city-state to do 
  so. Innsbruck boomed after it joined because foreigners started moving to the city to secure a share of the wealth. Several 
  other waves of immigration have hit the city-state and despite the fact that some "newcomers" have been in the city for 
  generations, they are still largely seen as outsiders by the conservative core of the c i v s  social scene. 
  While old time Innsbruckers and those migrants who have assimilated the lifestyle of the city live happily in the close, 
  maze-like confines of the hill terraces, other Norlights have built planned suburbs on the valley floors and complain 
  bitterly about the industrial developments that also congregate there. This geographic division reflects deeper schisms 
  between the largely working-class "real Innsbruckers" who still derive much of their income from the mines and the more 
  diversified community of immigrant stock. 
  The relatively fragile social and political balance between "real" and "immigrant" Innsbruckers is fraying at an increasing 
  pace thanks to divisions along religious lines, especially among the younger, more radical generation. The brutal turf war 
  between the Forzi and Kolson criminal cartels is also acerbating the problem, leading t o  calls for a greater control of the 
  traditionally rough-and-tumble terraced neighborhoods. Most old-time Innsbruckers see this only as another way of 
  controlling and restricting them, creating additional tensions. 
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  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  1. Train Yards 
  The industrial train yards in the northern quar 
  ter of the city features a twisted snarl of rail 
  ways where freight trains are loaded with a va 
  riety of local products and shipped across the 
  NLC and beyond. 
  The second largest brewery in Innsbruck, Fenrir 
  produces so-called Special Brews, a line of high 
  quality lagers and beers, which are especially 
  popular in upscale pubs and bars across the 
  Norlight Confederacy and the United Mercan- 
  tile Federation. 
  2. Fenris Brewery 
  3. Death Track 
  The largest race-track in the city hosts the an- 
  nual Death Track 1000 Gear race and accommo- 
  dates 30,000 live spectators and hundreds of 
  thousands more on trideo. 
  The largest Innsbruck Brewery, Cascade produces 
  a wide variety OF beers, most aimed at a mass- 
  market of young adults. The "Tally Ho.. Cas- 
  cade!" jingle is omnipresent on local and na- 
  tional trideo. Most Cascade drinkers can be con- 
  vinced to recite it when drinking. 
  The old-timer neighborhoods in Innsbruck are 
  built on a series ofterraces hanging to the sides 
  of the Local valley. These crowded streets are 
  uniquely Innsbruck. 
  The top illegal dueling arena, the Red Sable is 
  set in an abandoned mine shaft. Its location 
  sometimes changes to avoid being shut down 
  by local law enforcement. The arena is run by 
  Maria Embleton, a former Death Track pilot and 
  a famed underground Duelist. 
  Jakob Fenris' personal retreat overlooks the val- 
  ley floor and is rumored to be an unparalleled 
  Luxury palace. Uninvited guest are met with top 
  of the line security measures. 
  The Innsbruck train station brings visitors to 
  the city from across the hemisphere, especially 
  during Speed Week, an annual motor-sport ex- 
  travaganza. 
  4. Cascade Brewery 
  5. Terraced Housing 
  6. Red Sable Arena 
  7. Fenris Mansion 
  8. City Train Station 
  Innsbruck is a divided community; the traditional hard working, hard drinking and hard fighting Innsbrucker is under 
  assault from the immigrants from the rest of the NLC who tend towards social, religious and political conservatism. This 
  division is most obvious in the nickname of "Mite Skags" which the old-timers have given the immigrants because of the 
  neat, ordered suburbs so many of them have created on the valley floors. The traditional Innsbruck rowdiness is threat- 
  ened by the Mites, who have called for a stricter enforcement of league morality laws. The most contentious of these 
  proposed limits is centered around the opening hours of the city's many pubs. Tempers are fraying amongst old timers and 
  more than one voice can be heard saying joining the NLC was a mistake. The Mites now almost match the old timers i n  
  numbers, however, and with the Church providing organizational help, the old timers may lose power at the next election. 
  The Mites' areas of the city are similar to any other middle class suburb i n  the NLC, and are calm, ordered communities 
  centered around the local church. Old timers live i n  the crowded and lively confines of the valley terraces in a manner 
  reminiscent of the colonial period. Truth be told, both communities share much i n  common. Both are reliant on the 
  mines, and i n  event of an accident, both rush to help without thought or care for other problems. Both tend to be 
  argumentative, both enjoy a good draft of lager, and both are addicted to motor sports. Reconstruction i n  Innsbruck was 
  a late (and partial) conversion to Revisionism, however, and a limited role for the Church has become part of the old timer 
  refrain. This attitude has only exacerbated conflict between the two halves of the city-state, transforming a societal 
  divide into a religious matter in the eyes of several conservative Mite leaders. 
  The rise i n  violent crime caused by the Forzi-Kokon cartel war has made matters even worse. Protection rackets and illegal 
  bars are common in the old terraces and blood has begun to be spilled as the cartels carve up the territory. This has fed 
  into Mite views of the immoral terraces and given them more political leverage. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  THE ~OLITI~S 
  OF SPEED 
  Innsbruck has traditionally been a stronghold of the People's Party. At the last city elections in TN 1931 old timers 
  deserted the People's Party after the municipal affiliate heavily courted Revisionist Mites. Instead they voted for the 
  former Gear racing champion, Jonni Holdsworth and his Innsbruck First Party. While Innsbruck First won, the People's 
  Party led by Sister Kari Smits came a close second. The transformation of the People's Party municipal power-base is 
  largely seen as a preparation for the next league elections. 
  Jonni Holdsworth is everything Revisionists hate about traditional Innsbruck culture. He drinks, swears and womanizes 
  openly, much to the amusement of old timers. Council meetings often dissolve into shouting matches as Kari Smits attacks 
  Holdsworth for his lifestyle. While a capable planner and keen promoter of his city's interests, Holdsworth seems to be 
  encouraging the conflict in the city. In typical no-nonsense fashion, the mayor has not shied away from naming the Second 
  Follower as his political opponent. I n  a recent interview, when questioned about his views on the church, he replied that 
  "Hutchison prays on his knees and his neighbors, and if he keeps pushing true Innsbruckers he'll need all the prayers he can 
  muster." Holdworth's hard core of old-timer followers supported his comments, but many in both the terraces and the valley 
  suburbs were outraged at such belligerence towards a religious leader. The Council of Mayors considered and ultimately 
  rejected a motion to officially admonish Holdsworth, but he has issued a few mildly apologetic press releases on the matter. 
  President Adjanni is increasingly concerned about Innsbruck First's activities, because of pro-independence comments 
  made by the mayor's entourage and because of the challenge to People's Party dominance i n  the city-state. Her local 
  advisors assure her that Holdsworth is becoming somewhat of a local joke, a sports star with dreams of political grandeur. 
  She has nevertheless directed the Norlight Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and NorPol t o  investigate rumors of 
  the mayor stocking arms for a "free Innsbruck militia." 
  The mining industry built Innsbruck and remains the backbone of its economy. More than half of the population works for 
  the mines that surround the city-state and most others are employed by the large number of secondary industries 
  associated with them. Beyond the huge steel refineries, local factories also produce mining equipment, military grade 
  armor, explosives and tons of refined precious or semi-precious metals in ingot form for export to the rest of the 
  Confederated Northern City-states. 
  Despite the importance of mining, the city is now best known for its breweries. Beers, lagers and ales flow from no less 
  then twenty different enterprises, ranging from small local "micro-breweries" to the huge Cascade Beer Company brewery 
  i n  the eastern quarter of the city-state. This industry employs fewer locals than the mines, but has gained the city-state 
  an international reputation and is considered part and parcel of the "old timer" image of Innsbruck. 
  The city's obsession with motor sports is also starting to turn a profit as trideo rights via the Hermes 72 network take 
  Innsbruck's racing to the world. While Gear racing and dueling, motorcycle racing and drag cars have had professional 
  teams competing along with the many amateur competitors, they were the exception not the rule. Now Innsbruck is 
  rapidly becoming the center of Terranovan motor sports and many professional teams are being started i n  the city. The 
  number of specialist manufacturers either beginning or moving t o  the city also grows every season. 
  The success of Innsbrucker industries has built some very impressive fortunes i n  the city. Jakob Fenris, of Fenris Brewer- 
  ies, owns the largest Local mansion, hidden in the saguaro forests overlooking the city. Some have commented that the 
  rich benefit greatly from the Mite/old-timer conflict, which prevents large scale union action. 
  Speed Weetc 4 
  Introduced by Jonni Holdsworth, Speed Week is proving massively popular with motor sports fanatics all over 
  Terra Nova. The last week of every summer is set aside for a series of professional and amateur competitions 
  culminating in the Death Track 1000. Other events held include the Fenris Lager Duelist's Challenge (fought in 
  the traditional military fashion), Rhodes Mining Superbike Championship (road motorcycle races), and the 
  Skadi Mills Touring Car Rally (an endurance race through the mountains and forests in and around Innsbruck). 
  I n  between major events, the tracks are open to any person with a vehicle. 
  Speed Week has been so successful in drawing tourists that at least half the 300,000 visitors must camp. The 
  city's breweries now run at full produm'on for a month beforehand after the disaster of the first event which 
  saw the city run out of beer on the fourth day. Innsbruck makes a fortune from the event and Mayor Holdsworth 
  makes sure that the government's share of that money is specificaLly used to help the poor of the city. Thus 
  both economically and socially Speed Week i s  a huge boon for the city. 
  Some locals, especially members of the Mite middle-class, have complained that the event encourages public 
  drunkenness and rowdy behavior; these critics have tried repeatedly to wave the moral banner of Revisionism, 
  but several church leaders have come out in support of the event. Indeed, the money raised for the needy of 
  Innsbruck casts the whole event as a huge charity party. Mite complaints actually have probably more to do 
  with the fact that their valley homes are often uncomfortably close to the speedways and their noises. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Kenema is nestled at the foot of the Red Hills -an ancient mountain chain rich i n  iron ore, copper, and tin- where it was 
  founded as a colonial mining center. During Reconstruction, Kenema rapidly built up its military power and began t o  exert 
  its influence on the region around it. When the NLC was founded, Kenema was one of its principal enemies. Tulkas 
  Brothers Iron & Steel Works and other Keneman community leaders saw Revisionist missionary work as a threat and 
  expelled the faithful on several occasions. The city eventually had to surrender to integration with the NLC when the Great 
  Crusade cut it off from its agricultural lands in the Auroran Basin and imposed a damaging siege. The siege ended when 
  ambitious corporate leaders deposed the city council, intent on turning annexation into an opportunity for trade. Kenema 
  negotiated a highly favorable relationship with the NLC that allowed it to become one of the leading industrial centers of 
  the burgeoning league. Gradually, more and more corporations relocated t o  Kenema and the city came to support a 
  transient population of traders, peddlers and tinkers of every sort. Land zoning regulations forced the fusion of produc- 
  tion facilities and corporate headquarters into great compounds, with worker residences and smaller commercial business 
  established i n  the spaces between. This gave the city a patchwork Layout: corporate "islands" of glass and steel rise above 
  more placid neighborhoods. 
  Although prosperous, the city-state has suffered through several boom-bust cycles, which have left deep social scars. 
  Corporate leaders are reluctant to invest heavily i n  social development and corporate taxes are kept very low. These 
  policies have led to patches of intense poverty in the cityscape and a violent counter-culture. Youth gangs with custom- 
  ized vehicles ride the elevated parkways at night, and shock-metal clubs set i n  downtown buildings vibrate with their 
  pulsating, grinding music. Thugs and lowlifes rule the city's seedier sectors, comforting lonely factory workers with drugs 
  and prostitutes. Kenema has the highest violent crime rate i n  the NLC and the Kenema Police Department is renowned as 
  the hardest working cops i n  the North. Crime has been increasing in leaps and bounds since the War of the Alliance, as the 
  Forzi and Kolson cartels from Wounded Knee fight for control of the lucrative Keneman underworld. Local crime bosses and 
  gangs unwilling to align themselves with the cartels have been largely, and ruthlessly, eliminated. Mayor Allysandre 
  LeStrade campaigned on a law and order platform and has made increased resources available to the KPD, including the 
  new Cheetah Polizei urban police Gear. 
  The corporate leaders of the city have also increasingly stepped to the fore to assume responsibility for security and 
  quality of life i n  Kenema. Shaian Mechanics fancies itself a social corporation and has provided almost all the funding for 
  upgrading and expanding the Kenema Police Department, creating a dependence at city hall. Tetsuko Hatsushiba, Shaian's 
  chief executive, would like to see his corporation become the effective seat of power in Kenema and has no intention of 
  letting the municipality get out of its debt to him. 
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  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1 
  1. Shaian Tower 
  I n  fact an agglomeration of skyscrapers on a 
  common oasis tower base, Shaian Tower is the 
  world headquarters of Shaian Mechanics. The 
  tower base houses Shaian's major production 
  lines, while the upper towers house offices and 
  high-tech research facilities. 
  The smaller cousin of Shaian Tower, the Nova 
  MotorS complex is nonetheless impressive and 
  follows a more traditional oasis tower design. 
  The headquarters of Toring Manufacturing, this 
  54-story tower has witnessed the design of many 
  ofthe top competition automobilesin the North. 
  The municipaliws main communication nexus, 
  the squat stone station links Kenema to other 
  areas i n  the Northern Lights Confederacy. 
  Located i n  the Nova Motors prefecture, the 
  Kenema MunicipalComplex houses the city gov- 
  ernment and most municipal offices. The office 
  of the mayor is currently under renovation. 
  The home of the "Gear Police" features exten- 
  sive garages and training facilities. The facili- 
  ties were bought and paid for by Shaian Me- 
  chanics and Link to the Shaian Tower via a spe- 
  cial tunnel. 
  7. Keneman Police HQ The centerpiece of the local security measures, 
  the Kenema Police Department building houses 
  most special investigation units and the offices 
  of the chief of police. The city morgue is also 
  located here, taking up much of the third sub- 
  basement; it is known as "the vault." 
  The newest Gear police station features a Large 
  test firing range for Gears which is also used by 
  QRT-9 and -10. The local press has done its best 
  to manufacture a rivalry between the various 
  Gear police teams, with some limited success. 
  2. Nova Motors 
  3. Toring Building 
  4. Central Station 
  5. Municipal Complex 
  6. ORT-9 Station 
  8. QRT-11 station 
  Keneman society is split into three groups: corps, collars and bangers. Corps hold high-level corporate jobs or are media 
  personalities or public officials. The average corp lives i n  a rat-race of office intrigues and ever-tightening deadlines. 
  Collars include the working class (the largest percentage of Kenema's population) and small business owners. Collars are 
  what outsiders associate with Kenema: hard-working, determined, yet simple people. The real social dynamic in Kenema 
  are the Bangers. Although Collar children are raised with a strong work ethic, some tend to resent the lifestyle and seek 
  release. Likewise, corp children live an affluent life, and have none of the sense of ethical responsibility that their Collar 
  peers do. These attitudes manifest themselves i n  street crimes, gang activity, and underground Shock-Metal clubs. These 
  clubs are often the "turf" of a particular gang, and gang wars at these places (usually during concerts) are not uncommon. 
  Most Corps and collars see the bangers as the greatest problem facing their city-state and blame them for street crime, 
  gang activity, and the prevalence of illegal activities i n  the shock-metal clubs. Revisionism is quite prevalent i n  Kenema, 
  especially among the collars; the Allied Workers Union - 
  the largest Keneman union - 
  has a long-standing friendship 
  with the church. Some other faiths have footholds i n  the city as well, including the Benjakob Congregation, a Reconstruc- 
  tion era Jerusalemite Temple i n  the oldest section of the city-state. 
  Corporate identification is not as strong i n  Kenema as in the United Mercantile Federation or Mekong Dominion, but it 
  remains strong i n  comparison to other Norlight cities. Shaian Mechanics, the largest Keneman corp. actively encourages 
  this identification using corporate-sponsored housing, educational funding and medical plans to ensure loyalty among its 
  employees. The banger counter-culture is notoriously intolerant of corporate affiliation and most young people on the 
  shock music scene go out of their way to offend all corporations equally. Ironically, a new form of employer identification 
  is taking hold of the underground scene: the Kolson and Fom cartels have both made use of banger culture (which 
  regularly flouts many laws) as a base for underworld activities and cartel loyalty is growing every day. Most street gangs 
  can now be classified by which cartel they work for, sportkg distinctive dress, jewelry and tattoos t o  advertise this. Even 
  more ironically, the various corporate prefectures roughly correspond to the territories of the cartels. The Kolson-backed 
  Jesters, for example, hold much of the Shaian Prefecture despite the best efforts of their Fom rivals, the Red Ravens. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  POWER IN THE ~RTOR CITY 
  Kenema is divided into six prefectures along the lines of its major corporate "islands." Each prefecture gets a certain 
  number of delegates i n  the city-state's legislature, the number of which i s  determined by its population (Shaian Prefec- 
  ture, the largest, has four delegates). Each delegation, however, receives only one vote, therefore an individual delegate's 
  vote is only a fraction of that of his delegation. Consequently, delegates must curry favor among their fellows, and power 
  struggles occasionally develop. Delegates earn no income from their post as public officials and are most often corporate 
  employees, usually managers or vice-presidents who see their work load reduced while they serve (often representing 
  their employer as much as their constituents). The legislature meets every two weeks (barring any emergency sessions), 
  and elections are held every 4 cycles. The mayor i s  elected from within the ranks of the legislature, serves as its head, and 
  holds a 6-cycle term. Unlike normal delegates, he is paid by the city. 
  Mayor LeStrade, currently i n  the fifth cycle of her term, is generally well liked by the populace. She was elected as the 
  cartel war began t o  explode on Keneman streets and promised a tough campaign against criminality. Many of her recent 
  measures passed the legislature with an overwhelming majority, although her latest bill, dubbed the "Gear Police Act" by 
  the press, has some people worried. The AWU and other unions, who are not represented on city council but nonetheless 
  form an important power block in the city, have begun to fear that Kenema will become a police state by the end of 
  LeStrade's term of office. Already she has broadened the powers and resources of the police, initiated complete coopera- 
  tion with the NorPol national anti-cartel task force and is preparing a new bill which will greatly increase officers' leeway 
  i n  the use of deadly force. This policy is supported by Krystine Balmont, the Keneman chief of police. 
  THE FlOH OF M R R ~ ~  
  Kenema's success comes from its mammoth manufacturing industry. From government-contracted giants like Shaian 
  Mechanics to small concerns like the Most Unusual Surplus chain (a five-store chain selling old military items), the 
  Keneman business world seems to be i n  a permanent frenzy. Perhaps it i s  that Kenemans envy the economic powerhouse 
  of the United Mercantile Federation, particularly Rapid City. Whatever the case, economists have recorded a marked rise 
  in productivity since the end of the War of the Alliance, almost to the point of over-production. Kenema-made products 
  are known for their superior workmanship. 
  As Keneman businesses try to outdo each other and their UMF counterparts, innovations in consumer and defense 
  technology have developed astonishingly fast. Corporate alliances have been reshuffling frantically as new design studios 
  produce the "next big thing." The most important deal signed in the post-war period has been a long-term alliance 
  between Keimuri Motor Corporation and the Mercantile giant Northco. This deal for the production of a series of highly 
  specialized light Gears (including the Tattletole and Ferret Mk Ir) has made the struggling Keimuri a major player once 
  again. Shaian Mechanics has responded with the announcement of the Lion, a high-performance commando Gear designed 
  for the Norlight Armed Forces. This competition has also resulted in a marked upsurge of "corp-crimes." Industrial 
  espionage, patent violations, even blatant sabotage of a competitots facilities are not uncommon. While this phenom- 
  enon has made the Keneman market one of the harshest on Terra Nova, it has also done wonders for the quality of services 
  and merchandise i n  the area. The Kenema Police Department's Business Crimes Unit (BCU) is responsible for working with 
  corporate security t o  pursue these types of criminals. 
  b ORT-9 Gear Police 
  Part and parcelof Mayor LeStrade's anti-crime agenda, the ninth Quick Response Team (QRT-9) of the Kenema 
  Police Department hit the streets at the end of TN 1930 with the first eight examples of Shaian Mechanics' 
  HMVS-OlLG-CP Cheetoh Pokei. In the last two and a half cycles, QRT-9 has been involved in a hrge number 
  of operations, specializing in fast-pursuit through the crowded city-streets and occasionally deployed as not 
  control unit (banking on the sheer intimidation power of a Gear). QRT-9 has recently been joined by similarly 
  equipped QRTs -10 and -11, but team nine remains the most respected and feared. Most of the pilots are 
  gleaned hom the ranks of the citfs regular police, but some are rookie pilots trained from the start. Becoming 
  a QRT-9 Gear pilot has become the dream of many KPD rookies. QRT-9 is headed by Lieutenant Karl Methoras, 
  a War of the Alliance veteran Gear pilot and an expert at SWAT tactics. 
  QRT-9 has citywide jurisdiction, but is stationed in Shaian Prefecture, right in the shadow of the great Shaian 
  Tower complex. Shaian Mechanics treats QRT-9 as a showcase for their own "civic leadership" and has provided 
  the team not only with now a dozen Polizei Gears but fast-pursuit cars and personal equipment, all at almost no 
  cost. The "Gear Police," technically a SWAT unit, has found itself dealing increasingly more with crowd control 
  situations, mostly near the city's shock-metal clubs. The unit is not without its problems, however. Even with 
  rubber pellets, the Gears' weapons pack quite a punch, and Methoras has demanded that they only support more 
  traditional riot control units. In addition, some members of the squad have been discipline problems, seemingly 
  unable to restrain their use of force and speed. While this has led to numerous arrests of drug traffickers and 
  smugglers, it has also resulted in numerous angry citizens and city-funded repair bills. Lieutenant Methoras has 
  begun imposing a stricter code of discipline on his officers and demanded that the unit's non-SWAT adhities be 
  kept to a minimum. He knows full well that civilian deaths as a result of careless use of force could see his unit 
  shut down. Mayor LeStrade, however, is anxious to gain political mileage from her elite police unit. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  Kossuth was founded in TN 495 as a corporate farming community to provide food for Interlink Corporation's Badlands 
  mining operations. While originally a highly fertile region, the combination of using labor largely unskilled in farming and 
  the company's destructive intensive farming practices meant that within a decade, the land was degraded to a great 
  extent. Interlink was forced to rely on massive use of fertilizers and high technology solutions such as genetically 
  engineered crops to keep the operation efficient. When Interlink pulled out of Terra Nova i n  TN 1454, most of the 
  genetically engineered crops were not hardy enough t o  survive and the people of Kossuth were barely able to produce 
  enough food to eat for themselves. 
  Kossuth was reborn in TN 1554 as the center-point of Norlight President Gabryel Emsala's plan to sponsor the Tershaw 
  Cooperative Alliance as a buffer-league between the NLC and UMF. Thanks t o  significant Tershan and Norlight investment, 
  Kossuth was converted into a huge solar and wind farm under the management of Tershaw Power. The city-state provided 
  electricity t o  Swanscombe, Innsbruck and Zagazig. When the TCA came under attack by Mercantile forces, Kossuth was the 
  first city-state to appeal for Norlight intervention and it submitted to the authority of Valeria i n  TN 1576. The region 
  gained military protection i n  short order and plans t o  expand power production for consumption across the league were 
  Today, over ten thousand square kilometers of wind and solar power generators cover what was previously dead farmland, 
  providing electricity to city-states across the NLC. Kossuth has become the service center for the surrounding energy 
  farms, as well as becoming home to some energy intensive industries. Ecological restoration efforts undertaken since the 
  TN 1820s have made Kossuth an idyllic place to live, with the green expanse of the Northern Plain interrupted only by 
  fields of reflectors and windmills. This beauty was scarred i n  TN 1914 when the city-state came under heavy orbital 
  bombing and was only partially shielded by the local network of aerospace defense towers. The industrial damage has 
  been repaired, but in many areas the carefully managed soil has yet to recover from large scale damage. Several of the 
  local hills still appear brown and burnt, nearly twenty cycles after the conflict. 
  Kossuth's reputation as an eden of sun and wind attracts a significant number of visitors every cycle, although Norlight 
  Power, the city's governing corporation, does relatively little to accommodate tourism. Locally run bed and breakfasts and 
  hostels have sprung up to fill the gap, however, and the city-state is considered a very desirable vacation spot. Most of 
  these establishments are quite upscale and attract wealthy clients from Valeria, Kenema or Petropolis. One such resort, 
  called Kossuth Lodge, has marketed itself as a corporate retreat and conference center and regularly hosts top executives 
  from Shaian Mechanics, Brok Enterprises and Norlight Zephyr Rail. 
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  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1. NP Central Complex The administrative and business center of 
  Kossuth, the Norlight Power central complex 
  houses all the administrative offices of the cor- 
  porate giant as well as many of its power trans- 
  fer facilities. Underground cables from the vari- 
  ous wind and sun farms run through the com- 
  plex. Power is then sent across the region. The 
  complex also features integrated rail links. The 
  city's laser air defense system is controlled from 
  a bunker under the complex. 
  The citfs central market is a jumble of perma- 
  nent and temporary commercial spaces. Veg- 
  etables, arts and crafts, clothing and books all 
  compete for space. Saturday is the biggest mar- 
  ket day and most Locals visit the central square 
  at least once every two weeks. 
  2. Kossuth Market 
  3. Commune of Light 
  The Blue Crescent compound known as the Com- 
  mune of Light features a series of low build- 
  ings, solariums and lush gardens. The Commune 
  is led by Zana Yebras, a respected member of 
  the Order, and counts another 250 permanent 
  inhabitants. It is often visited by celebrities 
  from across the northern hemisphere. Even some 
  Southerners have come to study at the com- 
  mune, including Dayvid Starr, the celebrated Re- 
  publican action hero. 
  One of 35 such facilities, complex #7 monitors 
  one of the large solar energy farms. Power is 
  routed from the farm thmugh the complex and 
  toward the NP central complex. Redundant sys- 
  tems allow power to be muted to other com- 
  plexes as well. Complex #7 is run by Tara Laryme, 
  a NP engineer with 20 cycles experience and a 
  tendency to drink somewhat excessively. 
  4. Solar Complex #7 
  5. Wind Complex #12 Like the solar complexes, this series of Low build- 
  ings monitors and manages one of the large 
  wind farms. Wind power complexes are usually 
  modeled on classic windmills and appear as se- 
  ries of small towers. Each has a staff of around 
  fifty people. The complex also includes living 
  quarters for staff who wish to use it. 
  The laid back and slow moving nature of Kossuth's principal industry has lead to a population known for its easygoing and 
  contemplative nature. Norlight Power is mostly content to let the civilian population do as they wish. As a result, the city 
  has become an outpost of religious tolerance within the Northern Lights Confederacy. Many religious groups have moved 
  there to escape persecution elsewhere in the NLC and many homegrown cults have formed as well. I n  addition, Kossuth 
  contains the highest concentration of followers of Massadan Revisionism i n  the Confederacy. While most of these groups 
  are happy enough to keep to themselves and get along quietly with their neighbors (and NP Security comes down heavily 
  for those that do not, for "disturbing the peace"), there are a few who do not. One such group is The Children of the New 
  Earth, an environmental cult dedicated to revitalizing the dead soil of Kossuth. Its members have been charged with 
  trespassing on other peoples property on numerous occasions and are suspected of several acts of sabotage against 
  corporate energy farms, which they consider an evil metal blight that covers the life-giving soil of Terra Nova. 
  Beyond basic utilities, such as electricity, water and sewage, Norlight Power does not provide much i n  the way of facilities 
  to the civilian population, although NP Security does police the entire city. Instead of supplying these services them- 
  selves, Norlight Power makes regular, large donations t o  local charities, including a few secular ones, that fill this gap by 
  providing social sewices such as schooling and shelter for the homeless. Transfer funds from the national government also 
  supplement local funding of charities. Mostly, however, people rely on the support of their own religious or community 
  groups, many of which elect their own governing bodies, even if they have no official power. The degree of community 
  action makes corporate-run Kossuth a very pleasant place to live, often favorably compared to Petropolis. The Adjanni 
  government remains dedicated to ending corporate rule of city-states, however, and has put increasing pressure on 
  Norlight Power t o  institute a democratic system i n  Kossuth. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Kossuth and the surrounding energy farms are the property of Norlight Power and the city‘s administration is appointed by 
  it. Chief Administrator Tanja Szabo, former head of the solar power division, is in charge of Norlight Power‘s Kossuth 
  operations as well as administerion for the city and its civilian concerns. Currently, factions within the conglomerate are 
  i n  a struggle over Kossuth’s future. Many see signs that Kossuth’s energy industry will be suffering a depression soon and 
  the company‘s response to that possibility i s  undecided. Several of the top executives believe the company should focus 
  on fusion power and abandon Kossuth to i t s  fate, while others believe it has a responsibility to the city and should be 
  working towards developing new industries for the city. Chief Administrator Szabo is amongst the latter group and i s  
  working with several of the larger religious and community groups to present a united face to the company. Several local 
  leaders have also proposed that Kossuth become a standard municipality rather than a corporate enclave, unfortunately 
  fueling calls for Norlight Power t o  pull out of the region. 
  €HER GY FOR SALE 
  I 
  Kossuth i s  almost entirely dependent on energy production for its economic well being. City-states throughout the NLC 
  depend on the energy Kossuth produces and relying on i t s  wind and solar farms has helped keep air pollution down, a fact 
  not lost on Norlight Power, which has discouraged the other city-states from building their own fossil fuel-based power 
  plants. The bombing of Kossuth’s power facilities during the War of the Alliance and the subsequent delays in bringing 
  them back on line, however, have left the other city-states wary of depending on outside sources of power production. 
  Many are developing their own low pollution energy sources, such as fusion plants, and there i s  little Norlight Power can 
  do to stop them. Worried about a possible depression as other city-states stop buying Kossuth’s electricity, factions 
  within the company and other locals are investigating other industries to sustain the city-state. The ecological efforts 
  over the last century, despite the damage done by the CEF, has left Kossuth a beautiful locale and tourism has become a 
  major contributor to the local economy. 
  Kossuth’s peaceful existence i s  also threatened by the growing underworld struggle. The city-state’s location in the low 
  Rolling Hills which rise from the Northern Plain make it a prime location for smuggling operations to both the UMF and 
  Badlands. The Kokon cartel controls most local operations and Northern Power‘s security force has made a conscious 
  effort to direct their operations at limiting Forzi attempts to infiltrate the city. NP security chief Adryan Obis has seen 
  the carnage of a full gang war i n  Kenema and other cities and i s  ready t o  deal with the devil he knows to keep the 
  bloodshed t o  a minimum. 
  Born in the small Northern Plains community of Applebee, Zana Yebras first became interested i n  the Order of 
  the Blue Crescent in TN 1907 at the age of 19 cycles. Her father, a military officer, had been falsely accused 
  of treason and stripped of the rank he had worked hard for and sent to a military prison. Zana discovered the 
  Crescent thanks to a traveling scholar who passed through her town at the time and showed her that there 
  were those who lived away from the world of political betrayal and intrigues. I n  TN 1908, she traveled to 
  Marigold and entered the Great Commune. There she stayed throughout the War of the Alliance, gaining 
  enlightenment at the feet of Kolos the Teacher. She then studied at Temple Heights from TN 1918 to TN 1922. 
  Her personal education complete, she returned north to found her own commune and teach the way of Kolos. 
  The Commune of Light opened in Kossuth in TN 1924. 
  Fully confidant i n  the path she has chosen, Zana radiates a sense of calm unlike anything experienced by most 
  Terranovans. She speaks softly but with assurance and has befriended many prominent people and Northern 
  celebrities seeking enlightenment and peace. Others sometimes call her Zana the Lightbearer. 
  The clear and bright climate of the Kossuth region and the tolerance of locals have attracted many religious 
  communes, including the Massadan Revisionist Home of Trees and the Jerusalemite Benyamin Community. The 
  most well-known religious community in the region, however, is the Commune of Light, an enclave of the 
  Order of the Blue Crescent. Located twenty kilometers to the southwest of Kossuth itself, the Commune 
  consists of twenty Low buildings arranged i n  a rough circle, all linked by solariums and divided by lush 
  gardens. The Commune is permanent home to over 250 Blue Crescent adherents, including the community‘s 
  leader Zana Yebras. 
  The Commune i s  most famous, however, for i t s  visitors. Many Norlight and Mercantile celebrities make a pilgrim- 
  age to Kossuth to participate in organized retreats a t  the Commune or to seek enlightenment of their own. Only 
  a small minority of these famous visitors are outright members of the order (and easily recognizable by their 
  shaved head and tattoos) but most others claim at least some kinship with the philosophies of Kolos. Revision- 
  ist authorities have at times been highly critical of this phenomenon of “crescent flirtation,” but the lenient 
  atmosphere of Kossuth has protected the pram’ce from overt scrutiny. This pmtem’on is aided by the fact that 
  several key Norlight Power executives are adherents to the order, including Kossuth administrator Tzabo. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Originally settled roughly 60 cycles after the first major wave of colonists claimed Terra Nova, Livingstone was once a 
  mining colony and extracted large amounts of copper from the surrounding mountains. The settlement quickly prospered, 
  and grew into a city as more and more copper was extracted and refined before being shipped of to other cities or off- 
  planet. Around TN 1300, the supply of copper in the rich mountains began t o  run dry. Over the next century, Livingstone's 
  economy slowly entered a downward spiral as the numerous mining companies and refineries suffered tremendously. I n  TN 
  1455, when Earth abandoned Terra Nova and many of Terra Nova's leaders fled on the few departing gate ships, Livingstone 
  hit rock-bottom and a l l  mining activity ground to a halt. The chaos of Reconstruction nevertheless made Livingstone a 
  power center. Secondary manufacturing (which had subsided off of copper mining revenues) became the center of the 
  economy as the city-state began to build an army and fight a series of conflicts with its neighbors over territory and 
  resources. I n  TN 1501, Noveren Materials was born and launched a major program of external expansion and internal 
  renovation which made the city-state a local force to be reckoned with. Thirty cycles later however, the Noveren-backed 
  Livingstone Guard fought a losing battle with the Irrian half of the Great Crusade. Internal support for Revisionism among 
  the underpaid workers of the industrial city hampered military efforts and the city was ultimately conquered and inte- 
  grated into the NLC. 
  I n  the early days of the league, Livingstone was a threat because only the Revisionist part of the population actively 
  supported the conquest. Over the next few generations, however, the benefits of Norlight membership became obvious 
  (especially with the rise of power of the United Mercantile Federation) and the Revisionist faith took hold i n  a large 
  majority of the local population thanks to conversion and self-imposed exile of Livingstone nationalists. By the begin- 
  ning of the sixteenth century, Livingstone was firmly established as the manufacturing center of the NLC, its second 
  largest city-state and securely patriotic. All these qualities remain true to this day. 
  The gray urban sprawl of the aging industrial metropolis of Livingstone has the grim distinction of having been the only 
  Norlight city-state occupied during the War of the Alliance. When CEF troops crossed the Westridge Range in TN 1915, the 
  Mauler Khans regiment was slaughtered defending the city-state. The occupation was short-lived because of the Earth 
  forces' over-extended supply lines, but the invaders were able to complete up close what their orbital bombing had begun 
  the cycle before: the destruction of most of the Livingstone factories. The reconstruction efforts i n  the post-war period 
  have created an odd dichotomy i n  the city-state, with gleaming new neighborhoods and industrial parks squeezing 
  between ancient, colonial era complexes. Exactly which neighborhoods benefited from limited reconstruction funding was 
  a hot political issue in the immediate post-war period. Much of the funding went to the construction of a large defensive 
  wall which protects the major industrial and upscale housing areas, but not the poorest neighborhoods of the city. 
  Leotionr 
  &to N, 168"3(Y E 
  Founding D a w  
  Th 552 (Joined NLC in TN 1534) 
  Mhod of bmrnmcnt: 
  Representative democracy 
  Head of Government: 
  Mayor Edith Lawrence 
  Principal Indust-. 
  Heavy industry 
  Population: 
  2.1 million 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1. Brok Enterprises 
  The manufacturer of the Aller MBT as well as a 
  variety of other vehicles and related products, 
  Brok is one of the corporate leaders of 
  Livingstone. Its huge factories have assembly 
  lines several kilometers long and are just inside 
  the fortified wall built after the War of the Alli- 
  ance. 
  2. Novoren Materials 
  A huge steel mill and production facility, the 
  Novoren Materials complex was totally destroyed 
  during the War of the Alliance. It suffered a 
  direct hit from orbit in TN 1914 and all remain- 
  ing facilities were gutted during the occupa- 
  tion. The new facility, a gleaming agglomera- 
  tion of buildings, was completed in TN 1923. 
  A large rectangular building of stone and steel. 
  the seat of the Livingstone municipal govern- 
  ment was built early during colonization and 
  displays a utilitarian style characteristic of the 
  period. Considered a classic by students of ar- 
  chitecture, the building was miraculously spared 
  from any damage during the war. 
  3. City Council 
  4. People's Party Ha 
  Right across the main boulevard from the city 
  council stands the local headquarters of the Peo- 
  ple's Party, which served as national headquar- 
  ters until TN 1854. A colonial era building, it 
  was severely damaged during the war. The pains- 
  taking restoration process - aimed at repro- 
  ducing its original design to the finest detail 
  - 
  is still in progress. 
  5. Norlight Interstate 76 One of the most critical ground transport axis 
  in the North, Interstate 76 links Livingstone to 
  Valeria t o  the North and Skadi to the south. 
  This long highway was the sight ofthe successful 
  defense of Valeria during the war and is infamous 
  for the impromptu car races that occur along 
  its rural stretches. When the region was briefly 
  occupied by the CEF, some locals tried raiding 
  the enemy with customized, armed road 
  vehicles. The exploits of these "road warriors" 
  have become folklore and are the subject of 
  several trideo series and holofilms. 
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  Livingstone's populace is comprised largely of factory workers. These blue collar workers, with their highly slurred dialect, 
  are widely perceived to be uncultured and uneducated. The fact that a large percentage of the factory workers spend 
  disturbing amounts of money on alcohol does little to help this poor image. Regardless of their perceived problems, the 
  people of Livingstone are content t o  some degree with their lives. Some argue that they simply do not know of a better 
  way of life, but locals understand that Livingstonians are ready t o  struggle t o  improve their lot but do not want to 
  abandon their own identity. The workers' fight for a better future is expressed politically, in the People's Party, and 
  socially, in the power of the Revisionist Church. 
  Despite the rowdy reputation of Livingstone's working class neighborhoods, many of the people have embraced the 
  Sorrento Revisionist Church as their guide and savior. The city-state has been a center of fundamentalism since the 
  eighteenth century and the church i s  the glue that keeps blue-collar society together. Always there t o  lend a helping hand 
  without a word of question or judgment, the church has managed t o  make many new friends. Furthermore, strengthening 
  the bonds of loyalty, the church is well known for defending the common man i n  times of trouble, be it legal or otherwise. 
  Few people in Valeria realize it, but Livingstone is one of the strongest bastions of the Revisionist faith i n  the North, 
  second only t o  Sorrento itself. 
  The smaller middle class and upper class of the city are almost all tied to the large industrial companies such as Noveren 
  Materials and Brok Enterprises. Despite efforts at beautification and patronage of the arts, the city has been unable to 
  leave its "steel town" atmosphere behind it. Most people with disposable income travel to Skadi or Valeria during their 
  vacation weeks to seek out culture and entertainment. Only the blue-collar neighborhoods are really culturally vibrant 
  with street poetrv, and small press literature quite popular. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Livingstone is a democratic city-state with elected officials who care for the city, but a great deal of the actual decision 
  making in Livingstone occurs within the People's Party. Originally a labor union representing industrial workers in Livingstone 
  and Skadi, the movement decided to move directly into politics shortly after the creation of the NLC, feeling that the 
  decisions of the government directly affected the workers they represented. As time went on, the union continued to 
  challenge the governmenfs decisions, becoming more and more engrossed i n  the political scene until the union evolved 
  into a political party. The party's dominance of the scene truly began in the eighteenth century, after a national People's 
  Party burst onto the scene. Since then, roughly four out of every five Livingstonian mayors have been People's Party 
  candidates. Because of this, policy i s  often decided within party meetings and then brought t o  city council, where they 
  pass with a majority. This has allowed for coordination with the union and the national movement, but has been criticized 
  as non-democratic by other parties. 
  Edith Lawrence, the current mayor, is one of the rare opposition mayors. A member of the small Progressive Union Party, 
  she was chosen as a compromise candidate by a city council split by dissent within the local wing of the People's Party 
  and a resulting strong showing of secondary parties i n  TN 1929. Lawrence has proven a very skilled politician, who has 
  managed to move political discourse to the public forum, at least partially. Presently, the People's Party relationship with 
  her is tense, though not adversarial. Edith often finds herself publicly arguing numerous, seemingly unimportant points 
  of policy with members of the People's Party only to have them support her when it is put to a vote. She understands that 
  they are only ensuring that the people's best interests are considered, but she finds the constant disputes tiring. 
  ' 
  Livingstone's economy i s  very reliant on its heavy industries. Two of the largest companies operating out of Livingstone are 
  Noveren Materials, which supplies numerous manufacturers with their advanced composite materials, and Brok Enterprises, 
  which produces a wide variety of manufactured products, ranging from various machine tools to the Aller Main Battle Tank. 
  Livingstone i s  also supported by a variety of related industries, including a few highly skilled and well-respected technical 
  firms that hide among the massive factories. These businesses have prospered greatly in their dealings with the heavy 
  industries, though there is insufficient demand to draw many training institutes into Livingstone. Consequently, most local 
  consultants and skilled technicians are trained elsewhere, often i n  the city-states of Kenema or Port Aurora. 
  Because most of the local population of Livingstone is comprised of factory workers without a great deal of disposable 
  income, Livingstone has a relatively small secondary economy. For a city of its size, it has a very small and drab commer- 
  cial center and very few malls or other impulse shopping outlets. Livingstone's night life is quite prosperous however: it 
  consists largely of small pubs and bars that appeal to workers coming home from their shifts. Some of these bars are seedy 
  and violent, but most are friendly watering holes, often featuring live storytelling, a favorite Norlight pub pastime. 
  Livingstone's underground economy is substantial, but not overwhelming. The Kolson and Fori cartels have moved into 
  and taken over some of the darker corners of the blue-collar neighborhoods, but Livingstone is one of the few cities where 
  the cartel influence has largely been fought off. The unifying banners of the church and the People's Party have cooper- 
  ated to organize anti-cartel action i n  the streets, usually consisting of simple but effective harassment. As the cartel war 
  has heated up, however, the dueling gangs have brought in a greater amount of firepower and are less and less willing to 
  put up with uppity locals. The unions have responded by organizing neighborhood watch programs that are thinly veiled 
  vigilante efforts because they have no confidence i n  local law enforcement, which i s  largely tied to the industrial 
  conglomerates. Several outbreaks of violence have occurred over the last season and some expect many neighborhoods to 
  turn into war zones in the near future. 
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  Every 21 Spring, Livingstone commemorates Mauler Remembrance Day, a no-work holiday where the sacrifice 
  of the Maiiler Khans is remembered. City officials and history enthusiasts organize an elaborate show where 
  actors recreate the battle in which the soldiers of 6th Heavy Gear Regiment, the Maiiler Khans, sacrificed their 
  lives. This re-enactment and celebration is held near the Grascau open-air museum, the site where the Gears 
  of the Khans remain as a testament to their sacrifice. I n  the Khans' final battle, the regiment sacrificed itself 
  to fight off a Colonial Expeditionary Force offensive long enough for the citizens of livingstone to evacuate 
  the city. Several trideo stations air this elaborate, detailed re-enactment of the Khans' last battle, a very 
  popular special among duelist fans. Some have questioned celebrating an event where an entire regiment was 
  wiped out, but others point out the selfless heroism that the Moiiler Khons displayed in the defense of their 
  people and state that it is in their memory which i s  commemorated: each attendee celebrating their freedom 
  while remembering those who made it possible. Mayor Edith Lawrence has petitioned, on several occasions, 
  that Mauler Remembrance Day be declared a national holiday in the NLC, and President Adjanni has endorsed 
  a bill to be presented to congress in the TN 1934 session. 
  Polaris Pictures. a major studio from Canterbury, has recently begun filming "Khans," a multi-million mark 
  holofilm starring Mikal Flynn (best known as the Rover), at and around Grascau Point. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  Petropolis holds the honor of being the first city established on Terra Nova's northern plains. Ground was broken on the 
  settlement in TN 499 based on colonial exploration reports that identified it as sitting on a wealthy petroleum deposit. 
  The richness of the oil fields was highlighted when an oil gusher resulted from the very first geological drilling undertaken 
  by ChemCol of Terra Nova (a subsidiary of a Terran corporation). By TN 570, ChemCol had over 20,000 workers living in 
  portable habitats at or near company sites. Several development companies were contracted, and residential and commer- 
  cial buildings soon filled the gaps between pumping stations. With "adequate" housing and some semblance of a city 
  (rather than a glorified refinery) Petropolis' population swelled. When the colony vessels departed for Earth i n  the 
  fifteenth century, ChemCol was still i n  charge and reaping an enormous profit from the massive oil field. Many executives 
  had no problems with remaining on Terra Nova and changed the company's name t o  Northern Petrochem. Petropolis 
  became a power i n  the era of Reconstruction, exerting its influence over much of the Irrian Plain until the alliance 
  between Valeria and Sorrento forced it into submission and membership in the Norlight Confederacy. 
  Petropolis has spent four centuries as a Norlight city-state fighting to remain a corporate enclave. The population is 
  largely made up of devoutly Revisionist workers, but Northern Petrochem seems to worship nothing but its profit margin. 
  I n  TN 1873, Petropolis was still a glorified work camp, with a very small corporate core providing services for executives 
  and managers while workers lived in dingy, prefabricated lodgings. Then Thor Hutchison arrived. A young priest at the 
  time, Hutchison realized that it was his duty t o  use his faith to guide Petropolis to a better life. It was not long before 
  Petropolis was the center of Revisionist-inspired labor activity, with the thundering sermons of Reverend Hutchison as its 
  rallying cry. Petrochem initially had no objections; they even made a massive donation to fund the building of a new 
  central church for the local congregation. The trouble started when Hutchison and others began to complain about the 
  deplorable living conditions of Petropolis; namely, the prodigious amount of smog that enshrouded the city. I n  Hutchison's 
  first major victory, Petrochem was forced to implement several environmental programs (even if only on a limited scale) 
  and to embark on a program of improved housing for its citizens. 
  Nevertheless, many problems remain unsolved and some laborers have become increasingly disgruntled, their anger 
  rekindling some energy to ebbing religious fervor. Petrochem CEO (and city leader) Emil Grozz-Dutrie is reportedly becom- 
  ing increasingly unsettled as a result, but others claim that his rapid rise t o  power i n  the TN 1880s may be finally coming 
  to haunt him. Indeed, he received a great deal of help from Hutchison and the nascent Prophet's Shield at that time and 
  he fears that they now wish to control Petrochem. Grozz-Dutrie is not a religious man by nature, however, and is most 
  concerned with keeping his power unchallenged. Following the advice of his assistant Marie Gauld, he has stepped back 
  from the public scene and is trying to string the Second Follower along. 
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  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1. Beta Maglev 
  The large magnetic levitation tracks cut right 
  through Petropolis' industrial and residential 
  areas. Northern Petrochem seems unconcerned 
  by locals living near or under the tracks and 
  the thunder ofa passing maglev train is a com- 
  mon sound in the streets of the city. Commu- 
  nity groups have often complained of this, but 
  their calls for reform fall on deaf ears. 
  Built in the form of an oasis tower like most 
  Terranovan TransRail stations, the Petropolis 
  station is the destination of pilgrims arriving 
  from Valeria. They continue to Sorrento by tra- 
  ditional train or other mode of transport. 
  The largest building in Petropolis, this giant 
  pyramid dominates the east of the city state. 
  Huge pipelines converge on the Northern 
  Petrochem facility, which houses not only a re- 
  finery but administrative facilities. Emil Gron- 
  Dutrie maintains his offices here as well, iso- 
  lated from the smog and stench of his city by 
  air-conditioning and thick layers of plexiglass. 
  The largest labor union i n  the city-state. the 
  Northern Worker Consortium is the biggest so- 
  cial power in the city-state. Its headquarters is 
  a large office complex i n  the northwest of the 
  city-state. 
  2. Maglev Station 
  3. NP Refinery #1 
  4. NWtonsortium 
  5. Refinery #15 (wreck) Targeted by Mekong Dominion saboteurs, Re- 
  finery 15 is now a jumbled mass of twisted metal 
  and spilled petroleum, The wreckage is a no- 
  man's-land inhabited by the homeless and used 
  by criminals. 
  6. Petropolis Cathedral Once the pulpit of Thor Hutchison. the large 
  cathedral was builtthanks to contributions from 
  Petrochem. Its walk are now covered with soot 
  and oily slime and cleaning effoits are well be- 
  hind schedule. 
  A smaller version of refinery #1, this structure 
  receives oil from the other fields and processes 
  it. This structure was also targeted by sabo- 
  teurs, however this operation failed thanks t o  
  the intewention of NorPol agents. Petrochem 
  has further increased security as a result. 
  7. Refinery #7 
  CITY OF OIL 
  Petropolis'small population belies its size; the city i s  a veritable warren of pumping stations and refineries, spanning over 
  20 kilometers. The western skyline i s  dominated by Northern Petrochem's pyramidal Refinery Number One. The 150-meter- 
  tall construct i s  part refinery, part pumping station, and part corporate headquarters. Across its sloping facade, gas- 
  dissipating fires burn night and day, giving the structure a hellish appearance. At the city's 
  eastern end stands the 
  Petropolis Central Church, the white stone of its large square frame blackened by years of pollution. Over everything hangs 
  a thick smog, coating exposed surfaces in a thin layer of grease and ash over time. This oppressive atmosphere sets the 
  stage for one of Terra Nova's more volatile societal scenes. 
  All of Petropolis' employees/citizens belong to the mammoth Northern Worker's Consortium, one of the largest labor 
  unions on Terra Nova. Currently, elements within the Consortium are at odds with Revisionist fundamentalists, who seek 
  t o  apply the doctrines of their religion to Consortium (and, by extension, Petrochem) policy. A growing number of 
  Consortium members are not at all pleased with the politicization of their religion, going so far as t o  call it blasphemous. 
  The Consortium itself i s  thus rent from within, and no citizen i s  spared by the conflict. 
  The average Petropolitan i s  firm in his or her convictions, and thus quick to take sides and quick to anger. As tensions in 
  the city increase, religious and labor Leaders have been attempting to soothe the passions of both sides, hoping to 
  forestall any violence. The CNCS and NLC governments are concerned about the situation in a critical fuel-producing 
  center, and have authorized Northern Guard Military Police units to be present at union and religious events. Much t o  the 
  CNCS' dismay, even these "impartial peacekeepers" are beginning to be polarized. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Northern Petrochem's Board of Civic Affairs (BCA), a body composed of various oversight committees, administers the 
  city-state and strives unsuccessfully to remain neutral amidst the growing tumult of Petropolis' political scene. The 
  oversight committees, charged with regulating such things as utilities, environmental measures (which continues to 
  dominate the daily docket) and defense, are the real centers of power and the Northern worker's Consortium has success- 
  fully argued for a seat at these tables. The BCA receives daily protests from the city-state's non-employee residents, but 
  their voice is even less powerful than that of the oil-workers and are not even considered citizens. The NWC has been 
  demanding a democratization of the political process i n  Petropolitan politics, but Petrochem and President Grozz-Dutrie 
  have been very unresponsive, confidant that the internal strife within the union has made it weak. To try t o  further 
  deflect the criticism of corporate dictatorship, the Board of Civic Affairs appointed a non-employee, Samael Kellye, to the 
  prominent board position of Utility Oversight Committee Chief, but this has done little t o  stem the tide of protests. 
  Normally, the CEO/President presides over BCA meetings, but Emil Grozz-Dutrie has been absent from these meetings this 
  cycle, leaving things to his adjutant, Executive Vice-president Marie Gauld. Gauld is strangely at ease about the absence 
  of her superior, continuing to speak i n  his name at all board meetings. Rumors that she is poised to seize power run amok 
  i n  corporate circles, fanned by her political opponents i n  the board's religious minority. Her position as NWCs board 
  representative has only strengthened her position, and opponents fear she will make her move soon. 
  Petropolis' main export has always been and continues t o  be its massive flow of petroleum products, chief among them 
  fuels and lubricants. Pipelines run from the city to outlying tanker stations, and from there the products are disbursed 
  throughout the entire CNCS. Production has slackened a bit of late, as Northern Petrochem proceeds with scheduled 
  overhauls of its refining stations. Rumors abound that the petroleum deposit beneath the city is finally running dry, but 
  Northern Petrochem dismisses these as sheer nonsense. The company insists that production has increased exponentially 
  with the advent of better refining procedures and technologies. 
  The city's other export is industrial cleansers. Several smaller chemical companies, i n  response t o  the city's rampant 
  pollution, have been marketing a series of cleaning agents. The most successful has been a petroleum-free magnetic 
  coating that reduces surface friction as well as, if not slightly more than, currently used lubricants. The coating, when 
  applied to building facades, results i n  clean surfaces even on days when air quality is at its lowest. Another cleanser, 
  FLoren 21, is powerful enough in its base form to burn through solid stone, and Northern Petrochem markets it i n  varying 
  degrees of dilution. 
  Petrochem has never taken law enforcement that seriously beyond the need for corporate security and has paid the price 
  with a serious crime problem. The Kolson-Forzi cartel wars currently rage i n  the dark alleys of the worker residences of 
  Petropolis, as both powers try to dominate the local underworld and ensure safe channels for illicit goods. The increase in 
  North-South tensions have also become a problem because Petropolis has become a tempting target for sabotage. Mekong 
  Dominion agents were responsible for the destruction of Refinery 15 south of the City i n  TN 1929. Petrochem has 
  cooperated fully with efforts to safeguard its facilities from the so-called "ghost teams" of Mekong saboteurs, but seems 
  unconcerned about the cartels and has provided very limited support to NorPoL's anti-cartel task force. 
  The ~~~~~~r~ ~
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  I 
  One of the most influential forces at work in Petropolis today, the Northern Worker's Consortium began over 
  two hundred cycles ago. I n  TN 1727, a small organization to protect worker's rights was formed after a 
  numerous complaints of poor working conditions i n  ore mines. This simple organization grew in size and 
  scope as laborers from all sectors of industry attained the representation they craved. As time passed, Consor- 
  tium representatives gained respect in corporate circles and they are now one of the important partners in the 
  Norlight Economic Development Committee (EDC). 
  Today, the NWC i s  among Terra Nova's larger organizations, taking in annual dues from thousands of workers 
  across the hemisphere. I n  response to a series of pay cuts i n  Hartmore Motor Company, the NWC initiated a 
  strike that hamstrung the company for nearly an entire cycle. The NWC also holds considerable political power, 
  as hopeful politicians are careful to courts its members' favor when campaigning. The People's Party has been 
  closely linked to the NWC on several different occasions. Of late, the Northern Worker's Consortium has gained 
  a darker reputation: rumors of connections to organized crime abound. These rumors are perpetuated by the 
  NWCs continued silence on the subject, as well as the disappearance of several reporters who got too close to 
  the truth of the NWCs debt to the Kolson cartel. 
  It is this criminal element that has convinced Thor Hutchison, who gained support from the union in the TN 
  1870s, that the current leadership must be replaced. His allies have launched an internaleffort to displace the 
  corrupt union heads. Hutchison's plan i s  to build the religious fam'on into contenders and then provide them 
  with the ammunition required to secure the union. To this end, the Prophet's Shield is exerting pressure on 
  Emil Crozz-Dutrie, whose rise to power had much to do with the shadowy actions of the young Hutchison. The 
  Shield has placed Marie Cauld, a member in good standing, into position to put pressure on Crozz-Dutrie. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I n  5618 (TN 1274) Terrence Mortimer, Duke of Westminster, was forced into exile by political enemies i n  the Concordat. He 
  choose t o  go t o  Terra Nova and purchased a massive area of rich farmland in the northern hemisphere i n  TN 1277 (5621). 
  Duke Terrence was determined to never be bothered by interfering democrats again and created an independent duchy 
  which he called Sesshu. 
  With rich land and money for development, the Duke soon attracted tenant farmers. Life i n  Sesshu was easy, and succes- 
  sive Dukes invested heavily in trying to bring a little civilization t o  their new demesne. I n  TN 1454, Duchess Teresa 
  managed to hold most of Sesshu's population when the Concordat abandoned Terra Nova by buying their loyalty through 
  Ducal patronage. The Mortimets family wealth paid the various pensions and over the next two centuries sensible invest- 
  ments allowed the creation of a beautiful, classically styled city of art and culture. 
  During the 16th century, the eighth duke, named Theodore Mortimer, ran out of money. Duke Theodore had refused to join 
  the Tershaw Cooperative Alliance and had indebted himself t o  the United Mercantile Federation instead. I n  the TN 1560s, 
  the UMF announced it was calling the monies owed and threatened t o  take over the duchy if it was not paid; this was an 
  obvious part of the league's efforts to absorb the TCA. When other TCA states joined either the UMF or NLC, the duke 
  thought he was saved because his "creditors" would not dare invade across NLC lands. Unfortunately, his economy 
  nevertheless collapsed. I n  TN 1570, the NLC offered Sesshu membership i n  order t o  secure i t s  newly expanded borders. 
  While Duke Theodore may not have had his ancestors' business acumen, he still had their political cunning. I n  return for 
  joining, he persuaded the NLC to take over Sesshu's existing debts and any future costs incurred by social policies. Not 
  understanding the patronage system, the NLC agreed. 
  With almost unlimited funding, Duke Theodore instituted an even more generous patronage scheme and rebuilt the family 
  fortune. The result has been immense wealth for the Mortimers, a great flowering of culture i n  Sesshu, extremely strained 
  relations with the rest of the NLC, and a city that is the most beautiful in the north with its classical Greek and Roman 
  architecture, many parks and pools. 
  Sesshu is the target of disdain from most mainstream Norlights, who think of it as a den of laziness and corruption. The 
  presence of the Dispensation District - i n  which prostitution and some drugs are legal - is especially irksome to 
  supporters of the stringent Norlight morality laws. Artists, poets and those who feel constrained by the Norlight lifestyle 
  do find release in Sesshu, however, and the locals are quite happy with their way of life. Nevertheless, pressure is building 
  in Valeria and Sorrento for the national government t o  force a stricter application of the morality laws. 
  . .  
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Map Of Sesshlr 4 
  1. Academy of the Arts Well respected despite Sesshu's poor reputation, 
  the Sesshu High Academy of the Alts has pm- 
  duced some of the most famous artists on Tern 
  Nova. Its lush campus is a showpiece ofthe stu- 
  dents' talents and is visited by most tourists. 
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  2. Ducal Palace 
  The huge palace complex is the home and gallery 
  of Duke Tomas Mortimer. It straddles the River 
  Terrence and is open to the public every 
  Wednesday. Elaborates parhes and archaic sports 
  such as polo unfold almost nightly. Huge statues 
  of Greek Gods and other mythological creatures 
  dot the landscape of the palace and the city. 
  3. River Terrence 
  A navigable river, the Terrence runs from the 
  Tershaw Range through Sesshu and into the 
  Northern Plain. Elegant boardwaks lined with 
  Grecian columns run alongside the river, with 
  gargantuan statues and large squares adding to 
  the rich atmosphere. Sailing ships are available 
  for day rentals all along the river at low rates. 
  4. Academy Quadrangle A small square on the southern edge of the 
  Academy of Ark campus, the quadrangle lies 
  between the original four buildings of the 
  academy. It is now largely a tourist spot and is 
  lined with cafes. 
  5. Dispensation District A small neighborhood south of the city center, 
  the Dispensation District is free from most 
  Norlight morality laws. Prostitution and narcot- 
  ics are both legal and open i n  the district and 
  are subjectto regulations to ensure quality pmd- 
  uct and good working conditions. The district 
  is very upscale and patronized by locals and 
  tourists alike. Many Revisionists have called the 
  District a "den of sin.'' 
  Built i n  the classical style, the large coliseum 
  is the site of many local sporting events and 
  music spectacles. Annual cricket competitions 
  with the Humanist city of Raleigh are held here 
  as well. Semi-professional matches continue all 
  cycle i n  preparation for the competition. 
  6. Mortimer Coliseum 
  THE LRHI THE DUHE BUILT 
  Most Norlights think of Sesshites as effete, lazy, decadent and even sinful. I n  reality, Sesshites work as hard as any other 
  Norlights, but for the most part i n  their own interest. This i s  usually some artistic or cultural endeavor and t o  this end 
  they are happy to accept the duke's traditional patronage. Nor is even this completely unproductive since Sesshu has 
  become the special effects and graphic arts capital of Terra Nova and has produced many famous artists, such as painter 
  Tegan Ferrell and the Sesshu Ballet Company. A full third of Sesshites are actually involved in standard industries that 
  support their artistic fellow citizens and their Duke's great wealth. These farmers, brokers, and others are looked up to by 
  their fellow citizens because their labor supports the arts and as a result, the Duke sees that they are richly rewarded 
  through inumerable tax shelters and other benefits. 
  Sesshites do not see a problem with Ducal patronage and believe Norlighters are just whining since they got conned by 
  Duke Theodore. The real problem i s  that Sesshite culture has more in common with the South than with the North. 
  Sesshites are agnostic, hedonistic, pacifistic and quite dismissive of the political and religious concerns of other Norlights. 
  Many Sesshite habits appall Revisionists. Most noticeable i s  the Dispensation District, a commercial neighborhood in 
  Sesshu in which many national morality Laws are suspended by ducal dispensation. Clean and legal brothels, sex showcases 
  and drug bars dot the district and attract tourists and locals alike. Laws are more readily enforced outside the district, but 
  private use of mild drugs, limited prostitution, nude bathing (introduced by Duke Tomas's Ashanitte wife Isabella), and other 
  "unsavory" activities are quite common. Sesshite themselves think of most Norlights as self-inflated puritans. 
  Indeed Sesshites do not even participate in most competitive sports with other cities i n  the NLC. Rugball and cricket were 
  introduced by Duke Terrence and Sesshites still play both avidly. Their only external competition is with the Humanist city 
  of Raleigh and the entire city stops for up t o  a week for test matches with the southern foe. Several local teams compete 
  during the rest of the cycle and team paitisanship has become a vely serious concern. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Sesshu i s  unique i n  the NLC because it continues to exist as a neo-feudal state. Duke Tomas maintains absolute power 
  over the duchy and other laws only hold sway with his approval. When Sesshu joined the NLC. it was asked to accept 
  national legislation but granted the city the unique right to ignore them. Ever since St. Vincent's War, when Valeria began 
  to exert a stronger influence over the region, the successive dukes have passed several dispensations for their city. The 
  Dispensation District i s  the most infamous case of this, where almost all national morality laws are suspended. This 
  privilege has often been criticized by national governments, some of which have contemplated unilateral revocation; 
  such a motion has always raised the ire of regional authorities across the nation, many of which would like t o  see their 
  communities gain the power of dispensation as well. 
  Duke Tomas i s  worried, however. He looks east to Sorrento and sees a threat in Thor Hutchison, who has made calls for 
  wider and stricter application of the morality laws, often using Sesshu as an example of a "city gone wrong." Some church 
  members have called for the expulsion of the city from the league, but the Duke knows well that strategic considerations 
  make that difficult. To frustrate Hutchison, the Duke plays a dangerous game of secret support for any opponent of the 
  Second Follower, by which he has become a contact for Chief Justice Stark and Laurent Belli. The Duke i s  unaware that 
  Stark views Sesshu as a cesspool and is only using him against the "greater evil" i n  Sorrento. 
  I n  the domestic arena, Duke Tomas has few problems, being well loved and employing the majority of his subjects. He is, 
  however, working feverishly to prepare the city for what he is afraid will be the violent resolution of the present Revision- 
  ist revival. I n  the event of violence he is relying on the Ducal Guard and the Northern Guard's 32nd Infantry Division which 
  is based at Sesshu. Through corruption, adroit recruiting and Ducal patronage, he has identified a few "friendly officers" 
  and "reliable soldiers." 
  Sesshu i s  a very wealthy city. The Mortimers made Sesshu a tax haven to their own great benefit, and many wealthy 
  northerners move there. This concentration of wealth and absence of restrictions has made Sesshu a center of the 
  northern luxury trade, including many activities which are legal only thanks to ducal dispensation. This has produced a 
  brisk tourist industry and substantial southern exports. Legal controls on the sex and drug industries have taken away 
  much of the profit margin of the cartels i n  the area, but they use Sesshu as a staging area for export and transport of 
  contraband to other Norlight regions. Duke Tomas has recently agreed to full cooperation with NorPol i n  shutting down 
  this smuggling i n  the hopes of placating his critics and ensure that the Dispensation District remains clean and safe. 
  Sesshu's artists are also good, if somewhat unreliable, earners. The graphics industries are especially profitable and the 
  city supports some of the hemisphere's top design and special effects houses. Many large advertising houses and movie 
  producers have offices in the city's business district i n  order to tap local resources. Sesshu is also Terra Nova's largest 
  producer of arts-related products, such as specialized supplies and quality prints. 
  The Duchy of Sesshu also supports an extremely rich farming and lumber industry based on extensive productive soils i n  
  the Northern Plain and the unique Sesshite Forest which surrounds the city. Luxury products, such as high quality old- 
  growth woods, rare aromatic and ornamental varieties of johar and specially engineered Terran crops, are the mainstay of 
  local agriculture and are exported around the hemisphere and even across the Badlands. Sesshu imports staples from the 
  rest of the league, but also a large amount of specialty goods, including alcohols from Raleigh in the Humanist Alliance. 
  Managing the Duke's vast fortune is also a major industry, not just i n  terms of employment, but also for the wealth that 
  floods into the city from his planet-wide investments. 
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  b Sesshu High ~ c a d ~ m q  
  af lhe Rrts 
  Surrounding the Ducal Palace at the center of the city, the Academy is a fantastically beautiful facility made 
  from white marble. The largest arts institute on Terra Nova, the Academy i s  the center of Sesshite life. I n  any 
  season, up to a third of all Sesshites attend classes, though mostly part-time. As well, there are always 
  hundreds of foreign scholarship students from all over Terra Nova. The Duke's scholarship scheme for disadvan- 
  taged youth is very well thought of. 
  The Academfs Fraternities and Sororities are extremely important with almost all sports teams i n  the city 
  being run by them and a person's social standing often based on membership. The bars and restaurants in the 
  huge Academy Quadrangle, the multitude of performance spaces, theaters and workshops, and the massive 
  park lands with their many pools are a major center of recreation. The Dispensation District is a short stroll to 
  the south of the Quadrangle and many upscale bordellos target academic clientele. 
  For an artist to be invited to take up residence in the Academy i s  the highest point of his career. Such 
  invitations are always the catalyst for a massive party hosted by the artist's friends, which can last up to a 
  season. Once they are in residence, artists are asked to teach small classes and take apprentices. Some of the 
  best sculptors and painters on Terra Nova began by learning at the foot of a Sesshite artist-in-residence. 
  Members of the Academy are regularly invited to the Ducal Palace. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  A minor Serpentine Range settlement during the time of colonization, Skadi gained importance after the Terran with- 
  drawal when there was a rapid increase i n  demand for lumber products. Supply of everything from construction materials 
  to paper from Caprice and Earth suddenly stopped and local alternatives were desperately needed. As demand skyrocketed, 
  Skadi experienced a lumber rush with dozens of start up companies eager to stake their claims to the saguaro forests 
  which hugged the local mountain ranges. With the rapid influx of settlers desperate to make their fortune in the uncertain 
  atmosphere of the Reconstruction era, Skadi developed a reputation as a wild frontier town. Skadi established profitable 
  trade links with Petropolis, Livingstone and Sorrento and considered itself a local powerhouse. Trade with the Irrian Plain 
  ensured that Revisionism would spread as well, and the Gentle Word soon took hold among the hard-working loggers of 
  the city-state. When the Great Crusade was launched to expand the NLC, the local Lumber barons were ready to fight for 
  their enclave. Common Skadians wished to join the Revisionist state, however, and took up arms to depose their leaders. 
  Since its integration into the league, Skadi has remained a strongly Revisionist lumber town. Many of the larger city- 
  states tend to see Skadians as simple folk. The large expanses of low-rent housing which spread i n  a rough semicircle i n  
  the north of city-state tend to support this view, although a more dynamic city core features more refined housing, wide 
  boulevards and several well-known publishing houses and corporate headquarters. The facilities of most lumber mills are 
  situated in the south of the city in large industrial parks. A well-developed commuter system of elevated trains, supported 
  by highways and one subway line, provide easy transportation from residential areas for workers. The major hubs of the 
  transportation network are the focus for small commercial zones which feature bars, grocery stores and small service 
  providers which target workers returning from their shift. The largest of these is Hopton Circle, a large public square lined 
  by cafes, bars and stores. Hopton Circle is also, unfortunately, the center of the Skadian underworld, with many of the 
  cafes acting as fronts for criminal organizations. Hopton Circle has been the site of many murders in the last few cycles 
  and the Kolson and Forzi cartels fight for control. 
  Environmental protection has been a hot topic in Skadi for several generations. The great saguaro forests that the city's 
  mills tap can only take so much exploitation before they are stripped bare and several groups have battled long and hard 
  to save them. Most lumber companies recognize the need to preserve their resources and practice replanting, but logging 
  remains relatively indiscriminate. Only a few enterprises practice selective logging and have a difficult time competing 
  with their less conscientious rivals. Eco-terrorism, although a fringe phenomenon, is not totally unknown and the Natural 
  Revolution movement has claimzd several lives over the last few cycles. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Location 
  rscription 
  1. Hopton Circle 
  A vibrant commercial area and den of crime and 
  villainy, Hopton Circle is one of the main com- 
  muter train hubs for the northern suburbs. It is 
  also the center of Skadian organized crime. There 
  have been several grisly murders at the circle 
  recently. 
  The core of Skadi is made up of a cluster of 
  oasis towers that house many of the city‘s ad- 
  ministrative services and a large shopping mall 
  and cultural center. Fine restaurants and hotels 
  compete for space with luxury condos in the 
  top floors. Most of the major lumber corpora- 
  tions have their head offices in the Towers as 
  well. 
  The mills of DeMeer are the largest i n  Skadi and 
  process tons of saguaro and pine on a daily 
  basis. DeMeer lumber is sought by furniture 
  makers and construction engineers because of 
  the high quality control at the mills. DeMeer i s  
  a favorite target of environmentalist outrage, 
  however, and corporate executives often travel 
  with armed bodyguards. 
  Somewhat smaller than the DeMeer mills, the 
  Northern Lumber facilities specialize in pulp and 
  paper production. Paper can be produced from 
  saguaro thanks to a chemical catalyst and run- 
  off from this process has become a serious con- 
  cern. The company has recently instituted a pu- 
  rification program aimed at saving the local 
  water supply and improving their image. A trideo 
  advertizing campaign aimed at creating just 
  such an improvement has recently hit the 
  airwaves. 
  2. Skadi Towers 
  3. DeMeer Forestry 
  4. Northern Lumber 
  5. Skadi Penitentiary. 
  Behind high walls of ferroconcrete, the Skadian 
  National Penitentiary holds high-security pris- 
  oners for the duration of their terms. The top- 
  security wing contains some of the most vio- 
  lent criminals in the NLC and is reputed to be 
  escape proof, although three prisoners have 
  actually made it out over the cycles. 
  The top cooking school i n  the NLC, the Skadi 
  Culinary Institute teaches the art of gourmet 
  cooking in four cycles and its graduates are 
  sought after across the hemisphere. The Insti- 
  tute‘s own restaurant - 
  the Blase Tavern - 
  is 
  used to train many of the cooks and to teach 
  the craft of restaurant management. It also at- 
  tracts many distinguished clients. 
  6. Culinary Institute 
  arks Circle 
  lower class residential 
  Skadi is first and foremost a lumber town and it presents a rough and tumble image t o  the world. The population is known 
  for its loud and boisterous ways and the stereotypical Skadian works hard, drinks hard, talks straight and is always ready 
  for a fight. The tough image is reinforced by the presence of large numbers of Badlanders there to see the sights or seek 
  their fortune and the stationing of the infamous Gun Dogs Northern Guard regiment in the city-state. Of course, there is 
  a darker edge to this image. Skadi has the highest rate of assault i n  the NLC, and while it is the fourth largest city-state 
  in the NLC, it has the largest penitentiary. Religious sentiment is also strong in Skadi, and local Revisionism leans towards 
  a very basic and fiery brand. The city-state is presently considered one of the strongest centers of support for Reverend 
  Thor Hutchison and his uncompromising vision of Revisionism. 
  Despite Skadi’s reputation, the city-state is not without its refinements. The natural beauty of its forests is well known 
  and they are a popular camping and hiking destination. Skadians are also known for their sharp wits and fine palates. 
  Skadi’s Culinary Academy has produced many of the North’s top gourmet cooks and visitors t o  Skadi are encouraged to try 
  its specialty, roasted treeclimber lizard i n  hot sauce. The Academy and its competitors and imitators attract students from 
  right across the globe and visitors are always guaranteed of eating well while i n  Skadi. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Skadi's ruling body is known as the Citizens' Council, whose members elect the head of government, the First Citizen. Local 
  politics are dominated by the three lumber conglomerates which each sponsor a separate political party. Northern Lumber 
  narrowly missed out on getting its candidate elected to the office of First Citizen in TN 1931 and have had to put up with SKC 
  Lumber candidate David Madsen. Political divisions are expected to remain strong all the way to the TN 1936 election. Each 
  conglomerate continues to spend a considerable amount of money on their campaigns and each expects their work force to 
  support their chosen candidate. The three companies do cooperate i n  national affairs, however, especially i n  their joint 
  opposition to Northern Petrochem. Air pollution and acid rain caused by oil-drilling and refining i n  the Irrian Plain poses a 
  threat to the lumber and tourism industries in the Serpentine Range, according to Skadian politicians. 
  These persistent complaints have led to a growing public relations war between the corporate leaders of the two commu- 
  nities and the two city-states themselves. Petrochem has become an unlikely and largely covert supporter of several 
  environmental groups (such as the True Woods Alliance) that campaign for reduced forestry and the creation of nature 
  preserves in the oldest forests i n  the region. A recent expos6 i n  Norlight News & Report revealed that a Petrochem junior 
  vice-president had been directing funds toward the Natural Revolution, a radical group of environment terrorists who 
  have been linked to a campaign of sabotage which has cost millions i n  equipment and three lives. Petrochem immediately 
  fired the vice-president and cooperated i n  his prosecution by national authorities, claiming that he had been acting 
  entirely alone and without corporate support. 
  Skadi's economy is dominated by lumber. The dozens of small companies of Skadi's first boom have long since disappeared 
  and logging is now controlled by three large conglomerates: Northern Lumber, DeMeer Forestry, and SKC Lumber. That the 
  entire Skadi region has not been deforested over the past 500 cycles speaks well for the environmental campaign the 
  Skadi government has enforced. Logging is carried out in a controlled, systematic manner and the logging companies are 
  required to fertilize the logged areas to encourage regrowth of the saguaro trees. The entirety of the regional forest i s  
  slated for exploitation, however, and environmentalists claim that although reforestation keeps the forest alive, preserves 
  are necessary to maintain a natural ecosystem and allow animal species t o  survive. Skadian government and lumber 
  corporation spokespeople argue that such preserves would seriously threaten the local economy and suggest that the 
  Sesshite Forest be used as protected grounds for animal species. 
  While some of the lumber i s  immediately exported, the majority is processed i n  Skadi, with a large number of companies 
  producing a bewildering variety of products from furniture t o  toilet paper. One company even makes custom wood grips 
  for hand-held Heavy Gear weaponry, which are very popular with Duelists. Skadi is also home to the league's top paper- 
  press publishers, including Bayron Publishing and Jag Books. Skadi's rough and tumble reputation has, unfortunately, 
  been welcoming to an underground economy with contraband, drugs and prostitution becoming major moneymakers for 
  F o r i  and Kolson cartel-controlled criminal organizations. 
  6un Dogs 4 
  Part of the 2nd Border Division, the 55th Heavy Gear Regiment, better known as the Gun Dogs, is highly 
  unusual amongst Northern military units. It is almost entirely composed of "reformed" criminals seeking a 
  quick end to their punishment. A one cycle enlistment is enough to secure parole for minor crimes like theft 
  or assault, leading up to five cycles service for crimes such as manslaughter, although the most serious crimes 
  such as murder, rape and treason are not eligible for duty. 
  During wartime, the Gun Dogs are assigned difficult (sometimes suicidal) missions, but during peacetime the 
  high command tries to forget they exist, leaving them mainly to their own devices. As might be expected the 
  Dogs are a rowdy lot, and while they do an adequate job of defending Skadi, they often cause trouble 
  themselves. I n  a joint operation with the Skadi police force to shut down an underground dueling arena, the 
  Dogs prevented the police from stopping a duel in progress and promised to let the winning Duelist go free if 
  she could defeat the Gun Dogs' own Duelist. 
  Despite this, Colonel Gael Malabar-Synn, said to be stuck i n  this dead-end command because she is an 
  outspoken atheist, manages to maintain fairly strict discipline, especially since she is usually backed up by 
  the regiment's duelist, Ranger Robert Guiscard. The basis of the colonel's influence over Ranger Guiscard is 
  rumored to be everything from sexual favors to death threats against his family. 
  Ranger Guiscard himself is a former prisoner like most of the Gun Dogs. His brother (and racing partner) died 
  when the suspension of his Gear gave way during Kallahan's Loop. An officialinvestigation ruled it a mechani- 
  cal failure, but Guiscard knew that it had been sabotage engineered by his brother's chief rival. He answered 
  death with death and was sentenced in TN 1909; he was also stripped of the TN 1907 Death Track title. 
  When the War of the Alliance ignited, Guiscard applied for the Gun Dogs. His crime has disqualified him for 
  promotion and he has been a ranger for nearly fifteen cycles now, but his unit considers him to deserve far 
  greater recognition. I n  TN 1925 he was made Duelist of the regiment with the approval of Colonel Malabar- 
  Synn; he has remained in that post ever since. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  At the start of Reconstruction, Terranovan colonists were desperately tiying to survive. They spent a great deal of energy to 
  presetve the agricultural programs begun in colonial times. Smolensk started as an agricultural commune of a dozen farm- 
  steads, arranged about a processing center, powerplant, and a waystation complex on the beta maglev line. Agriculture in 
  that part of the Irrian plain was difficult at first; some crops tended not to take to the particular blend of minerals. The 
  Smolensk station, however, had sewed as a colonial research center and much of the research materials (and the research 
  staff) remained on Terra Nova. Soon enough, wheat, grain, johar and a few other hardy crops flourished. Smolensk's process- 
  ing center soon tripled its output, and the counttyside for miles around shimmered gold with fields of grain. 
  It was not long before Smolensk was the "breadbasket" of the entire Irrian region and a political and economic power in 
  its own right. The civs access to the maglev line meant ample trade with other cities, not to mention an influx of farmers 
  looking for fertile pastures and foodstuff companies looking for new suppliers. The single processing center was soon 
  replaced by multiple granaries and more modern facilities, producing everything from bread and cereals to ethanol. The 
  resources of the city (huge fields of grain) were highly vulnerable to attack, however, and Smolensk had t o  submit to 
  Petropolis i n  TN 1510. Revisionism spread to the community from Sorrento and the local farmers welcomed integration 
  with the NLC in TN 1525. The city grew i n  size and scope as a league member to accommodate the increased traffic, and 
  Smolensk soon became a major rail center. Norlight Zephyr Rail, one of the largest rail companies on all of Terra Nova, was 
  founded and remains based there. I n  TN 1898, NZRs Longhorn-series engines came on-line, boasting unmatched speed 
  and hauling power. 
  Smolensk has been able t o  parlay its position along the beta maglev line into a great trade advantage. Using the maglev 
  as an easy link to Valeria and Smolensk, the city-state has also established rail lines to Livingstone, Kenema, Skadi and 
  other places even further afield. Although not all trade in the league need pass through Smolensk, almost all materials 
  shipped long distances across the nation ride through the city-state i n  one capacity of another. Only sub-orbital air cargo 
  shipping presents a real competition to the Lenskan-dominated rail network and such an alternative is only viable when 
  speed is of the essence. 
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  Currently, Smolensk is prosperous. A city of around 1.3 million, it still manages to maintain a sort of rustic charm about 
  it. The Smolensk Civic Center, while not particularly large or modern, is still grand and well maintained. Smolensk also 
  boasts the most architecturally diverse collection of old churches i n  the CNCS; the beautiful structures, hundreds of cycles 
  old, have been the love of architectural student and religious enthusiast alike. 
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  45'45' N, 133" E 
  TN 1503 (Joined NLC in TN 1525) 
  Founding Date: 
  Method of Government: 
  Representative democracy 
  Mayor Carton HacCrae 
  Head of Government: 
  Agricultural products, (all transport 
  Phndpal Industtier: 
  1 3 million 
  Populahon: 
  ceonoa: 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1. NZ Rail Yards 
  The largest commercial rail yards i n  Smolensk. 
  the Norbght Zephyr facility features switching 
  and repairs for trains traveling on the NZ lines 
  as well as production facilities. The new 
  longhorn engines are produced here along with 
  many other locomotives and cars. 
  The Smolensk RailVehicle Repository and Hold- 
  ing Facility is a junkyard of old trains and loco- 
  motives. The yards are used by both the mili- 
  tary and local underground promoters for Gear 
  dueling. Local law enforcement tends to let 
  these techni~llyillegalacwties slip by as Long 
  as they are kept to a small scale. Some police 
  operations are underway to shut dowm the du- 
  els thanks to the zealousness of a few Lenskan 
  police officers. 
  A typical Terranovan TransRail maglev station, 
  Smolensk station looks like a large oasis tower. 
  The station also features helipads on the roof. 
  Underground grain pipelines connect with the 
  Central Grain Exchange. 
  The economic heart of Smolensk, the Central 
  Grain Exchange building is fed by a huge net- 
  work of grain pipelines that brings the product 
  of the surrounding fields to the c i q s  heart. 
  Farmers dump their product into the solar-en- 
  ergy powered wind tunnels and receive chits 
  for credit based on weight. CGE offinals then 
  assess quality and determine a rate of payment 
  for the chits fmm a particular processing sta- 
  tion. Whole regions are penalized for bad crops, 
  a policy which encourages collectives to moni- 
  tor their members. Some have criticized thl! 
  policy. 
  2. The Train Yard 
  3. Maglev Station 
  4. Central Grain Exch. 
  5. SmolenskCoreStation The heart of the Norlight rail system, Core 
  Station is a massive complex of passenger ani 
  cargo facilihes. From here, rail lines reach acms! 
  the league. The current station was originall) 
  built in TN 1790 and is a prime example of the 
  Kyras revival style. Damage from the War of the 
  Alliance was recently repaired. Debate on the 
  restoration lingers, however. The "new" station 
  features several added structural reinforcements 
  that increase safety but mar the design. 
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  Smolensk is a city-state of "broad backs and strong arms" where the honesty of the people is surpassed only by their work 
  ethic. The typical Lenskan (as locals call themselves) speaks slowly, tending t o  extend their vowels. Coupled with their 
  generally easygoing nature and devout religious beliefs, this leads outsiders to perceive them as dim-witted bumpkins. 
  Nothing could be farther from the truth. While they seem outwardly slow, Lenskans are amazingly clever thinkers, which 
  accounts for the many innovations i n  their grain production processes. A common Lenskan boast is that a Lenskan farmer 
  works half as hard, twice as smart, and harvests six times a cycle. 
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  A major part of Lenskan society is their religion; the natives are devout Sorrento Revisionists, and every Wednesday (the 
  traditional prayer day) sees standing-room-only conditions in the city's grand churches. Therefore, Lenskans tend to 
  adhere strictly t o  a code of social etiquette, and scandalous behavior could (and has) ruined the most powerful farmer 
  baron. Their adhesion to Revisionist doctrine, coupled with their system of ethics, makes for a strong society. The Lenskan 
  sense of community is legendary and reflected i n  their adage that "if one Lenskan makes a wrong, ten will make it right" 
  holds true. During the War of the Alliance, Northern Guardsmen from Smolensk displayed the greatest sense of teamwork, 
  and were often the last to leave the battlefield when covering a retreat. 
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  Ironically, it is their religion that is the root of their problems now. Northern Guard units stationed there, composed 
  primarily of foreigners, are not quite as pious as their hosts. This leads to problems when soldiers with too much time on 
  their hands go looking for action among Lenskan women, or otherwise seek to blow off steam. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Lenskan political scene is dominated by the House of the People, a volatile legislative body made up of the city's most 
  prominent citizens. Mostly these are captains of industry and some religious potentates. The Executive Council presides 
  over the House, of whom the Mayor is the chairperson and sole voice. It is left to the House members to draft legislation 
  representing the interests of their constituents, and the Council to modify it appropriately and approve it. While it sounds 
  orderly i n  practice, House meetings are actually chaotic and little is usually accomplished. The real legislative process 
  takes place behind the closed doors of respective House members' offices. The Council's judicial wing, the High Three, 
  oversees all legal proceedings that have made it above the district level (making it the highest level of the appellate 
  system before national courts), and their rulings are regarded as Law. Council elections are held every ten cycles, and 
  mayoral ones every seven, so the mayofs term effech'vely straddles Council elections. 
  The current mayor, Gaston MacCrae, is a singular case in Lenskan political history. Mayor MacCrae is the only politician to 
  ever refuse his stipend, and insists on working on his own farm i n  addition to his civic duties. MacCrae's most powerful 
  opposition comes from Nora Pondermast, a councilor who is clearly identified with the interests of the area industry. 
  MacCrae has delayed plans for a new rail yard north of the city center that would entail the construction of additional 
  lines through agricultural lands. Pondermast has used this decision to attack the mayor's record and accuse him of 
  condemning railway workers to limited employment. As far she is concerned, the mayor has no respect for those who do 
  not work for themselves and the land. 
  The core of Smolensk's industry i s  its agriculture. Over sixty percent of the city-state's gross domestic product comes from 
  the fields and orchards surrounding the city. Surprising to most market analysts is the growing number of farmers who sell 
  a percentage of their crops not t o  foodstuff manufacturers, but to corporations specializing in the alternative technolo- 
  gies. This growing market consists of products ranging from pharmaceuticals to fuels, made from the distilled oils and 
  chemicals of common crops. One of the fastest-growing companies in Smolensk is Anders-Derrick-Marshall, a chemical/ 
  pharmaceutical firm whose newest product is an anti-viral agent made from a combination of organic-based chemicals. 
  Smolensk's other major industry is rail transport, which supports a wide range of economic activity. Being the rail capital 
  o f  the NLC and featuring a maglev station at its core, Smolensk is in the unique position of being the center of trade for 
  much of the league. As such, it has a bustling downtown commuter populace, as brokers, freight companies, and major 
  businesses go about their daily activities. This massive influx of business travelers also means a boon for private, tourism- 
  based businesses. Hotel owners make a tremendous profit, and Smolensk boasts a wide variety of nationally known 
  restaurants and cafes. Illegal trade is ako important in Smolensk, with contraband shipping along with grain and cargo. 
  The Kolson cartel still has firm control over the Smolensk underground, where Marlon Goras, a junior member of the 
  Wounded Knee organization, rules directly from the Kaitan Club downtown. 
  b The Train Yard 
  As Smolensk plays host to several military units, including the 27th and 55th Northern Guard Gear Regiments, 
  it is only natural that the aforementioned units should find someplace out of the way to hold their duels. That 
  place is the Smolensk Rail Vehicle Repository and Holding Area, also known as the Train Yard. The Train Yard 
  is a dumping ground for outmoded or otherwise irreparable maglev and rail trains. It is a deserted warren of 
  dark tunnels, rusted-out trains, and massive holding chambers, delving over 400 meters straight into the 
  ground. The facility is almost completely unmanned, and is located just beyond the city limits. 
  This makes it the perfect forum for Gear Duelists to resolve their differences, without fear of disturbing the 
  ciws general populace. The first duel to take place here was i n  TN 1919, between Miria "The Hammer" Khorlas, 
  duelist for the 55th Regiment Scorpio Stingers, and Falco Ramias, the 27th Regiment Gear Grinders duelist. The 
  two fought it out for over four hours, first with Heavy Gears, then rapiers, and then hand-to-hand, with 
  "Hammer" Khorlas finally winning the day. 
  The military has not exerted any real control over the Yards, however. Marlon Goras has jumped on the opportu- 
  nity to profit from the reputation that has grown up around Train Yard duels and has organized several gladiato- 
  rial matches. Lenskan law enforcement officials have tried to crack down on the practice, but the duels are held 
  in different parts of the Large yards according to a schedule only the gambling crowds seem aware of. 
  Law enforcement i n  the Yard has also been made difficult by the reality that only a few members of the 
  Lenskan constabulary have any real interest i n  the crackdown. Most are of the opinion that some black market 
  dueling - 
  as long as it remains at a modest scale and away from the town proper - 
  is of no harm to anyone. 
  Marlon Goras is well aware of these limits and permits only duels between two pilots and avoids the use of 
  truly devastating weaponry. Casualties are kept to a minimum. 
  The Fom cartel has yet to make any real inroads in Smolensk, but it has sent several troublemakers to the 
  city-state. One such agent is a freelance Duelist named Jona Fael. He has recently appeared on the Lenskan 
  dueling scene and challenged all comers. He insists on showy combat and does his best t o  attract attention to 
  the Train Yard. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The center of the northern branch of the Revisionist Church, Sorrento i s  a large agricultural community located i n  the 
  south of the Irrian Plain. Sorrento began its existence as a region of farming hamlets and retains that atmosphere to this 
  day. I n  fact, no traditional city exists i n  Sorrento. Rather, a small trade, visiting, pilgrimage and administrative center 
  serves as the core of an expanse of farms, homesteads and small villages which forms the bulk of the city-state. These 
  settlements are tied together by an extensive road and rail network and a subsidiary system of footpaths. Churches small 
  and large dot the community, many of which were built to commemorate events i n  the Prophet's or Nathani's life. The 
  largest of these is the Church of the Third Miracle which was originally established by early Revisionists and expanded by 
  Nathani Reiss and his close acolytes upon their return to the community. The original Second Follower preached from a 
  small and humble church, but it has been added to and extended over the centuries so that it now is a huge facility which 
  serves as the center of the Revisionist faith. The largest addition was made in TN 1651, when the Fouadian Monastery was 
  added to the structure. The monks of the Order of Fouad serve as the church's greatest scholars and are dedicated to 
  serving as theological advisors and researchers for the Senior Reverends and the Second Follower. 
  The city-state of Sorrento itself is barely older than the Northern Lights Confederacy, but the area it covers has been 
  inhabited since the eighth century. When Nathani returned to Sorrento during his Second Peregrination, he found a 
  community that was living i n  terror. Badlands rovers and the warlords of Petropolis and other communities saw i n  the rich 
  farms of the southern Irrian Plain a resource to tap. Individual homesteads were vulnerable to attack and few could 
  withstand any concentrated effort by well-armed opponents. Nathani and his followers gathered together many of the 
  local family heads and convinced them to put aside their differences and cooperate to preserve their region from external 
  threats. The Gentle Word of Revisionism helped unite once fractious neighbors and tentative alliances were signed. 
  Nathani established his community i n  his native hamlet of Sorrento and the surrounding communities eventually joined 
  under the banner of "Greater Sorrento." Since the rise of the NLC and the spread of Revisionism across the North, Sorrento 
  has grown and the original hamlet has now become the core of the modern city-state. 
  Despite major expansion, the city-state still maintains some evidence of its rural origins. Agricultural land separates the 
  major hamlets, with homesteads and grain silos dotting the country-side. Defensive walls have been erected around some 
  of the major hamlets, while others remain largely exposed to attack. Major paved roads have replaced what were once dirt 
  trails, however, and a network of highways divide the various johar and wheat fields. Sorrento is also home to a series of 
  small hills and rises, many of which feature prominent religious architecture. The Church of the Third Miracle sits on one 
  such rise, as does the monastery of the Dorothean Order. 
  Vila1 Statistics 4 
  Location: 
  ZO"45' N, 147OL5' E 
  I Founding Date: 
  TN 1508 (Joined NLC in TN 1525) I 
  Revisionist thwmq 
  nethod of Government: 
  Head of Government: 
  Second Follower Tho1 Hutchison, Brcther All GUJI. (administrator) 
  Population: 
  660,000 
  Principle Industries: 
  Agriculture. pilgnmage 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Religion is everywhere i n  Sorrento. The central community which acts as the hub of the city-state is literally crowded with 
  churches and accommodations for pilgrims. Four so-called Miracle Churches - 
  built on the sight of miracles performed by 
  the Gentle Prophet - 
  create other knots of religious architecture, while various monasteries and church-run buildings 
  complete the picture. In fact as much as 15% of the local citizenry are priests, monks or lay officers of the church. Despite 
  this omnipresence, religion is not the be all and end all of Sorrentan life. The city-state is i n  fact a large agricultural 
  region thriving off of johar and wheat farming. In day to day life, many of the locals are more concerned with the state 
  of their crops than that of their souls. Recent downturns i n  the price of green johar (after bumper crops in Smolensk and 
  the Northern Plain) has led to a certain amount of displeasure among the locals. Conflict between the agricultural and 
  religious sectors of Sorrentan society usually remains at a low-level, but as the church gains more power across the 
  league, some of the parties involved have decided to up the ante. The New Farmers Union, a local agrarian group linked 
  t o  the People's Party, has recently taken it upon itself to push for a greater say for secular citizens in the affiirs of the 
  city-state. The NFU is well aware that the church's political agenda means it cannot afford to fight a protracted social 
  struggle in its own backyard and feels that administrator Gujil will simply give i n  to minimize public attention. Gujil, 
  however, is willing to take on some threats of strikes or unrest until he is forced t o  call on the Prophet's Shield's more 
  shadowy methods, be it blackmail or something altogether more permanent. 
  Even among the farmers, however, matters of the soul are very important. The presence of so many religious sites, clerics 
  and pilgrims inspires many locals to question and examine their own faith. Ironically, this tendency makes of Sorrento - 
  the heart of the church- 
  the greatest concentration of sectarian activity and alternative interpretations of the faith. 
  Locals are hungry for further understanding of the Gentle Word and priests, wise-people and hermits who come with a new 
  message can easily find adherents. The latest of these trends is Apostolic Revisionism, a small movement inspired by 
  Adrianna Xing, an Easterner preaching i n  Massada. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1 
  Sorrento often seems a simple extension of the Byzantine world of church politics. The lay citizenry of farmers, merchants 
  and retailers have their voice heard through small councils which represent groups of hamlets. These councils report and 
  send representatives to the Community Council, which is chaired by Brother Ali Gujil, a monk charged with the day to day 
  administration of the city-state by Second Follower Thor Hutchison; Gujil is also the Sorrentan envoy to the Council of 
  Mayors. The Community Council also includes representatives from the major religious organizations, including the vari- 
  ous monastic orders and churches. The councilis a purely consultative body, with full powers being invested in the Second 
  Follower and his delegate, but the church tries its best to respond to comments from the citizenry. I n  terms of daily 
  affairs, the system works quite well and the community of Sorrento is run rather efficiently. 
  The real power plays, however, occur away from the eyes of lay people i n  the heart of the church itself. The Second 
  Follower's favor is constantly being curried, but he too must deal with the entrenched power of certain church sectors. The 
  church finance department, for example, controls the purse strings and is notorious for its independence. The major 
  monastic orders also have a great deal of power and their influence over the Senior Reverend's Council (the church's 
  highest body) is legendary. The Prophet's Shield, Hutchison's fundamentalist religious movement within the church, was 
  founded to combat the labyrinthine politics of Sorrento which tend to paralyze the church and its leaders. Nevertheless, 
  several powerful leaders have not yet fallen in line and a struggle continues for control of the faith. Hutchison's greatest 
  political concerns are two powerful groups of monks, the Order of the Chalice and the Laukran Brotherhood. The Order of 
  the Chalice is dedicated t o  the preserving and studying the glory of Nathani Reiss; they research his life, preserve artifacts 
  from it and maintain many of the important sites of his life. This latter function gives them great authority i n  Sorrento 
  and their research makes their theologians highly respected. The Order has started to issue statements that challenge the 
  righteousness of political action in the name of faith, a thinly disguised critique of the Second Follower's agenda. The 
  Laukran Brotherhood is a highly contemplative order (consisting only of celibate men) whose most prominent member i s  
  Maximilyan Bengali, who served as Second Follower from TN 1897 to 1899. Bengali, who believes i n  reunification with 
  Massada and total pacifism, was forced down by Hutchison and remains a loose end i n  the Second Follower's agenda. 
  The dozen or so Apostolic Revisionists pose another threat. They claim that Adrianna Xing was visited by the Gentle 
  Prophet and told to spread his word against destructive nationalism. A new revolutionary, anti-national brand of faith 
  runs against Hutchison's agenda of exerting influence on the Norlight state. Hutchison has asked Reverend Mother Fajil, 
  the director of the Prophet's Shield, to deal with these upstarts, little realizing that she is sympathetic to them. 
  Pilgrimage and agriculture are the two pillars of the Sorrentan economy. Every cycle, hundreds of thousands of Revision- 
  ists travel to Sorrento t o  visit the sites that feature so prominently i n  the texts of the Khoduverdiu. They drink from the 
  pure water at the Prophefs Well (see sidebar on next page) or be blessed by the Second Follower himself at the pilgrim 
  service held every season at the central Sorrentan church. These pilgrims bring a great deal of income to the city-state, 
  both by purchasing items and by donating money to the church. Sale of food, souvenirs, transportation services and most 
  other items t o  pilgrims is permitted but strictly controlled by the church. It is considered sinful and illegal i n  Sorrento to 
  ask a pilgrim t o  pay an elevated price for the necessities of his travels, so many find themselves having to sell with a very 
  slim profit margin. The sheer number of pilgrims, however, makes their purchasing power great. Pilgrims also donate to 
  the church, usually to special funds to maintain religious sites and preserve the community of Greater Sorrento. These 
  funds are further supplemented by charitable donations from across the North aimed at preserving the prime pilgrimage 
  sites i n  the CNCS. 
  Farming, and not prayer, is the basic economic activity i n  the region, however. Fully 70% of the local population is 
  involved with working the land or processing its fruits and Sorrentan goods are exported across the NLC. Renowned as the 
  breadbasket of the league, Sorrento not only exports raw agricultural goods (e.g. cut johar) but also processed foodstuffs. 
  Sorrentan bread is especially well regarded and has been linked with the religious aura of the region. Most Revisionists 
  serve Sorrentan bread as part of their Wednesday midday meal (Wednesday being a day of prayer and community service). 
  Sorrento has not escaped the rise in the underworld economy despite its holy airs. I n  fact, the quantity of travel through 
  Sorrento (and to the Badlands pilgrimage routes) has made shady dealings a major concern i n  the city of faith. Policing 
  Sorrento is the responsibility of the Dorothean Order, a large group of monks dedicated to protecting pilgrimage sites, 
  with force if necessary. Dorotheans are trained in a wide variety of warrior skills (including a characteristic hand-to-hand 
  combat style and a variety of firearms) and some are trained as criminal investigators as well. The monks are very good at 
  protecting holy sites, but do not possess the expertise for anti-cartel operations. NorPol has recently moved i n  to try and 
  break the smuggling operations already i n  place; the Order has allowed them t o  do so on the condition that a select group 
  of monks receive NorPol training. The cartel war is uniquely subtle i n  Sorrento because of the obvious scandal (and 
  backlash) that blatant warfare would cause in the holy city. Enemies are still eliminated and merchants intimidated, but 
  these things occur i n  the shadows; bodies vanish i n  the endless johar fields instead of turning up on the streets. This 
  subtlety has made it difficult for NorPol or the Dorothean Order to get active support form local victims of cartel 
  activities. The criminals' tendency t o  remain hidden makes properly protecting informants and witnesses quite challenging. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Sorrento is home t o  a wide variety of important sites. Hundreds of pilgrim churches dot the landscape and monasteries 
  join them in their silent vigil over the city-state. Perhaps the most important sites are the four Miracle Churches, which 
  mark the four miracles performed by the Gentle Prophet while in Sorrento. According t o  Revisionist doctrine, Mamoud first 
  purified the water supply south of Sorrento, made the fields of a bitter enemy grow plentiful (healing the man's anger at 
  the same time), healed himself from deadly wounds while receiving a revelation, and finally calmed a tempest that was 
  raging toward Sorrento. Each of the four churches welcomes many pilgrims, but only the Church of the Third Miracle has 
  been allowed t o  grow t o  huge proportions. 
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  Located slightly south of the center of Sorrento, a MacAllen access has become a pilgrimage site for Revision- 
  ists. Known as the Prophet's Well, this natural shaft descends straight into the MacAllen network. The shaft is 
  dry for the first fifty meters and ends in a large well of cold, clear water which scientists estimate continues 
  for 200 more meters. The Well is reputed to be the site of Mamoud Khodaverdi's first miracle, when he 
  descended into the shaft thanks to a pulley system and dipped his hand into the pool of brackish and 
  poisonous water at the bottom. With his holy touch, the water became clear and plentiful. In the centuries 
  since then, millions of Revisionists have come to make pilgrimage, hand cawing a spiral staircase along the 
  shaft-wall and building the small Church of the First Miracle. 
  Water from the Prophet's Well is gathered by pilgrims in exchange for a donation as well as by the monks and 
  priests who run the Church. This crystal clear water i s  reputed to have healing properties and to aid in the 
  growing of crops. Many local farmers sprinkle some of the holy water on their fields during the spring sowing. 
  b ~ k u r ~ ~  
  of the Third Miracle [Gaqras Wise) 
  The third miracle performed by Mamoud Khodaverdi, and the one which most directly inspired the First 
  Peregrination toward Massada, occurred on Gayras Rise, a small bluff overlooking the hamlet of Sorrento. 
  According to the second book of the Khodaverdia Mamoud had come to the bluff after locals, fearing his holy 
  touch, had chased them out of the community. Wounded and delirious, Mamoud collapsed on the hilltop under 
  the noonday sun. Nathani found him there and cradled his friend, whom he thought to be dying. Mamoud then 
  received a revelation, an understanding that he must journey into the Karaq Wastes: Nathani watched as his 
  companion spoke in tongues, directly to the Gentle Spirit, and as the Prophet's injuries healed at a miraculous 
  rate. The two men left for the desert soon thereafter. 
  A small church was built on Gayras Rise while Mamoud and Nathani were still in Massada. After the Second 
  Peregrination, Nathani's return to Sorrento, the Second Follower returned to the bluff and established his 
  pulpit in the small church. Over the centuries, this church has grown to mammoth proportions, now rolling 
  over the whole rise and able to welcome several thousand of the faithful. The church complex includes not 
  only the Fouadian Monastq, but extensive quarters for the Second Follower and the church's Senior Rever- 
  ends when they come to Sorrento. The central shrine of the church was restored after it suffered serious 
  damage from orbital bombing in TN 1914 and now features several huge stained glass windows depicting the 
  Four Miracles performed by Mamoud while in Sorrento. The front of the great shrine opens onto the pilgrim 
  stairs, a set of broad steps which descend the bluff toward the main pilgrimage route through Sorrento. 
  Pilgrims often climb these steps on their knees to attend service. The church is reputed to be imbued with a 
  healing power and the sick often come to make prayer on Gayras Rise. 
  Located in the southern quarter of the Sorrento region, the high monastery of the Pilgrim Order of Dorothea 
  stands guard over the old pilgrimage route to Massada. Build on a small bluff, the monastery features thick 
  stone walls and tall guard towers. The order also maintains several stone watchtowers along the pilgrimage 
  routes, stretching almost eight kilometers to the southeast. 
  The most famous peregrine order, the Dorotheans are warrior monks dedicated to the protection of the pil- 
  grimage routes of the faithful. Sister Oorothea Forez founded the order in TN 1575 after the routes to Massada 
  were cut off to the faithful by a series of dangerous Karaq Wastes bandits. Starting in TN 1576, well-armed 
  groups of Dorotheans began escorting pilgrim caravans into the desert: within a few generations the Dorotheans 
  had become a powerful independent military force, with monasteries in Sorrento and at several water-points 
  in the Karaq Wastes. I n  TN 1672, the Norlight government reached an agreement with the church to limit the 
  independent power of the Dorothean order by associating them to the Norlight Armed Forces. Since that time, 
  each monastery has only maintained a small defensive force for its own protection, while most brothers and 
  sisters serve in border units of the NAF or Northern Guard. Since the War of the Alliance, this agreement has 
  begun to fray. Many members of the order feel that the desert monasteries are not sufficiently well armed, and 
  their forces have swollen over the last 1 5  cycles. The government has been hard pressed to complain about 
  this militarization, because it is occurring in order to help guard pilgrimage routes which are indeed at risk. 
  The Dorothean order also sewes as the local law-enforcement authoritv in Sorrento. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  The twin-cities of Valeria-Port Aurora straddle the Thorn river where the Madras and Sitka flow into it, only a dozen 
  kilometers south of the shores of Lake Aurora. Port Aurora itself was built i n  the very early stages of full colonization as 
  one of the two polar spaceports for Terra Nova. The dense saguaro forests of the Auroran Basin were cleared several 
  kilometers east of the Thorn and launch facilities were installed. I n  TN 499 the terminus of the beta maglev -attached 
  t o  the spaceport- was completed and the superconductive magnetic levitation train line was extended south toward the 
  Irrian Plain and the Badlands. This position ensured that Port Aurora would remain a center of colonial population and 
  industry. As the colony developed, naval transport along rivers and lakes became increasingly important and port facilities 
  were established on the Thorn. By the seventh Terranovan century, the colony was developing an independent culture of 
  its own and many of the long term residents i n  need of work near the spaceport became disenchanted with the noise of 
  large industrial facilities and roar of departing orbital shuttles; to escape, they began to move nearer to the river, 
  especially on the west shore. In TN 700, this community was named Valeria and became an enclave for executives, 
  merchants and Concordat officials working in Port Aurora, along with a small number of local farmers and fishermen. 
  When the Concordat abandoned Terra Nova i n  TN 1455, Valeria and Port Aurora were gripped by chaos and unrest. As the 
  last shuttles lifted off from the spaceport, much of Port Aurora was in flames as abandoned colonists had stormed the 
  Concordat facilities i n  hopes of getting passage home. Valeria was the site of looting and street fighting as the large, 
  abandoned homes of corporate executives and Terran officials were made t o  suffer i n  their departed owners' stead. Over 
  the following cycle two warlords gained control of the cities and welcomed colonists from the rest of the hemisphere who 
  wished to make use of the abandoned facilities. With the spaceport shut down, Valeria began to grow at the expense of 
  Port Aurora and conflict between the two communities became endemic. The conversion of Valerian High Councilor Breas 
  t o  Revisionism in TN 1523 led t o  a rapid alliance with Sorrento. Port Aurora could only resist for a few seasons and 
  surrendered in TN 1524. I n  the next cycle the NLC was founded with Valeria as its capital. 
  As the new league prospered, so did its capital. Commercial, governmental, educational and military resources were 
  attracted to Valeria and the city began to stretch out around the local rivers. Port Aurora also boomed with additional 
  industrial development. Soon the cities' urban sprawls bled into each other. The two cities were finally integrated in the 
  eighteenth century, after the devastation of St.Vincent's War. The capital region suffered greatly during the conflict, with 
  orbital and sub-orbital bombardment reducing much of the old citiess to rubble. Once a peace agreement was signed, a 
  reconstruction plan was developed and a new city was born. Valeria and Port Aurora were merged into a single city-state 
  and the center of Valeria was completely rebuilt. The new capital was centered around St.Vincent's Square, which housed 
  new government facilities for both the NLC and CNCS. 
  Vital Statistics 4 
  10cltion: 
  64"15' #, 129" E 
  Population: 
  . 
  3.3 million 
  I Principal Industtier: 
  Service industw, diversified rnanufacturinq, transrolt, qovernment I 
  I 
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  h 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The largest city-state on Terra Nova, Valeria prides itself on being cosmopolitan, upscale and sophisticated. The shipping, 
  agricultural and industrial centers of the city are usually downplayed by locals and thought of as the domain o f  Port 
  Aurora or other suburbs of the “true“ Valeria. The massive presence of government agencies, diplomatic missions and 
  bureaucratic agencies has shaped the social ethic of Valeria‘s elite. Power and prestige are very important, and govern- 
  ment employees, reporters, lawyers and lobbyists can all be glimpsed in the most chic of shops and at the top restaurants. 
  Away from the great boulevards and public squares, Valeria resembles many other well-to-do city-states. The university 
  district t o  the north of the city center features a much more relaxed atmosphere, with crowded low-rise apartment 
  buildings dotting the streets between cafes and bookshops. The east shore of the Thorn and Sitka, designated as part of 
  the Port Aurora district, feature commercial docks, warehouses and low-income housing. Many of these areas are quite 
  pleasant and well maintained, but some areas have fallen to the grip of an urban downturn and are grim indeed. Crime and 
  hopelessness thrive in these quarters, away from the attention of the local government. Middle-class, white-collar 
  neighborhoods are the most common, ranging from the manicured lawns of Madras Heights t o  the southwest of the city 
  center, to the shopping malls and entertainment centers of suburban South Valeria. 
  Although experienced travelers tend to feel it pales when compared to Port Oasis, Valeria is nevertheless quite cosmopoli- 
  tan and diverse. Beyond diplomatic visitors, the city’s large student population, tourists and traders also bring in expe- 
  riences from across the globe. As the site of Nathani Reiss’ Third Peregrination(see 6.2.1 Sorrento Revisionism, page 88), 
  Valeria is also a Revisionist pilgrimage site, welcoming the faithful from across the hemisphere every cycle. The presence 
  of substantial CNCS and Norlight military forces also brings i n  recruits from across the league and confederation to 
  Valeria. All these bring a mixture of personalities, backgrounds and cultures that is seldom matched elsewhere in the 
  Norlight Confederacy, making the city-state an unsettling but instructive experience for country-side visitors. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I n  many ways, Valeria runs on politics and power. Mayor Fredrik Paust has the unenviable task of governing a city-state 
  which includes constituents such as the president of the NLC, the entire CNCS supreme court and Grand Marshall Victoria 
  Edden-Smythe. While Valeria is positively above-board when compared to Port Oasis, it nonetheless features its fair share 
  of espionage, betrayal and backroom deals. Mayor Paust must maneuver through this wasps nest i n  order to defend the 
  rights of his citizens and preserve his position. Unfortunately, many feel he has chosen political survival over the well- 
  being of Valerians, and especially that of Aurorans. Indeed, the mayor is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and 
  associated with its national and hemispheric strategies. He has become infamous for the number of balls and receptions 
  he sponsors, usually as a forum for national officials to meet and discuss issues with business leaders or foreign dignitar- 
  ies. The grand boulevards and public squares i n  the city center are kept clean and safe, while the poorer neighborhoods 
  to the east struggle for resources. 
  Local Revisionist authorities, most particularly Senior Reverend Lianne Jamal, have launched into biting critiques of the 
  Paust government. By using contacts established through the Prophers Shield and by mobilizing the blue-collar commu- 
  nity, Jamal and her associates have been able t o  bring political pressure on the mayor's office, most particularly through 
  a series of damning news reports in the local and national media. Mayor Paust has been forced into a defensive position, 
  announcing increased police coverage of high-crime areas and several community development projects. Many local 
  observers wonder whether these moves will satisfy a very upset electorate in time for the TN 1934 local election. Civic 
  Alliance candidate Elisa Staun i s  the current front-runner and has received vocal support from church organizers. 
  The capital region has one of the most diversified economies on Terra Nova. The city is most well known for its service 
  industry, with many commercial outlets, legal firms, the nation's largest banks and major trading houses all operating 
  from it. The sheer size of the government also accounts for a huge proportion of the region's economy, with 15% of the 
  population employed by the confederate, national or local governments or by associated agencies. More traditional 
  economic activities are also widespread, with industrial production in Port Aurora and large scale commercial trade and 
  transport being the two largest contributors. Port Aurora features a wide variety of industries, from a large textile sector 
  t o  several important petrochemical producers. Intra- and international trade via sub-orbital transport, rail, maglev, river 
  vessel and road transport supports a huge warehouse district along the Thorn and Sitka rivers, and, further east near the 
  spaceport, airport and cargo maglev terminal. The headquarters of Terranovan TransRail dominates this sector of the city- 
  state. A large skyscraper, it rises from the TNTR beta terminus and overlooks competitors such as TransNorth Rail and 
  Vicardy Trucking and Transport. 
  Valeria also supports a very well-developed underground economy. From the dark streets of the dock neighborhoods to the 
  glamorous hotels hosting diplomatic soirees, the influence of the Kolson and Forzi cartels can be felt. Local criminal 
  organizations, from street gangs t o  prostitution rings, all owe allegiance to one or the other of the smuggler groups. The 
  market i n  contraband, narcotics, protection, prostitution and illegal gambling in the capital is a multi-billion mark 
  industry and the cartels are more than willing to spill blood over the profits. I n  the last five cycles, violence has been 
  spinning out of control and the Paust administration has not responded very effectively. The Valerian police precincts in 
  Port Aurora are largely underfunded, with resources going to protecting the more public streets. Whole neighborhoods 
  have been largely abandoned to the cartels, leaving only a few brave VPD officers (those who have not fallen victim t o  
  corruption) to try and stem the tide of violence. NorPol's anti-cartel task force has had more success, but cannot take care 
  of community policing. 
  ~ ~ l e ~ i ~  
  Tow Saved 4 
  (Valeria Sun limes: 34 Autumn TN 1921) - 
  After three cycles of concerted efforts, the great watch tower 
  of Valeria has been restored to its full glory. The mighty tower, rising 237 meters into the air above the Inner 
  Council chambers of the Confederated Northern City-states, was revealed yesterday after spending eleven 
  seasons under a shroud of scaffolding and canvas. The tower was severally damaged by orbital bombardment 
  in TN 1914 and propped into place by makeshift steel reinforcements until the Treaty of Westphalia. Many 
  believed the tower would have to be destroyed, but the governments of the CNCS and NLC have spared no 
  expense to give it a new lease on life. The entire internal support structure has been reinforced and largely 
  replaced while a huge steel superstructure has been supporting the building. Yesterday, in a gala reception 
  where the superstructure came off, the tower was opened to the public for the first time in seven cycles. 
  "The Tower i s  one of our most important symbols," said Norlight President Anders von Breslau during the 
  ceremony, "and its reopening is a symbol of our recovery from the war. Terra Nova has risen from the pain of 
  the past just like this structure has. Neither one will fall." Von Breslau's special guests at the reopening 
  included Grand-Marshal Victoria Edden-Smythe, his successor as military leader of the CNCS, her companion 
  Proconsul Lang Regina of Fort Henry, Second Follower Thor Hutchison and newly elected UMF Treasurer Yves 
  Banderas. St. Vincent's Square was full to capacity with average citizens from Valeria come to partake in the 
  festivities. Live music, fireworks and free food and non-alcoholic drinks were all part of the party. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  After the devastation of St. Vincent's War, the center of Valeria was rebuilt according to plans drafted by Maya Galatera, 
  a local architect widely recognized as one of the best i n  her field. Galatera's city center was placed on a small bluff just 
  west of the junction of the Thorn and Madras rivers and was conceived as a partial wheel, which characterizes the capital 
  t o  this day. The hub is St. Vincent's Square, a large public place which includes the chambers of many government bodies, 
  including the Norlight House of Congress and Chamber of Valeria, the CNCS inner council and the CNCS supreme court. 
  Eight boulevards extend from the square and house additional government and diplomatic facilities, as well as some of the 
  nation's top retail outlets. Galatera laid out three parkways which encircled and divided her new city-center; i n  TN 1856, 
  four of the boulevards were extended to the east of the city and three additional parkways were added, further dividing 
  Valeria. Galatera's original city center remains the center of government, upscale shopping and financial affiirs, while the 
  more recent parkways mark the borders of residential and commercial districts. 
  The epicenter of the capital region, St. Vincent's Square is the seat of political power in the NLC. Across the 
  fifty-meter wide circular square stands the Chambers of the CNCS Inner Council, the Norlight House of Con- 
  gress, the CNCS Supreme Court, the Norlight Presidential Palace and the Chamber of Valeria. I n  the center of 
  the square stands the Children's Garden, a memorial to the victims of St.Vincent's plague. Around the garden 
  are scattered various war memorials, including those to the dead of St. Vincent's War (a low marble wall) and 
  the War of the Alliance Memorial (a large triumphal arch). The square is closed to road traffic but welcomes 
  pedestrians, who often Rock to it to admire the public buildings and hope to catch glimpses of national leaders. 
  They rarely do, of course. Despite the presence of tourists, security is quite tight. Northern Guard and NAF 
  special units guard the various buildings of note, while bodyguards surround the most prominent politicians. 
  Lobbyists, lawyers and reporters can be seen entering the various public buildings at almost anytime of the day. 
  Many of the public buildings on the square feature guided tours which attracts a large number of tourists. 
  Valeria Tower, the great thirty-story watch tower that overlooks the city, is the most popular tourist attraction 
  because of its spectacular view of the capital and the Thorn river valley itself. 
  Of the eight grand boulevards which start at St.Vihcent's Square, Breas i s  the most famous. Running west from 
  the square, Breas i s  a wide, eight-lane boulevard through St. Vincent's Square that features the most elegant 
  and popular shops, outlets and boutiques in the league. High-class hotels, highly exclusive apartments, and 
  caf6s compete for space on the boulevard and attract upscale shoppers, tourists and locals in the mood to 
  spend some money. The Paust government keeps the boulevard scrupulously clean and its i s  well patrolled by 
  local police as well as the military forces guarding government institutions. This most famous stretch of Breas 
  ends at Armistice Circle which is a large traffic circle and public square that features the Church of the Third 
  Peregrination. This large church was built to commemorate Nathani Reiss's journey to Valeria and is the prime 
  religious center of the region. Breas Boulevard continues further west, but loses its panache and is largely 
  lined with less-glamorous shops. 
  The most prestigious law school in the North, Valeria Legal Academy is housed in an extensive campus near 
  the center of Valeria. Arcing along the Centennial Parkway, between keas and Madras Boulevards, VLA's large 
  stone building and lush parks are among the most photographed areas of the capital. The Larange National 
  Library building at the center of the campus is an eight-story large stone building with an impressive colon- 
  nade and wide steps before it. The Larange library houses not only the VWs own collection, but serves as the 
  national repository of record for the Northern Lights Confederacy. Every publication in the league is supposed 
  to deposit three copies at Larange which can then be consulted by approved scholars. Trideo and other 
  electronic media are also deposited at the library, although its coverage i s  less complete because of looser 
  publication definitions. The VLA campus i s  also home to a luxurious faculty club which is used by the legal 
  elite of the city as meeting place and social club. Chief Justice Stark and his political allies often use the 
  private rooms of the club for their discussions. 
  b The Dochs 
  The east shore of the Thorn and Sitka rivers are the center of commercial shipping in the capital region. The 
  Docks are widely reputed to be dangerous and corrupt, a reputation they haveearned thanks to the disinterest 
  of the twin-cities government in the well-being of the area. Cartel-connected criminal gangs now control 
  much of the access to the shipping facilities, a feat they accomplished by corrupting several key unions. The 
  United Dock Workers is especially dirty and holds a stranglehold on all loading and unloading activity along 
  the docks. The cartel war has arrived at the Valerian docks and several gangs are now trying to challenge the 
  Kolson-backed Remy Boyz for control. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  of Norlight forces. 
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  Yele was founded early on i n  the colonial period when medicinal plants were discovered i n  the region. The presence of 
  these plants, combined with other economic factors meant that, for all but the most high-technology supplies, it would 
  be cheaper t o  establish a manufacturing center for medical supplies on Terra Nova than to import them from Earth. I n  
  addition to producing medical supplies, Yele came t o  serve as Terra Nova's premier medical facility, with cases of serious 
  illness and injury being transferred there from all over the planet for advanced treatment. I n  TN 956, the Yele Medical 
  Center was formed and quickly established a reputation for medical excellence, attracting top medical talent from Earth 
  who wished to practice medicine on a new planet. 
  The Terran withdrawal from Terra Nova was a huge blow to Yele. Not only did many of the researchers and doctors return 
  t o  earth, greatly depleting Yele's store of knowledge and experience, but many of the facilities and supplies were de- 
  stroyed i n  the looting and noting touched off by the withdrawal. Amongst the first to recover i n  the city, however, was 
  the Yele Medical Center. With the backing of the remains of the pharmaceutical industry, which rapidly reorganized as 
  independent companies, the YMC set about making the Terranovan medicical industry self sufficient, encouraging medical 
  research and setting up a teaching hospital so the abandoned colony could train its own medical personnel. With the rise 
  of city-states, medical facilities around the planet began to improve and Yele helped establish new medical and teaching 
  facilities all along the beta maglev line. This medical missionary work opened Yelans t o  the birth of Revisionism and a 
  healthy religious community grew i n  the city-state. With the formation of the NLC, Yelan Revisionism became highly 
  political and swept to power in TN 1528. As soon as the Great Crusade began, Yele threw open its doors and joined the 
  new league with virtually no local protest. Those who objected most strenuously left for the Badlands before the arrival 
  Yele's position as the health center of the NLC remains unchallenged and the city is home to many national and CNCS 
  health agencies. The YMC and several other local hospitals also continue to be patronized by Badlanders and Southerners 
  who can afford the exorbitant fees charged t o  foreign patients. Yele suffered from orbital bombing a t  the beginning of the 
  War of the Alliance, but almost all the damage has been repaired and the town's core has a hauntingly new atmosphere. 
  Buildings stand fresh and gleaming, sculpted in the latest architectural style and equipped with numerous gadgets and 
  ornementations. Some sections of the city-state have been entirely rebuilt from the ground up, mostly i n  the neighborhoods 
  and suburbs where the wealthy doctors and researchers congregate. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  1. Yele Medical Center Sprawling on the shore of the Vale River, YMCs 
  cylindrical structures appear as a collection 
  of oasis towers. The Yele Medical Center 
  includes the best medical research facilities 
  on Terra Nova and a fully functional teaching 
  hospital specializing i n  the most advanced 
  forms of genetic reconstruction, targeted drug 
  therapy and cyb-surgery. An education at YMC 
  is considered a sure way to enter into the 
  medical elite of Terra Nova. 
  2. Surai Medical Center Located just north of the YMC, the Surai Center 
  is the NLCs top military hospital complex. 
  Soldiers requiring specialized and long-term 
  care unavailable at the various military clinics 
  and hospital wings scattered throughout the 
  league are shipped to Yele for treatment. Surai 
  and the YMC have a very close relationship 
  and are sometimes considered to be extensions 
  of one-another. 
  3. CNCS Board of HealthHoused in the Barnabus Building near both the 
  YMC and Surai Center, the CNCS Board of Health 
  is the liaison between the Confederated gov- 
  ernment and the medical/pharmaceutical com- 
  munity. The board is chaired by Surgeon Gen- 
  eral Lizabeth Danoys, a former head of the YMC 
  and an advocate of a greater access to advanced 
  medical treatments. 
  One of the many pharmaceutical corporations 
  that dominate the Yelan economy, Baraas has a 
  massive complex on the KOK River. Baraas spe- 
  cializes in produN for genetic manipulation 
  and is busy producing a new generation of drug 
  cocktails used to facilitate clone-growth. Rumor 
  has it that Baraas has either struck a deal with 
  the GRELs from Jan Mayen or has access to an 
  illegal testing facility. 
  4. Baraas Corps 
  5. Ashbuny Club 
  The most exclusive ofYele's many upscale night 
  clubs, the Ashburry is a private establishment 
  located on the grounds of a huge mansion. 
  Rumors about the goings on at the Ashburry 
  include massive drug use, elaborate sexual es- 
  capades and even the use of slaves from the 
  Badlands. Most people dismiss these rumors as 
  the ramblings of jealous people lacking the con- 
  nections to get in. 
  Today, Yele has the best medical treatment, training and research facilities on Terra Nova - and it shows. The elite of 
  geneticists, cyber-surgeons and pharmaceutical company executives mix with eager young researchers and students who 
  strive to achieve the success they see around them. Competition is almost palpable as students compete for places in the 
  best schools, researchers attempt to get their results published first and top surgeons try to outdo each other i n  attract- 
  ing the most famous celebrity patients. The rewards of this competition are plain to see: the wealthy suburbs containing 
  the luxury mansions of the top geneticists, researchers, surgeons and executives are a constant reminder of what the best 
  can expect to obtain. Competition is not without its dark side however, and some researchers are willing to cut corners i n  
  their work or conduct illegal or unethical research in their quest to be famous; morality crimes are not uncommon. 
  Recently the Revisionist church has spoken out against this, citing a concentration on complex, expensive medical 
  procedures available to the wealthy and powerful instead of concern for the welfare of the general population on the part 
  of the Yele medical community. Most notably, local church officials have called for clerical oversight of the medical 
  community. 
  I n  contrast to the medical community, the farmers of Yele, who make up the majority of the rest of the population, are 
  relatively sedate. They normally feel none of the pressure surrounding the "quacks." One current concern of theirs, 
  however, is the price they get from the pharmaceutical companies i n  exchange for their crops. Some of the farmers feel 
  the companies are making a profit at their expense and there is growing resent against the medical community and its 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Yele's internal politics are currently characterized by a clash over religious issues. I n  the past, political campaigning has been 
  about secular issues, supported by political parties backed by wealthy pharmaceutical and medical research companies or 
  farmer's unions. I n  the preliminaries to the TN 1934 election, however, candidates running against the usual parties have 
  appeared, basing their campaigns on religiously based arguments and are claiming their opponents are not devout Revision- 
  ists. Usually this kind of campaigning would not get anywhere in Yele, but with Reverend Hutchison's recent comments on 
  the medical community, these candidates are gaining growing support (especially from the farming community, which has 
  always been the core of local Revisionism). Fara Benzali, head of the Yelan Popular Initiative, and the current front runner 
  in early polling, has promised to redirect medical efforts to a more egalitarian -and 
  theologically correct- 
  stance if 
  elected. Her opponents claim that she has threatened Yele's international standing: they fear her religious doctrine will sour 
  good relations between local researchers and doctors across the North and South. Benzali dismisses such claims as irrelevant. 
  Externally, Yele maintains good relations with the rest of the Northern city-states, especially considering the number of 
  politicians from across the CNCS who have taken advantage of Yele's facilities. In fact, the world class reputation of the 
  Yele Medical Center gives the city-state a global presence independent of its national afFiliation. Many of Yele's doctors 
  and researchers have taken this status to heart and lobby for policies that are not i n  line with hemispheric plans. Many 
  maintain good relations with their colleagues in the southern leagues and are pushing for more cooperation between the 
  poles on medical issues. A delegation from the YMC i s  currently touring the southern hemisphere and has been well 
  received by the medical communities of both the Southern Republic and the Humanist Alliance, despite accusations that 
  the delegation is a cover for Northern espionage. 
  The export of pharmaceuticals forms the bulk of Yele's economy. With the manufacture of many world-renowned wonder- 
  drugs only being possible through the processing of locally grown plants, Yele's products are sought out even i n  the 
  deepest Badlands and the Allied Southern Territories. Yele is home t o  the North's premier medical teaching facilities and 
  medical and nursing students from across the CNCS also bring in considerable revenue for the city-state. I n  addition, the 
  wealthy elite of the North (and some Southerners) come to Yele for medical treatments not available anywhere else on the 
  planet and are more than willing to pay exorbitant rates for them. Yele has almost no other manufacturing capabilities 
  and all farming is geared towards the cultivation of medicinal plants, so most of the basic necessities of life must be 
  imported. The high concentration of wealthy doctors, researchers and executives i n  the small city-state means that Yele 
  has the highest per capita consumption of luxury goods i n  the NLC, higher even than Sesshu. These combine to keep the 
  balance of trade from being too heavily skewed in Yele's favor. 
  Yele's underground economy is a dark reflection of its legal business. Illegal drugs are manufactured, packaged, sold and 
  shipped from Yele and end up across the North and are even smuggled into the Badlands. Most locals are aware that small 
  scale illegal production occurs and feeds the Yelan night scene, but few realize how critical their community is i n  the 
  production of narcotics on a hemispheric and even global scale. NorPol is aware of this, however, and has set up a 
  dedicated unit of its anti-cartel task force to the city-state, where they join the agents already i n  place as part of the 
  controlled substances Focused Investigative Unit. 
  Ni~ht life 4 
  The pressure and competition of Yele's medical and research industries has led to a notoriously wild party 
  scene to provide emotional release. The largest parties are held at the mansions of Yele's wealthy elite and are 
  often open to all levels of the medical and research communities. They are especially popular with young 
  research assistants and students, who get to experience the wealth and influence they aspire to while mixing 
  with the top people i n  their field. Smaller, more exclusive affairs are held i n  a variety of private clubs. Many 
  of these clubs operate illegally and provide distram'ons that would shock and outrage many Northerners. 
  The combination of a boisterous party scene and a large number of highly intelligent pharmaceutical researchers 
  has inevitably lead to the produm'on of recreational drugs. These are often freely passed around at parties and 
  young researchers sometimes compete to see who can make the best new party drug. This cottage produm'on 
  makes law enforcement difficult and drug use is rumored to be rampant throughout the medical community. The 
  Kolson and Fori cartels from Wounded Knee have become more and more involved i n  the local drug trade over 
  the past ten cycles, each trying to stake a claim on the diversified local production. Both have established 
  footholds, but have been unable to curb the widespread personal produm'on encouraged by the party scene. 
  NorPol has also become involved, trying to shut down the cartels and the local drug producers. The Yelan 
  Constabulary i s  more than willing to let the national police take the blame for another Failed crackdown. 
  All levels of law enforcement have become concerned by the recent arrival i n  the clubs of a new drug known 
  alternatively as spike or hit. Highly addim've, spike causes a powerful sense of euphoria that can lead a user 
  to attempt extremely dangerous activities (such as flying out of the window). Spike's origin is unknown, but 
  popular theories include the Fom cartel, importing from Khayr ad-Din, or a malicious student at the Yele 
  Medical Center. NorPol is very interested i n  finding the truth. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Zagazig was one of the first settlements founded on Terra Nova, and i t s  temperate microclimate in the slopes of the 
  Eastridge Range attracted some of the first dedicated settlers once a direct link t o  Caprice was discovered. The microclimate 
  produced not only abundant rain but also warm temperatures all year round. By TN 550, it was a small but thriving 
  settlement and has been a quiet, bucolic place ever since. 
  That first small settlement grew slowly over time, but Zagazig remained a quiet, even rather backward, community until 
  TN 1100, when pharmaceutical companies discovered the local microclimate was perfect for growing medicinal plants. 
  This became Zagazig's first major industry. The quiet environment did attract visitors, however, who came t o  relax and 
  escape the more hectic parts of the colony world. As a "native Terranovan" culture developed, many returned from 
  elsewhere on the colony when they retired and the city soon developed large estates of aging citizens living out their 
  golden cycles i n  the sun. 
  During Reconstruction, Zagazig armed itself but was unable t o  resist the more powetful city-states; i n  TN 1490 it began 
  paying tribute to Yaramir. When the Yaramite regime expelled Revisionists from its city-state, many traveled west and set 
  up communities in Zagazig. The locals were receptive t o  the new faith and conversions became commonplace. With the 
  complete destruction of Yaramir i n  TN 1537 and the end of Norlight expansion, Zagazig found itself without protectors. 
  Zagite mayor Yanna Goren began trying to build Local alliances, an effort which led to the creation of the Tershaw 
  Cooperative Alliance i n  the TN 1550s. When the TCA was split by the UMF, Zagazig appealed to the NLC for protection and 
  officially joined the league i n  TN 1569. Under the Norlight flag, the city-state has been able t o  thrive and has become a 
  favorite vacation spot as well as an important military base. 
  One tourist who returned t o  the city was Shone Wententhal, a leading Valerian educator. Shone felt that Zagazig 
  provided an excellent location for a university. In TN 1620, she persuaded the NLC to fund a university i n  the city, and it 
  bears her name t o  this day. A firm believer that education was necessary to help build society, Simone laid an emphasis 
  on the sciences, engineering and architecture, and the university excels i n  the latter two fields to this day. Several well- 
  respected liberal arts colleges and other schools have also set up i n  the shadows of Wententhal University over the last 
  three centuries. 
  An often forgotten chapter i n  Zagazig's history i s  the foundation of the Overland Cruise Line (OLC), the first commercial 
  Landship Line, by Villiam Kunard in TN 1739. A St. Vincent's War veteran, Villiam salvaged the CNCS troop-landship Drakkar 
  and started hauling cargo. Born and bred i n  Zagazig, he based his company i n  his home town and it became the center of 
  the northern landship industry. Today OLC, Northern Travels and Rastapopoulos Lines all ply their trade from the vast 
  docks several miles outside Zagazig. 
  b ~ j ~ a l  
  S ~ ~ t l ~ ~ l ~ ~  
  Location: 
  35"30'N, 84'15:E 
  I PrinciDal Industries: 
  Pharmaceuticals, education, transport and tourism I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  location 
  flexription 
  1. Wententhal U. 
  One of the top schools in the NLC, Wententhal's 
  large camps attracts a variety of students who 
  often clash with each other and the conserva- 
  tive locals. 
  2. Zagazig Station 
  Built in a simple style using Ferroconcrete high- 
  lighted with marble, Zagazig's central station 
  connects the community to the rest of the 
  league. 
  3. OCL Headquarters 
  The oldest and most prosperous of the local 
  commercial landship cruise operators, Overland 
  Cruise Lines does business from a glass and steel 
  office complex in the commercial center of the 
  city-state. 
  4. Zagang Legislature Located outside of the commercial core and 
  among the citizens it represents, the municipal 
  legislature is housed in a modest complex that 
  includes the municipal courts and the mayo<s 
  office as well. 
  To the northwest of the city, the civilian ship- 
  yards produce and berth cruise landships for 
  OCL, Rastapopoulos and Northern Travel. The 
  cruise docks are shielded from the production 
  facilities by large concrete walk. 
  5. Civilian Shipyards 
  6. Militay Shipyards 
  Guarded by two militay bases, the Zagazig mili- 
  t a y  shipyards are the major landship produc- 
  tion facility in the NLC. A huge Typhoon-class 
  heavy cruiser and two smaller Tornado-class 
  cruisers are currently in production, along with 
  several smaller ships. 
  The local Norlight Armed Forces base, Camp 
  Reighton is charged with defending not only 
  the shipyards but the whole community as welL 
  7. Camp Reighton 
  8. NGB Kuron 
  Northern Guard Base Kuron is home to the elite 
  Cars Paws Gear regiment and several other units. 
  Its Facilities include elaborate "ghost town" 
  training facilities and some of the best Gear 
  repair facilities in the Norliqht Confederacv. 
  For all intents and purposes, Zagazig is two cities rather than one. The outer city features pleasantly green and sunny 
  housing estates and resorts which house retirees and middle class families. It is quiet, some say to the point of atrophy, 
  and is religiously, socially and politically very conservative. The outer city accounts for a majority of the Zagite popula- 
  tion. The inner city, or university district, is a beautiful place of parks, gardens, cafes, bookshops, bars and the various 
  university campuses of the city. Many of the district's wonderfully designed buildings show the geometric and abstract 
  design elements for which Wententhal University's architecture school i s  famous. During term, the district houses up- 
  wards of 50,000 students along with faculty staff, technicians and merchants who live off the student customer base. The 
  inner city is a dynamic place because of the highly politicized and increasingly divided student body. 
  The tendencies that more radical students get up to - 
  shock music, strident atheism, minor drug use and resistance to 
  the morality laws - 
  are shocking to the rest of Zagazig. More disruptive, however, are the disputes between the radical 
  and conservative parts of the student body. During Student Guild election campaigns, near riots can take place, and the 
  competing student newspapers the Voice of the Faithful and Scream are widely followed all over the city, providing 
  titillation and indignation to Zagazig's more sedate citizenry. Authorities have tried to moderate the proceding, only to be 
  met with strident protests from both sides. Attempts to regulate the distribution of the students' papers have met with 
  the same fate. 
  Apart from murmured shock and occasional indignation, however, the university students rarely impact on the lives of the 
  majority of citizens. They have a quiet and comfortable life, untroubled by many of the troubles of the rest of the NLC. The 
  church plays an important role in Zagite life and most citizens have a hard time understanding why other communities are 
  so resistant t o  a positive religious influence. Some locals, however, feel that the current revival and the political extremes 
  espoused by some religious leaders i n  the student community go too far. These feelings are shared by the workers who live 
  i n  the outer city and commute t o  the dockyards and industrial parks outside the city via rapid commuter train. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Although students try t o  make it as difficult 
  as possible, Zagite politics is as quiet an affiir as the rest of city life. The city 
  tends t o  elect good managers rather than political advocates, a conservative attitude which has allowed the Liberal 
  Democratic Party to dominate the local seen for generations. The secular stand of the LDP i n  the last few decades has 
  eroded some support (leading t o  a victory by a Twin Pillars candidate i n  the third district in TN 1924 and 1930), but most 
  of the electorate expect the state t o  do their job rather than crusade for the church or some other cause. Students always 
  flood the outer city during elections trying t o  persuade people to vote for politicized candidates. Apart from adding color 
  t o  an otherwise colorless procedure they have little effect on the election process. 
  Irene Mugabe is typical of the good managers Zagazigans like; competent and low key, she believes strongly that the 
  social situation i n  Zagazig i s  about as good as it gets. Irene is not a fool, however, and sees the approaching problems. 
  Locally, she has become concerned with rising crime rates. Although Zagazig has largely been spared the violence of the 
  smuggler wars, the Forzi and Kolson cartels are now moving into the narcotics and contraband businesses in the univer- 
  sity district. NorPol's anti-cartel unit has set up an office i n  Zagazig in response. Nationally, Mugabe has found herself at 
  the head of the Council of Mayors. From this position she has a unique perspective on the divisions within the league. 
  Mugabe is especially concerned with matters of faith; despite her conservative background, she is increasingly willing t o  
  listen t o  critics of the church, such as Exeter mayor Laurent Belli. 
  Zagazig's economy is dominated by pharmaceutical production, tourism and a wide variety of retail and service industries 
  aimed at the student market. The large pharmaceutical corporations (including local Feramaz and GeneTech, as well as 
  facilities owned by several Yelan corporations) employ a large number of middle-class Zagites i n  research, management 
  and clerical duties and support many of the high-technology facilities at Wesenthal University. The pharmaceutical 
  production facilities and the landship docklands employ a substantial blue-collar workforce in industrial facilities located 
  about twenty kilometers west of the city proper, at the base of the mountains. The docklands house berthing facilities for 
  the local cruise lines as well as the NLCs largest landship construction yards. Military contractor LandNaval corporation's 
  yards are the biggest and are currently producing two Tornado-class heavy destroyers for the Northern Guard (scheduled 
  for completion in TN 1934 and 1935) and a Typhoon-class heavy cruiser for the Norlight Armed Forces (scheduled for 
  completion i n  TN 1935). The shipyards and the city are protected by Northern Guard and NAF military bases nearby. 
  The tourism industry is based around a series of hotels, resorts and recreational facilities scattered about the outer city 
  and the pleasant plateaus of the surrounding mountains. They are supported by the landnaval cruise lines, which bring i n  
  visitors in large numbers. OLC manages a fleet of five vessels, while Northern Travels has three and Rastapopoulos Lines 
  four, though most of Rastapopoulos' are small, older vessels. The civilian docks (with direct rapid transit link t o  the 
  resorts) also welcome other vessels from the rest of the CNCS and even a few from the South. 
  The university district is the most vibrant commercial part of the city; students, faculty, soldiers on leave and tourists all 
  flock to the inner city's bookstores, cafes, bars and shops. Even retirees and white-collar Zagites come into the core, 
  although many prefer t o  use more sedate commercial malls near their neighborhoods. Zagazig also has a substantial black 
  market in contraband and illegal drugs. This market has long been controlled by a Kolson-allied cartel, but a competing 
  Forzi group moved into the city i n  the last cycle. Violent crime has increased as a result. 
  As a scion of Zagazig's wealthiest family, head of Wententhal University and one of Terra Nova's greatest 
  minds, Warran i s  an important figure in the city. A small rotund man, bald with thick glasses, he seems a 
  typical academic. His published works, however, cover such diverse topics as "Secretions of the Greater 
  Southern Aquatic Scrag" and "On the Tuning of Drag Racing Engines" and reveal him to be a true renaissance 
  man. He is a familiar figure on the NLC lecture and talk show circuit, expounding on a bewildering array of 
  topics without any seeming relation to one another. 
  His duties as chancellor are increasingly burdensome as he struggles to keep the peace on Wententhal's 
  divided campus, and placates the city government over student antics. He also serves as an advisor to 
  President Adjanni and has enough clout to deflect most criticism. Hunard has been forced to expel both 
  radical and conservative student ringleaders to quiet matters, however. Now, this even-handed response may 
  be his undoing. Father Tevric. the University Chaplain, has complained about pious, patriotic students being 
  expelled for opposing atheist delinquents. He is pushing for greater Church input into administration and the 
  curriculum. Warran foolishly ignored the threat Tevric represented and now has serious political difficulties in 
  Valeria, the city council and University Senate. 
  Warran's political dilemmas have had the unexpected result of attracting Southern attention. The chancellor 
  has been approached by SRID and offered a position of influence at Garamond University in the Republican 
  city of Newton. His defection would, of course, be accompanied by a thorough debriefing regarding all his 
  dealings with Kathe Adjanni. Although he once considered himself a patriot, Warran has given the idea serious 
  consideration and is currently busy tlying to justib treason to himself. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Slightly less than half the 78 million citizens of the Northern Lights Confederacy live outside the confines of its 14 city- 
  states. These citizens live in a wide variety of conditions, from small family farms i n  the Aurora basin to thriving towns of 
  100.000 inhabitants or more i n  the Tershaw Range. While the city-states are given the bulk of the political power i n  the 
  league, and while they maintain much of its economic clout, the rural areas are generally credited with shaping the 
  national psyche. The stereotype of the hard-working, honest Northerner comes not from the powerful urban regions, but 
  from the farms and ranches of the countryside. The less flattering stereotype of the stupid, provincial, knee-jerk Revision- 
  ist conservative unfortunately also has its roots i n  the rural NLC. O f  course, the millions who live away from the cities are 
  far more complex than those images allow for, but both stereotypes do contain grains of truth. 
  Rural living conditions vary from region to region, but can generally be divided between homesteads, hamlets and towns. 
  Homesteads are small communities usually consisting of one or two extended families. Homesteads are usually agricul- 
  tural or ranching centers and include coops, grain silos and water filtration facilities. In mining areas, homesteads are a 
  rarity, although lone prospectors do sometimes set up their own independent mountain homes. Like the Badlands, 
  homesteads are usually grouped into counties, based around a trading hamlet. 
  Hamlets are small communities with a population anywhere from 50 to 1,000 people. They generally thrive on trade and 
  provide services to surrounding homesteads. Hamlets can also be small mining centers, usually housing miners working i n  
  a remote area. I n  the region near Petropolis, many hamlets have been built around drilling stations. Towns range from 
  large hamlets to small cities and feature a much wider variety of services and facilities. They are usually organized around 
  a specific resource. Trade routes t o  markets are the most common, but several large towns are built around universities or 
  corporations looking for a friendly community. 
  The largest body of fresh water on Terra Nova's surface, Lake Clearwater's shores are home to a diverse group of small 
  communities and two city-states. The Arctic Basin around the great lake has traditionally been an area of retreat, often 
  for exiles from other parts of the North. Vacation resorts and retirement homes line the shore around Franklin Harbor, 
  while fishing communities dot much of the lake itself. The region is also home t o  a disproportionate number of Jerusalemite 
  communities. These villages and homesteads form small rural communes which cooperate to some extent and largely exist 
  outside the Norlight mainstream. Although some are extremely isolationist, others are open, welcoming villages that 
  regularly trade and communicate with the outward world, where for the most part this contact is pleasant and friendly. 
  Religious intolerance is endemic t o  the Norlight character, however. While many Revisionists i n  the Clearwater region are 
  open and non-judgmental, others think of their Jerusalemite neighbors as untrustworthy, unpatriotic conspirators. This 
  attitude i s  also widespread i n  the league as a whole and has tainted the Clearwater region in the eyes of many Norlights. 
  Second Follower Thor Hutchison has made several announcements about his desire to continue to have friendly and open 
  relationships with Norlights of other faiths, but i n  other speeches he has decried the possibility of "citizens losing sight 
  of the faith that gave them a nation." Many Jerusalemite leaders are concerned that such words could lead to drastic 
  actions. Especially with increasing tensions between the poles, mainstream Norlights might well begin to buy into the 
  fear that Jerusalemite communes are used t o  organize treasonous actions. Rebi Mikah Jammal, the head of the Confer- 
  ence of Jerusalemite Congregations (CJC), is very concerned and has tried t o  maintain a good relationship with local 
  Revisionists. He is especially close to Reverend Halle Frost, who preaches from Exeter, and is an advisor to Senior Revered 
  Malka Gorzhov, the highest ranking church official in the region. 
  The Isle of Sto~~heads 4 
  1 
  The so-called "Isle of the Stoneheads" lurks at the tip of the chain of islands in the east of Lake Clearwater, 
  about 100 kilometers from Exeter. Almost seven kilometers long and two wide, the isle features a single rise 
  in i t s  middle and sparse vegetation. The isle is rich in sculptures, however. Forty-eight stoneheads lurk on the 
  island, concentrated most densely on the southern slope of the isle. Some experts on Terranovan sculptures 
  claim that the Clearwater stoneheads display a slightly different style that has only been discovered in a few 
  other regions, mostly in the Mekong Dominion. Between TN 1925 and TN 1931, the Isle was the site of a 
  concerted archaeological study headed by Western archaeologist Dooglas Morasin. Doctor Morasin published 
  his controversial paper "Stoneheads or Godheads?" soon thereafter, which attracted additional attention to 
  the island. Over the last cycle, the island has been home to a few researchers and many tourists. 
  The Exeter Project, a group of conspiraq theorists, has claimed the isle is tied to the mental programming of 
  Exeter. They point to a rash of "Stonehead abductions" recently reported in the Nodight Inquirer as evidence. 
  Inquirer reporter Yrene Mahler has traced a total of 64 disappearances across the globe where the victim was 
  last seen near a Stonehead. Thirty-two of these cases occurred in the NLC, including three on the isle itself. 
  Dooglas Morasin himself has not been heard of since the beginning of TN 1933 when he agreed to become an 
  archaeological consultant for the Northern Guard. Some claim he, too, has been abducted. 
  ,,% . 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  South of Kossuth, Sesshu and Zagazig spreads the large Northern Plain, an expanse of rich agricultural land that stretches 
  well beyond the official borders of the NLC before fading to savannah and finally to the rocky sands of the Karaq Wastes. The 
  legal borders of the league are seemingly arbitrary i n  this region, corresponding t o  nothing so easily identifiable as geo- 
  graphic features. Consequently, many local communities live in a legal limbo where they insist on independence while border 
  forces insist that they are Norlight citizens. This broad region, including areas not formally controlled by the NLC is known 
  as the Northern Plains Frontier and is reputed to be the wildest place i n  the NLC. This is mostly the case because the region, 
  through the coincidences of history and geography, brings together the widest diversity of elements. At its southernmost 
  extension, the region is directly north of Massada, the spiritual center of the Revisionist faith. Given the dutv of all Sorrento 
  : . 
  * 
  . . . 
  : . 
  Revisionist to make pilgrimage, this means that the region fills with the faithful and is home t o  several prominent religious 
  houses. The Dorothean monastic order, dedicated to protecting pilgrimage routes, has three citadels i n  the region. The plains 
  are also a critical part of the NLCs defense and feature several Norlight Armed Forces and Northern Guard stations. Despite 
  the presence of military and religious influences (which tend t o  inspire nationalism), the Frontier i s  also home t o  a legendary 
  degree of independence. The farmers, ranchers, traders and others who make their lives off the lands of the frontier are 
  determined to preserve their own way of life and keep the influence of Valeria (and even Sorrento) to a minimum. 
  The spirit of independence manifests in many different ways. Religiously, the frontier is the only major center of Massadan 
  Revisionism within the Norlight sphere of influence. The Massadan faith spread through the Sorrento Revisionist commu- 
  nity of the region after the trauma of St. Vincent's Plague and the subsequent war. At the time, the Norlight border 
  extended almost t o  the edge of the desert and many citizens were caught i n  the devastating, child-killing plague. 
  Outbreaks were especially bad in the eastern part of the Northern Plain and cut a swath from the desert toward Sesshu. 
  When the following war of retribution was fought, several devastating battles were fought on this same terrain, augment- 
  ing the death toll. At the end of the conflict, the region was devastated and without hope - 
  the Gentle Word, i n  its 
  Massadan form, restored it. The Norlight government did what it could to restore the scorched earth of the region, but the 
  local homesteads nevertheless sued for independence i n  TN 1742. I n  one of the first decisions of the newly empowered 
  CNCS Supreme Court, the region was granted its wish and the borders of the NLC were redrawn. The region now remains 
  only partially independent. Although locals are not Norlight citizens, NAF and Northern Guard forces still patrol the area 
  and set up garrisons to defend against Southern attack. The locals have little choice but t o  put up with it, although the 
  southernmost homesteads have appealed for protection from the Peace River Defense Force. 
  The Frontier is also one of the most active areas i n  the struggle between the Kolson and Forzi smuggling cartels. The rich 
  Norlight market, connection t o  the UMF and the nearby "den of sin" of Sesshu make the frontier especially attractive to 
  the smugglers. The Kolson cartel controls the key center of Kossuth to the north of the Frontier, but the Forzi have made 
  serious inroads with the transport of goods from the Badlands. Rumor holds that the Forzi have been able t o  establish a 
  second center of operations i n  Peace River, which allows them to operate relatively free of PRDF intervention (thanks t o  
  the right bribes). Fom-backed rover gangs have become a very serious problem for the locals. 
  b The Dune Tigers 
  One of the larger rover gangs involved in smuggling in the Northern Plains Frontier, the Dune Tigers have 
  become enemy number one for many of the local homestead county marshals. The Tigers were founded by Emyl 
  Zoran, a failed caravan merchant and veteran of the Peace River Army who decided to make a living by raiding 
  pilgrimage convoys to Massada. Zoran recruited several of his wartime companions and an assortment of Karaq 
  Wastes' ne'er-do-wells and made a successful living, dodging the PRDF and the Dorothean Order (Revisionist 
  warrior-monks who protect pilgrimage routes). By TN 1931, the rise in North-South tensions led to an increase 
  in Northern troop movements along the pilgrimage routes and the Tigers found themselves in need of another 
  way to make a living; luckily they were approached by Dayran Gon, a representative of Roman Forzi who was 
  recruiting smugglers. Over the last two cycles, the Dune Tigers have been moving material into the Frontier 
  and the NLC itself. 
  The Tigers are not especially subtle smugglers and so are assigned to operations far from major NorPol 
  involvement. They are vicious and deadly, however, and are used to impose Forzi rule and eliminate Kolson- 
  affiliated rivals. With the money they have acquired from the cartel, the Tigers now field over a dozen assorted 
  Gears (decommissioned Bears, Basilisks and Hunters for the most part) along with jeeps and transports. The 
  gang counts almost sixty members, including Zoran and his three top lieutenants. It i s  based out of Lorraine, 
  a homestead community they have terrorized into submission. 
  A recent arrival from the Badlands has become a thorn in the side of the Tigers. Man' Pontneuf is a War of the 
  Alliance veteran who became the marshal of a small Karaq Wastes county along the pilgrimage route to 
  Massada. Her community was terrorized by the Tigers in TN 1930 and Pontneuf swore she would bring them to 
  justice. She managed to chase them out of her town, but when they disappeared north she was unable to find 
  them. Last season she was told they had set up shop on the frontier and she got ready. She has recently 
  arrived in the region and has already killed one rover. Emyl Zoran has ordered her killed, but her mastery of 
  desert survival has made her almost impossible to touch. I n  desperation, Zoran has called on his cartel 
  contacts. Roman Forzi has arranged for an assassin to take care of Pontneuf. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  . 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  Malika was crying. Tears rolled down her cheeks and along her jaw, pooled briefly at her chin before splashing into 
  the deep well before her. She was silent, save for the faint clicking of the prayer beads i n  her hands. 
  Romon would have wanted it this woy, she thought, as her mind traveled back to happier times. Only a few cycles 
  ago, she had been happy, even joyous. The farm near Smolensk had brought in a bumper crop that Autumn, and 
  they had been able to buy several more springers for ranching and farm work. Better yet, little Lata was born that 
  Summer and the infant had brought Malika and Ramon a sense of wonder neither had thought possible. Life was 
  good, but it didn't last. 
  Malika remembered it as if it was yesterday. She and her husband had gone into town to buy supplies along with 
  a few frivolities and had decided to stay for the evening meal. Splurging a little, they managed to convince a 
  lenient maitre d' to squeeze them into one of the city-state's gourmet restaurants. The meal had been exquisite 
  and they had left enchanted. As a touch of cool weather crept into the night air, the evening seemed a l l  the more 
  idyllic. Malika looked forward to continuing their impromptu celebration somewhere more private, when the 
  moment was shattered, romance replaced by fear. 
  An assailant appeared out of nowhere. Dressed in dirty work clothes, he had the glazed eyes and unshaven face of 
  an addict desperate for a fix. His gun was pointed directly at Malika. "Gimme what I want!" he screamed. 
  . 
  ' 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  . . . 
  They should have surrendered the few marks they had. But Ramon had been raised i n  the Westridge Range and 
  strongly believed in confronting a bully. He refused to back down, and demanded that the gunman stop threaten- 
  ing Malika. She could not remember her thoughts; had she felt pride that he would stand up for her or terror that 
  he was facing a maniac with a deadly weapon? She would never know, her memory was crowded out by the enormity 
  of the next few moments. 
  . 
  ' 
  . . 
  Ramon crumpled to the ground in a mass of pain and blood. Malika screamed and held him and cried while she 
  watched his life slip away and the junkie killer fled into the night. She cradled him like a child, trying desperately 
  to keep him with her for just one second longer. He held his prayer beads in his rapidly cooling hands; she held 
  them as well, hoping that the symbol of their faith could somehow create a link between life and death. She could 
  actually feel his soul slip away: it felt like she hadn't stopped crying since. 
  Now, standing over at the top of the Prophet's Well i n  Sorrento, she looked down into the stone shaft below her. It 
  was tempting to end the pain once and for all. Just a little step and she could stop suffering. But the step she 
  really needed to take was i n  her mind. She had spent a year i n  mourning; it was time to heal, to raise her daughter. 
  Her vision blurred, she fought back the tears and l e t  Ramon's prayer beads slip from her hands. They streamed 
  down the shaft for a long time before disappearing into the pool at its bottom. 
  It was what Ramon would have wanted. 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  . 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Northern Lights Confederacy is the largest league on Terra Nova and contains a bewildering variety of people. Many of 
  its communities defy any attempts at a generalization of the Norlight character. A democratic league contains city-states 
  ruled by ancestral monarchs (Sesshu), corporate executives (Kossuth and Petropolis) and religious pontiffs Sorrento). A 
  powerfully Revisionist league contains vibrant Jerusalemite communities. An honest and straightforward people support 
  a healthy underworld and a nebulous political scene. Nevertheless some fundamentals can be put forward as the building 
  block of the Norlight character: few individuals respect them all, but they are widely recognized as the "baseline" of 
  Norlight behavior and mentality. Settled for its fertile soil and rich natural resources, the NLC retains a markedly rural 
  cultural flavor, dispite the fact that more than half its population lives i n  its fourteen city-states. 
  Honesty is perhaps the most prized Norlight characteristic. Citizens of the league pride themselves on being above-board 
  and direct about daily affairs, not hiding things from those they love, keeping all their promises and not manipulating 
  others. Of course, almost everyone is dishonest to one degree or another, but the premium on honesty leads t o  a blunt and 
  undiplomatic way of speaking that can be jarring t o  foreigners. Norlights will rarely hesitate t o  tell others what they think 
  i n  no uncertain terms. Morality is also very highly prized and expresses itself i n  many ways. Norlights are expected t o  work 
  hard, lead a good life and help others i n  whatever way they can. I n  rural areas that have not been completely overrun by 
  inter-cartel violence, Norlights will gladly open their doors t o  strangers and help them whenever possible. 
  Although less flattering, pride and intransigence are also part of the Norlight character. Many citizens feel their culture 
  has the moral high-ground on Terra Nova and some do not hesitate to remind others of the fact. A common Norlight adage 
  holds that "homemade i s  well-made" and reflects the sentiments of most citizens, who feel that not only is the NLC better 
  than the rest of Terra Nova, but that their particular chunk of Norlight soil i s  better than the rest of the NLC. Norlight 
  intransigence is perhaps a national outgrowth of the combination of honesty, morality and pride. Those who are thought 
  not t o  live up t o  the standard of the community can rapidly find themselves pariahs from mainstream society, a tendency 
  only barely kept i n  check by the Revisionist message of love. Less ominously, Nortights are notoriously stubborn and a 
  common Badlands adage says that only "mad dogs and Norlights go out i n  the noonday sun." 
  ' 
  . . . 
  : . 
  Michael Owens i s  one of the better known Norlight scholars. I n  addition to being a famous fim'on and non- 
  fiction author, he i s  also a devout Revisionist and an ardent nationalist. Owens presently lives and writes in 
  Valeria, but he i s  often on the road to attend conventions and seminars on various subjects that interest him. 
  Though he dislikes being directly involved in politics, he i s  quite knowledgeable on the subject and i s  often 
  consulted by the news media for comments. He i s  also ftiend with many political and religious figures, who 
  regularly visit his estate in the south-east of the city-state. 
  Owens' writing skills run the gamut from novels to a long list of socio-political and historical essays, such as 
  "Cycles of History: Terranovan Society and Pre-Space Earth Civilization." He has also published a few disserta- 
  tions on the values and structures of the Revisionist faith. His most famous essay, "A Defense of Devoutness 
  in the Revisionist Faith," has been widely distributed and is regularly quoted in other religious dissertations. 
  His writing has garnered him very few enemies, though the same cannot be said of his personal opinions. 
  Though generally well-mannered, Owens is direct and cannot suffer incompetents or buffoons. More than one 
  Norlight bureaucrat has been publicly humiliated with a good tongue-lashing, and some of those have a Long 
  memory and some very good connections. 
  The Gatherings are prestigious seminars held every cycle in Sorrento since the middle of the nineteenth 
  century. They alternate subjects between religion (the Turquoise Gathering), politics (the Silver Gathering) 
  and society (the Ochre Gathering), so each subject is covered evely three cycles. Scholars and clerics from all 
  over the Norlight Confederacy, as well as observers from foreign leagues, gather for an entire week in the host 
  city-state. Most often, the seminars take place in Sorrento, though past Gatherings have been held in Valeria 
  and Innsbruck. Together, they discuss the current state of the Revisionist faith, Norlight politics or philo- 
  sophical and moral topics. Though informative and intellectually challenging, the Gatherings remain the 
  exclusive domain of a restricted segment of the Terranovan intelligentsia. The seminar is generally overlooked 
  by the man of the street, if he is even aware of its presence. 
  Even though they are generally ignored by the public a t  large, the Gatherings represents a security nightmare 
  for the Dorothean Monks protecting Sorrento. The Second Follower and several noted foreign scholars gener- 
  ally attend the discussions, especially during the cycles of the Turquoise and Ochre Gatherings. Ensuring their 
  protection as they mingle and argue (sometimes passionately) i s  a full time job requiring discretion and a 
  generous helping of diplomacy. There is no recorded instance of anyone using the Gathering to get a t  one of 
  the attending personalities, although a conspiracy to do so was discovered in TN 1896. All three plotters were 
  arrested the season before the Gathering took place, in a dramatic operation that costs the lives of two 
  Dorothean monks. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  To understand the Northern Lights Confederacy, one must understand the religious fervor which drives it. The Sorrento 
  Revisionist Church was directly responsible for the creation of the league and continues t o  play a central role i n  i t s  daily 
  life. With the fundamentalist revival spearheaded by Second Follower Thor Hutchison i n  the last several decades, the 
  Church i s  more important than ever. Agnostic and atheist Norlights are more common than the church would like to admit, 
  but almost all of them follow basic Revisionist practices as a matter of culture. Major holidays are observed and secular 
  bond-twin relationships are established (see 6.3.1 Fornib, p. 93). 
  Other faiths do continue to exist i n  the league. The most pervasive of these i s  Jerusalemism. Largely concentrated around 
  the Lake Clearwater region, small communes dot the countryside and continue the practice of a faith dating back eight 
  thousand years. Other splinter faiths also exist, including the Blue Crescent Order which has an important commune near 
  Kossuth. Most religious minorities live i n  self-contained communities t o  escape the intolerance of their Revisionist 
  neighbors, and rural villages and small urban neighborhoods are the normal living patterns for minority faiths. This 
  pragmatic behavior unfortunately plays into the hands of Revisionist bigots, who assume that Jerusalemites and others 
  have something to hide. Accounts of criminal activity concealed behind temple doors, of brainwashed followers and 
  quasi-revolutionary activities are commonplace. Those who follow a different path often react with resentment and 
  sometimes with anger, but by and large try t o  get on with their lives and - if possible - 
  find those who will judge them 
  on their worth, rather than their faith. 
  The Northern branch of Revisionism traces i t s  origins first to the Gentle Prophet Mamoud and then to his lifelong 
  companion and "second follower" Nathani Reiss. The faith diverged from the Massadan branch of Revisionism immediately 
  after the death of the Prophet, when Nathani and Mamoud's son Jakob disagreed over the future path of Revisionism. 
  Nathani ultimately returned t o  Sorrento with his faction. The schism between the Sorrento and Massadan churches has 
  meant that a great deal of focus is placed on Nathani, although usually i n  the context of his unique understanding of the 
  Prophet. Sorrento Revisionist lore tells that Nathani is like a lens to Mamoud's light, focusing and directing it. While 
  Massadan Revisionists think of Mamoud as a man of holy wisdom, in the Sorrento church the Gentle Prophet is an almost 
  mystic figure, beautiful, pure and enigmatic. It is the more grounded wisdom of Nathani that allows the Prophet's words 
  t o  be understood and used t o  guide humanity. 
  Like their Massadan brothers, Sorrento Revisionists look t o  a two-book holy text called the Khodoverdio for wisdom and 
  guidance. Book One of the holy text (sometimes called "the Teachings") is virtually identical t o  the Massadan version and 
  collects many of the most famous allegorical tales told by Mamoud himself. Nathani and Jakob's records were slightly 
  different and their texts have a few minor differences. Book Two ("The Recollections") is completely different from its 
  Massadan equivalent. Instead of apocryphal tales about the Prophet, the Recollections gather the memoirs of Nathani 
  himself as recounted to his students i n  Sorrento. Much of this book is concerned with the early cycles of the Prophet's life, 
  but it does cover the times i n  Massada, the creation of the Sorrento Church and even the Third Peregrination t o  Valeria at 
  the end of Nathani's life. Several texts of the Massadan Khodoverdio are still valued by Sorrento Revisionists, but they are 
  not considered worthy of the status given them i n  their sister faith. 
  The Sorrento Church's Khodaverdia has undergone a series of changes over the cycles, incorporating new research into the 
  lives of Mamoud and Nathani and often reflecting the theology of the times. Although the most recent Erdas Edition 
  (named for Sister Bekka Erdas, who spent the cycles from TN 1870 to 1885 revising the holy text) is generally used i n  
  official ceremonies, earlier editions are still i n  circulation and preferred by many monastic orders and believers. The 
  current renaissance of religious sentiment has been accompanied by a drive t o  update the Erdas Edition, but the move- 
  ment has not yet been approved by the church hierarchy. The Order of the Chalice, an influential monastic order dedicated 
  t o  preserving the minutia of Nathani Reiss' life, i s  currently gathering a team of theologians to prepare for when the re- 
  edition i s  approved by the Second Follower. Several other influential groups are working behind the scenes to prepare 
  counter offers t o  the Chalice text. The chance to affect the interpretation of the faith could bring a great deal of power 
  to those responsible. Second Follower Hutchison is behind the idea of a new edition, but does not want the issue to split 
  apart the church. He is waiting to have a clear group of editors who can operate with a minimum of political maneuvering. 
  The Sorrento Church also has a series of other important texts - 
  called "Reflections" - 
  often referred to by the faithful 
  for guidance. Not a consistent body of work, the various Reflections are penned by monks and priests when they feel they 
  must comment on a matter of importance. These texts are kept by the author for his entire life, edited and revised as he 
  sees fit. When a church person dies, his Reflections are collected and stored by the Paylan Order, a group of monks 
  dedicated t o  the preservation of teachings (a monk's own order will also keep a copy). The Paylan Order, or other church 
  officials, can then publish the Reflections for broader distribution, although the Paylan Library i n  Sorrento is open t o  the 
  public. Some Reflections, however, have been suppressed because they were considered heretical or subversive. The most 
  famous of these are the Reflections of Tanann Mos, considered to be a manifesto of the Divine Prophet sect. His texts, 
  when available, are widely quoted by Divine Prophet adepts. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  On the most basic level there are few differences between the Sorrento and Massadan faiths. Both believsstrongly in the 
  existence of a benevolent universal force which imbued the Gentle Prophet with enlightenment. This force is generally 
  referred to as the Gentle Spirit and is viewed as a non-personified divine entity. Mamoud himself is thought of as having 
  been unique i n  his ability to perceive and understand the Gentle Spirit, although there are some passages i n  the Khodoverdio 
  that imply the possibility of others achieving such a status. Sorrento Revisionist see the Gentle Spirit3 influence i n  a 
  different light, however; for them, the mundane (and human) world is a chaotic place that must be brought into harmony 
  with the universe. To do so, it is a religious duty to act as necessary i n  order t o  promote harmony by whatever means are 
  available. Both Mamoud and Nathani taught that all things are related, which leads Massadan believers to feel any act of 
  violence is ultimately destructive to the whole of creation; followers of the Sorrento faith, however, feel that to allow 
  injustice or disharmony to exist unchallenged is far more dangerous. It is this difference of opinion which has opened the 
  path for the use of violence by the faithful. 
  Another key difference between the sister faiths is the role of tradition and interpretation. Massadan followers are 
  expected to make their own personal decisions about the meaning of their faith and this duty is thought to supersede all 
  other traditions within the church. Priests exist to guide the faithful rather than to tell them what t o  do. I n  the Sorrento 
  church, the wisdom accumulated by the faithful is passed on to the current flock, who are expected t o  abide by the tenets 
  of their church. They must still make their own decisions about the meaning of their faith, but the limits of this internal 
  debate are tighter. To the Sorrento faction, the duties of the faithful are expressed in the so-called "Four corners of faith:" 
  prayer, peregrination, pilgrimage and peace. 
  Prayer requires the faithful to regularly seek guidance directly from and give thanks to the Gentle Spirit. Priests lead 
  congregations i n  prayer but the duty is perceived as a personal one. Revisionists are called to prayer at their temple on 
  Wednesdays at sunset (when Mamoud supposedly received his first vision) and generally pray privately at first light, 
  midday and dusk. The duty of prayer also implies a respect for the church itself and its guidance. Peregrination - 
  literally 
  meaning travel - 
  is the obligation to go out and change the world for the better. Nathani's travels to Massada, back to 
  Sorrento and to Valeria are seen as the greatest peregrinations, ones which the faithful hope to emulate. The duty of 
  peregrination covers almost all religious proactive actions, including charity action, community organization or even 
  violent military action to protect the faith or bring peace to a chaotic world. Pilgrimage requires the faithful to remember 
  the lessons of the past by visiting the sites of great events i n  their church. The most important pilgrimage is to Massada 
  and every Revisionist is expected to do so once in their life (except if it is too dangerous for health reasons), but other 
  sites of note i n  the lives of Mamoud, Nathani and a few other religious leaders are official pilgrimage sites. Peace 
  represents the believets duty to himself. A faithful Revisionist is expected to lead a harmonious and loving life, taking joy 
  i n  the beauty of the world and not surrendering to rage or pettiness. The most important symbol of peace is marriage with 
  a loving companion. While the marriage bond is considered unbreakable and a necessary prelude to having children, 
  premarital celibacy is not encouraged. Revisionists are expected to enter into marriage with a full understanding of their 
  partner and most only marry when they are sure they are ready to have children. 
  The symbolism of the four corners is reflected in Revisionist architecture. The archetypal Sorrento church is a small, 
  square building with stained glass windows in each of the four corners at forty-five degree angles to the walls; often a 
  stained glass cupola tops the church. Traditional colored glass is imported from Red Sands, although some local producers 
  do provide competition. Larger churches maintain a square shrine at their core, with wings stretching out from the shrine. 
  Many Revisionist homes also feature a small shrine i n  the form of a perfectly square room, often on the top floor of the 
  dwelling, with large windows. Usually bare except for a simple rug and a few religious icons, the shrine is used for daily 
  prayer and meditation. 
  Mamoud taught that symbols had more power than words and the Sorrento Revisionist church has built up a large 
  iconographic lexicon. The four corners of faith are represented i n  a simple square, often placed at an angle to form a 
  diamond. Religious buildings, garments and art often feature patterns of squares and diamonds. The central symbols of 
  the church, however, are the chalice and star, which are combined in the most common icon of faith in the church. The 
  star (usually with eight or sixteen points) represents the mystic and divine aspects of the faith; it usually stands for the 
  Gentle Spirit or Mamoud himself. The chalice in turn represents the physical aspects of the faith, the concrete applica- 
  tions of the Gentle Word; it stands for Nathani. The combination of the two symbols creates the icon of the Sorrento 
  church: the word of Mamoud made real by Nathani. 
  While the above are the most common symbols associated with the Revisionist faith, they are by no mean the only ones. 
  The points of the star, represented by elongated, sky-oriented spikes, are often used on Norlight religious architecture. 
  Colors are also highly symbolic. Revisionism iconography uses three primary colors: turquoise, silver and gold. Turquoise, 
  or sky, i s  associated with Massada and represents spiritual purity. Silver, or water, represents the good deeds of men and 
  is often associated with Valeria, the Norlight capital. Finally, gold, or earth, represents the Church and the city-state of 
  Sorrento. Earthy colors, such as ochre or red-brown, are sometimes substituted for gold i n  religious imagery. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Sorrento church has a much more developed organizational hierarchy than its Massadan equivalent. At the top of the 
  structure stands the Second Follower of Mamoud, who leads the church as well as the community of Sorrento. Second 
  Followers are guided by the example of Nathani Reiss, who built from the teachings of Mamoud; that they follow an 
  example once removed from the Prophet explains why they are named "second" followers. While Followers are considered 
  to be wise mortals, the theological possibility exists for them to reach a more direct contact with the Gentle Spirit than 
  any other mortal, in that same way that Nathani himself had. This quasi-divine status i s  only officially assigned posthu- 
  mously and has been granted to but a few Followers. Some of Thor Hutchison's most ardent supporters have claimed that 
  he i s  "touched" i n  this way, but he has publicly disavowed any claim to this status - 
  which of course reinforces his claim 
  i n  the eyes of his followers. 
  The Second Follower is elected and assisted by the church's highest body, the Reverend High Council. The council is made 
  up of the church's 14 Senior Reverends, each the head of a large region. The council sits in Sorrento, votes on issues of 
  theology and doctrine and serves as the administrative center for the church. When a Senior Reverend dies or chooses t o  
  retire, he or she is replaced by a Reverend who is elected by the council and Second Follower. The title of Reverend can be 
  granted to any priest or monk who i s  recognized as especially dedicated and enlightened by the religious community. 
  Beyond the hierarchy of Reverends and Senior Reverends, Revisionist clergy is divided between priests and monks. Priests, 
  addressed as Father or Mother, are charged with leading congregations and instructing the faithful from community 
  churches. Monks, addressed as Brother or Sister, dedicate themselves entirely to the church, generally living in isolated 
  communities and spending their lives i n  prayer and theological contemplation. Monks are charged with teaching other 
  members of the clergy and most priests spend several cycles at a monastery before being ordained. Several orders of 
  monks exist, each bearing a unique name and set of traditions. Most orders include at least some peregrine monks, who 
  spend cycles traveling the globe (often by foot) to bring the Gentle Word forward. Monks are required to remain celibate, 
  but priests are encouraged to marry. 
  w 
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  Maya Fajil4 
  One of the Second Follower's most important weapons for maintaining political control of the church and its 
  many subgroups i s  the Prophet's Shield, the organization of like-minded clerics and lay people he has organ- 
  ized from the TN 1880s (see 3.3.3 The Prophet's Shield, p. 27). Reverend Mother Maya Fajil, a long-time ally, 
  i s  among the most powerful single individuals in the Shield and is charged with political affairs. 
  Fajil joined the priesthood a t  the age of 28 cycles after a pilgrimage to Massada and Sorrento in TN 1887. She 
  served in her native Petropolis and attracted the attention of Reverend Thor Hutchison. By the time of 
  Hutchison's ascension to the rank of Second Follower, Fajil was part of his inner circle of allies. She keeps a 
  secret from her mentor, however. She is in fact a member of the Divine Prophet, a Revisionist sect that claims 
  that Mamoud Khodaverdi was divine and that has been branded heretical by the Second Follower. Reverend 
  Fajil distinctly remembers the Gentle Prophet appearing to her in dream when she was a child and she has 
  always felt his gaze upon her. She believes that Hutchison's refusal to accept Mamoud's divinity is a critical Raw 
  that will cripple his project of a righteous state. Fajil uses the Prophet's Shield to protect those who understand 
  Mamoud's true nature and has created a loyal network of agents and allies. Currently, she is intrigued by news of 
  the so-called Apostle of Mamoud Adrianna Xing and has sent several agents to Massada to gather information. 
  M Q f l a ~ ~ ~ c  
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  and Sects 4 
  There exist twenty-three major monastic orders in the Revisionist Church, most of which have several monas- 
  teries or groups of peregrine brothers and sisters. Almost all monasteries are highly isolated communities, 
  built in remote mountain areas or deep in the wilderness. Traditionally, monasteries are accessible only by 
  foot, although a few have included rudimentary road access in the case of emergencies. Electronic communi- 
  cation i s  strictly forbidden in monasteries, so monks are rarely aware of current events in the secular world. A 
  small number of urban monasteries exist, usually near major pilgrimage sites. These stone buildings are closed 
  to the secular public and often surrounded by high walls. 
  This panoply of self-contained, contemplative communities has bred a wide variety of divergent interpreta- 
  tions of the Khodoverdio and the faith as a whole. These sects also hold sway over some priests, but their true 
  power lies with the monks who spend their lives seeking new understanding and tlying to guide doctrine. 
  Sectarian views usually diverge on small, but critical issue to the church, which can lead to very angry and 
  divisive debates. The Divine Prophet (see Into the Badlands, p. 63) i s  the most worrisome sect because of its 
  contention that Mamoud was not mortal at all, but the Gentle Spirit itself made flesh. The Divine Prophet calls 
  for unification with Massada and downplays the role of Nathani. The Nathanite sect sits at the opposite end 
  of the theological spectrum and believes that it was Nathani Reiss and not Mamoud Khodaverdi who truly 
  achieved enlightenment. They are highly aggressive toward the Massadan church and wish to see the holy city 
  annexed. Second Follower Hutchison has become very concerned by this sectarianism, especially because 
  many monastic orders have remained entirely unattached to his own Prophet's Shield. To his closest advisors 
  he has branded these sects heresies and some feel that an inquisition of some sort i s  in order. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The largest and best-known religious minority i n  the NLC is Jerusalemism. A sincerly religious movement which brings 
  together several faiths which trace their heritage t o  a line of prophets and divine figures centered around Jerusalem on 
  Earth. On Terra Nova, these diverse faiths have come together under the Jerusalemite banner, but each sect continues t o  
  hold to its own religious priorities. A large number of Jerusalemites who followed the teachings of Muhammad of Mecca 
  and Fatma of Amman settled the Irrian region of Terra Nova during the colonial period, leading to the Indo-Arabic 
  linguistic and cultural atmosphere of the region. Jerusalemites tracing their origin t o  the prophets of ancient Israel and 
  Ruth Beth-Zion settled around Lake Clearwater i n  the same period. While the former group was largely displaced by the 
  rise of Revisionism, the Clearwater communities exist to this day and even absorbed many of the Muhammadian and 
  Fatmian faithful into their communities. 
  Clearwater Jerusalemism has suffered from discrimination since the rise of the NLC and has responded by building its own 
  communities. These communes are largely rural and dot the countryside, especially along the northern coast of the lake. 
  Both Franklin Harbor and Exeter have significant Jerusalemite populations who worship a t  urban temples and the region 
  is perhaps more tolerant of religious pluralism than anywhere else i n  the league other than Sesshu. Jerusalemite communes 
  are highly cooperative affairs that often feature shared eating spaces and an egalitarian division of labor. The largest such 
  community, Beth-Zion Commune at the western tip of Lake Clearwater, has a population of 8,000 and is a major trade and 
  service center for the region. Communes also maintain their own farmlands and try t o  remain as self-reliant as possible. 
  In smaller communities, trade with the outside is often the purview of a select group of merchants selected by the 
  community for their skill and knowledge. Communes are headed by one or more religious teachers (called imams or rebis). 
  The closed nature of many communes has allowed Jerusalemism to survive a largely hostile climate by promoting self- 
  reliance and Community cooperation, but it has also allowed rumors and fallacies t o  grow among Revisionists. Common 
  Norlights often have a very prejudiced view of life within a commune; common misconceptions include communes being 
  dominated by dictatorial imams, centers of subversive political activity, full of illegal drugs and immoral material, or 
  Jerusalemites living i n  poverty or starvation. Jerusalemites do their best to dispel such misconceptions, but the rise of 
  religious fundamentalism has made most Norlights less and less receptive; immigration out of the NLC has been on the 
  increase among Jerusalemites, especially those living i n  urban centers. 
  Erzach Ibn-Muhammad is the only known Terranovan Jerusalemite Prophet. Few things are known about his 
  early life, but it is believed he was born somewhere on the Eastern Plain. It is known that he was the only son 
  of a family of poor farmers and that he left when his parents died to take up the life of a wandering monk. All 
  his life, he moved from city to city, never molested or turned back, helping people during difficult times. He 
  is seen as a saint and a messenger by many a devout Jerusalemist, though he is not accorded a divine status. 
  He is merely the latest in a long line of holy men and women that helped their contemporaries in their quest 
  for enlightenment. 
  There are many indications that Ibn-Muhammad was a contemporary of Mamoud Khodaverdi. There are even a 
  few stories of the two traveling together for a short time, though this is noted only as a footnote in the 
  records of both religious orders, and neither list the other by name. Scholars have pointed out some remark- 
  ably similar passages in the writings of the two prophets, which could be interpreted to mean they have both 
  received the same signs. 
  b ~~~~~0~~ 
  ~0~~~~~ 
  Six cycles ago, a large tract of land newly opened for resorts in the hills just east of Franklin Harbor was 
  purchased for the development of a Jerusalemite commune. The land which overlooks a spectacular waterfall 
  which pours into Lake Clearwater was purchased by a congregation from the Valerian region, which wished to 
  start anew and enjoy the peace of a mountain retreat in a region reputed for religious tolerance. Indeed 
  several small Jerusalemite communities had long been part of the Franklin Harbor landscape and accepted as 
  members of the community without complaint. The Overlook Commune brought an injection of 1200 new 
  members who set up permanent residence and gained citizenship, swelling the local Jerusalemite population 
  by almost 175%. This increase in population (and hence of political power in the city) has been cited as cause 
  for alarm among the more ream'onary members of the local Revisionist community, who fear they will lose the 
  "moral guidance" they need and carry around far too many religious stereotypes to see matters clearly. Some 
  have begun lobbying for special legislation that would outlaw religious communities purchasing resort lots, 
  raising the specter of bare-faced legal religious discrimination for the first time in the Lake Clearwater region. 
  Aisha Voles, the leader of the Overlook Commune, has not backed down from the political challenges and has 
  become a major personality on the local political scene. She has made several important allies among the 
  Least prejudiced Frank leaders, but her brusque style has done little to calm her opponents. Some of her 
  advisors have suggested moving the commune into the surrounding countryside for fear of violence. Voles has 
  thus far refused, calling this idea "the worst kind of appeasement." According to Voles, the only way for 
  Jerusalemites to stave off discrimination i s  to become full-fledqed members of the Frank communitv. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Norlight life is full of small customs and traditions, much more so than most citizens realize. A great number of these can 
  be traced to the agrarian origins of the league; even i n  metropolitan Valeria, echoes of the farms are felt on a daily basis. 
  Most Norlights live i n  close proximity to their extended family, often i n  the same apartment building or on the same block 
  as cousins and grandparents, i n  an emulation of the country homestead. Norlights are also generally early to rise and early 
  to bed, even if they live i n  a bustling metropolis. Visitors from other leagues say this condemns Norlight night life to a 
  short life and unimpressive affair, but some notable exceptions exist. Mining communities such as Innsbruck or Kenema 
  are infamous for their heavy drinking and loud partying, and the shock music counter-culture among the young prides 
  itself on long nights of celebration and "immoral" behavior. 
  Religion is at the origin of many of the most characteristic Norlight customs. Wednesdays are dedicated to community 
  work and religious observance i n  recognition of Mamoud's enlightenment, children are given "bond-twins" i n  emulation 
  of Mamoud and Nathani, and most citizens look to the examples of the church for at least some guidance i n  their everyday 
  life. The acceptance of these principals is unfortunately so basic that people who do not follow them - because of 
  another faith or personal choice - 
  are often discriminated against. 
  Every Wednesday 
  The "Gentle Day" sees Revisionists attending services a t  the local church and/or dedicating their 
  day to the community. Most people have the day off from work and are expected t o  participate in 
  community activities and/or spend the time with their families. 
  20 Spring 
  First Peregrination Day marks Nathani and Mamoud's departure for Massada. Modern pilgrims gather 
  at Sorrento and leave for Massada a t  this time. 
  Miracle of the Waters. The day commemorates Mamoud's first miracle and roughly coincides with 
  15 Summer 
  I 
  the summer rains on the Irrian Plain. It traditionally features a huge feast which brings whole 
  communities together. Many Revisionists also go on pilgrimage to Sorrento a t  this time. 
  1 Autumn 
  The Day of Peace commemorates the deaths of both Mamoud and Nathani, which occurred on the 
  same day of the cycle according to legend. During the solemn holiday, Revisionists are called t o  
  make peace with the wrongs they have done and change their lives for the better before it is too 
  Late. 
  Prophet's Blessing. The day commemorates the Prophet's arrival at Massada and features religious 
  ceremonies and, traditionally, a larqe familv meal and an exchange of small gifts. 
  6 Winter 
  Though the faithful are not duty-bound to it, pilgrimage remains an often-observed Revisionist tradition. On 
  the twentieth day of Spring of every cycle, scores people of gather at the doors of the various Sorrentan 
  hamlets to form large caravans bound for the holy city of Massada. Rugged all-terrain vehicles are made 
  available by caravan captains who make their living ferrying pilgrims to Massada and back. Independent 
  vehicle owners are welcomed to join the caravan, even though they take business from the caravan people - 
  there is strength in number, especially when traveling the sandy wastes of the Badlands. 
  Daily life i n  the caravan is not very different from life on a Norlight homesteading settlement. I n  effect, the 
  pilgrims form a new, albeit temporary, community that functions under the same social rules and mechanisms 
  as the rest of society. Children (when present) are taught by priests or monks in one of the vehicles, while the 
  adults either pray or perform the daily upkeep tasks necessary to the continued health of the group. Along the 
  way, the pilgrims will stop in small towns and villages, performing minute tasks i n  exchange for foods and 
  supplies or just relying on the generosity of their hosts. A few of the most successful caravan captains have 
  taken to collectively buying "food tanks," large cargo vehicles that have been modified to carry tanks of fast 
  growing protein algae. Though the algae can be harvested only about once a week, it supplies enough food to 
  feed about a dozen persons. The algae is bland-tasting, but entire cooking styles have been developed around 
  its use. 
  Caravans are generally safe from danger as long as they remain in Norlight territory. Once they cross the border 
  into the Badlands, however, they become quite vulnerable to natural and man-made calamities. Although they 
  are generally poor, caravans carry food and water, making them prime targets for marauding rovers. The 
  Dorothean Order - monks dedicated to protecting pilgrimage routes - often tasks several monks with 
  protem'ng large caravans from harm. On the rare occaisions when help from the order is not available, 
  mercenaries can be hired to fill the void. The caravan will also pool its resources to rent the services of a 
  skilled scout that will lead them through the dangerous parts of the journey. Often, the caravan will get a 
  local scout for each region, ensuring he is extremely familiar with it. A small sum of moeny is also kept aside 
  as gift and bribes to those they may encounter on the road. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Family relationships are very important to Norlight citizens, but are generally considered t o  be a phvate affair. The 
  extensive, and highly political, clan relationships of the Western Frontier Protectorate are not shared by most Norlights, 
  who generally feel that the family should be bound by love rather than obligation and tradition. Although Revisionist 
  outlook has shaped the Norlight family model, the major differences are between urban and rural family units. I n  rural 
  areas, extended families are the norm. Most farms, ranches and homesteads house upwards of five or six nuclear families, 
  all tied by parentage. I n  urban areas, nuclear families often live separately, with two parents raising children. Very often, 
  related families will live nearby, however, i n  an approximate reproductions of the rural model. 
  Revisionists tend t o  have large families, averaging four to five children per couple. Children are raised i n  the home with 
  the aid of day care facilities and (less commonly) live-in nannies. Bond-twining is a uniquely Revisionist family relation- 
  ship; bond-twins become childhood playmates and are taught t o  be companions to each other, often going to school 
  together and living i n  close proximity. This relationship can lead t o  romantic attachment between the twins, and the 
  marriage of bond-twins is far from uncommon. The ceremonies of bond-twinning (usually done i n  the first season of life) 
  and marriage are the religious ceremonies most likely t o  be part of a lapsed or secular Norlight's life. Even Norlights of 
  other faiths often reproduce the bond-twin relationship (although without the ceremony) because it has simply become 
  a standard part of national life. The most important difference between Revisionist and other households i s  marriage; the 
  church does not allow divorce, although an end t o  the legal bond between a couple is possible through a state-sanctioned 
  separation, and is used by more secular citizens. 
  Prejudice is a fact of everyday life i n  the Northern Lights Confederacy. Most citizens pride themselves on living i n  the most 
  free and democratic state on Terra Nova, and indeed the league allows for the expression of political opinion and discrimi- 
  nation based on sex is very minimal. This selfsame pride, however, when paired with a powerFul strain of religious intolerance 
  leads to a paternalistic outlook which i s  quickly turned on anyone who deviates from the norm. The central role played by 
  Revisionism i n  founding the NLC, the suffering of early Revisionists at the hands of Renaissance warlords and the radically 
  different social models of many other states on Terra Nova have come together to create a widespread convich'on that the 
  Norlight way is superior t o  all others. ExternaUy, this prejudice is most evident i n  attitudes toward the southern states, where 
  Revisionism is a small minority religion, political freedom is very limited and public morals are quite different. 
  Internal prejudice is less clear-cut and perhaps more dangerous. Norlights who do not follow the Revisionist church, or at 
  least pay lip service to it, are widely discriminated against at many levels. Religion-based violence is quite rare, but those 
  who do not follow Mamoud often have a very difficult time finding housing, a job, gaining access t o  higher education, 
  bank loans and most other services. Local police are often less anxious to enforce laws i n  Jerusalemite neighborhoods. A 
  certain amount of legal protections exist for victims of discrimination, but Norlight courts are notoriously lax i n  their 
  enforcement and numerous loopholes are included i n  most statutes. CNCS authorities have proven more receptive t o  
  complaints and a legal conflict is growing between Norlight judges and the supreme court. 
  The Revisionist revival has also created an impetus for discrimination among the faithful. Increasingly, it i s  no longer 
  enough to be a Revisionist, one must be the right kind of Revisionist. Accusations of impiety and immorality are becom- 
  ing more and more common and are creating a growing social divide i n  the nation. 
  The existence of three layers of semi-independent jurisdiction i n  the Northern Lights Confederacy (the CNCS, the NLC 
  itself, and the city-states) can lead t o  a confusing legal and judicial system. Different judges and different law enforce- 
  ment officials are responsible for pursuing and prosecuting criminals, depending both on the nature and on the locale of 
  their crimes. Ever since the amendments made t o  the CNCS Constitution after St. Vincent's War, there has existed a rough 
  judicial hierarchy with the CNCS Supreme Court being seen as the ultimate legal authority i n  the North. Under this 
  arrangement the decisions of the High Court of the NLC can be appealed t o  the Supreme Court. 
  Constitutionally, the prime legal jurisdiction i n  the NLC is local. City legislatures pass their own laws, which are enforced 
  by local police and judges through municipal courts. National authority must be extended on a case by case basis by acts 
  of the House of Congress. This privilege has been used a great deal, however, and a large number of national laws now 
  constrain citizens equally over the extent of the league. Any criminal activity which occurs over jurisdictional lines 
  becomes a national crime, a distinction which gives NorPol's anti-cartel unit wide-ranging authority over any such 
  activity. National morality laws regulate public behavior, the sale and distribution of alcohol and narcotics, ban prostitu- 
  tion and solicitation, and place very tight controls on "obscene materials." NorPol enforces these laws i n  cooperation with 
  local authorities. Local authorities do not have the authority to reject national laws, except for the duchy of Sesshu, 
  which signed a unique accord when joining the NLC. Sesshu maintains a Dispensation District which features the league's 
  only legal brothels, pornography outlets and drug houses. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Northern Lights Confederacy has the highest standard of living on Terra Nova. Access t o  education is universal, 
  medical technology is more accessible than in most other regions and poverty, while present, is not crushing. Institution- 
  alized social programs, sponsored by the state and church, while widespread, are piecemeal because of the Norlight work 
  ethic which demands that citizens solve their own problems. Independent charities and community programs, though, are 
  established at the local level to deal with the problems of the underpriviledged i n  an efficient and compassionate manner. 
  The most important concept i n  Norlight life is the community. The idea of a true individual, with a life completely 
  separate from family and community, is very alien t o  most Norlights. Although the emphasis on family is not as strong as 
  i n  the clan-based WFP, people are expected t o  rely upon their neighbors for help and reciprocate. This life model can be 
  traced to the mining and agrarian communities of the early days of colonization and is reinforced by the examples 
  established by Mamoud and Nathani i n  Massada and Sorrento. I n  large urban centers, the focus on community i s  directed 
  at individual neighborhoods rather than the city-state as a whole. Community watch programs, block parties and locally 
  run ad-hoc social services (e.9. medical clinics or day-care facilities) are commonplace. Unfortunately, the focus on the 
  neighborhood at the expense of the city-state often means that resources do not flow from rich areas t o  more disadvan- 
  taged ones. The wealthy take care of themselves and often allow inner-city areas t o  become crime-ridden and unsafe. I n  
  a final bout of irony, the wealthy will often blame the poor for this condition, thinking that they are ”not taking care of 
  their own homes.” 
  Standard Human Anglic, as codified many millenia ago, i s  by far the most widely-used language i n  the NLC. Every legal 
  text is i n  Anglic, and it is the base language of all but a few specialized educational facilities. It is the mother tongue of 
  over 80% of the population. Though the standard Human Anglic is the one taught i n  schools, there are several regional 
  variants and dialects that slightly change the syntax and (mostly) the vocabulary of the language. All are perfectly 
  understandable by any Anglic speaker, though it will be easy t o  pinpoint the provenance of the person using them by his 
  accent and vocabulary. With some rare exceptions, the written form of the language is consistent throughout the Norlight 
  Confederacy. 
  The only major second languages are Indo-Arabic and Equatorial Hispanic. Indo-Arabic, which is the language of religion, 
  is the dominant language i n  the Irrian Plain. Even there, everyone speaks Anglic. The official edition of the Khodaverdio 
  is i n  Indo-Arabic, although sanctioned Anglic translations are very common. Consequently, most Revisionists have at 
  least a halting familiarity with Indo-Arabic, although only clergy and more traditional Revisionists converse fluently in 
  the language. Jerusalemite communities use a dialect of Indo-Arabic, which is closer to biblical Hebrew or Koranic Arabic. 
  Equatorial Hispanic is spoken i n  the Westridge Range area, south of Lake Clearwater. This linguistic particularity reflects 
  a cultural tie t o  the Great Western Plain, but the language has been slowly dying out over the last century. Currently, only 
  people over the age of 50 cycles are likely t o  speak fluent Hispanic, although a linguistic revival movement is underway 
  in several communities. 
  Education in the NLC is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 20 cycles. Before the age of seven, most children are 
  schooled by the family or with the help of locally-run day care and early education centers. From seven t o  fourteen, 
  children attend lower school. I n  rural and urban areas, most of these schools are quite small, with classes of ten to fifteen 
  children. These are run by the local community and are close to the homes of all the children. Young priests or peregrine 
  monks sometimes teach at lower schools, a practice which is especially common i n  the Irrian region. Middle schools (ages 
  15 t o  20) are significantly larger and prepare children for their life choices. These are more closely regulated by the state 
  and students must often travel substantial distances t o  attend. Boarding schools are standard i n  rural areas where one 
  middle school may serve several villages and homesteads, and many of the better urban schools follow this model as well. 
  Higher education is not mandatory i n  the NLC and rural families often expect their children to return t o  the farm and earn 
  their keep once they complete middle school. There are many educational choices open t o  the middle school graduate, 
  however. Professional schools are a popular choice, teaching trades and preparing the road to the job market; universities 
  are also popular and concentrate on longer academic programs (typically seven cycles) which train people i n  highly 
  specialized, academic or theoretical fields. Enlisting i n  the NAF or Northern Guard is a third popular option. The NAF in 
  particular offers very attractive training programs and grants for university training for those who serve five or more 
  cycles i n  uniform. Post-graduate diplomas are also offered by most universities, although students are encouraged t o  
  establish a non-academic life before pursuing another degree. University education is generally quite expensive, so most 
  students must seek loan programs to attend, which makes military enrollment all the more appealing. There are a few 
  corporation-sponsored programs for bright students, though they are expected to come to work for their sponsor once 
  they have completed their studies. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The typical Norlight home reflects the extended family model and the large number of children per couple. The most basic 
  unit is the rural farmhouse, a large dwelling built around a central courtyard. The ground floor of these homes contain all 
  the common spaces, including a large kitchen, dining room, a storage room and a living room. The sleeping quarters are 
  on the second floor, often with four master bedrooms that overlook the courtyard and housing the central members of the 
  extended family. Children, grandparents and others use smaller rooms along the outside of the second floor. A square 
  prayer room usually forms a small third story. 
  Urban housing i s  quite different, with apartment blocks rising to ten or more stories. Nuclear family dwellings, with 
  separate kitchen and eating facilities, are the most common. Concessions to communal living are typical, however. Most 
  apartment buildings have several communal spaces, including large rooms on the ground floor for casual meetings. 
  Internal courtyards are often connected by arcades or alleys to form a maze-like back street network i n  some city-states. 
  I n  a nation defined so much by the faith of its population, many of the rites performed by Norlights during their lives are 
  naturally rooted i n  the church. From birth to death, most major events are accompanied, marked or sanctioned by an 
  official of the Revisionist Church. There are some events that are not connected to religious ceremony but are still deemed 
  important. 
  R€~l~lOUS 
  RITES 
  The first major Revisionist rite of passage is the bond-twinning, which links two newborns as lifetime companions. This 
  simple ceremony i s  performed by a priest in the first seasons of life and symbolizes the beginning of a Revisionist's 
  religious life. According t o  a few of the most traditional theologians in the church, infants who die before bond-twinning 
  are not entitlled t o  a religious funeral, but most church officials disagree. A coming of age ceremony is usually held at 16 
  cycles of age (roughly coinciding with the onset of puberty) and is marked by a presentation in front of the local 
  congregation. This ceremony i s  known as the Awakening, and the young Revisionist reads from the Khodaverdia and 
  comments on it. At this point, the young person becomes an adult capable of understanding the world and the holy texts 
  himself. 
  Marriage is the next major religious event. The wedding ceremony is considered the central point of a Revisionist lifetime, 
  marking the passage from one generation to another. Vows are exchanged between the two companions in a small 
  ceremony at the local church, usually with only the two families and bond-twins attending. The ceremony i s  presided over 
  by a priest, but consists mostly of the two betrothed exchanging vows which they have written themselves, along with 
  appropriate religious texts. Traditionally, the parents of both companions will stand by their child t o  "give them away," 
  but parental approval i s  not required for a marriage t o  proceed. A lavish reception is then held to celebrate with the 
  community. Both families cooperate on the celebration, with friends and neighbors coming to dance the night away and 
  toast the marriage. 
  The next (and final) major religious rite is burial. Revisionists are traditionally buried during a somber religious ceremony led 
  by a priest and attended by friends, family and loved ones. The person closest to the deceased (often the bond-twin or mate) 
  usually gives the central address of the ceremony, remembering the departed. The departed's household will often host a 
  second, informal ceremony i n  which fiends get together to share their grief and drown it with laughter and drink. 
  S € ~ ~ l R R  
  RITES 
  Rites that are not sanctioned by the church are much less formal than their religious counter-parts. Informal life-cycle 
  rituals are tied to more pragmatic signposts of personal development. Perhaps the first such occasion coincides with the 
  departure for boarding school and involves a quasi-ritualized discussion between the child and one or both parents. The 
  parent takes this time to remind the child of the behavior which is expected of him and the child makes certain promises 
  to his or her family. A more standardized secular rite is an informal romantic commitment called "union." In union, two 
  Norlights commit to each other i n  a personal ceremony seen as a prelude t o  marriage. Union is an outgrowth of the 
  Revisionist policy against divorce and replaces marriage until the couple is positive they wish to have children and stay 
  together for the rest of their lives. It invoves the exchange of simple vows and gold or silver rings, often before two or 
  three witnesses. 
  Several common secular rites are tied to the seasons, rather than the life-cycle of an individual. These vary by region and 
  are generally tied to agricultural cycles or the commercial cycles of trading cities and mining towns. The sowing of a crop 
  is accompanied by a small community banquet, while the harvest several seasons later is met with a much larger and more 
  raucous affiir. Trading cities have similar events when desert caravans arrive i n  town and when miners receive their yearly 
  bonuses. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The large Norlight agricultural and ranching industries reflect the fertile land upon which the nation was built. The NLC 
  prides itself on being a modern and humane society where citizens are not allowed to go hungry; malnutrition is very low 
  and the national diet i s  generally healthy. Johar, wheat and a variety of genetically-engineered cereals form the center of 
  the Norlight diet; breads and pasta are other common staples used at many meals. Vegetable and fruit growing is less 
  extensive, but are well represented in the average national meal. Native tubers and berries grow plentifully in the valleys 
  and basins of the league's north, while specially-bred variants of Terran produce (including tomatoes, lettuce, plantain 
  and apples) are grown across the nation. Soybean products are also common, providing much-needed protein; soy milk 
  and cooking oil are especially used. Springer and other meats are also eaten as the main course of large midday meals. 
  Morning and evening meals are usually small and often vegetarian, including cereals and fruits. 
  Norlights, despite their religious outlook, are heavy drinkers. This leads to a certain amount of confusion on the part of 
  Southerners not familiar with Revisionism. Indeed, the church forbids alcohol consumption on pilgrimage or during 
  peregrination. This philosophy has spread t o  a legal ban on the sale of alcohol on Wednesday, the Gentle Day when 
  Revisionists attend church and serve their community. Drinking remains legal on Wednesdays, but most Revisionists 
  refrain from doing so. Those who go on pilgrimage or undertake charitable acts also abstain. At other times, however, 
  Norlights enjoy drink like few other Terranovans. Ales and lagers are especially popular (the best coming from Innsbruck), 
  but malt liquor and wine are also appreciated. Drinking is a social phenomenon and most neighborhoods have a local 
  watering hole (called a bar, pub, speakeasy or beer house depending on its style) that attracts the locals on evenings. 
  These establishments close on Wednesdays. There is a legal drinking age of 20 cycles i n  the NLC, but this law i s  enforced 
  only for hard liquor and public inebriation. 
  Many bars feature big screen trideos fur sporting events, live music or dazzling light shows, but the most 
  traditional form of pub entertainment is storytelling. The tradition dates back to the days of the colonization 
  of Terra Nova and to the makeshift bars established by early settlers and corporate employees. Loosely 
  organized, free-form performances, these bar stories are one-man shows in which a storyteller speaks for mer 
  an hour about some series of odd events. These tales can be about the raconteuts personal experiences, some 
  semi-mythological events from the early days of Terra Nova, or anything he or she wishes to say. They are, 
  however, generally about a group of colorful characters from a small town or a lower-class neighborhood i n  
  the city. Most stories are played for a mixture of laughs and sympathy and the audience, while shouting 
  support, rolls with laughter and boos villains with abandon. 
  Several of the best storytellers have gone on to become trideo stars, taking their act to the screen. These tales 
  rs have chosen to remain wth live audiences and 
  d-sized performance space are much less 
  The Tales of ~ ~ ~ - E ~ e d  
  J ~ t c  4 
  Perhaps one of the most famous of all Terranovan myths, the various tales of One-Eyed Jack are a staple of 
  barstool stories across the Norlight Confederacy. One-Eyed Jack is a legendary settler from the earliest times 
  of the colonization of the planet. All good barstool storytellers will claim to have at least one ancestor who 
  knew or traveled with One-Eyed Jack and transmitted his stories through the family line. It is tradition for the 
  public to make faces and emit skeptical comments at this, and have the storyteller "convince" them of the 
  veracity of the tale and its provenance. 
  One-Eyed Jack, though a mostly mythical character, probably has roots i n  one or two real people who lived in 
  the first Terranovan centuries. If one were to look i n  the few population records that survived the turbulent 
  Terranovan history, one could probably find the names and personal files of several people who match the 
  description. Some claim that One-Eyed Jack i s  based on General Barnabus Collins, the so-called "first true 
  Badlander" (see Into the Badlands, p. 9). Most barstool storytellers insist that the two men were seperate 
  individuals, although they are often referred to as brothers. 
  According to the most common version of the story, Jack (his real name varies depending on who is currently 
  telling the tale) was a young and destitute Terran who came to Terra Nova in the hope of building a new life 
  fur himself. Variants make him a ship crewman, a stowaway aboard one of the colony ships or, more rarely, an 
  escaped prisoner. Regardless, he is always a dashing young man, honest and hardworking - 
  the very proto- 
  type of the Norlight character. 
  Jack was rumored to be able to wrestle a springer to the ground single-handedly, and could outrun a hopper 
  on a level field. He could kill an armadillo beast or tame it without difficulty, using only his wits and a piece 
  of polymer rope. It is said that he lost his left (or right, depending on the tale) eye to a giant beast that was 
  attacking a settlement. Though he killed it, Jack always refused a prosthefic eye, saying that he now saw 
  better into the hearts of men. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Northern Lights Confederacy is caught between strong values of diversity and its fundamentalist roots. The media, art 
  scene and popular entertainment industry are some of the most hotly contested areas i n  this perennial Norlight debate. 
  The diversity of cultures and outlooks present i n  the NLC, from hard-drinking miners of Innsbruck to the artists of Sesshu 
  and politicians of Valeria, creates an impetus for a wide variety of art and entertainment forms. The revival of the 
  Revisionist church, with its emphasis on moral guidance and the primacy of faith, stifles many of these avenues of 
  expression. The extensive Norlight morality laws (see 6.3.3 Justice, p. 93) render many things illegal and place law- 
  enforcement officials in key positions of power in the entertainment and art worlds. This social conflict has fueled some 
  very powerful art, but also sent many into exile into more permissive leagues such as the United Mercantile Federation. 
  Religious art has always been supported and patronized by the church. Even in this area, however, artists must reconcile 
  themselves to follow the visions of others. While painters, songwriters and others are encouraged t o  explore their own 
  faith i n  their arts, the church imposes limits on what can be said i n  sanctioned pieces. Religious artwork that is not 
  sanctioned is judged as immoral, and the artist can face prosecution. Emil Ratij, a painter from Petropolis who achieved 
  recognition for his murals i n  working-class residential spaces during the TN 1920s was recently arrested for obscenity and 
  indecent expression after revealing a series of murals on the life of the Gentle Prophet. Several of these clearly showed 
  Mamoud and Nathani as ardent, physical lovers and outraged several members of the church. Prominent theologians have 
  suggested a sexual relationship between the Prophet and Second Follower, but the explicit nature of Ratij's murals was 
  enough to get him into legal difficulties. Members of the Norlight artistic community have come to his defense and 
  obtained skilled legal counsel. A legal battle in the CNCS Supreme Court i s  expected t o  ensue. 
  Mass entertainment is diverse in the NLC, but competitive sport remains unchallenged. Soccer, automobile racing and 
  professional Gear dueling achieve ratings and attract live audiences unheard of for other forms of diversion. Electronic 
  media is somewhat underdeveloped in the NLC and many trideo shows and holofilms are imported from the UMF, although 
  current affairs programming is well-respected. Homegrown dramas and comedies that appeal to the mass market have an 
  unfortunate, but not undeserved, reputation for predictability and preaching. 
  The Northern Lights Confederacy i s  a poor neighbor to the United Mercantile Federation when it comes to mass media. The 
  extensive morality laws of the NLC place a great deal of restraint on material that is acceptable on national airwaves or i n  
  print media, banning many products as too violent, pornographic or "inappropriate." Consequently, a certain dynamism is 
  lacking in Norlight media productions and the number of trideo channels, music broadcasts and holofilms is much lower 
  than i n  the UMF or the Southern Republic. Norlight trideo tends to concentrate on the real world rather than fantasy, with 
  current affiirs programming and sports coverage most common and respected. Norlights enjoy comedies and dramas as 
  much as their national neighbors, but locally produced shows tend to flat when compared to Mercantile output. Documen- 
  taries, news programs and political coverage, however, are of unparalleled quality, and are exported across the North and 
  Badlands. The spread of Hermes 72 satellite trideo has caused some trouble in the NLC be'cause of the sudden access to 
  programming not subject to morality laws. Eastern bloodsports, gladiatorial dueling from Khayr ad-Din and Ashantite 
  fashion shows are available to properly equipped Norlights. Norlight legislation demands that "screening chips," which 
  can black out some programming, be installed in all Hermes 72 equipped trideo viewers, but new ways t o  defeat such 
  measures appear on the black market daily and are easily accessible to most viewers. 
  Electronic media may not be thriving in the NLC, but the league has the best print industry on the planet. The large pulp 
  and paper manufacturing complex fuels a phenomenal number ofjournals, newspapers and publishing houses that present 
  material simply unavailable i n  other media. The Prophet Mamoud's distrust of electronic media is well known, and print i s  
  still considered by many to be the preferable medium for communication. Morality laws are also less stringent for non- 
  graphic material, so the Norlight literature market i s  far more vibrant and creative than its trideo market. Literacy is 
  universal for children above eight cycles of age because of the value placed on the written word. Norlight homes often 
  feature extensive libraries of religious and secular texts and newspaper subscriptions are a prerequisite of urban life. Many 
  homes and public areas are equipped with dedicated fax machines that can receive and automatically bind the daily paper 
  and any other text the residents may desire to consult (the paper itself is later recycled). To prevent long printing time 
  and waste, though, most Norlights prefer to simply go down t o  the local library to consult particularly voluminous texts. 
  Fine art has suffered the most under the hold of the morality laws. Non-religious artwork is notoriously undervalued i n  the 
  NLC and any painting, sculpture or sketch that is considered i n  any way beyond the constrains of good taste can be 
  deemed illegal very quickly. Many galleries and private venues have shows for material that is labeled "immoral" and limit 
  access either to private members or to clients of a certain age. Even i n  these conditions legal limits apply, however, and 
  local law enforcement i n  many city-states is highly unforgiving i n  these areas. Mainstream fine arts tend to be less 
  representational for this reason, with strong impressionist and abstract schools of art. Likewise, performance arts, such as 
  theater and singing, are intricate but tend to be highly restrained affairs. A large part of the Norlight repertoire i s  based 
  on Revisionist stories, many of which are very beautiful and moving. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
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  The suffocating effect of morality Legislation has had its effect on the Norlight music scene as well. Foreigners find 
  mainstream music bland, but i n  fact it is simply different. Instrumental classical music and primal dream are the most 
  popular forms, and there are twenty major symphony orchestras i n  the league. Harsher music also has its place, but is 
  thought of as the music of the young. Moral judgment is often passed on provocative lyrics, most particularly those that 
  that are explicitly sexual or critical of the church. Rage and shock music are the most vibrant styles in the underground 
  scenes and have inspired whole cultural movements. 
  I 
  The raw power and complex lyrics and melodies of shock music have electrified whole sectors of the Norlight 
  population, bringing together diverse counter-cultural elements. Although Fort William i s  the greatest center 
  of the shock movement in the northern hemisphere, the Norlight branch of this anti-establishment social 
  phenomenon is the most savvy in i t s  use of the media. Western shock culture focuses above all on a pro-peace 
  platform: its Norlight cousin is much more concerned with breaking social taboos than laying down arms. 
  According the shock "purists," if such a thing is possible, Norlight shock is much closer to rage than to primal 
  dream (the two forerunners of the style). The deafening cries of Norlight shock call for the destruction of the 
  "pretentious chains" of Norlight morality. Although music remains at the center of the shock culture, fashion, 
  lifestyle and other media are also very important. "Shockers" tend toward clothes and accessories that chal- 
  lenge established conventions, including facial tattoos and revealing clothes. Shock culture has also produced 
  a large number of "guerrilla trideo" cinematographers. independent producers with trideo cameras who pro- 
  duces short films that are illegal under morality laws. These feature graphic or implied violence and sex, often 
  in staccato high-speed images that are chaotic and nonsensical to those not familiar with the genre. 
  Shock music, shock films and shock life are put on display in a growing network of underground shock clubs 
  that can be found in every city-state's urban inner city. These clubs range from the relatively sedate legal 
  variety - that features music not heard on radio, but few truly extreme displays -to the illegal clubs that 
  include shock fashion shows, viewing of shock film, live music performances and sex shows. Shutting down 
  these clubs is a priority in several of the more religious city-states, but the clubs change locals from night to 
  night, making them very difficult to track down. A few communities are receptive to the shock clubs and allow 
  them to remain open i n  the same location to become truly outrageous affiirs. The largest and best known is 
  the Black Box in Sesshu's Dispensation District, a four story club gaining a reputation across the globe. The 
  Black Box i s  run by a celebrity: Alia "Shock Queen" Tessier, a singer and songwriter famous among Shock fans 
  from pole to pole. 
  The Shock Queen is, as one would expect, an extreme example of the values of shock culture. Multiple tattoos 
  and piercings adorn her body, her hair changes color and style every few nights (and on some occasions, every 
  few hours) and her choice of clothes is always revealing. She also has a taste for body painting. For all her 
  external quirks, however, Tessier is a savvy businesswoman who knows her clientele and can cater to the 
  specific needs of the shock community. As she gets older, she spends an increasing amount of time on the 
  business side of things, however, and her singing career has suffered from it somewhat. I n  the meantime, she 
  supplies songs to other known shock figures as a creative outlet. 
  The most popular type of sport in the NLC is undoubtedly motor-sports. From impromptu jeep races over the Northern 
  Plain to the intense competition of the Death Track 1000, Norlights are rabid fans of any sport that includes a combustion 
  engine. Every city-state has at least one speedway and Gear dueling team, but the two major sport centers are Innsbruck 
  and Kenema. Innsbruck hosts the yearly Death Track 1000 Gear race, the most prestigious race on the professional Gear 
  racing circuit. The circuit includes fifteen other races, including the Port Aurora Classic and the Kenema 1500, each of 
  which has their own fan base and special features. The Death Track comes at the end of the season and is the world 
  championship of Gear racing, attracting racers from across the hemisphere and even some from the south. Kenema, the 
  motor-city of the league, is home t o  the Kenema Grand Prix, the league's largest high perFormance automobile race. Grand 
  Prix class automobiles are manufactured by a small number of companies (including Shaian Mechanics and Northco), and 
  are the fastest ground vehicles on Terra Nova. Sleek t o  the extreme, Grand Prix racers have inspired the most luxurious 
  commercial sports cars, including the Kenema Axion, made famous in the highly popular trideo series Axion Knights. Gear 
  dueling is centered in Valeria, where the Northern Dueling League holds its championship and has three separate teams. 
  Personal sports are also very popular, with soccer as the most widely played sport i n  the league. Children, adolescents and 
  adults kicking around soccer balls i n  the morning sun is a common feature of travel brochures. Most middle schools, 
  professional colleges and universities have their own soccer teams and every city state has a professional team as well. 
  These professional teams compete on a hemispheric, rather than national, scale, with the Gaylor Cup awarded t o  the 
  champion. The championship match is played every two cycles i n  the Spring and changes locales every time. The TN 1932 
  cup was played i n  Swanscombe i n  the United Mercantile Federation and the next cup will be played for i n  Kossuth. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Though the technological level of the NLC i s  high, the league largely embodies the "simpler is better" principle that 
  guides much of Terra Nova. While highly sophisticated genetic engineering and computer design goes on i n  the NLC, most 
  citizens live with only a very few "wonders of modern life." They rely instead on tried and true equipment which will not 
  break down. This is especially the case i n  rural areas, where everyday life unfolds far away from centres of precision 
  manufacturing. I n  the city-states, high technology is more common , where digital personal communication, privacy 
  devices and many other electronic toys are part of any midddle class person's lifestyle. 
  There are areas of impressive Norlight technical achievement, however. Agriculture and animal husbandry are two areas 
  that have benefitted from a great deal of technical attention. Cereals raised by farmers on the plains, and many of the 
  richer fruit and vegetable valley crops, are possible due to advanced genetic manipulation and accelerated breeding 
  processes. Johar grows naturally, but wheat, corn, barley, hops, carrots, apples and onions all depend on precise modifi- 
  cations t o  adapt them t o  different nutrient bases on Terra Nova. Other areas of agriculture are also highly advanced, with 
  crop monitoring devices set up t o  measure soil conditions and adjust irrigation and fertilization in sequence. A continu- 
  ing struggle against crop disease and parasites also spurs technological development, with resistant strains, new targeted 
  pesticides and other developments springing up constantly. Agricultural research is rather diversified, but Smolensk is the 
  most widely recognized center. 
  Norlight medical technology is also unparalleled, thanks to the Yele Medical Center i n  the city-state of the same name. At 
  YMC, the globe's best doctors and researchers (including many immigrants) continue to push back the frontiers of health and 
  Life. Genetic manipulation, organ regrowth, pharmaceutical development and cyb use are at their cutting edge at the medical 
  center. Outside the YMC, however, many of these procedures remain inaccesible. Genetic testing for birth defects and a whole 
  class of drugs are readily available and affordable, but full organ regrowth, cyb surgery and genetically targetted drugs are 
  the priviledge of the very rich or the very well connected. YMC and other centers of medical research have come under serious 
  fire from the government and church for creating health care for the elite. Several medical centers, including the Valeria 
  School of Medicine, have begun "popular medicine" programs aimed at creating more accessible technologies. 
  * 
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  The current director of the Yele genetic research lab at the YMC, Doctor Ludmir Hetherton is a well-known 
  figure in the Terranovan medical community. Once a prodigal student of noted geneticist Albert Deavor, 
  Hetherton is recognized for his work on advanced multipolymerase protein design and is considered to be a 
  major authority in modern genetic design. He is well-aware of the dangers of meddling with nature, and as a 
  result, he adheres to the various security and isolation protocols to the letter when working on dangerous 
  organisms and testing new synthetic DNA strands. 
  Hetherton is fascinated by the biological and genetic history of humanity. Though he would like to freely 
  explore the possibilities of the many genetic codes he has unearthed or generated i n  the course of his 
  research, the ethical and medical problems this would cause are enormous. He prefers that no one know about 
  his own personal projects and conducts research alone, after hours. That way, the only life and conscience he 
  puts on the line are his own. 
  b The Helix Plus Project 
  Helix Plus i s  the codename for Hetherton's favorite secret pet project. He looks into historical records to 
  compare the DNA of early settlers (and whatever otherworldly samples he can get his hands on) to modern 
  Terranovan DNA to detect mutations and improvements, if any. He is fascinated by the numerous attempts at 
  modifying the human gene code, especially in the turbulent period between the first steps in space and the 
  end of the Ice Age on Earth. 
  Hetherton has recently come across what he believes to be a remnant of an advanced genetic code. It was 
  found i n  one of the many samples brought back from the Badlands by mercenaries in Hetherton's pay, though 
  its exact source is unknown. At first glance, it looks like a crude version of an improved human code for a 
  stronger, healthier and smarter person, but with several mistakes and shortcoming left in. Hetherton believes 
  the structure of the sample indicates an artificial origin, but based on an existing natural code. 
  The existence of this sample generates a series of vely serious questions, such as where it came from and 
  whether or not it would really lead to a race of "supermen." It proves someone is phying around with DNA 
  coding somewhere on the planet, a discovery that has him worried to no end. Hetherton has been trying to 
  find out more, but he is impaired in his efforts by the fact that he must keep the existence of Helix Plus a 
  secret from the authorities. Hetherton is familiar with the gene-codes of GRELs and his sample is somewhat 
  different. He has heard that the population of Jan Mayen is cuirently working on modifying GREL genetic 
  codes to permit reprodum'on; it is possible that the material may come from these trials. Hetherton has also 
  been in contact with Humanist researcher Arthuro Nessen (see Life on Terra Nova, p. 112) through the Yele 
  Medical Center's information exchange forums and believes that the preceptor may be the best man to whom 
  to brinq the material. Hetherthon i s  well aware that such a move could be interDreted as treason. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  G i l  knew she would love it. It gleamed just like her eyes, a glowing turquoise that spoke directly to his heart. It 
  was the last day of Gil's three-day leave from the Northern Guard and he hadn't found a gift for Sindi until now. He 
  absolutely needed to get the pendant hanging in the shop window before he returned to base. He knew, with the 
  absolute certainty of a truly desperate soul, that only this piece of fine jewelry would show Sindi his love for her. 
  Finally she would see him as more than her copilot in their Thunderhammer artillery strider. Only the shop was 
  closed for the night. G i l  was at a loss for what to do when the lead stated flying. 
  The first shot shattered the plate glass window i n  front of til and it was only then that he heard the sounds: a car 
  screeching around a comer, police sirens, and automatic weapons fire. Caught without his tactical readouts and 
  layers of durasheet composite armor, he froze and watched as a beat-up pickup truck thundered down the road 
  pursued by a Kenema Police squad car. The crooks were armed to the teeth and hosed down the pursuing car with 
  assault rifles. The police car was bulletproof but G i l  wasn't. He finally dove for cover. 
  The van made a sharp U-turn and headed back toward Gib the KPD car followed suit, joined by other cars converging 
  on the pursuit. Nearly cut off by the cops, the criminals powered up onto the sidewalk, lost control and ended up 
  slamming into a lamppost not twenty meters from Gil. The cops screeched to a halt behind G i l  and got out with 
  their guns drawn. Both sides opened fire almost simultaneously, bullets sailing over Gil's prone form and into 
  walls, parked cars, mailboxes and storefronts all around. G i l  crawled closer to the wall, seeking t o  make himself as 
  small a target as possible to the raging gunmen. The KPD officers, he noticed, were being forced to f a l l  back as the 
  criminals pumped their squad cars full of lead. The supply of ammunition of all sorts seemed endless. 
  After a burst of automatic fire hit the pavement near him, G i l  tried to spin out of the way and knocked his head 
  against the wall in the process. His glasses went scattering across the broken sidewalk: in an instant, the criminals 
  down the street became nothing but a blur - 
  a blur with high-caliber weapons. Building up his courage - 
  do it for 
  Sindi, he told himself - 
  G i l  extended his hands out of his meager cover and grabbed his glasses. They were 
  cracked, but he could see again. He wasn't sure that was a good thing. 
  The balance of power changed suddenly with the arrival of a police armored personnel carrier bearing the marks of 
  the Quick Response Team and flanked by two Cheetah Polfzei Gears. When the criminals seemed unimpressed and 
  brought out a grenade launcher, the pilot of the lead Gear did not hesitate to pepper them with machinegun fire. 
  Many of the crooks went down in the hail of bullets, but several made a running charge at the underarmed officers 
  who had chased them in the first place ... right towards Gil. 
  He had only a moment to react: they would surely see him and shoot him just for kicks. As the leader got close, til 
  leapt to his feet and slammed into the oblivious crook. One strong shoulder and the armored thug was down, but 
  his companions were fine. One raised his rifle and G i l  saw his life flash before his eyes; a life incomplete without 
  Sindi by his side. Then came a final shot as a single round from a Cheetah's machinegun slammed into the crook. 
  Other cops were next to G i l  a second later. 
  ' 
  "You okay buddy?" 
  G i l  looked at the ground and saw the pendant. Kneeting he picked it up. "Yeah, I'm just fine." 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  On the surface, the idea of designing a Heavy Gear character born and bred i n  the Northern Lights Confederacy is no 
  different than any other type of PC. Norlight society is diverse enough to have almost any type of character within it. 
  Those playing in action-oriented campaigns can find a wide variety of possible characters. Heavy Gear standbys like Gear 
  pilots, military technicians and special forces operatives are all in play i n  the NLC, as are police officers, rovers, smugglers 
  and corporate security officers. Players i n  intrigue-oriented campaigns can also find many types of characters i n  the NLC, 
  including NorPol undercover agents, NISA spies and Prophet's Shield members. 
  The central issue of religion should be dealt with somewhat when making a characters of Norlight descent, especially if 
  the campaign itself will take place i n  the NLC. This does not mean, however, that religion must be the center of every 
  Norlight charactets existence. Indeed, it i s  quite possible to make Norlights who do not care about religion at all or who 
  follow a small faith unrelated to Revisionism or Jerusalemism. Nevertheless, these decisions should be made because they 
  help define the character as an individual and determine his place in a Norlight campaign. The "default" for a Norlight is 
  to be a "lapsed Revisionist," who associates with the church only minimally but has integrated Revisionist practice into 
  his identity. If players wish to play someone with a different theological outlook, the GM should work with them to 
  explain the characters' beliefs. Family background i s  an important part of this process because the character may be 
  following or rebelling against the teachings of his parents. Characters who, as adults, have "found religion" or have 
  become atheists, should have gone through a traumatic or revelatory experience, which can form an important part of 
  their background. Gamemasters should also decide what religious choice implies for the charactets day to day life. It may 
  not have any bearing (a soldier i n  a polyglot Northern Guard unit) or be critical (a Jerusalemite facing discrimination i n  
  Smolensk). There are, of course, no "right" answers to any of these questions; the point is to use religion as a tool t o  help 
  develop a background for the Player Character. 
  The matter of religious choice is only one part of a the larger process of developing a character concept. While players can 
  sketch out a character by themselves, fleshing out the background and concept should be done with the Gamemaster. GMs 
  can then help build a network of subplots and contacts for the character, tying the new PC to the campaign setting and 
  to the other PCs. 
  As was the case with religion, the Gamemaster and Player should try to determine the rough origin and implications of key 
  character elements. I n  a league as big as the NLC, regional origin can have a very large impact and GMs should try t o  see 
  what elements could be used from the city-state or regional information in this and other sourcebooks. If a PC decides to 
  be a Keneman engineer, for example, it might be worth deciding if he works for one of the big corporations or not. If he 
  does, potential enemies and contacts may emerge. Age can also be an important factor. PCs who were adults during the 
  Judas Syndrome may have a hard time trusting strangers; those who suffered during the War of the Alliance may be 
  reluctant to get involved i n  combat. None of these associations are set i n  stone (many veterans are willing to go back to 
  the battlefield, for example), but they are the type of implications which can be used to create a richer character concept 
  without too much work. 
  Players and GMs should also be looking for potential subplots at this stage. These are personal stories revolving around 
  the character that are secondary to the main story of the campaign, such as a romance, being hounded by a reporter or 
  having a personal nemesis. These "side stories" add a great deal to the roleplaying experience because they are almost 
  always character-driven; they occur because the PC wants them to. When the Pc's background is being created the GM can 
  take notes as to what aspects will recur in the campaign (e.g. an old lover or a strained relations with the Pc's father) and 
  can even ask what aspect(s) the player would like to see turn into a subplot. 
  National origin should only play a small role in Attribute and Skill choice. I n  terms of language skills, all Norlights speak 
  Anglic as their native tongue. Characters hailing from the Irrian Plain or from the Westridge Trench receive the Foreign 
  Language: Indo-Arabic or Foreign Language: Equatorial Hispanic (respectively) skills at level 1 as per the second language 
  guidelines described i n  Life on Terra Nova, p. 140. Characters born in a Jerusalemite commune should also get a second 
  language, either Indo-Arabic, Biblical Hebrew or Koranic Arabic. 
  Players who wish to portray priests, monks or other very observant Revisionists should spend some of their points i n  
  appropriate areas. Most priests and monks will have above-average KNO and PSY, because of the training their receive and 
  the support from the church, although unhappy or disgruntled priests (low PSY) are far from unheard of. They should also 
  purchase Foreign Language: Indo-Arabic at level 2 (because they study texts i n  that language): other appropriate skills 
  include Social Sciences (specialized in theology), Psychology and Teaching. These skills are virtually obligatory for priests 
  and monks (at least at level 1) and can be useful for pious lay people. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  The Northern Lights Confederacy is not a "gadget-crazy" League. While the United Mercantile Federation, Mekong Dominion 
  and Humanist Alliance may be chock-full of high technology devices, the NLC usually relies on simpler, tried-and-true 
  devices. The league has its fair share of cutting edge industries, most notably pharmaceutical and medical technology i n  
  Yele, but these advances are often not available throughout the population. 
  The weapons and other pieces of equipment detailed over the next few pages are designed to give players and Gamemasters 
  a few useful props for their campaigns and characters. Many of these items can be found across Terra Nova in slightly 
  altered forms and so can be used in any Heavy Gear campaign (at the Gamemaster's discretion, of course). They are not 
  provided so much for their Silhouette game statistics, but to provide some additional insight into Norlight life and to add 
  flavor to characters who might use them. 
  This section includes both combat and non-combat items. Combat items include game statistics which often vary slightly 
  from those provided on pages 79-81 of the Heavy Gear Rulebook. The statistics given with each item here reflect the 
  capabilities of specific models and designs, whereas those i n  the rulebook are general guidelines for types of items. 
  Gamemasters who wish to limit the number of different stats to keep track of can decide to only use the stats from the 
  rulebook. 
  Although it likes to consider itself highly "civilized," the Northern Lights Confederacy was built on a rural model. The need 
  for weaponry to hunt and defend oneself i n  the rural areas has left a legacy of quite poor gun-control in the NLC. Most 
  citizens can, with very little difficulty, gain access to deadly force. At least one shotgun or hunting rifle is stashed i n  
  almost every rural home, and firearms are all too common i n  the slums of the city-states. Many people claim that only the 
  peaceful message of Revisionism keeps the NLC from exploding into violence. 
  Kay Spec 6 mm pistol 
  -1 
  10 
  4/0/16/32 
  0 
  20 
  120 
  Dorothean staff 
  +1 
  AD + 9 
  Strength + 15 
  - 
  Not available' 
  Dorothean staff with blades 
  +1 
  AD + 11 
  Strength + 12 
  - 
  Not available. 
  Dorothean staff with mace-heads 
  0 
  AD + 10 
  Strength + 5 
  - 
  Not available' 
  Dorothean staff with spearheads 
  0 
  AD+ 11 
  Strength + 20 
  - 
  Not available' 
  Restricted to religious personnel (see p. 104). 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  The Kenema Police Department's Quick Response Teams (QRTs) are special weapons and tactics units that deploy rapidly 
  i n  cases of stand-offs with criminals, hostage situations or the need for rapid-attack tactics. Several QRTs use Gears, but 
  most are made up of police officers i n  specially designed armor and carrying military weapons. Because they must fight i n  
  enclosed spaces, QRT members use compact weapons and armor that will not slow them down. Much of their equipment 
  is drawn from military or police supply sources. 
  . . 
  : . 
  manufacturer. The loth is also used i n  the Norlight Armed Forces and is well respected for its reliability and its 
  accuracy. It carries a 20-round clip (using a staggered-round clip) and can be fitted with a laser sight. QRT 
  trooper members use the Toth as a secondary weapon. The Toth has the standard game stats for a 9mm pistol 
  (Acc 0, Dam 15, Range 5 meters). The Toth retails for 300 marks. 
  QRT troopers involved in room clearing or hostage rescue use the Kerringer KP-4 9mm compact sub-machinegun 
  as their standard weapon. Kerringer Arms combines a very small size and legendary reliability in a weapon used 
  by most urban assault specialists in the military, intelligence corps and police. Its small size means that it never 
  gets in the way in close quarters. The KP-4 can be fired one or two-handed (-1 accuracy when one-handed and 
  full rate of fire is used) and features a folding metal stock for extra stability. Like the Toth pistol, the KP-4 can 
  be fitted with a laser sight. The Kerringer has the typical game stats for a 9mm submachinegun, although its 
  short barrel limits its range somewhat (Acc 0, Dam 15, Range 8 meters, ROF 2). The KP-4 retails for 575 marks. 
  2 
  Wk/Stealth Suit 
  3 
  ffi-37GleMdelhn.e 
  of Livingstone, they nonetheless have a very special relationship with the KPD. They produce many pieces of 
  equipment for the QRT, including the unit's main support weapon, the PG-37 37mm grenade rifle. Based on 
  the Riley MG-37 military model, the PG-37 can hurl tear gas grenades up to 400 meters away (200 meters if 
  precision i s  required). Typically one out of every five troopers entering a building will carry a grenade launcher. 
  The PG-37 has the standard game stats (Acc 0, Range 50 meters), and retails for 700 marks. 
  Quick Response Team troopers almost always carry a variety of non-lethal grenades used to stun or incapaci- 
  tate their targets with a reduced risk of killing hostages. The most common grenades are PolTech tear gas 
  canisters (Accuracy 0, Damage 5 + gas effects) and Riley "flash-bang" stun grenades (Accuracy 0, Damage 8 
  + flash effects). Both can be loaded in a PG-37 launcher or thrown by hand. Typically tear gas is used to flush 
  opponents out of a room, while flash-bangs are used to stun opponents during an assault. flash and tear gas 
  grenades retail for 8 marks each. 
  One trooper per unit will often carry a few traditional concussion grenades in case another option presents 
  itself, but their use is frowned upon. Indeed, these weapons are extremely deadly in the closed quarters that the 
  QRT usually operates in. Hostages, bystanders or even QRT members themselves can be caught in the blast. 
  own. The award-winning design integrates night-vision goggles, a voice-am'vated multi-band radio system, 
  and a gas mask. Several modifications are available, including the command/tactical model which includes a 
  more powerful and scrambled comm system and a HUD tam'cal display. The helmet retails for 800 marks (1000 
  for the tam'cal model). 
  operations suits used by intelligence agencies, the PolTech suit not only protects against small weapons fire 
  (Armor 20) but helps make the wearer very quiet (+2 to Stealth rolls). It also features optional heavy reinforced 
  pads (+lo to Armor) that can be added to most portions of the body. Most QRT troopers wear the reinforced arm 
  guards because they can be used as weapons (UD+5 damage), while heavy weapons troopers often wear addi- 
  tional plates. Troopers suffer encumbrance only if they wear the full chest plates (35 Armor totab -1 Encumbrance). 
  The Pollech suit retails for 600 marks (900 with all additional plates, 700 with arm and shin plates only). 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  . . 
  ' 
  . . . 
  . . 
  A highly religious people, Revisionist Norlights use a variety of trappings that express their faith. Although priests and 
  monks are, naturally, the Norlights most associated with these accoutrements, most faithful citizens have at least a few 
  pieces of religious paraphernalia in their possession. With the revival of Revisionist fundamentalism, religious paraphernalia 
  i s  becoming more and more common in secular circles. Visitors to Valeria will often see locals sporting prayer beads or 
  carrying a small copy of the Khodaverdia with them during their daily lives. Although many people find this a healthy 
  trend, it has unfortunately been used to reinforce religious discrimination. Those sporting the cotton skull-cap of 
  Jerusalemism are easily identified as "outsiders" and showing prayer beads has become an unspoken password needed to 
  obtain entry to some of the most exclusive social clubs in the capital. 
  The most basic of all religious items in the Revisionist faith, the Khodaverdio i s  the central text of the faith. 
  It exists in a wide variety of editions, both i n  print and electronic format. Data disk versions, however, are 
  seen as mere copies because of the Prophet's legendary dislike of electronic recording devices. Most families 
  have at least one "true" paper edition, often bound i n  springer leather and emblazoned with the icons of the 
  church. These family Khodaverdias are often used to record the major moments of the family's evolution, 
  including births, bond-twinning, marriages and deaths. Electronic and paper editions are available in Anglic, 
  but church and family editions are all in Indo-Arabic. 
  have gone on pilgrimage can wear different colors. Visiting Valeria's sites allows the faithful to wear silver 
  beads, Sorrento allows gold and Massada turquoise. These pilgrim beads are all produced locally, with Massadan 
  turquoise being completely unique to that area of the Karaq Wastes. Priests and monks serving at a pilgrimage 
  site usually wear only beads of that site, even if they have visited other areas. Lay Norlights usually wear around 
  ten or twenty beads as a necklace or bracelet, while priests and monks can have upwards of one hundred. 
  beyond their immediate entourage) are encouraged to collect small tokens of their efforts. These can include 
  a small, beautiful stone found while traveling on a mission of charity, icons from a church that was restored, 
  or anything the individual finds appropriate. These are usually mounted on the prayer bead string, so they will 
  be remembered when the Revisionist is closest to the Gentle Spirit. Members of the Prophet's Shield (or at 
  least its publicly recognized elements) wear a small shield with their beads. 
  two-meter staff itself is a weighted, hollow tube made of steel, wrapped in cloth for most of its length, to 
  allow a solid grip. The ends (slightly wider than the shaft) are bare metal, studded for increased melee 
  damage. Both ends are also designed to receive attachments, such as additional mace-heads, spearheads or 
  blades. The staff i s  also well balanced for throwing, either as a spear or end over end. 
  centimeters wide and two meters long, these strips are died in bright colors and include simple geometric 
  patterns. Supplicants are worn as a symbol of the joy one receives from communing with the Gentle Spirit and 
  many people don them during private prayers or while on pilgrimage. Priestly and monkish robes usually have 
  supplicants sewn into them as linings for cloaks and jackets, indicating the constant joy of serving the Prophet. 
  attire to Sorrento. These Apostate Revisionists wear distinctive supplicants at all times. Unlike the traditional 
  scarves, which feature only abstract patterns, these feature representative images depicted in a style reminiscent 
  of stained-glass windows. The supplicants usually depict scenes form the lives of Mamoud or Adrianna Xing. 
  Aoostate suoolicants are not onlv worn, but often adorn homes and vehicles owned bv members of the sect. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I n  the following pages, Gamemasters will find information on six possible roleplaying campaigns set i n  the Northern 
  Lights Confederacy and building on the conflicts and information provided i n  this sourcebook. These campaign seeds 
  provide a brief overview of the campaign, including background information, the advantages of that type of campaign, 
  and suggestions for the course of the campaign. A "starting point" scenario is also provided which could be used to begin 
  the campaign: these scenarios can also be used as traditional adventure seeds by Gamemasters with a pre-existing 
  campaign. Two tables also provide some ideas for complications and player characters. 
  These "campaign seeds" do require a certain amount of customization on the part of Gamemasters, however. They have 
  been left open-ended and a little generic so as not to limit the possibilities for individual Gamemasters. Consequently, 
  before starting play, GMs should decide which aspects of the campaign seed they like and prepare it accordingly. 
  Player Character creation should probably occur early in the campaign design process - 
  after the basic premise is chosen, 
  but before all the details are worked out - 
  so that the mix of PCs can really shape the scenarios to come. With the basic 
  characters (the heroes i n  place), the GM can begin tailoring the campaign to his preference and to the characters i n  play. 
  Some Gamemasters may enjoy planning out every detail of their campaigns, but this is often difficult because players - 
  being players - have a great knack for going against all plans. It is easier if the GM simply sets up the opening of the 
  campaign and jots down ideas as to where the story will likely lead, without committing to too many details. The GM can, 
  however, spend some time setting up an entourage for the PCs. Unless otherwise specified, PCs should have families, 
  friends, neighbors and can be romantically involved. If these supporting characters are introduced early - 
  even if just i n  
  passing - 
  they can help flesh out the PCs and appear real. They will also seem less like walking targets or hostages, if 
  players get the impression that they have a complete life. Finally, character based subplots will develop easily if the PCs 
  have a full cast. A few potential opponents can also be sketched out and the opposition for the first scenario should be 
  detailed. 
  The direction of the campaign should then evolve based on early play. The GM should plant some seeds for the future and 
  watch which ones grow. This is especially important in terms of opposition. Campaigns are best remembered by their "bad 
  guys," so the Gamemaster should look for villains that the players remember. A good rule of thumb is to bring back anyone 
  the PCs learn to hate. Some GMs may wish to have a detailed campaign set up before play begins, however. An easy 
  compromise is to leave some roles i n  the plot open and fill them with characters the PCs find interesting. If the campaign 
  involves intrigues i n  the South, the GM can wait a few sessions before deciding who the hidden SRID agent is, for 
  example. 
  ' 
  . . . 
  : 
  . . 
  . 
  : . . 
  . . 
  : . . 
  ' 
  : . . 
  : . . 
  One of the top-grossing movie directors in the North, Melkin Anders is an Innsbrucker by birth and likes to 
  think of himself as a true Norlight. He specializes in high-action films with a "gritty edge" (in his words) and 
  has made an effort to inject an element of his own Revisionism in his films. His current film is Storm WonWrs 
  starring Mikal Fynn i n  the recurring role of the Rover. The film deals with the Rover defending Massada from 
  a Southern-backed desert army. The schedule has been stalled however by accidents on the set and by the 
  highjacking of the production by an actual band of rovers. The whole debacle has been followed closely by the 
  Norlight press. 
  Anders' critics are numerous. many reviewers call him a shallow prima donna who would not be able to 
  recognize an original idea if it bit him. His films are generally considered mindless distractions, but they have 
  recently come under fire from religious authorities. Several well-known monks have made pointed comments 
  about the corrupting effect of violent holofilms on Norlight youth. Some of Anders' financing for Storm 
  Warrioiors has been withdrawn as a result, which has plunged the produm'on into further delays. 
  b Cause and Effect 
  (Revisionist life, 12 Autumn TN 1933) - 
  A simple journey through the more common neighborhoods of 
  our major cities or along the borders of our league makes evident the challenge that we are facing as a nation. 
  Violence has become rampant and our own society seems unable to prevent this downward spiral of immorality 
  and bloodshed. We live in the land of the Prophet and under his peaceful teachings, yet our children are 
  killing each other from the shop floors of Kenema to the Irrian frontier. We must ask ourselves why this is 
  happening. 
  We cannot only look to economic or governmental factors, we must look to the influences that put the 
  concept of violence into the minds of the young. Mamoud taught that humans are essentially peaceful and 
  external corruption i s  responsible for their fall from grace. I n  our own time this corruption i s  beamed directly 
  to the young from every trideo screen. Films such as Pile of8ones and the other Rover blood-fests, not to 
  mention the material beamed from the South via satellite, can do nothing except glorify an immoral and 
  dangerous lifestyle. Is it not time that we start targeting the cause of our own social disease? 
  - Brother Feras Henninaer 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Morality laws may censor much of the Norlight media, but news coverage and current affairs analysis remain very vibrant. 
  Celebrities and important personages often find themselves dogged by reporters and camera technicians, each one trying 
  t o  outdo all the others and get the scoop. Successful politicians learn to use the media, appearing on weekly interview 
  shows to put the right "spin" on affairs and get their face into the public eye in view of the next election. 
  A campaign i n  which the players portray Norlight reporters can deal with a wide variety of issues and feature many 
  different types of scenarios. Investigative reporters (the most appropriate type for Player Characters) have lives which 
  borrow from detectives, criminals, authors and adventurers. If the players and Gamemaster desire tight continuity between 
  scenarios, the PCs can be assigned to a specific "beat" and cover stories which are closely related over the course of the 
  campaign. They can uncover a truly great story over time, peeling back the veil of lies and revealing connections between 
  seemingly unrelated events. Players who want more variety can portray reporters from a more famous media outlet (such 
  as the weekly trideo show Valeria Investigative) where they will be assigned to a variety of cases, one day infiltrating a 
  crooked bank, the next reporting from war-torn Basal. This variety also allows the Gamemaster t o  identify the type of 
  scenario the players most enjoy. 
  The course of an investigative reporting campaign should eventually flow towards one big story. The PCs will likely deal 
  with a variety of apparently unconnected events at first, which the Gamemaster can later tie together. Depending on the 
  beat the PCs are covering, this underlying story could be the Wounded Knee cartels, a political blackmail scheme, foreign 
  spies, the Prophet's Shield or another event of the Gamemaster's creation. The details of this conspiracy need not be 
  firmly established i n  the first few sessions; the Gamemaster can decide which stories to tie together based on which ones 
  the players find the most memorable. The details of each individual story, however, should be ready beforehand, because 
  the player characters will be investigating and the GM should have clues ready for them. 
  Sta~ting faint: tabo! Pains 4 
  The Player Characters, reporters for the Innsbruck Times, are investigating a miner strike. Rumor has it that 
  organized crime has taken a hand in local labor relations and the PCs are determined to uncover the truth and 
  spread it across the front page. They can take their investigation in many direckions, tapping connections i n  
  the local underworld, in the labor movement, and among the mine owners themselves. Those who have some 
  experience with the Forzi-Kokon cartel conflict, may assume that one of the two is behind the strike and has 
  likely antagonized the other. On the tenth day of the strike, thugs appear to break the picket line and a near- 
  not ensues. These things end up being tied to the Kolson cartel, implying that the Forzi are behind the strike. 
  After the violence has begun i n  earnest, the PCs should find miners more willing to spill the beans in hopes of 
  stopping things before more bloodshed ensues. 
  The investigation eventually leads to Jonas Borne, leader of the Innsbruck Miners Collective and the organizer 
  of the strike. Borne is covertly receiving money from an unknown source and is guarded by well-armed thugs. 
  Sometime during the investigation Borne is almost killed by gang members whom the PCs can connect to the 
  Forzi. It suddenly becomes clear that Borne is not working for either cartel. I n  fact he is receiving payment from 
  Vincent Duray, a local mine owner in financial trouble who wishes to see his competitor driven out of business. 
  I 1  
  The PCs are freelance reporters who must work on contract. I 
  1
  2
   
  The PCs' emplover intentionallv doctors stones for a political effect. I 
  1 3  
  The PCs antaqonize a smuqqlinq cattel who then tries to eliminate them. I 
  1 4  
  The PCs are accused of burying the truth by the victims of a crime. I 
  1
  5
   
  A rival news organization approaches the PCs to buy their information. I 
  6 
  One of the PCs becomes a Southern spy. 
  I 1  
  Interview expert I 
  2 
  Undercover reporter 
  3 
  Camera operator 
  4 
  Sound technician 
  5 
  War corespondent 
  6 
  Political analvst 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The holy sites of Revisionism are scattered across the NLC and beyond. The faithful are required to make pilgrimage at 
  least once in their lives and most must travel a dangerous route to do so. Sorrento itself is relatively safe, but the routes 
  across the Eastern Desert and Karaq Wastes are far from so. Rovers, smugglers, and other bandits prey on the vulnerable 
  caravans of the faithful and military units moving through the Badlands can pose a threat all their own. The monks of the 
  Order of Dorothea have dedicated themselves t o  protecting these routes from all dangers. Trained i n  a wide variety of 
  martial skills, they operate from walled citadels and maintain their own forces. A good number also wear the uniform of 
  the Norlight Armed Forces. 
  A campaign i n  which players portray Dorothean monks has the great advantage of blending action and spirituality i n  
  equal parts. The Player Characters are men and women who have dedicated their lives to the Gentle Prophet and his 
  church and matters of the soul should never be far from their minds. They can easily get involved in the debates currently 
  coursing through the faith, be it over the nature of the Prophet or the role the church should play in Norlight affairs. At 
  the same time, they are warriors who are trained to shed blood i n  the course of their duty. 
  Over its course, a Dorothean campaign should slowly shift from the martial to the spiritual. Players should begin with very 
  few doubts about their actions; being young initiates, they will be ready to fight for their faith and should be rewarded 
  for doing so. As play continues, the Gamemaster should introduce elements of doubt and play on the ones the players will 
  likely bring into sessions themselves. Perhaps the party will be called to defend pilgrims who are abusive to locals. 
  Revisionism is a faith of peace and the Dorotheans' use of force should slowly begin to weigh on their souls. The politics 
  of the church should also begin t o  play an increasingly greater role. Conflicts between the Second Follower and his critics, 
  the schism between Massada and Sorrento, and the appearance of the Apostate Revisionists can all play an important 
  role. Indeed, the Player Characters should eventually have to decide who they consider to be Revisionists. Revisionists 
  fighting other Revisionists is a prime example. 
  . 
  ' 
  . 
  * 
  ' 
  : . . 
  . . . 
  : . . 
  : . 
  b St~rtin! Point: Blood on the Sand 
  The Citadel of Morak, sitting atop a Karaq Wastes mesa within 200 kilometers of Massada, is a decades-old 
  outpost of the Dorotheans. Nothing has been heard from the citadel in a full season, however, and the PCs are 
  sent to investigate. After a long journey, they come to Morak to find the citadel's main gate shattered and i t s  
  defenses in ruins. Signs of a struggle abound, with destroyed vehicles littering the courtyard and the bodies of 
  brothers and sisters picked dry by daks. Someone has murdered members of the order and pillaged their home. 
  Investigation will eventually reveal that the citadel was attacked by a local rover gang called the Iron Spikes. 
  The Spikes are bandits and thieves, but they have never been known to commit such wanton murders. The 
  Player Characters will have to do some investigating to find the Spikes' hideout and will encounter armed 
  opposition if and when they attack. The Spikes have been taking orders and receiving equipment from the 
  MILICIA in exchange for provoking Norlight military action around Massada. The MIUCIA plans to make the 
  Norlight units break ranks with the Northern Guard and make the North unpopular in Massada. The PCs are a 
  real problem to the MIUCIA because they exist outside the military structure and have decent relations in 
  Massada, and they will be targeted by the Spikes. From there, they can uncover clues as to the Spikes' backing. 
  The PCs are sent South to make contact with ESE Revisionists. 
  The PCs act as police officers in Sorrento. 
  The PCS are accused of heresy and ejected from the order. 
  The PCs join the Prophet's Shield. 
  The Pc's citadel i s  attacked by rovers. 
  One of the PCs breaks his/her vow of chastity. 
  ~ ~ u ~ ~ e s t e d  
  Plaqer Characters 
  1 
  Young initiate 
  2 
  Reformed criminal 
  3 
  Former priest 
  4 
  Veteran monk 
  5 
  Divine Prophet member 
  6 
  Southern spy I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I n  the growing battle against the Wounded Knee cartels, the Norlight National Police (NorPol) depends on a wide variety 
  of agents. Undercover agents are a critical part of this network. Infiltrating the cartel-backed operations, these agents 
  put their lives on the line every day to gather intelligence and bust the "big fish" i n  the cartel game. Most of them are 
  unsung heroes, their identities kept out of the media coverage so that they can then "go under" once more. The files on 
  undercover agent identities are the most closely guarded documents i n  NorPol. 
  A campaign based around undercover NorPol agents has a great deal of potential. One of its great strengths i s  it allows 
  Gamemasters to mix roleplaying styles without great difficulty. Quick, one-session operations can give way to very long 
  missions where the Player Characters remain undercover for whole seasons. Intrigue can play a major role, with the agents 
  trying to uncover the identities of big bosses and manipulate their contacts into incriminating themselves; action is also 
  very important, especially at the time of the bust, when the agents can spring into action. Undercover campaigns allow 
  players to stretch their roleplaying muscles like few others because their characters are roleplayers themselves. Every 
  session a player might be taking a slightly different role, trying t o  keep his agent from being discovered. 
  An undercover campaign should begin as a simple series of missions. Small-time criminals can be targeted or serious 
  players can be identified, but the Player Characters should remain "under" for only brief amounts of time. This will allow 
  the dynamic between the various members of the team to grow and the Gamemaster can judge what type of mission the 
  group most enjoys (or dreads). After a few sessions a main villain can be developed, probably a big player in one of the 
  smuggling cartels. The Player Characters should feel this person's influence, but never be able to touch him or her. The 
  players can then become involved in a Long term operation, slowly infiltrating the target's operation in order t o  get close. 
  This can go on for many sessions, with Player Characters having t o  become criminals as they climb the cartel ladder. The 
  mission (which now forms the center of the campaign) should ideally become personal, with one or more of the Player 
  Characters being forced to decide between their jobs and their feelings. 
  Reyna Morecks is suspected of laundering money for the Fori cartel in one of the many bars of Innsbruck inner 
  city. Those who get in her way are rumored to disappear and NorPol has decided to target her for investigation. 
  A small team of agents is tasked with dogging her and uncovering evidence of her crimes. A separate team of 
  agents ah'ng undercover becomes involved because Morecks is moving narcotics and weapons for the Forzi in 
  Kenema, storing them in several old mines outside Innsbruck. I n  the interests of security, the first team of 
  investigators i s  not told that some of the people they are hounding are undercover cops. The Player Characters 
  can portray either team or, preferably, both. This would require some juggling by the Gamemaster, however. 
  The two teams of investigators should come into conflict over the course of the scenario, generally getting i n  
  each othet's way and making life dificult for each other. The public NorPol agents should get frustrated with 
  enigmatic orders from on-high to let some arrest opportunities go by, while the undercover agents may fall 
  under suspicion because the cops are poking around. Ultimately, the first team will be ready to move in on 
  Morecks, but the second will want to keep her on the streets so she can lead them to a bigger "fish" in the 
  Forzi cartel. The PCs may well end up dodging each other through Innsbruck. 
  PQssi~l~ 
  & a ~ p a ~ ~ n  
  ~a~la~ions 
  4 
  1
  6
   
  One of the PCs is corruot. I 
  Chanctcr Type 
  Dewription 
  I 1  
  Disauise exDert I 
  1
  2
   
  Touqh-as-nails "enforce? I 
  I
  3
   
  Operations manaqer I 
  1 4  
  Investiqative expert I 
  1
  5
   
  Civilian atly/mole I 
  1
  6
   
  Reformed criminal 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Norlight Security and Intelligence Agency (NISA) is the civilian agency directly responsible for fighting the espionage 
  war with the South. NISA cooperates with the Norlight Armed Forces' Office of Military Intelligence (NAF/OMI), the 
  Northern Guard Intelligence Service (NGIS) and the Norlight National Police (NorPol) in various parts of its duties, but has 
  an agenda all its own. Among other things, NISA has agents keeping tabs on Norlight allies, despite repeated denials of 
  any such operations. 
  . . 
  : . 
  A campaign based around intelligence agents (usually NISA agents, but others can do just as well) is an excellent setup 
  because it allows for intrigue, investigation, action and drama i n  whatever proportion best suits a particular playing 
  group. Those who enjoy pure action can portray special forces or "black ops" specialists who undertake completely 
  clandestine missions deep in enemy territory. Those with a taste for intrigue can infiltrate enemy territory under diplomatic 
  or civilian cover and extract state secrets from Southern Lord Councilors. Perhaps the best setup combines both aspects 
  and makes of the Player Characters a team of diverse specialists who are brought together for supposedly impossible 
  missions. Using early missions to gauge player reactions, the Gamemaster can tailor operations to the players' tastes. 
  While a series of unrelated missions can be very entertaining, over the course of the campaign, some connections should 
  be made. A recurring opponent (perhaps the MILICIA's Special Intervention Unit) can give the individual scenarios a link. 
  Personal involvement should also become more and more important, if only because players will likely tire of the briefing- 
  mission-debriefing format of most adventures. The monotony can be broken by introducing a series of subplots which 
  build on the campaigns themes. if the Player Characters are facing Southern opposition, one of them might be approached 
  by a seemingly unrelated friend who ends up being a spy for the Republic. Alternatively, personal subplots can involve 
  unrelated supporting characters who become entrapped by the web of intrigue i n  which the PCs exist. Although a loved 
  one becoming a hostage is cliche, it can still be useful and effective if presented in an original manner. 
  . . 
  : . . 
  : 
  . . . 
  : . . 
  The Player Characters are assigned to identify an SRID agent who may have infiltrated the Economic Development 
  Council (EDeC). The team must take the roles of business people and military contractors, with some of them 
  sending out feelers that they are looking to sell state secrets. Their target sends intermediaries to them, but 
  they also attract the attention of a NorPol counter-espionage operation. One of the PCs is busted during a 
  meet and cannot reveal his identity, lest that spoil the operation. The PCs are faced with the prospect of 
  breaking their ally out of a Norlight prison i n  order to prove their own corruption to a target they have yet t o  
  identify. With this accomplished, the buyer of secrets will arrange for a purchase. He will do his utmost to hide 
  i s  identity and team members will likely have to use covert operations tactics to pierce his veil of secrecy. He 
  is a trained SRID operative (masquerading as an agricultural magnate from the Big Valley) and should be ready 
  for them unless they are very good. He may well escape, although his cover will be blown. 
  The scenario has the potential for creating a series of recurring villains or opponents. The targeted SRID 
  agent, if he escapes, may well seek revenge for his failure. More interestingly, however, would be a NorPol 
  agent determined to find the escaped PC. This opponent can be both sympathetic and dangerous and c6uld 
  pop up during any subsequent scenario. 
  A Southern mole is operating from within NISA. 
  The PCs are NorPol agents looking for southern spies. 
  The PCs operate in the WFP or UMF and do not "officially exist." 
  The PCs operate from the NLC embassy in the Southern Republic. 
  The PCs are approached by a Mekong Corporation who tries to bribe them. 
  The PCs are sent to infiltrate the Proohet's Shield within the NLC. 
  Chuwtsr Type 
  Description 
  I 1  
  NorPol counterintellioence exoert I 
  1
  2
   
  1 3  
  T a s t e r  o
  K
  a
  u
  J
   
  1 4  
  Assassin -1 
  1
  5
   
  Fower I 
  6 
  Expert pilot/driver 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Prophet's Shield is a nation-spanning conspiracy, with agents lurking in most circles of influence. They are dedicated 
  - 
  at least in theory - 
  to the preservation of the NLC's "moral rudder." Some Shield members, however, are not content 
  to report to their superiors, but use their position to advance their own agendas. Reverend Mother Maya Fajil and other 
  prominent Shield leaders have established a series of special cells of members tasked with finding these opportunists in 
  the ranks. 
  A campaign i n  which the players portray members of the Shield is rich with potential for roleplaying groups looking for 
  intrigue and character interaction. Shield members tend to be prominent members of society, so the Player Characters will 
  likely be wealthy or famous at the beginning of the campaign. This allows them to play i n  circles of power, rubbing 
  shoulders with some of the key players i n  the NLC and Terra Nova as a whole. If the Player Characters become part of Maya 
  Fajil's "internal security" network, they can become part of a shadow world of truly Byzantine proportions. They must not 
  only hide their own connection t o  the secret agenda of the Second Follower, the player characters must also uncover 
  those who are manipulating the Shield to their own ends. 
  A Prophet's Shield campaign should probably start with players portraying regular members of the Shield. At the beginning 
  of play, some could be lay members who think of it just as a social club and charity and slowly begin to glimpse the truth. 
  Other PCs, who know part of the truth, can recruit the rest of the party and form a cell within the Shield. As play progresses, 
  PCs should become aware of conflicts within the church and Shield, and can eventually be recruited into internal security. 
  Eventually they should be guided to make tough decisions regarding the Shield and their place within it. As they climb 
  through the hierarchy they will partake in more and more activities of dubious morality. Dissidents may be blackmailed, 
  intimidated, framed or even assassinated on their watch. The PCs themselves could even be branded dissidents or security 
  risks through no fault of their own, and end up on the receiving end of the weapons they themselves have used. 
  I 
  ~ ~ a ~ t ~ n g  
  Point: Shado~s and tight 4 
  The Player Characters, members of the Prophet's Shield i n  Valeria, are all prominent citizens who move in the 
  same circles as many foreign diplomats. Some may be attaches to the Foreign,Ministry, others corporate vice- 
  presidents interested in foreign trade. At first, they are simply asked a few favors by other members of the 
  Shield, but when they discover a member of the Foreign Ministy is smuggling data to a hidden contact, they 
  fall flat into the world of the Shield. I n  fact, the diplomat they discover is a member of the Shield and i s  
  reporting to his superiors. The PCs are informed of this (without naming names) and then their reactions are 
  watched. I f  they try to report the fact to the tight authorities, they become nemeses of the Shield and the 
  campaign can become a shadow struggle. If they do nothing, they are flagged for recruitment. 
  The actual recruitment will be accelerated by the realization that a foreign spy is at work in the Player Charac- 
  ters' social circle. This agent of the Mekong Dominion i s  running a network of corrupted Norlights by using the 
  Valerian social scene as cover. Since the Shield i s  essentially doing the same thing, they do not want Legitimate 
  authorities paying too close attention and so must deal with the spy themselves. The PCs are uniquely placed to 
  do so and are quickly asked for "favors," including sem'ng up one of the traitor's kidnapping. When the attempt 
  goes wrong, the PCs must quickly hide the evidence before they are left out in the cold. 
  The PCs are accused of heresy. I 
  r-l 
  ~~ 
  1
  2
   
  ~ 
  The PCs discover that their Shield contact has been actins alone and is considered rogue. I 
  I
  3
   
  The PCs become members of the Divine Prophet sect. I 
  1 4  
  The PCs realize that some of their actions for the Shield are treasonous. I 
  1
  5
   
  The PG go on pilqrimage and uncover information about some of their fellow pilgrims that the Shield finds usefuL I 
  6 
  The Shield is discovered by a government agent who then blackmails the PCs to trade info or he talks. 
  I 1  
  Social dilettante 1 
  Business executive 
  2 
  3 
  Diplomat 
  4 
  Priest 
  5 
  Military officer 
  6 
  Trideo star 
  I 
  I 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Rovers, smugglers, street gangs and underworld cartels all live in the shadows of the NLC. Some are brutal criminals, but 
  others just decided to liberate themselves from the laws of the land and found a new way t o  live. The Northern Plains 
  Frontier is especially full of these rogues, who must come to terms with the new reality of military conflict and cartel wars. 
  A smuggler or rover campaign allows Heavy Gear players to essentially "let their hair down." Freed of the constraints of 
  a military, intelligence or police structure, they can essentially set their own agenda. These campaigns will of course be 
  action-oriented, with the Player Characters breaking through NAF barricades, raiding rival gangs or chasing after prized 
  booty across the savannah. Intrigue and drama can also play important roles however; the players band should probably 
  get caught up i n  the struggle between the Forzi and Kolson cartels and may have to deal with spies and traitors. The very 
  idea of smuggling can be very dramatic, as the Player Characters have to sneak past border patrols while carrying 
  contraband. Long interrogations by customs officers can lead to excellent roleplaying opportunities. The Player Characters 
  can also be made to struggle with the morality of their careers, perhaps having to decide whether or not to smuggle 
  weapons they know are bound for the streets of Kenema. Players can also portray urban gang members or smugglers 
  operating well away from the border regions. These campaign will likely be more about power than about freedom. 
  The three-way conflict between the Forzi cartel, the Kolson Cartel and Norlight law enforcement makes the perfect central 
  spine for an underworld campaign. The player characters' gang can slowly get involved, probably being caught i n  the 
  middle to an increasing degree. Intrigue should play an ever growing role, with offers of bribes, NorPol undercover agents 
  and kidnappings of loved ones becoming very real possibilities. What begins as a conflict over profit and power should 
  also become personal, probably after a Player Character's lover or relative gets hurt (or killed) by a rival. 
  . . 
  : . 
  The Player Characters, members of the Golgotha Miners rover gang, have decided to take up smuggling, 
  confident that they can run through the lackadaisical blockades on the Badlands frontier. They have estab- 
  lished a few contacts in Sesshu and in the Badlands, and people looking for "unoRcial transport" have started 
  looking up the PCs. Their first major cargo is cases of illegal vids bound for the Norlight underground market. 
  These copies of Tene Noire and other films are widely available i n  the South, but can fetch a pretty penny on 
  the Norlight market. The operation goes roughly as planned until a NAF patrol proves harder to deceive than 
  expected and gives chase: in the struggle some of the vids are damaged. When the player characters go to see 
  what can be salvaged from the damaged goods, they uncover encrypted data disks hidden within the holofilm 
  cases. A little bit of work with a computer expert and they can discover that the disks contain orders to 
  Southern agents in Sesshu. The PCs then have to decide what to do. They can still deliver the goods and 
  collect their payment, knowing full well that they are acting as "traitors." If they fail to deliver the goods, the 
  MIUCIA's Special Intervention Unit may well pay a visit to their desert home. 
  If they smuggle the holofilms and datadisks to Sesshu, the Player Characters will come into contact with 
  several people they can deduce are Southern agents and will be identified as reliable couriers for similar 
  special packages. From this point, the PCs can become agents of the South (although somewhat unwittingly), 
  bring their information to Northern authorities or turn their back on the whole affair. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The most unique aspect of Heavy Gear i s  its underlying storyline. Over the course of the next years, readers, Gamemasters 
  and players will see the world of the game change and grow as the story threads scattered throughout our sourcebooks are 
  woven together. While the storyline is intended to serve as an interesting background to individual Gamemasters' campaigns 
  (which are the foreground), it does mean that not every character in the game can be used freely without worrying about 
  the consequences. To give Gamemasters some indications of how to use these introduced characters every Heavy Gear 
  product since l i f e  on Terra Nova has featured the chesspiece system and included a brief description of it. 
  New characters are given one of five chess pieces as an indication of their importance i n  the storyline. This permits 
  Gamemasters to understand how best to use these NPCs without worrying about disrupting the setting and having t o  
  retrofit upcoming source material. O f  course, roleplaying i s  about creating one's own stones, so Gamemasters should feel 
  free to disregard the limitations of the chesspiece system, as long as they understand that their Terra Nova may no longer 
  mesh with Dream Pod 9's. 
  The principal use of the chesspiece system i s  to indicate each charactets importance to the overall storyline of Heavy 
  Gear. These pieces, however, also give some indication of how to use the characters as NPCs i n  roleplaying sessions, even 
  if one is not concerned with remain consistent with the background storyline. 
  Hi~torlcal Figures 4 
  Kings and Queens are characters who have died before the date featured on the Timewatch" display. Their inclusion indicates that they 
  have had some importance for Heavy Gear, either by setting events in motion that have influenced the Heavy Gear storyline or by leaving 
  a legacy still felt by Terranovans. 
  These characters have usually played some role which is important to the storyline, but may also have simply been a prime example of the 
  spirit of their times. Often their legacy will play a role in the development of the Heavy Gear storyline, and their descendants, old allies and 
  enemies might as well. Gamemasters running historical scenarios should treat these Historical Figures as Restricted Characters so as not to 
  alter the mainline of the storyline. 
  Rooks are characters who are key to the Heavy Gear storyline and are to be used with care. Although they can still be useful in a roleljlaying 
  campaign - both as background elements and motivating forces - 
  their survival until they can leave their mark on Terra Nova is critical 
  to the storyline. 
  Although many Rooks hold powerful positions on Terra Nova, others seem utterly powerless or even insignificant. Small actions may have 
  larger consequences later in the storyline. Gamemasters shoutd tread carefully when using these characters in roleplaying scenarios, but 
  they can become contacts, allies or even adversaries of Player Characters. Using them in purely confrontational scenarios, however, may 
  prove unwise. 
  Yerq lmporta~~ 
  ~ e o ~ l ~  
  4 
  Not everyone of note on Terra Nova i s  central to the Heavy Gear storyline. Very Important People are those characters who have a 
  significant impact on Terra Nova, but are not critical to the storyline itself. This does not mean they have no influence on it, however. 
  Knights may not play a central role in the Heavy Gear storyline, but they may well have some impact. As important people i n  the game 
  setting, they can influence major players or simply be camed along by the storyline. Gamemasters can feel free to use Knights in their 
  adventures, but they should remember that all will be well protected (in one way or another) by underlings and allies. 
  Social Encounters 4 
  Social Encounters are those characters who are included in source material primarily to add flavor. They are rarely critical individuals and 
  do not have a significant impact on the storyline, but they stand as symbols of larger trends on Terra Nova. They sewe most commonly as 
  contacts and background elements, rather than opponents. 
  Bishops serve as reminders of social forces on Terra Nova beyond the central plot of the storyline. From student movement leaders to 
  fashion designers, these social leaders may have some secondary effect on the storyline but are mostly present to add flavor and reflect 
  current events. Gamemasters may use social encounters as they see fit, although they are rarely designed for combat of any sort. Bishops 
  may return in future products, but for purposes of atmosphere only. 
  I n  general, Expendables are "average" Terranovans. The have no personal impact on the storyline and are included in Heavy Gear products 
  primarily to be used by Gamemasters. Although this category is used for faceless stock NPCs and typical citizens, many of the Pawns are 
  anything but everyday. Some pawns are periphically linked to the storyline, but they have no real effect upon it. Interesting pawns can 
  even be used as Player Characters if the GM and player wish. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The wild and dynamic heart of Kenema, bangen are young people rebelling against their society. Organized 
  into a variety of gangs, bangen spend much of their time i n  shock music clubs or fighting for turf with other 
  gangs. Many gangs are connected to smuggling cartels as enforcers and street-level distributors. 
  Bangers carry no standardized equipment, but most gang members are armed with inexpensive weaponry. A 
  favorite on the streets of Kenema is the Kenema Special (or Kay Spec) pistol, a cheap 6 mm revolver produced 
  in Timmins (see 7.2.1 Weapons, p. 102, for game statistics). With the rise i n  gang violence caused by the 
  Kolson-Fori cartel war, heavier weapons have come to the streets. Bangers can now be found armed with 
  assault rifles and machine-pistols. A few have even made use of modified work Gears. 
  Leother jocket Koy Spec pistol, switchbtude (AD +7) 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Norlight diplomatic corps is currently vely busy. Tensions are growing across Terra Nova and the NLC in 
  anxious to protect its interests. Most diplomats are assigned to several foreign countries and to service i n  
  Valeria over their careers, gaining familiarity with many cultures and languages. Many also deal in sensitive 
  information to both allies and enemies. Diplomats are trained in a variety of skills, including foreign lan- 
  guages, the history of their stations and the finer points of human psychology. The most successful seem very 
  relaxed and open even in the most tense situation. 
  w 
  ml~nr. S a 1  
  Lsvti Anr. 
  Ski11 
  1-1 
  Anr. 
  Skit1 
  Attr. 
  2 
  1 I Psychology 
  1 
  1 
  Bureaucracy 
  2 
  1 
  Etiquette 
  2 
  1 I Histoy. 
  Riidnec< 
  1 
  1 I For. Lana. A' 
  2 
  1 1 
  Law 
  1 
  1 1 Theatrics 
  2
  1
   
  Computer 
  1 
  1 1 For. Lang. B' 
  1 
  1 I Notice 
  1 
  0
  1
   
  *Foreign Languages vary with the diplomat's station. History is specialized 
  in the appropriate country/region as well. 
  Personal computer (with advanced encryption capabrlibes), sophisticated clothing, discretion dences, 
  diplomatic identification card, possibly diplomatic pouch. 
  The Norlight National Police (NorPol) maintains a large corps of undercover officers whose job it i s  to infiltrate 
  Disguise equipment, covert digital recorder, covert communications device, 9mm pistoL 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Prophet's Shield exerts power i n  the world of politics through a large number of secular members who hold 
  positions of influence. Well dressed, stylish and powerful, they are the cream of Norlight society. Most of these 
  people do not think of themselves as conspirators, but are willing to do favors for their fellow Shield members. 
  A smaller core of members are well aware of their role and regularly report to the Shield and even undertake 
  illegal operations for them. 
  Those who are entrusted with special operations are given special training to make them more useful to the 
  movement. The training i s  specialized depending on the funm'on of the member, but common teachings 
  include computers, security systems and techniques to resist interrogation. Those who are given this training 
  are watched closely and dealt with efficiently if they become liabilities. 
  b Shills 
  Bureaucracy 
  1 
  1 
  Etiquette 
  1 
  1 
  Notice 
  1 
  0 
  SocialSciences 1 
  1 
  Business 
  2 
  1 
  Investigation 
  2 
  0 
  Psychology 
  1 
  1 
  Theatrics 
  2
  1
   
  Computer 
  1 
  1 
  Leadership 
  1 
  1 
  Stylish clothing, personal computer, discretion device, copy of the Khodaverdio. 
  The Kenema Police Department's Quick Response Teams are crucial in the fight against the various criminals in 
  the city-state. Three of these teams handle "larger-scale" situations such as vehicular combat, street block- 
  ades and, more recently, riots. Dubbed "Gear Police," QRT-9, QRT-10 and QRT-11 are called upon on regularly 
  to maintain order i n  a city which is growing more troubled by the week. Most QRT Gear Pilots have received 
  some level of military training, but some others are civilians who have graduated from police academy with a 
  specialization in vehicular combat. 
  Toth 9mm pistol first aid kit, Lightflak armor, suw'vol kit, Cheetuh Polizei. 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  QRT-1 to QRT-8 include all of the tactical intervention squads in Kenema which handle hostage situations, 
  hold-ups, terrorist attacks and a variety of unpredictable situations which cannot be handled by regular police 
  forces. Almost all QRT troopers have basic military training, since they are expected to deal with crises on a 
  more personal level than Gear pilots from QRT-9 to 11. This is one profession where slip-ups can be costly. 
  Among the young men and women who apply to the QRT, many do so for all the wrong reasons. Often enough, 
  they are individuals who were transferred to these units because they were reckless and had a tendency to 
  loosely interpret the law. They are seldom liked by regular police officers 
  Shills 4 
  I
  -
   
  2 
  1 I 
  Tactics (SWAT) 
  2 
  1 
  Bureaucracv 
  1 
  1 I First Aid 
  2 
  1 I Melee 
  1 
  1 1  
  2 
  1 I Throwing 
  I Combat Sense 
  2 
  -1 I Hand-to-Hand 
  2 
  1 I Notice 
  I
  o
  n
  s
   
  1 
  1 I Intimidate 
  1 
  1 1 
  SmaUAnns 
  2 
  1 I 
  I 
  See 7.2.2 PRT Equipment, p. 103, for basic equipment. Some also use 15mm sniper rifle, tool bt 
  (mechanical or electronicz), vehicle (transport van). 
  The priesthood is the true backbone of the Revisionist Church. Often recruited to the seminary at an early age, 
  priests are trained in all the doctrines of the church and the niceties of theology, but their main role is as 
  community leaders. Priests organize neighborhood activities, lead the congregation in prayer and advise 
  locals on important decisions. The priesthood i s  sometimes called stern and unforgiving, but most men and 
  women of the cloth are surprisingly gentle with their flocks - as long as the sheep do not stray too far. 
  Monks who do not belong to a peregrine order have much the same background as priests. Because they are 
  generally isolated from the secular world, however, some are less concerned with pragmatic concerns and 
  spent their lives debating theological minutia. Others travel the land and seek out the proximity of common 
  folk who they see as central to their faith and society. 
  Priestly robes, copy of the Khodcnveda and other religious texts, prayer beads, priestly attire. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  The Fori and Kolson smuggling cartels are busy fighting a huge turf war over the Norlight market and each 
  has amassed a large army of smugglers. Many are only slightly corrupt or mercenary, but others are downright 
  sociopathic. These smugglers are generally small time operators and often of Badlander extraction. Locals are 
  sometimes very friendly to the small-scale smugglers, whom they consider to be simply a wild variety of 
  caravan traders. 
  The cartel war is making life increasingly difficult for independent operators, however, and most have had to 
  choose sides in the conflict. This has led many of the smugglers to take up arms against each other on an 
  unprecedented scale, and smuggler massacres are becoming all too common along the Badlands border. 
  Longrunner transport truck with hidden compartments, lightflak vest, 9 mm assault $e, 
  grenades. 
  Geneticists, biologists, surgeons, cyb-designers, pharamacologists and physical therapy experts all rub shoul- 
  ders at the Yele Medical center. Many are extremely wealthy and a few are quite decadent, corrupted by the 
  money and fame that comes from a career a t  the YMC. 
  Yele is also home to the militar)/s Surai Medical Center and a variety of powerful pharmaceutical corporations, 
  all of which employ their own armies of researchers. Although these postings are not quite as prestigious as 
  the YMC, they pay extremely well. Only those who work at Surai (paid military salaries) seem able to system- 
  atically escape the decadence of the Yelan upper class. Although plenty of civilians are quite upstanding, they 
  all come into contact with an underworld of drugs and hard partying. 
  Skill 
  Lewl Attr. 
  WII 
  Lwel Attr. 
  Skill 
  LaVa Am. 
  Skill 
  Level Attr. 
  I 
  Bureaucracy 
  2 
  2 
  First Aid 
  1 
  2 
  Medicine 
  2 
  2 
  Psychology 
  1 
  2 
  Computer 
  2 
  2 
  Lifesciences 
  2 
  2 
  Phys. Sciences 
  1 
  2 
  Teaching 
  1 
  1 
  Etiauette 
  1 
  0 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  and Kolson allows her a fair amount of freedom. Unlike 
  d Knee and has only lived there a few seasons in her 45 
  itself, clawing her way up the ladder of the Valerian 
  the Kolson agents who oversaw local contraband and 
  Knee and emerged with the sanction of Dupree himself. 
  Dupree rewarded Turai with Gompa's old job. This lighting rise in the ranks attracted a lot of attention and the 
  Wounder scuttlebutt holds that Dupree and Turai are lovers. Sundra herself has never commented on the 
  specifics of their relationship and returned to the NLC in TN 1930. Since then, she has directed operations 
  across the league and left her predecessor's policies behind. Not content to be displaced by the Fom, Sundra 
  has moved her allies into the underworlds of most Norlight city-states and has not shied away from shedding 
  blood to protect the cartel's interests. Although Dupree still has the loyalty of many of the Turai's close 
  lieutenants, the local criminals she has recruited think of her as their boss, not the cartel head. 
  Sundra Turai comes off as the opposite of her boss, the "smiling bandit" Jeremiah Dupree. A no-nonsense 
  underworld figure, she dresses casually and does not shy away from confrontations. If there is one thing that 
  she cannot stand, it is people moving in on her territory. She fought her way up the Kolson ladder and she will 
  be damned if any Fori upstarts are going to displace her. Turai has spent her career relying on herself, and 
  trusts others only insofar as she can keep an eye on them. Consequently she often assigns two or more 
  underlings to the same operation (in different capacities) so that they can keep an eye on each other. 
  Sundra grew up on the mean streets of Kenema and knows how to handle herself in a fight. While not a large 
  woman, she has no problem fighting dirty when she has to and is rarely unarmed. She knows, however, that 
  breaking an opponents kneecaps may not be the best image to project in her position of crime boss, so she 
  Jeremiah Dupree (age 59, specialties: crime and smuggling), the leader of the Kolson cartel; Guel Rokk (age 
  31, specialties: combat &intimidation), her loyal bodyguard and an occasional lover; Brother Tobias (age 77, 
  specialties: theology & psychology), her confessor and a member of the Prophet's Shield; Landers Merek (age 
  59, specialties: law & leadership), a NorPol senior deputy director she has blackmailed. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Brigman Kaine, the director of the Norlight Intelligence and Security Agency, is one of the most powerful men 
  in the NLC. Born i n  Port Aurora, Kaine joined the Norlight Armed Forces in TN 1889 at the age of 25 cycles. 
  After a few cycles in the infantry, he ended up in military intelligence and participated in several key opera- 
  tions in the lead up to the Judas Syndrome. I n  TN 1901. however, he was accused of selling secrets to Western 
  Frontier Protectorate agents and sentenced to a military prison. His name was cleared a few cycles later after 
  his controller was reveled to be an SRID plant, but his name was nonetheless ruined in military circle; NISA 
  had no trouble picking him up and finding a place for him. Kaine served his country through the War of the 
  Alliance as an operations commander and proved himself loyal enough to shed his past. 
  In TN 1920, Kaine was made deputy director of operations of NISA, from where he oversaw a l l  clandestine and 
  covert operations undertaken by the agency. Under his watch, NISA was granted oversight of the Norlight 
  Office of Military Intelligence (NAF/OMI), finally gaining revenge on those who had stripped him of his 
  reputation. I n  TN 1928, NISA director Elena Nikok chose to retire and nominated Kaine as her successor. Over 
  the protest of some members of NAF/OMI, Kaine filled the post. His position theoretically makes him an 
  administrator for the most part, but he i s  determined to keep a handle on the activities of his agency. Several 
  senior operational commanders are loyal to Kaine and often undertake missions on his personal order. 
  Kaine no longer feels he has anything left to prove. He has proved himself in the trenches and knows better 
  than anyone the threats facing his nation. Hidden fam'ons are trying to exert control over the nation and 
  Kaine, with the support of some of his allies, has taken it upon himself to fight them. A Revisionist, he 
  nonetheless thinks that the faith should stay out of national affiirs. 
  Brigman Kaine is a trained killer. He thinks coldly and efficiently in combat and will eliminate his target as 
  fast as possible. He does not enjoy combat, but recognizes its necessity. He is almost never without a 
  weapons, usually employing a simple pistol and a combat knife. If innocents are involved he will do what he 
  can to avoid harming them, but is willing to make some sacrifices if necessary. 
  ; Elena Kok (age 70, specialty: politics &intelligence), 
  39, specialties: theology and etiquette), a Revisionist 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Born in the small hamlet of Ravine i n  the Karaq Wastes, Emyl Zoran joined a trade caravan before he was 20 
  cycles of age. Traveling across the deserts, he learned some of the tricks of the trade and by the time he was 
  25 was ready to start his own business. Over the next five cycles he crossed the Wastes time and time against, 
  without ever making any profit, becoming bitter and addicted to Wounder Rotgut. When the Colonial Expedi- 
  tionary Force attempted the invasion of Terra Nova, Zoran ended up i n  the Peace River Army and found he had 
  some degree of skill for hit-and-run style warfare. I n  TN 1923, after trying trading for a while longer, he 
  decided that there was an easier way to make a living. Turning the weapons he used for defense on other 
  traders, he became an outlaw. After a few successes acting alone as a raider and mercenary, Zoran assembled 
  some of his old PRA buddies into a rover band dubbed the Dune Tigers. 
  Zoran lives the life of an outlaw in the Karaq Wastes. Using war surplus Gears and jeeps, the Dune Tigers were 
  able to make a living by raiding caravans of pilgrims and trade goods heading to and from Massada. Their 
  oposition remained the Peace River Defense Force, but the Tigers were not enough for the PRDF to make the 
  effort for a full-scale operation. Increased military activity i n  the Wastes and the opportunities on the Norlight 
  frontier (thanks to the cartel war) brought the Tigers north in TN 1931 and they run contraband along the 
  Northern Plains Frontier for the Fori cartel (see 5.16.2 Northern Ploins Frontier, p. 85). 
  Zoran is in many ways a typical small-time bandit. He often has big plans for the future - 
  currently involving 
  becoming a major player in the Forzi cartel - but can never see them through. He is to easily distracted to 
  make some money and quickly spend it on vices. Zoran considers himself a "real Badlander" and has very little 
  tolerance for frontier inhabitants who think they have it rough on the savannah. Only people born and bred 
  in the desert itself, will get any respect at all. All the Dune Tigers fit this category. 
  Zoran has almost no sense of honor on the battlefield. He knows full well that his band, although they now 
  receive weapons from the Fori, is no match for trained soldiers and will take his opportunities where he can. 
  The Tigers usually ambush caravans and retreat if serious opposition appears. Zoran himself relies of powerful 
  weapons (a shotgun when outside his Basilisk Gear) and does not hesitate to kill anyone who threatens him. 
  Shills 4 
  I Ambush 
  2 
  0 I Demolitions 
  1 
  0 
  1 
  Gunnew: HG 
  1 
  1 I Melee 
  I i n e s s  
  1 
  0 I Dodse 
  1 
  0 I Hand-to-Hand 
  2 
  0 I Navlgation 
  1 
  0 I 
  I Camoubue 
  1 
  1 I Drive 
  2 
  0 I HG Pilot 
  2 
  0 I SmallArms 
  2 
  0 I 
  CombatSense 
  1 
  1 
  Elec. Warfare 
  1 
  1 
  Intimidate 
  1 
  2 
  Streetwise 
  1 
  0 
  Communication 
  1 
  0 
  Gambling 
  1 
  1 
  Leadership 
  1 
  0 
  Survival 
  1
  1
   
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Lieutenant Karl Methoras is the head of the ninth Quick Response Team (QRT-9) of the Keneman Police 
  Department, also known as the Gear Police. Born and raised i n  Innsbruck, Methoras joined the Northern Guard 
  and became a member of the Cat's Paws just before the War of the Alliance. He ended the conflict as a 
  decorated senior ranger and retired from the army in TN 1922, settling down i n  Kenema with his companion 
  Ethan. A cycle later, Methoras had graduated from the local police academy and was serving in SWAT teams, 
  pum'ng his expertise to use. When the KPD announced i t s  plan to use Gears, Methoras applied to the team. By 
  the time it hit the streets he had passed his lieutenant's test and was made QRT-9's commander. 
  the field, either hanging back to coordinate with other KPD units, or participating himself. As a lieutenant, 
  Methoras is one of the highest ranking KPD officers who works i n  the line of fire, but the prestige of QRT-9 and 
  its special nature justifies this fact. As the most experienced police pilot and commander, Methoras has been 
  held responsible in the media for any use of "unjustified force" during QRT-9 operations, but he stands by his 
  men. His loyalty to the department has been rewarded and Mayor LeStrade has stood by him. 
  special forces soldiers, he is determined not to sactifice them. During the existence of QRT-9, Methoras has 
  lost two officers. He visits their graves often and remains in close contact with their families. 
  backer; Colonel Stacey Diggs (age 62, specialties: leadership and Gear combat), Methoras' former commander 
  and a good friend; Ethan Denier-Methoras (age 51, specialties: medicine & biology), Karl's husband and an 
  emergency room doctor at Red Hills Hospital. 
  Ambush 
  Communication 
  2 
  Hand-to-Hand 
  Demolitions 
  0 
  HG Pilot (Ch. Pot)'3 
  Dodge 
  Intimidate 
  1 
  0 
  ELec. Warfare 
  2 
  0 
  Investiqation 
  I 
  Melee 
  Streetwire 
  Navigation 
  Tactics (SWAT)' 
  2 
  0 
  Notice 
  Throwing 
  '(specialization) 
  I-L.l......I....... 1 ....... i ....... I ........ I ....... 
  & . 
  , , 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  ' 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  Kor Nikas was beyond fear. It had passed along with the initial surprise and the rush of panic: he was left with 
  sheer terror and a sinking feeling, that he was going t o  die. So much for his vacation on the Northern Plain. 
  His young legs were carrying him as fast as they could run and he cut straight through the chest-high johar grass. 
  He didn't dare turn around - 
  they were back there. "They" were a pack of dawgs that had spotted Kor a long 
  minute ago. The last time the young Norlight had looked at them, they were several hundred meters away, but he 
  had no doubt they were catching up. He could hear them growling. 
  Kor emerged from the johar grass onto a winding country road. He headed along it instinctively and heard the lead 
  dawg follow him. He dared a glance back and saw that the animal was flanked by two packmates and closing in. He 
  tried t o  run harder, his mind filled with images of three-toothed jaws and sharp claws. 
  The road turned south somewhat and he followed it without hesitation, turning back for another quick glance. 
  Relief flashed through his mind when he realized that there was only one creature behind him now. Maybe the 
  others had gotten tired. Maybe he would get away. 
  Suddenly a dawg emerged from the johar ahead of him and t o  the right, pouncing up into the air. He was dead and 
  he knew it; the great maw of the dawg was almost onto him - 
  and then it wasn't. 
  The retort o f  a large rifle reached his ears just as the creature collapsed, a gaping exit-wound i n  i t s  side. A second 
  shot whizzed by him toward the dawg pursuing him and he heard a yelp. Within seconds, a jeep growled t o  a halt 
  in front of Kor. A man was standing up i n  the jeep, most of his body above the roll-bar, and aiming a large hunting 
  rifle. The side door opened up. "Get in kid!" 
  Kor didn't hesitate and jumped in. The driver put the vehicle i n  gear before the door was closed and Kor had t o  hold 
  on so as not t o  be thrown clear as she made a tight U-turn. 
  . . 
  ~ 
  8 ' 
  . 
  . . 
  * 
  . 
  . . 
  ' 
  . 
  . 
  out here alone?" 
  * 
  . 
  : . 
  * 
  ' 
  . . 
  . 
  smiled back at him. 
  * 
  "Lucky we saw you start running, kid," the driver yelled over the roaring motor, "dawgs usually get their meal." 
  She was wearing a dusty desert tunic, her black hair held back by a simple elastic. "What the hell were you doing 
  "Just looking around." Kor was out of breath and found it difficult t o  speak. 
  "Hope you found what you were looking for kid, 'cause this little trip almost cost you your - 
  Oh hell!" She jerked 
  the wheel a split second too late as a dawg pounced out of the dense johar by the side of the road. The beast sailed 
  over the roof and connected with the man. Kor watched in horror as he f e l l  off the jeep and became the meal for 
  the dawg. Kor owed the man his life and he didn't even know his name. 
  The last dawg then made its presence known, jumping out of the johar and onto the jeep. I t s  jaws snapped into the 
  cabin, missing Kor's face by a hair. He screamed again and the driver swerved the vehicle suddenly. The beast held 
  on for a second, but the jeep swerved again and it went tumbling onto the road. Kor looked at the driver who 
  "What's your name?" he asked the driver. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Aerial toussains, more widely known as "daks," are large airborne predators found across the Badlands and 
  savannahs of Terra Nova. Daks often ride the air current over the Northern and Irrian Plains, feasting on the 
  product of the rich soil. Daks spend most of their time airborne, riding thermal updrafts. Daks usually take 
  shelter in caves at midday in order to sleep, although in the plains some will use saguaro trees or the rooftops 
  of farmhouses. Daks usually feed off small savannah herbivores which they spot thanks to extremely keen 
  side-looking eyes. To catch their prey, daks dive from altitude i n  almost complete silence and can reach 
  speeds in excess of 65 km/h. Daks also feed off carrion, especially when live prey is scarce. 
  Because of their carrion-feeding habits, daks have become associated with death and ill fortune across much 
  of the savannah and desert regions. Mamoud Khodaverdi told many stories featuring the animal, the most 
  famous of which is "The Hopper and the Dak" and teaches the value of intelligence and understanding over 
  avarice and hatred. Daks tattoos are a common sight on the shock music scene. 
  *(+natural weap.) 
  b Shills 
  Skill 
  Level Am. 
  Skill 
  L e d  Am. 
  Skill 
  L& 
  Attr. 
  Skill 
  Level Am. 
  I Combat Sense 
  1 
  2 I 
  Hand-to-Hand 
  3 
  1 I Dodge 
  1
  1
   
  Ta[ons (x6 damage), Bite (x4 damage), flight (11MP dive) 
  I 
  4 I  
  One of the most common predators of the Norlight plains and valleys, the dawg i s  a native species that has 
  become a large part of rural life. Weighing almost as much as a small human (40 to 50 kilograms), dawgs have 
  powerful limbs that allow them to outrun most other plain creatures. Roughly forward facing, their faceted eyes 
  allow for excellent depth perception while nonetheless incorporating a 230' field of vision. Olfactory glands are 
  located on the animak large tongue. The creature often flicks it while hunting and keeps its mouth open while 
  chasing prey. Like the Terran canines after which they were named, dawgs can be trained to act as a guard and 
  herding animals, although to say they can be domesticated is somewhat of an exaggeration. Even the most well- 
  bred dawgs are highly aggressive and must be handled with care. Some urban police forces use trained dawgs to 
  sniff out narcotics, explosives or to follow a fugitive, but these animals are tightly controlled. 
  '(+natural weap.) 
  b Shiils 
  Skill 
  L
  d
   Am. 
  Skill 
  cewl Am. 
  Skill 
  Level Attr. 
  Skill 
  Level Am. 
  Ambush 
  2 
  2 I 
  Dodge 
  2 
  2 I Hand-to-Hand 
  3 
  2 I Notice (tracking)*l 
  3 
  Combat Sense 
  2 
  3 
  1 
  I 
  I 
  '(specialization) 
  Bite (x8 damage), Sprint (60 m/round, max. 3 rounds duration) 
  I 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  A larger cousin of the dawg, the great dawg is a fierce predator of the forests and slopes of the northern 
  hemisphere. The great dawg lives in small packs of four to eight adults, although hunting is often undertaken 
  in sub-groups of two animals. The animal feeds off large herbivores such as the woodspringer and rockspinger, 
  supplemented by smaller prey when necessary. I f  hunting in the woods i s  poor, great dawg packs will some- 
  times descend on springer herds i n  the plains, much to the distress of local ranchers. The human relationship 
  with the great dawg is highly variable. Among some circles, the beast i s  considered a noble and fascinating 
  hunter. Calendars, trideo specials and poster on the animal are all hot sellers. When the packs come onto the 
  plains, however, they can devastate whole herds of springers. 
  * +natural weap. 
  I Ambush 
  2 
  2 I Dodqe 
  2 
  2 I Hand t o  Hand 
  3 
  2 I Notice (trackinaF*131 
  I 
  I 
  I 
  I Combat Sense 
  2 
  3 I 
  '(specialization) 
  ~ ~ ~ c i a l  
  ~ ~ l ~ i ~ i ~ s  
  4 
  Bite (x10 damage), Sprint (50m/round, 3 round max.), Chitinous Plates (+? armor) 
  Flying herbivores about the size of a human palm, flappers are a mainstay of the plains ecology. FLappers built 
  large nests out of johar and other grasses, bonded together with spittle and excrement, which are either 
  suspended from trees or placed on rock-faces for shelter from the wind. Each nest houses five to fifteen flappers 
  and i s  usually placed alongside other nests, forming a Large hive-like community. The largest flapper hives can 
  contain hundreds of nests and be home to thousands of the creatures. Reproduh'on in the hive is guaranteed by 
  a small number of breeding flappers, who are unable to fly and are fed by the rest of the community. 
  Flappers fly thanks to a thin membrane which links the front and rear limbs on each side of their torso. The 
  underside of this membrane i s  highly colorful and a swarm of the creatures is a highly kaleidoscopic effect, 
  making it difficult for predators to judge their exact position correctly. Flappers feed off the buds and stems 
  of johar: they grasp onto the stem with the long claws at the tip of their legs and strip the tough outside of 
  the grass with the help of hooked teeth in order to access the moist and meaty inside. These same teeth and 
  claws allow the small creatures to annoy large predators (and wound small ones). I f  the hive is threatened, the 
  community will swarm the attackers. These swarms are not as dangerous as the redjacket equivalents, but they 
  can drive off barnabies and smaller attackers, such as humans. 
  The most dangerous swarms of flappers occur if the hive is destroyed or the breeding Rappers are killed. I n  
  this case the whole community must move and find a new home, protecting the young breeders among them 
  (who can still fly). The community becomes much more aggressive in these situations because they are 
  extremely vulnerable (use stats after the slash). They are also desperate for food and material to build a new 
  community and can devastate a field. When the largest communities are destroyed, usually by fire, a plague of 
  flappers consisting of tens of thousands of animals can result and sweep across the savannah consuming mass 
  quantities of johar. These occur roughly once every 25 cycles and can easily ruin every crop for kilometers 
  around. The last one occurred in TN 1910 in Forston County in the Northern Plain and killed a dozen farmers 
  who were caught in the swarm. 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  I 
  Bite (x 3 domoge), Sprint (50m/round, 10 round mox) 
  The jumpspider is a lone hunter found across the CNCS mountain ranges, especially the Tershaw Range. The 
  "spider" has two pairs of highly developed legs which allow it to jump almost six meters i n  a single bound. Its 
  sharp claws allow it to climb rock faces, where its stony, chitinous shell allows it to camouflage itself. When a 
  rockspringer or another prey passes nearby, the spider will pounce from its hiding space and latch onto its 
  target. Venom is injected from three large fangs, which immobilizes the prey while the jumpspider feeds. 
  Zoologists usually refer to jumpspiders as "mountain jumpers" because the animal only has four legs, not eight. 
  Mountain inhabitants always use jumpspider, however, and the movement of the creature over veitical rock faces 
  justifies their choice. Mountain guides usually carry a spider-venom kit that contains a rubber cup which can be 
  used to suck out fresh venom and a series of ready-to-use pneumatic hypodermics filled with antidote. 
  * +noturol weap. 
  Ambush 
  2 
  2 
  Camouflage 
  2 
  2 
  Dodge 
  2 
  2 
  Hand-to-Hand 
  3 
  2 
  Athletics(c1imb) 1 
  2 
  CombatSense 
  2 
  z 
  I 
  b ~~~~~~1 ~ ~ j l i ~ ~ ~ ~  
  leap (6m range, gives a bonus of +I to ombush attempts), Bite (x8 damage): injects paralyfic toxin ( I  round 
  onset, potency 10) 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Lakewasps are flying insect-like creatures that live in areas of stagnant water. They are of the same genus as 
  Redjackets and share some of their Badlands cousins' aggressiveness. Lakewasps are carnivorous and hunt 
  along the shores of lakes and pools, looking for fish and small land creatures. Usually about the size of a 
  human fist, these i n s e d  are able to make brief dives under the surface by retracting their four wings to 
  prevent them getting wet and losing their aerodynamic capabilities. Using web-like feet, the wasp can swim 
  for brief distances and project itself out of the water high enough to extend its wings and take flight. 
  Lakewasps build large hives out of mud and grasses found i n  their natural habitat, and usually construct them 
  in trees. Hives appear as spherical structures up to two meters in diameter, and each one hides a birthing 
  chamber where young larvae produced by the hive queen are fed by the soldier wasps that hunt along the 
  shores. Humans have relatively little to fear from the large insects, who seek small prey that can be brought 
  back to the hive. I f  they are provoked, however, they can be quite dangerous. Rural Norlights know not to 
  disturb wasp hives, an act which would be sure to provoke a deadly swarm. City-dwellers must oftenbe 
  cautioned against suchfoolish action. 
  Several varieties of lakewasps can be found across the North. The most common breed lives near the small to 
  medium-sized lakes that dot the plains and basin of the hemisphere. A smaller version - which feeds on 
  other water-insects - can be found along rivers and in the rare swamplands of the north. The largest and 
  most aggressive species lives on Lake Clearwater, nesting in the small islands that dot the great freshwater 
  body. These insects can dive deeper and swim faster that all others, and they feed off larger fish. Several of 
  the islands in the region feature numerous Stoneheads and many hives have been built upon the largest of 
  them. Observers have often remarked that this tendency make the heads appear diseased, with browning 
  tumors growing from their faces and scalps. Archeologists and zoologists often come into conflict in the 
  region over whether or not to clear off the nests from the Stoneheads in the interest of preserving the great 
  sculptures. No clear winner has yet to emerge in this debate. 
  Among the most dangerous aquatic predators of the North, river eels are freshwater hunters that live i n  
  shallow waters. Featunng a large snake-like body with fine, membranous fins along its back and underside, the 
  river eel is terrifyingly fast in its natural habitat. Eels usually bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of 
  pools or among the rocks of a riverbed and wait for their prey. They typically choose large fish, but have been 
  known to attack springers crossing at fords or unlucky swimmers. During the spring thaw, the population of 
  eels swells, and witnesses report whole schools of them moving downstream to lakes where they can take up 
  residence. Woe be to any unfortunate animal that gets in the way of such a school. 
  Combatsense 
  2 
  1 
  1 
  Bite (x 8 darnme) 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  An agile and wild cousin of the Badlands spinger, the rockspringer lives in the alpine heights and feeds off 
  their vegetation. The physiology of the rockspringer is close to that of the domesticated riding springer (see 
  Into the Badlands, p. 96). although the rockspringer retains sharp shoulder tusks which it uses during mating 
  rituals and to defend itself. Rockspringers are best known for their agile leaps, which allow them to hop from 
  rock to rock over the toughest mountain terrain. Rockspringers are common prey for jumpspiders and great 
  dawgs, as well as human hunters who consider the agile creature a prize catch. 
  Herding offshoots of the rockspringer do exist in some areas of the Tershaw Range, although they are far rarer 
  than standard herding springers. Domesticated rockspringers travel in herds of ten to thirty across the rocky 
  mountains accompanied by a single shepherd and two or three trained dawgs. They feed off shoots and bushes 
  at higher altitudes and are slaughtered for meat during the Autumn. Considered a luxury product, rockspringer 
  meat is in relatively high demand only in Skadi and Sesshu. 
  * +natural weap. 
  Sldll 
  Level Atb. 
  Skill 
  Level Atn. 
  Skill 
  Level Am. 
  Skill 
  Level Atb. 
  I 
  Combat Sense 
  2 
  0 I Oodue 
  1 
  3 I Hand-to-Hand 
  2 
  3 I Survival 
  1 
  1 1  
  Kick (x8 damage), Chorge and Gore (x15 damage) 
  The largest herbivore of Norlight saguaro forests, the woodspringer i s  another cousin of the Badlands springer. 
  Less agile than the rockspringer, it is nevertheless an impressive and beautiful creature, often featuring very 
  large shoulder tusks. Woodspringers have suffered greatly from the exploitation of their habitat for lumber 
  production and sport hunting. Several movements to protect their natural habitat are at work and Duke Tomas 
  of Sesshu has even set aside a large stretch of the Sesshite forest as a ducal preserve for their protection. 
  Skadian lumber barons are notoriously unsympathetic to the creature and have used the existence of the 
  Sesshite preserve as an excuse to clear-cut in the forests near Skadi. 
  Woodspringer hunting continues in almost all the saguaro forests of the Norlight Confederacy under relatively 
  loose regional regulation. Hunter are required to pay for a hunting permit and are allowed only a certain 
  amount of kills. Hunting season usually lasts from the end of Spring to the middle of Summer and culls the 
  herd once it has rebuilt itself after the Winter. 
  * +natural weap. 
  Kick (xl0 damage), Charge and Gore, (x17 damage) 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
  Adjanni, Kathe ......................... 
  13, 16-21, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, 36, 37 
  fl Affiliated Workers' Union ...................................................... 
  18, 26 
  : 
  ............................................................................. 
  93 
  ....................... 
  Fom Cartel .......... 15, 28, 45, 47, 49, 54, 60, 65, 76, 80, 83, 111, 113 
  Fori, Roma 
  ........................ 
  15 
  Franklin Ha 
  5, 34, 39, 40, 43-45 
  Gamma Mag 
  Gayras Rise .............................................................................. 
  73 
  Gerti, Sonya ............................................................................. 
  31 
  Great Crusade ..... 
  Hatsushiba, Tetsuko .... 
  Humanist Alliance 
  Isle of Stoneheads 
  Khaleed. Gabrielle ............................................................... 
  27, 29 
  Khodaverdi, Jakob ..................................................................... 
  9 
  Khodaverdi, Mamoud ....... 
  Kolson Cartel . 15,24,28,47,49,60,65,69,76,77,80,83,111, 113,118 
  Leecheks. Nathaniel ..... 
  LeStrade, Allysandre ..... 
  Liberal Democratic Party 
  MacAllen Network .... 
  ................... 20 
  ................... 
  73 
  Miracles of Mamoud ................................ 
  Morality Laws .................... 
  Mortimer, Duke Tomas ......... 
  Mugabe, Irene ................... 
  . 
  Norlight House of Congress .... 
  ................................... 
  17, 10 
  ' 
  Norlight Intelligence and Secu 
  cy ................... 18. 32, 48, 109 
  . 
  Norlight Media ............................................................ 
  24, 97, 106 
  Norlight National Police .... 15,18, 24, 27-29, 72, 76, 83, 93, 108, 111 
  . 
  Norlight Zephyr Rail ............................................................ 
  39, 67 
  ' 
  Northco . 
  .......................................................... 
  51 
  Northern Guard ........................................ 
  12, 14, 15, 29, 37, 59, 83 
  Northern Guard Intelligence Service ............................................ 
  33 
  Northern Petrochem 
  ......... 10, 58, 59 
  . 
  . . 
  . 0 Operation Blue Zephyr ............................................................... 
  33 
  . 
  Overland Cruise Line .... 
  . 
  Pride of Exeter .. 
  . 
  Prophet's Well 
  ............................................................ 
  73 
  ... 
  ' 
  Reconstruction 
  . . 
  . 
  Red Friday .......... 
  Red Hills ............................................................................. 
  8, 14 
  Reiss, Nathani ................................................................. 
  9, 10, 37 
  . 
  Rothchilde Accords ............ 
  . 
  Speed Week .... 
  . 
  St. Vincent's War ........................................................... 
  12, 31, 74 
  Stark, Winston ........................................ 
  16, 19, 23, 29, 33, 41, 63 
  . 
  . 
  Third Peregrination .......................................................... 
  9. 10, 75 
  . n Zaqaziq ............................................... 
  Bryce Hubbard (order #7494238)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dream Pod 9/Heavy Gear/030 - Northern Lights Confederacy.pdf