Chan

Created by:  Garry Stahl
Appearance: STB-600 Logs of the Jim Lovell
Number of Members:  Approximately one billion total on both worlds.  Vader's world has a total population of about 100,000.
Nature of Members: Chan are a tall and thickish people.  They are 6 foot on average and around 200-210 pounds each. Their skin is a basic nut brown that varies with exposure to sun and weather.  Eyes can be blue, yellow, or green They have slit pupils like Terran cats.  Chan have four fingers and toes and walk digitigrade on a fleshy paw.

At this point the situation is divided depending on where you are. 

Chan:
Organization:   Chan is broken into nation states that vie for power and control.  Currently the monarchist model of government is the most common. 
        There are three first rate powers, about a dozen second rate powers and the the rest of the world. Technology is mid 19th century will a smattering of Steampunk mad science based on late 21st century technology. There are also a few pre-warp artifacts that still work.
        The Chow are the most powerful players on the planet. If China had been England. The Chow are of course the Master Race of the planet. Have they not built the mightiest empire on the backs of the miserable lessor races? The First Bob is on their side, for if he wasn't the backbiting, land grabbing, and lofty attitudes would not work. The First Bob favors the mighty, and we are the Mighty.
        The Hind are the second major power. They concentrate not only on holding what they have seized from the rightful owners, but shoving stumbling blocks in the path of the Chow at every chance.
        The Moto are the last major power. They are in a constant battle for parity and the respect of the other two powers. tactics and attitudes are no better mind you.
        The dozen of so minor power are engaged in diplomacy, great games, minor piracy, piracy prevention, and so forth. Yapping at the heels of the big three getting every bit of the pie they can.
        The other two thirds of the world is in a state of fallen technology. It has reverted to the wild, the remaining people falling back to salvaged steel points and bear skins. Great cities are covered in forest and jungle, most people are not willing to go near them. Even the Imperialist powers are reluctant to disturb the ancient places.
        Those that are willing would be the worshipers of the Third Bob, too crazy to care, needing to hide in taboo places to avoid notice, plucky adventurers that do not believe ancient superstitions, and so forth.
Game Role:  Something to protect.
World Role:  Another world doing what worlds do.
Relative Influence: None, a pre warp culture
Public or Secret?:  Public, under the Prime Directive
Publicly Stated Goal:   Many goals, mainly we're number one, and you are not.
Relative Wealth:  Minor
Group advantages: A strong advancement drive.
Group disadvantages:  Parochial thinking.
Special disadvantages: Techplage sites that required cleaning out.
Those who favor them:  Under protection, and not really favored as much as watched.
Those opposed to them:  The Fossai obviously.
Area of Operation:  Chan Sector:  They no longer have a space presence.  Chan is being treated as a Prime Directive world until such time ans the Chan on Vander's World see to do something about it.
Headquarters Location: Chan:  The current population of Chan is around one billion.  There are great ruins of the space era and the backward fallen nations that hold them. There are the new progressive nations that sail the seas in their swashbuckling steamships. Think the 1500s meet the early 1900s with Asia and Africa leading the world and exploring the ruins of Europe and the Americas. Add touches of 21st century technology here and there and you have Chan.
Public Face:  This would vary with the nation being spoken of.
Notable Members:  None given.
History of the Organization: 
Chan have existed on their home world for roughly 150,000 years.  What archaeological remains and record that have been recovered from the vault indicate that some manner of civilization has existed for 15,000 years.  The period of explosive technology occurred some 2,100 years ago as Chan went from a pre industrial world to a fully technological society.
        Again from the records it looks as if they solved their questions of that era had had moved into a mutually agreeable time of rapid development.  They had launched a sublight colony ship, and were on the verge of warp drive.  Then the techplages hit.
        According to the records the techplages swept the nations of the space alliance and they fell. Black Death and worse level loss of life. It was no respecter of class or wealth, only where you lived. much more is not known the records end.  The records speak of the skies blackened by the fires of the crematoriums. Of dead bodies burned in the street when the crematoriums couldn't keep up. No samples are here. Every effort was made to see that no samples got in here.
        This wasn't a plague, it was a bio-war the Chan never knew they were fighting. Designed to attack those that lived in an antiseptic, inoculated, environment. From the records they can find, the Chan never did geek to the fact it was an attack. Nowhere in the records so far examined is the term ":attack" or "war" even suggested in terms of a thinking enemy. Everything is consistent with a natural turn of events.
        Records of the Chan pre techplages period were found in a deep bunker beneath a chain of mountains.  It was built in the era of intercede war as an anti nuke bunker. As it was the best and most advanced complex it was converted to world space defense and control. In this role it was upgraded for 200 years. During the era of the techplages it was a fall back and later a refugee outpost for the survivors.

Vander's World:

Organization:  A nomadic tribe is led by a Wise Woman, usually the oldest woman of the tribe and a Hunt Leader that is chosen by the women for his skill and common sense.
        The Agrarian cities have extended this. There is a Hunt Leader, Herd Leader, a Grain Leader, and a Labor Leader. The single Wise Woman has extended into a council of the town's oldest women, one for each male Leaders.
       On the colony ship the slowly declining populations had divided into four groups.  The Crew Tribe was headed by the First Mate and controlled the core area around the bridge.  The Tech Tribe was headed by the Chief Engineer and controlled one side of the main habitation area.  The True Tribe was headed by the Priests and controlled the other side of the habitation area.  The Outcasts were from all of the above and exiled to the stern and the greatest radiation. 
       At this point the dying ship has been emptied by Starfleet and the people of the True World are teaching the people from the False World the ways of the True World.
Game Role: Yet another sink for people.
World Role:  The Chan sublight colony.
Relative Influence: Minor, a Federation protectorate
Public or Secret?:  Open Secret.  Starfleet is not publicly admitting their location.
Publicly Stated Goal:   Live well.
Relative Wealth: Minor, a stone age culture
Group advantages:  Open minds and a broad people button. 
Group disadvantages: Low tech and a busy neighborhood.
Those who favor them:  The Federation
Area of Operation:  Chan Sector
Headquarters Location: Vander's World AKA the True World:  Life fills the expected niches from large herbivores to tiny bugs. It does not match the local sentient population in any genetic manner. The dominant life forms are fur covered quadrupedal egg layers that walk with a splayed gait, lizard style. This basic morphology can be found in everything from plant eaters twice the size of a cow to mouse like animals. Water ways have amphibians clogging the area. There is also an order of ten legged arthropods that fills the expected insect niches. The only fliers are small arthropods.
Public Face: Curious, friendly people.
Notable Members: None given
History of the Organization:  
This is the landing place of the sub light space colony.  Before they were landed the ship people believed that the ship was the whole of the universe.  This heretics that ended up on the planet have told their story throughout the generation, and have maintained the knowledge of from whence they came.  The tale is told as follows.  "Bring around the children. This is the tale of our coming, mark and know it well! In the times of the Mother's of our Mothers we dwelt in the false world. The sky was close and walls were always about us.  Mak and Den did discover the true meaning of the false world. It was a voyager from the first world. They did so discover and were so persecuted for their disbelief that the false world was all. They and those that did believe them took to the sky shells, and did say and do the rituals of decent. Down from the false world they came to the true world. The True World where the sky is endless up to the stars, where there are no walls save those we make.
        Also in the falling it was found that great sheets of made fabric covered the ground attached to the shells of decent. This did our Mother's Mothers make into clothing." 
Young men that look fit to bust with pride bring out a leather scroll and unroll it. On the inside is the remains of a crude garment made of ballistic nylon. Another displays a worn knife of steel.  "Behold the sky sheet! Fix this in the memory, and tell it to your children and the children of your children. We are descended from the sky. To the sky we will return. Across the plains are the sky shells, show them to your children, and the children of your children. Tell them what they are. Bury your Fathers and Mothers within them. Behold the bright knife. A made thing it is, and we will one day make them again! This is the promise of Mak and Den. Know that all of this was is within our skill to do. It shall be within our skill to do again when we have earned the knowledge.
        This is the tale of our coming. Know it well. Tell it well. Without our tales we are unmade."

        At places around the plain of the Star Mounds people stop, and listen. They nod one to the other and gather their possessions and their children. They know the way to the Stone Place. Someone has called, the call will be answered. At the Stone Place the chiefs in council discuss the crop. Bird fly up at the sound. Women stop their weaving. Men cease their labors. Nods pass between the older ones, a Great Meet-meet is coming. No matter what the business it will be time to exchange the young people. There will be pairings, and a time to drink the weaving drink. There will be meet fires and dancing. Many children will come in due time. Yes, all of these are good things. Work continues with a lighter heart. Many heads think and wonder. Is this to do with the sky-talk that came without clouds? The light to the sun-goes that was very brief? Are these the things that require a Great Meet-meet. Time will tell them. It will not be many days before all are gathered.
        The Great Meet-Meet brought many changes.  The Star people spolk of the sick one on the false world, and all agree they should be aided.  Two tribes went to "Sky Comes Down" and are teaching the sick ones.  The sky people speak of the sky canoes and of worlds at the Stars.  They also speak of the First World and what has transpired there.  Our children shall learn the Sky Ways and will go from world to world.  This all will come in time.


 

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and situations are fictional. Any resemblance to persons, places, or situations living or dead is coincidental.

© Garry Stahl: 1997-2007 unless other Copyrights apply. All rights reserved, re-print only with permission.

 
 
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