Talk:Martian Outback (Classic Journeys Era)

Old mars info:

OVERVIEW
Coordinates: -4304571, -3455576, -2910715 Public Shuttle Access: Yes Primary Sentient Life: Humans, Specialists Orbital Base: Cydonia Government: Senate, First Consul Military: Martian Legions (once a small planetary militia, it has since absorbed surviving elements of the defunct Guardian Fleet) NOTES: First settled in 2001 by the Zangali, mankind established Ares Station on the red planet in 2053. When humans began trying to terraform the planet in in 2137, they inadvertantly destroyed an underground Zangali settlement, sparking the Mankind-Zangali War. In 2143, after reaching a truce, humans vowed to abandon terraforming attempts and focused instead on city domes. In 2651, the Kretonians swarmed into the known worlds, crushing the Clawed Fist Fleet of the Parallax before wiping out much of the Vanguard during a delaying action at Mars so the Sanctuary colony vessel could escape. The Zangali left Mars, returning to their homeworld of Grimlahd as slaves. Until 2806, Kretonians held control of Mars and oversaw its terraforming efforts. The terraforming process is not complete even today, but it is to the point that the planet has a viable biosphere and breatheable air. Distracted by the Nall, Grimlahdi, Otherians, Zangali and Lem'ing, the Kretonians were hard-pressed to defend themselves on Mars against organized Outbacker forces. In the year 3000, after the return of Sanctuary, Martian leader Christoff Vandevere led his people in revolt against the tyrannical Solar Consortium, sparking a civil war with Earth. Ultimately, Mars won its independence and in 3001, after Earth's decimation by radical humans using plasma bombs, the Martian Republic was born.

HESPERIA
Some of the highlights of this Romanesque city are:

Ares Plaza: The government center of Mars, it is home to the Senate Forum and the office of the First Consul.

Avocet Spaceport: Named in honor of Vanguard General Charles Avocet who, in 2651, led the delaying action against the Kretonians that allowed Sanctuary to escape.

Burroughs' Diner: Rotating restaurant named after the ancient speculative fiction writer, Edgar Rice Burroughs, who penned a series of fanciful books about Mars.

Colossus Apartments: Not far from the beach, just across the street from the Red Soils Hotel, these apartments provide more permanent lodging for those who wish to settle on Mars.

Iuvo Bacchus Bistro: A popular hangout for Legionnaires and tourists alike, just off Phaethontis Avenue South.

Martian Legions Headquarters: The military that defends Mars is based in the city of Hesperia. The headquarters includes the main barracks and flight operations, as well as Campus Martius, the Legions academy.

Red Soils Hotel: A tourist-friendly resort on the edge of the Glacial Sea.

Vandevere Memorial Hospital: This medical treatment facility is named after Christoff Vandevere, the First Consul who died after falling ill in the wake of the Martian revolt against Earth.

ELYSIUM
Some of the highlights of this Mediterranean-style city are:

Albor Tholus: The mountain that rises near the city of Elysium.

Harborwalk: A commercial and tourism district on the shores of Aequus Harbor.

Martian Justice Department: Criminal and civil court cases from throughout the planet are handled in this facility.

Pax Domus: Residential arcology overlooking Aequus Harbor and the Glacial Sea.

From the journal of Hayes Fairfax:
The Outback can be considered a barely remembered place by most Martians and those who live there are considered hicks by sophisticates. However the rare explorer or soldier who's served with them might describe them more as akin to Highlanders (a sci-fi fan might see the influence of Dune's Fremen). The Clans keep to themselves and mind the ancient terraformers with singleminded dedication. Each Clan is based around a settlement based around a terraformer. They tend to feud and raid each other though the death tolls are low. It's more like Celtic cattleraiding or counting coup than bloodsport - usually. They know the badlands and the odd weather patterns/geological formations better than any other group. Their fighting elan is second to none and the more adventurous and ambitious make up The Noctis Cohort which serves in the Legions as rangers and scouts.

The terrain and climate of the Outback is somewhat closer to the original surface of Mars than the more terraformed lowlands and oceans. Terrible storms blow through the wastelands and as it is ferrous oxide that makes the soil red the introduction of an atmosphere lends itself to bad electrical events. The sand and dust itself can tear unprotected skin. Just as dangerous, if not moreso, are the islands of rugged terrain cresting this surface and the naked canyons that lay between under them.

Dwelling here are The Clans of The Outback. Each is based around an ancient terraforming settlement and each one goes back a millenium. These sites are holy places as well as homes having been defended through the Kretonian invasion.

There are two main divisions in society, the priests and the warriors. Even those engaging in other occupations have an identity and training in one, in rare cases both, of these castes. The elite of the warriors as the hover-cycle riding warriors of The Stormscouts (Incuriassiers in the native tounge - a sort of mangled pidgeon Latin) and the terraformer tending Technodruids (Sacredos). Ruling over the Clan are the respective leaders of the Castes are the Romul of the Incuriassiers and the Remas of the Sacredos.

These are a dour and serious folk as they remember their struggles against both the elements and invaders the likes of which they are determined to face again if they must. Worship of Mars comes in the form of warfare (usually raiding friendly clans to steal ransomable goods - the ransoming ceremonies are big festivals and moots) and tending the terraformers. Art is exhibited mainly in the form of the spoken word but there are some other rudimentary forms practiced.

Appearance tends to favor tall and thin folks with darker skintones but many ethnicities were represented in the original colonists so many possible appearances can happen. Certain Clans are noticably more European while others do exhibit other racial traits. Attire for travel in the wastelands appears to be Arabic styles with a Mad Max sensibility. We're still working out the details but the universal favorite colors are rusts, maroons and browns. These people want to be as close to Mars as they can be in both spirit and appearance.

Lastly, some clans are patriarchal and some are matriarchal - this tends to depend on whose legendary founder was. And there is one final social group, one outside society, called The Soli. These are hermits, madmen, fools, warlocks and visionaries that live in the great meandering tunnels under the surface of Mars - some natural but many the result of the tunnelling bots of the terraformers.

The Soli, and certain of the Sacredos, understand the dual nature of Mars. There is Mars - the dreamer who is brought to life with naming of places and terraforming of the his body and there is Ares - the nightmare that is the dreamer's gift to man. These are one and the same entity but Ares represents the more terrible aspects of warfare and nature (chaos) where Mars represents the noble and honorable side of war and the generous bounty of agriculture (order). Both are repected and Ares is even accounted as the source of the visions (and madness) of The Soli. One goes with the other - they are inseparable.

Another dualistic notion about Mars in the Outback culture, which was informally alluded to, is of two other sides of Mars which are named and commonly referred to. Gradivus is the aspect of Mars as warrior while Silvanus is the aspect of Mars as farmer (or terraformer). This concept is more commonly addressed than the somewhat obscure Mars/Ares duality. The entire culture revolves around the shared responsibilities of Sacredos and Incuriassier.

Other notes that have come up in play.

The language has been described as thick with an occasional lilt or stressed word. Also references have been made to a Spanish feel to the Latinesque tongue. I'm no linguist bt anyone who likes this kinda of thing should feel free to contact us and set up a system. (We're still at the point some terms and concepts could be reworked to fit a newly minted language).

The terraformer citadel, central to most settlements, is not only physically imposing but it also projects through tactile and audible thrummings. The rythyms move the people instinctively. The different cycles of the engines serve almost as a church bell in a medieval village to regulate the time of day. I imagine it would have audible alarms and signals that could be triggered in an emergency that would reinforce the 'churchbell' notion. This very physical presence makes me think that dance would be a natural outgrowth of the culture.

Also, in Noctis Labyrinthis, the settlement itself is very warm as a result of solar reflectors that line the rim of the canyon walls. These focus more energy down to rooftop collectors. The overall effect is heat and mist. The 'feel' would be like that of an oasis. You've wandered for miles through a dustbowl wasteland and struggled through treacherous canyons of biting chill and dampness. Then suddenly, a modest Shangri La appears...although to a desperate traveller it might not seem so modest at first.

Lichen thrives in most of the outback and is also considered an important but not staple foodsource. It is more traditional than anything, the Outback's equivalent of haggis. A newcomer might not take to lichen soup but one that wanted to make a good impression would try. And then there's lichen beer, lichen pie, lichen...

Another entity considered native to The Outback, though its origins are cloaked by the millennia, is the Sanaen Worm. This is critter that fills an ecological niche similiar to rats, but they eat rats too. These creatures live in the deep tunnels below the bulge of Tharsis and constantly plague the terraformers and bots. Occasionally they will get into plumbing or starships and chew through wiring. The worms are tough and resilent little buggers that look like slimy purple caterpillars up to a meter long. They're purely scavengers and pose no threat to healthy humans that aren't sleeping alone in deep, dark, Martian tunnels.

From the journal of Soli Murdock:
The following is a small list of Outback things I've come up with 'till now:

"Ave, et Vale!" The greeting has been mentioned before, but I thought of a gesture to go with that: the greeter raises his/her hand to face level, palm facing the addressee as s/he greets with "Ave"; then, the hand is turned so the palm now faces away from the greetee (is that even a word? ;P), and the "et Vale" part is added.

Note that failing to raise the hand to the proper level is a gesture that speaks of low regard... then again, 'among buddies' it's probably okay to just hint at lifting the hand. :)

The Szaback lizards One of the more common creatures in the outback; a palm- to forearm-sized lizard (double the length if you include the tail), cognate with Earth's geckos and chameleons, combining the latter's ability of adapting their scale colors to the background with the former's ability to climb steep and smooth surfaces. They're really harmless insect hunters and pose no danger to humans, though provoking them will eventually make them bite. There is a saying that someone who repeatedly exhibits clumsiness is some who "trips over Szabacks".

There are both nocturnal and day-active subspecies of the Szaback lizard; some of the latter have been domesticated by the Outbackers to hunt some of the more nasty insects such as the Naraza gnats (the Outback's equivalent to Earth's mosquitos).

From the journal of Remas Agrippa:

First off, the Sacredos belive that almost every aspect of their pracyice is devived from The Red Father or Ares (Sacredos tend to prefer the former title.). The Red Father is peceived as a Gaia type entity, at present sleeping and will only fully awake when the planet is wholly terraformed. Yet both Sacredos and Soli experience his 'Dream/s' in one way or another. Essentially we're drawing a lot of ideas from Australian Dream Time. I can't speak for the Soli (who tend to talk directly to Ares.) but the Sacredos believe that the Red Father has numerous aspects or facets which they contact for their daily ritual and practice. So aside from The Red Father himself there are two other subsects: Spirits and Loa.

The Sacredos belive that all things on Mars (both natural and technological) are imbued with the spirit of Ares and that these 'Spirits' can be contacted. At this point I feel I have to clarify a few points on perspective.Despite of our clannish nature, Outbackers are not unsophisticated or neopaleolithic, we rely on technology- in particular the terraformers -to survive, as such it is part of the very core of our cultural and religious beliefs. To understand spirituality with regards to the Outbackers you will have to shift your perspective of what a 'Spirit' is (or go and read Zen!). To a Sacredos a Spirit is the nature of a thing, by contacting a Spirit of a lichen or hoverbike /he/ is attuning /his/ mind to the needs, requirments and faculties of the thing. In essence in the case of finding how to tend a failing crop of lichen or a malfunctioning hoverbike the Sacredos attempts to take a step back from /himself/ and /his/ assumptions on the problem and attune himself to the needs of the thing in question. This may not sound that spiritual but I'm viewing this state of mind as that of a mild altered state of perception. One that it would not be normal for an average person to achieve. Indeed the Sacredos belive this state of altered perception can only be achieved through dedication to and contemplation of The Red Father.

Most Sacredos can commune with spirits, it is part of their function to maintain the well being of crops and machines of the Clan. However some do not posses this talent and approach Ares from a purely philosophical view point. These Sacredos are not treated as lesser than others, yet conversing with spirits and Loa is a prerequisite of the higher rankings in the faith. Pimarily Spirits are contacted for purposes of repair and maintenance of the needs of the Clan but there are other uses. For example, some Sacredos practice medicine and may seek to contact the Spirit of a disease to find it's flaws. Another example for the more mechanically minded Sacredos would be to contact the Spirit of a machine to ascertain how it could be improved. You get the gist. These minor Spirits on the whole do not have names or personalities they are a state of mind and to achieve this altered state there is usualy an element of ritual. Sacredos draw their interpretations and understanding of the spiritworld and Dream from the wide variety of animistic and pagan traditions that humanity has haboured over time. It is not the specifics of a deity or the execution of a rite that is important but rather the sign or meme that lays below the surface. This is reflected in Sacredos ritual, the specifics of which can vary from one Sacredos to another. It should be noted however, that the practices of individual Clans tend to have a common theme. Typicly though contacting a spirit will entail rythmic chanting or music, meditation and perhaps enscribed sigils. Another method is ladders, where the Sacredos braids a long knotted cord, each not taking him further into the altered state.

The contacting of Loa is rare among the Sacredos and it is very few who can be riden by more than two or three entities or mind sets. A Loa is a more defined version of a spirit and the tend to represent specific things or concepts. The Loa's are individuals, with defined personalities and numerous names. There is a Loa of War, one of Creation, one of Time, another is of The Desert. The Loa are all facets of the Dreaming Red Father. Their identities and personalities are amalgamation of appropriate Earth Deities. All Death God/dess/s all Harvest spirits and deities etc. Of course there are inconsistencies and indeed for War there are two Loas, this is not uncommon. Again the Loa are idea forms, viral ideas that exist in consciousness, memes. Calling on a Loa is not undertaken lightly, as in Voo Doo cults the Loa rides the Sacredos, making /him/ a 'Horse'. The Sacredos appears to take on the personality of the Loa in question and in some cases, particularly with the more alien Loa, this can be disterbing to watch. Part of the ritual of calling to a Loa is to bind it to a specific task, giving the Sacredos some control over what happens while /he/ is being ridden. Achieving this altered state is more arduous than comuning with a spirit often with much drumming and dances for hours or even days on end. Mind altering substances are also used, in particular synthesized varients Salvia, Henbane and Fly Agaric. These drugs are tailor made by Sacredos to aid their altered state and are sacred. Stealing and selling Sacredos drugs is blasphemy and if anyone werer to do so, in particular a non Outbacker they could find themselves in a very uncomfortable situation.

From the journal of Hayes Fairfax:
Imagine a culture that has been tending the terraformers with utmost dedication, and out of necessity, for a millennium. Over time, however, many supports begin to falter. The educational system for engineering falters, computers break, manuals are lost. Soon maintaining the engines becomes almost an oral tradition with a few, incredibly valuable, ancient tomes (manuals).

Training in maintainence and basic repair becomes ritualized even as the ideas of a sentient Red Father become part of the local spiritual system. Personalizing the environment, the elements, is simply one way humans deal with them. So too does this evolution of thinking about each system or major component of tech devices become personalized. Heck, we even name our cars today and talk to them (or some of us do).

But instead of shaking beads these Sacredos know how to really work with a spirit. You get a wrench and perform the holy works with deliberation. An ailing machine reflects a defect in the soul of its maintainer or a challenge/puzzle that is key to self awareness on some level. I see the process of low ritual as more a Hermetic process than a Shamanistic one. The number of turns of a wrench is prescribed for a particular rite or the level of output is maintained with liturgical chants that keep the normal rythym of the machinery. If the machinery is off (out of sync) the operator knows there is a problem instantly. Instead of pentagrams there are dropcloths with cryptic notations that also serve as 'cheat sheets' for quick tuneups but are seen more as blessings and holy teachings. Instead of getting into the proper mindset by waving a wand at the points of a compass, the Sacredos would carefully place his tools on the cloth for the proper operation, like Japanese flower arranging, while reciting liturgical verse.

Ritual can be handled by a well schooled apprentice. He may believe he is dealing with the soul of a machine but his operations are those of a disciplined, rote, mechanic and creativity is not allowed. The Formers are too valuable.

But sometimes standard operating procedure fails. Something breaks. A great Mystery is in The Works.

Then the elder masters, old Sacredos and perhaps the Remas himself, are summoned. In these years since computer assisted repair and the dearth of engineering schools in The Outback, these hardened survivors have found other ways of dealing with serious, unpredictable, problems. All Sacredos are trained from the point of adoption in one special discipline. They are allowed access to the old manuals and given a master, one on one. This specialty is anthropomorphisized and certain drugs (as Agrippa notes) are applied during the process. The overall effect is a deep seated knowledge of the intricate details of a process but one that is tied to the drugs (potion) and 'persona' needed to summon it. Each of these personae are Loas, almost like Patron Saints, but they are only summoned during time of great need. Creativity is dangerous and pure knowledge tossed into the mix is positively volitile. Hence psychological, or spiritual safeguards, have been worked into the process that all but prevents damage to the Terraformer, indeed, should the summoning be flawed it is more likely that The Sacredos himself will be harmed.

To an outsider it might look like Voodun mumbo-jumbo, but in effect, it is an incredibly powerful mneumonic device that accesses the barely used 'ram' of the deep unconscious to store and process the insane amount of data that makes up a technical specialty. If this works with surprising success, that could have something to do with the evolved, under considerable evolutionary stress, collective unconscious of this people. If there are 'real' Loa it might be as a byproduct of this. (We should find another word for Loa and name some of these spirits and processes in our pseudo-Latin. That could be a fun project). :)

Ask Fairfax IC, he doesn't know, but he'll just point out that the formers are still running and Mars is awakening.

One last note: Ares probably wouldn't be a preferred form of address for Mars. There's a duality in the culture between Mars (The Red Father) and his less beloved but equally important aspect Ares. Mars represents the ordered and practical aspects of Martian nature (agriculture, glory and honor, hard work, determination) while Ares represents the chaotic and creative aspects (storms, natural disasters, mayhem as well as unexpected, unearned, good fortune or insights and visions). The artist, gambler or Soli might love Ares but most Martians are pretty pleased with The Red Father's primary aspect.

From the journal of Remas Agrippa:
The everyday rituals of the Sacredos, tending the former, daily worship of the Red Father etc. Tend to be conducted through the use of various rituals and contact with Spirits. Loa are only called upon on rare occasions directed by the cycles of the former or circumstances that fall outside the capabillities of riyual and spirit. It is not unknown for a Sacredos to call on Loa for other reasons but it is unusual. Being riden by a Loa IC should be a majour RP event for that character. Spend a day or three doing ritual and dancing in the Outback or Temple, @emit yourself some helpers. RPing the Loa in question should be distinctive and radically different from your normal IC persona. I suggest using greek gods as a template for personality, then add in some individual deapth. For a Tech Loa is it benign or malevolent? Science can go out of control sometimes. Sacredos don't often contact the latter. If it's something more alien like Time, play the blind watchmaker or use non-liniar dialogue by doing cut and fold in the style of Bill Burroughs. Remember to change your poses especialy with more alien Loa, and dont forget, after the event your Sacredos is going to be a wreck. The use of Loa should be a rare event, we're primarily a practical bunch, leaving the wierdness to the Soli. If Loa are overplayed they will become mundane and the Sacredos will lose much of their air of mystery. Besides it'll become dull. So save it for once in a blue moon and have a good reason for it.

Anyway here are some Loa I've been mulling over. Remember that Sacredos practice is varied and open to wide interpretation. These are Loa I'm suggesting introducing to Clan Fairfax but they are by no means written in stone, different Clans would probably use different Loa. I've been trying to keep the Sacredos faith as open as possible. Aside from us being essentially Techno-Druids: Shamans who worship Tech as well as nature and the deification of mars through the Red Father (and breath), including his lesser aspects such as Spirits, Loa and the Dream Time, there are no set parameters. And I hope even these I've left wide open for individual interpretation... but I digress. Loa-

Productivity: Ninhursaga (Sumer/Akkadian) is an Earth Mother style Loa, a product of the Formers- in the style of the White Goddess, ie unconcearned with the effects that nature has on Mars's inhabitants as individuals. She represents the growth of the whole ecosystem and from time to time may bring about changes that can put her inhabitants at risk. This is one reason she is contacted, although if the formers bring about a particularly beneficial change, she is sometimes called to a celebration rite for thanks and perhaps a subtle reminder of the people who set her free. Ninhursaga is aware of her reliance on humanity but her nature dictates that she will not be bound by this, she is a force of nature and technology combined. She does not like being called away from her acts of creation and it is considered wise to have a good reason to contact her. She does however take great pride in her work and flattery will take the Sacredos far.

The Terraformer: Inanna (Sumer/Akkadian/Chaldean...etc, etc. Also Babylon as Ishtar). Coming up with a Loa for the formers has not been easy, this my best suggestion so far. Inanna is a truly unique deity. She eventualy became the Goddess of infinate variety, representing just about everything. Her attributes range from rain, stars, war to prostitution and hundreds of others. The formers are the centre of Outie' life and must mean more to your average religiously minded Clansman then just making the environment livable. Inannas capacity to be all things, makes her a good representative for the various attributions of the former to those who live with it. More directly though, the oldest tablets relating to Inanna (4'000 BC+), show that she was origionaly a Goddess of spring rains and the grain house. Spring rains fits as the formers bring water to Mars's surface, the spring reference that of a beginning. The grain house, in a numinous Sumarian context, represents the lifeblood of the people, their survival from year to year. Again this seems to fit. One myth in particular, attributed to Inanna (and Ishtar) also seems to make her suited to this role. The story is sadly incomplete and fragmented, but this is the crux of it: Inanna was to marry Dumuziel, a god of the harvest but Dumuziel was killed/died. Inanna went to Ereshkigal (Death Goddess) in the underworld to claim him back. There are few fragments that follow her descent, yet one fragment speaks of his return and hints at him being somewhat changed. Life on Mars died, Inanna, the former seeks him out and tries to bring the harvest back to Mars...? Well I think it fits ;). Inanna is probably the most contacted Loa. She is considered to be benevolent but can be vengefull. Just think of damaging the former, that'll bring revenge from quite a few places, aside from the effects her damage may cause. She appears to act in a relatively human manner but is shapped by the aspect she is called under. Either as the former itself or some other attribution granted to the former. I'm still fleshing this out so I would like some suggestions on what the former represents to us.

From the journal of Soli Murdock:
First of all, I have to point out that the Soli do NOT have any kind of set rituals or suchlike. Heck, all we have in common in the title -- Soli --, and the fact that we, one way or the other, received the Red Father's Calling. Whether or not the Soli know (of) each other will have to turn out later -- I personally doubt it.

Sacredos are the Technodruids that tend to the 'former and the other machinery, the Incurassiers are the warrior caste -- so what are the Soli?

We are the "I Feel" to the Sacredos' "I Know". Let them believe they can solve every problems that occurs by falling back on their lore -- we know better, for we are the ones that hear the Voice of the Father Himself. While the Sacredos can contact the Larvae -- the Loa --, we are in touch with the Avati -- the Ancestors.

What does that mean? Well, the Avati are the souls of Outbackers that have been chosen by the Father Himself (they're also referred to as the Chosen Ones) to watch over the Clans of the Outback. Think of them as a kind of guardian angels. They stand outside the spiritual hierarchy of the Larvae, being both individuals and a community of beings at once. While having been (or at least said to have been) mortals once, their ways sometimes cause harm for the people of the Outback -- that is because they 'think' on a greater scale. The survival of one Clan means little to them, if its destruction will ensure that the Red Father and the _majority_ of His people remain unharmed. This is one of the reasons the Soli are regarded by the Outbackers with a mixture of fear and respect; they stand outside the Clan communities, and are something like the 'mortal mouthpiece' of the Avati.

From the journal of Remas Agrippa:
Clan Zerzan : This Clan is now technically no more. It was Agrippa's birth Clan and was wiped out by The McCulloch's roughly twenty years ago. There were, however a small number of survivors- Fairfax's Remas included -who sought safty by merging with Clan Fairfax. The survivors of Zerzan no longer use that name and feel they have a lot to prove to their adopted clan. It takes about seven generations before one clan is considered fully merged with another and although it is never said, you could consider them on probation until that time has elapsed. Members of Zerzan have dropped their old names altogether, a mark of their dishonour. They tend to have taken on a single Romanesque name as replacement, like Agrippa or Octavia.

Clan Travellian: This Clan is belived to be descended directly from the first human settlers of Mars. Without a doubt their former is the oldest in existance (a source of pride). By Outbacker standards they are wealthy, with a lucrative mining opperation. The Clan is known for acting a little superior and can often be considered pompous by others. Their Clan is also one of the largest in existance, and despite it's irritating attitude is grudgingly considered to be fair and a good mediator of Clan disputes.

Clan Frasier is a militaristic Clan. Their population has far more members of the Incurassier caste, than those of the Sacredos and this is representative of how they approach life. Well organised, with a deep sense of duty and honour, they are a formidable fighting force with acsess to good quality weapons. They do not use their strength to intimidate or raid however and are thus trusted and respected by most Clans. Besides they are not a Clan to make an enemy of lightly. Their currant Romul is female.

Clan Stahl are generaly considered to be somewhat dubious. They have a tendancy to deal in black market goods and have a penchant for the occasional raid or a little desert piracy. Their black market intreats have led them to make tenuous links with the Hesparian underworld, particularly for fencing goods out of the city. They do have a curious sense of honour though and besides raiding, they seem to consider it bad for tp overly harass other Clans. Their Romul has recently died and his eldest son has assumed the position. He is as of yet an unknown quantity.

From the journal of Incurassier Bergrade:
A Curassier was a form of cavalry in the time of Napoleon, a big guy on a big horse wearing a big piece of metal (The Curaisse or whatever) over his chest and had a sabre. An interesting note is most of these guys died of heart attacks from exhaustion and heat in the armor than from battle injuries.

Now add the word 'In' and what do you have? The big guy, the big horse, and the sabre? No, not really. So, there is a historical backing for the term, but it doesn't really apply. This is what I understand from the work of everyone before me, an Incurassier is a warrior of the outbike who rides upon a hovercycle. In addition, some of the hovercycles mount weaponry (according to Hayes).

In addition to whatever someone puts on the hovercycle they're going to need hand weapons. The first thing that comes to mind is a lance, but chances are you're gonna be going FAST on the cycles and a long stick is going to be unwieldly and might take or break your arm. Swords are often associated with cavalry where there was a big argument over pierce vs. slash. As I said earlier, piercing won't work because the lance is the optimal weapon for that role.

Therefore, almost a good slashing weapon is a choice for the outback warrior. Some strong possibilities - swords, sickles, and knives. Knives are a favorite in every culture, so most warriors will have at least one. A pistol or rifle would also be a common weapons (you can pick up a rifle from the legion, I'm sure they're willing to sell). This leaves us with the basic weapons, things that slash and shoot.

With the speed afforded by the hovercycles, raids between rival clans at war would be very common. Zoom in, shoot and slash and takes some stuff, zoom out. However, a prepared enemy would have a decent chance at defending against all but the most coordinated raids. However, the main zinger in the Outbacker war would be a pitched battle.

In a pitched battle the soldiers available to the Outbackers will simply be classified two fold: those on hovercycles and those who aren't. Those who are on hovercycles would be armed with the weapons said above while those who aren't would primarily be armed with knives (and other up-close-and-dirty weapons), rifles, and 'Big-sticks' (polearms and such). How the battle turns out depends on the commander and how he organizes his troops. The hovercycles would probably make some high speed pases and attacks before the battle turned into melee. Whoever runs loses.

I hope this illustrates Outback style warfare as a simple outline.

From the journal of Quinn Gunnarson:
Clan Gunnarson is Quinn's home clan. It is one of the older clans, but its strength is not in arms or trading, but in lore. Gunnarson holds the largest and most extensive collection of Outbacker artifacts and information about Clan histories and culture. With such a storehouse of knowledge, "Clan Librarian" tends to be very formal in attitude; most political moves are aimed towards tradition. They recently sided with Fairfax in the civil war for the simple reason that the other clans were upsetting the status quo.

At present, the Remas is female and the Romul is male. To the best of everyone's memory, the position of Remas has always been female, and most of the Sacredos are female as well. The gender of the Romul position swiches on a more regular basis, tending to be male, and the Incurassiers are well mixed.

From the journal of Hayes Fairfax:
One might wonder why the clans stay in the wastelands at all when there are much nicer places to be. The terraformers, after all, work as engines that tend to improve conditions elsewhere. Well, there is nutrient spillage locally around the formers that creates an oasis effect. Also, after fighting for generations to keep the 'formers going has created more than a little stubborness on the part of these very tradition, and religion, minded people. Lastly, if a clan didn't run its former - who would? While individuals, a few more with each year, filter away from the Outback and into urban areas and offworld these are still a marked minority. There is, however, a significant number of halfbreeds (half-Newcomer and half-Clansman) that exist in both clans and Hesperia.

As for the construction of the former itself, I've always envisioned them as cathedral-factories of sorts.

From the journal of Remas Agrippa:
The Terraformer is a sizable machine. Obviously this places the building around it at a significant girth. Furthermore the former itself is central to Outbacker culture and religion and so I would suspect that it would take a prominant place in the settlement. As to appearance- well from the outside I see an imposing structure, fashioned out of red (well what did you expect) stone. It is roughly circular, maybe octagonal. Huge metal conduits and tubes sprout from the walls to bury themselves into the ground.

Inside I see the former itself seated in a tiered depression, more tubes and lots of steam, sacredos crawling over it's bulk seeing to it's needs. The image should be a mixture of Mad Max and Steam Punk not to mention huge. A metal platform spans the depression and acts as the ritual area for the Outbacker faith. The walls around the periffery of the internal structure are lined with seating, in a similar manner to that of a Collosium. Although generaly spartan and limited to the practicalities of the former, the interior is decorated with various glyphs, sigils and symbols. These range from the arcane and occult to mathmatical formula and circuit daigrams.

The depression itself is made out of eight steps each of which have access to numerous chambers tunneled into the rock. These form numerous functions as sleeping chambers for the Sacredos, workshops and store rooms, labs and horticultural enclaves...

From the journal of Remas Agrippa:
The Travellian Caste system is a little more complex than most. Along with the standard Incurassier/Sacredos system, the Travellian confer status and position within the Clan via family lineage and specifically the age of that line and how far it can trace its ancestry in Clan history. remember the Travellian are reputed to be the oldest Outbacker Clan.

The Travellian themselves are of course the prominent family line but there are others of note. Within the Clan, the standing of your family name can have much effect on your importance within the clan. In short, nepotism and the 'Old Boy Network' are rife'. Another aspect of this heritage caste system, is that Travellian uses an Elder Council as an advisory body to the Romul. This council is composed exclusivly of names with a long lineage and ascendancy to the council is attained in the same way that a new Romul assumes his or her position. Through birth. It is debatable how content the general Travellian populace is with this state of affairs, yet they remain fiercely loyal to their Romul. The council itself acts in a similar manner to the Roman Senate, if under one of the more autocratic rulers.

Outbacker Clans do not have a system of law and order that extends beyond the boundaries of any one given Clan. Internally, given their size I would doubt that crime is much of a problem, besides fighting and the odd murder. Furthermore the average Clansman's dedication to honor may make crime uncommon. Sooner or latter though, it will happen, so I wonder how we go about dealing with it. We are a tough people, so perhaps our punishments reflect this or do we take a more considered approach? Who passes the judgement? Romul, Remas, both, an Elder council or is it mob rule? Remember each Clan is likely to have a different take on this, so give me your views.

I'm only going to offer one suggestion for now: becoming an outcast. This is a very serious judgement and is probably part of almost all the Clans judiciary capability. An outcast is stripped of his name- indeed many Clans will hold a funeral for their `dead ` comrade, with feelings of genuine loss and bereavement. To them, he `is' dead. The person who is still walking has until nightfall to leave Clan territory or his life is forfeit (yes this is open to misuse). The outcast is considered to be without honor and is barred from `all' Clan territories on pain of death; any outcast found posing as a legitimate Clansman... well you can probably guess. If an outcast is encountered beyond Clan territory it is considered taboo to offer him any kind of aid as the Clansman shows dishonor if he deals with him. The children of an outcast inherit the dishonor also, besides they have no name. This is the one part of the punishment that can be waived if the outcast already has children within the Clan. It is not unknown for the spouse of an outcast to take on the dishonor also, even if the committed no crime as they feel the actions of their partner have stained them to such a degree, that they can no longer face their family and Clan. Finally the outcast is also excommunicated by the Sacredos.

So what becomes of outcasts? Most (not all) Clans would be surprised how many are out there in the Martian deserts. On the whole they tend to band into groups of bandits or simply try to live out the rest of their lives as quietly as possible, drowning in self-disgust of their dishonor. These two responses tell much of the Outbacker mindset. This loss of honor, name and faith can be crushing, many kill themselves. The others torture themselves till their dying day or embrace their new, tainted state, those who become bandits are noted for their ferocity and depravity, they cannot sink any lower in the eyes of society. A few will try to start a new life in Hesperia or even offworld. The former rarely stay in Hesperia for long and those who go offworld can never settle, they always return. Mars seems to have an unbreakable hold over the Outbackers.

There is a way out for the outcast, though it is never something he or she can personally achieve. Over the decades, descendants of these outcasts have banded together and formed thriving communities hidden in the Martian wastes. Many of these enclaves act as bases for outcast raiders, much like the pirate enclaves of 17th century Earth. These are terribly harsh places. Without a terraformer, survival is a full time occupation and banditry a necessity. It is not uncommon for such an enclave to thrive for a decade and then be simply swallowed by the wastes. A few take an even harder path and try to survive with honor and dignity. The Sacredos say that if the descendant of an outcast can prove their value to the Red Father then he will welcome them back. This can take generations but some Clans that exist today have an outcast heritage. They have to prove their worth tenfold, come to the aid of other Clans where needed and expect no thanks until the Clans of honor call a meeting to proclaim them of worth and give them a new Clan name. When this happens, the lineage of the new Clan is cleansed and honor restored. These Clans do not have Sacredos so other Clans send missionaries to complete the Clan caste structure.