Queens Rocketeers:Main

The year is 1625, and the worlds of the Dominion of Gallia are the glittering jewels of the European Expanse. Gallia is the primary setting for The Queen's Rocketeers.

This is an idealized Space Europe, so stuff like gender and sexual preference doesn't matter. Literally no one cares about what's in your breeches or the breeches of the person/people with whom you are intimate. No one uses the phrase "female rocketeer", for example, because it is a normal thing, and not remarkable (meaning, no one bothers to remark upon it).

The same thing applies to courtiers/courtesans (commoners and minor nobility who provide companionship in exchange for status and gifts). Of course, "courtier" and "courtesan" can also be used to refer to trusted servants who attend the court and perform other, less personal functions, such as greeting dignitaries, playing musical instruments, and so on. The distinction is usually clear in context.

Ethnicity also doesn't matter. One is more likely to meet someone of Asian ethnicity in Shenzhou than in Gallia, and someone from the Alkebulan Expanse is more likely to be dark skinned than someone from Ruthenia, but this is rarely cause for comment. A person's ethnicity is no more or less important than their hair color or eye color, and it never results in prejudice or oppression.

In short, bigots focus exclusively on religion. The primary religious conflict is between the three Epiphanic religions: Eternalism, Communionism, and Quaestorism, each of which claims to be exclusively "true". More importantly, each religion seeks to gain power by influencing the rulers of the various Dominions.

The Queen's Rocketeers

"Honor. Courage. Loyalty. These are the core values of the Queen's Rocketeers. All for one, and one for all."

The Queen's Rocketeers are an elite company of light cavalry. They form the royal guard for the queen while she is outside of the royal residences (within the royal residences, the queen's guard is the Garde du Corps -- literally "body guards"). The Queen's Rocketeers also fight in Gallia's wars, as directed by the monarch. As such, they fulfill the role of a special operations unit which works in direct action, special reconnaissance, and hostage rescue. Mu Guiying, Comtesse de Tréville (commonly addressed as Madame de Tréville) is the Lieutenant-Captain of the Queen's Rocketeers, and she reports directly to the queen.

The tabard of the Queen's Rocketeers is bright blue with silver trim. The front and back are emblazoned with an ornate silver crux ansata (ankh) with fleurs-de-lis at the ends of the cross bars, at the bottom of the staff, and within the loop. The loop is surmounted by a crown.

The Queen's Rocketeers have more advanced rocket packs and more powerful muskets than typical light cavalry (their muskets are the same as those used by dragoons, rather than the lighter muskets used by light cavalry and fusiliers). Additionally, to be accepted as a Queen's Rocketeer, the applicant must have exceptional skill with a sword and a musket. In principle, the members of the Queen's Rocketeers are supposed to be of aristocratic birth, but this requirement is waived as often as not. Fewer than 1% of the people who apply to the Queen's Rocketeers are accepted.

It might be possible for a PC to be something other than a Queen's Rocketeer, as long as they could plausibly work together (agents of the Queen's Spymaster, for example).

Dominions

Five major dominions comprise the European Expanse: Gallia, Batavia, Britannia, Hispania, and the Architectal Worlds. At one time or another over the past century, every major dominion in the European Expanse has been at war with every other major dominion. For now, the major dominions are at peace, although small skirmishes still take place from time to time.

The European Expanse also includes scores of minor dominions. At this moment, the Thirty Dominions War is raging in the area of the European Expanse between Gallia and the Ruthenian Expanse. Thus far, the major dominions have resisted being drawn into the conflict.

Beyond the European Expanse are thousands of other worlds, many of which are dominions of their own. Of those known, the most powerful dominion is the Shenzhou Empire, but its influence on the European Expanse is limited due to its great distance. Nearer threats are the Osmanian Empire and the Tsardom of Moscovia, but these two dominions pose a greater threat to each other than they do to the European Expanse.

Dominion of Gallia

• Ruled by Queen Stéphanie-Félicité III, age 23.
  • Stéphanie-Félicité III ascended the throne at eight years of age in 1610, upon the assassination of her father, King Henry IV. Due to Stéphanie-Félicité's youth, her mother Marie de Médicis acted as her regent. Despite Stéphanie-Félicité's coming-of-age in 1615, her mother did not give up her position as regent, and Marie remained the de facto ruler of Gallia. In 1617, at the age of 15, Stéphanie-Félicité took advantage of her mother's increasing unpopularity among the nobility and staged a palace coup d'etat. After a brief struggle for power, Stéphanie-Félicité gained control of Gallia, and Marie was exiled to the world of Blois.
  • Machinator Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Vieuville (more commonly known as Machinator Vieuville) was a close advisor of Marie de Médicis. After a few years of distrust following the banishment of her mother, Stéphanie-Félicité has come to rely on the advice of Machinator Vieuville, as well. (However, Stéphanie-Félicité has not forgotten how quickly Vieuville changed his allegiance when the balance of power failed to favour Marie de Médicis.)
    • The tabard of the Machinator's Guards is bright red with white trim. The front and back are emblazoned with a simple white crux ansata (ankh).
  • Henri de Schomberg is the Grand Constable of Gallia. As Commander in Chief of the queen's army and Lieutenant-General to the queen, he, theoretically, outranks all nobles in the realm, and is second-in-command only to the queen herself.
  • Amelie Brûlart, Marquise de Sillery, Viscountess Puisieux, Baroness Grand Pressigny (more commonly known as the Marquise de Sillery) serves the queen as joint Minister of Foreign Affairs and War.
  • Stéphanie-Félicité reconciled with her mother in 1621. Marie de Médicis was released from exile on Blois, and returned to the court on Lutetia.
  • Stéphanie-Félicité III's primary residence is the Palais des Tuileries on Lutetia.
• Capital world is Lutetia, in the Ile-de-Gallia province.
  • Lutetia is the most populous world in the European Expanse.
  • Lutetia is home to the Gallian Academy of Sciences (founded in 1606 by Stéphanie-Félicité III's father, King Henry IV) and the Lutetian Observatory.
  • Shortly after gaining control of the Gallian government, Stéphanie-Félicité III appointed Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaulti de Galile as Director of the Lutetian Observatory (displacing Jean-Baptiste Morin, a firm proponent of geocentrism, who was subsequently appointed professor of mathematics at the College Royal).
• Gallia has 37 provinces, and numerous territories, colonies, and protectorates.
  • Gallia's provinces are smaller than those of most other dominions in the European Expanse.
  • Gallia was once dozens of separate individual dominions, which were slowly conquered and absorbed into the Dominion of Gallia as new provinces.
  • While the Gallian monarch has ultimate authority, a great deal of power rests with the Gallian provincial nobility.
  • Many local rulers maintain fortresses and private fleets of aether ships.
• Gallia has a sizeable fleet of nearly one hundred aether ships.
• The state religion of Gallia is Eternalism.
  • During the previous century, as Communionism grew in Gallia, there was significant resistance from the Eternalist establishment. This resulted in the Gallian Wars Of Religion, a series of conflicts which threatened to tear Gallia apart. The Edict Of Condevincum, signed in 1598 by King Henry IV, granted Communionists full civil rights in Gallia, while also affirming that Eternalism is the official state religion. This edict did not satisfy the Eternalists or the Communionists, but it ended the Gallian Wars Of Religion.
• Gallia is the cultural wellspring of the European Expanse. Gallia leads the European Expanse in the development of new techniques and artistic forms in the fields of printing, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, philosophy, the sciences, and literature, and the elaboration of new codes of sociability, etiquette, and discourse.

Batavian Republic

• Ruled by the States General, a legislature composed of representatives from each of the Batavian provinces.
  • The presidency of the States General rotates among the senior representatives of the provinces.
  • Tremendous economic power is held by the Batavian Vespucian Trading Company and the Batavian Sinae Trading Company.
  • The Batavian Republic was a part of the Dominion of Hispania until 1588, when the Batavians achieved their independence with the support of Queen Elizabeth I of Britannia.
  • The States General convenes in the Binnenhof on Den Haag.
• Capital world is Den Haag, in the Holland province.
• Batavia has seven provinces, a small number of territories and colonies, and numerous fortresses and trading posts throughout the Vespucian Expanse and the Sinae Expanse.
  • Friesland
  • Gelderland
  • Groningen
  • Holland
  • Overijssel
  • Utrecht
  • Zeeland
• The Batavian fleet of aether ships is the largest in the European Expanse -- larger than those of Gallia and Britannia combined.
• Batavia has no official state religion, but Batavian Refactored Communionism is the de facto state religion.
  • Batavians have a relatively tolerant attitude towards different religions and ideas.
• Batavia is best known for its canals, wind turbines, and tulips. The Dominion of Batavia is also well known for the textiles, silks, and spices that Batavian traders import from the Mughal Empire and other dominions in the Sinae Expanse.

Dominion of Britannia

• Ruled by King Henry IX, also called King Henry Frederick, age 31.
  • Henry IX ascended the throne in 1605 at the age of 11, upon the assassination of his father, King James I. Sir Robert Cecil governed as regent during his minority, which ended officially in 1608, though Henry did not gain full control of his government until 1615.
  • Henry is immensely popular, although more so among Communionists than Eternalists.
  • One of Henry's closest advisors is George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham was a close friend of Henry's father, King James I. It is widely thought that their relationship was more than platonic, but having extramarital affairs is not exactly controversial for European monarchs.
  • Buckingham has run afoul of the Parliament on more than one occasion for liberally spending public funds and for accepting bribes.
  • Henry IX's primary residence is Richmond Palace on Londinium.
• Capital world is Londinium, in the Albion province.
• Britannia has four provinces, and numerous territories, colonies, and protectorates.
  • Albion
  • Caledonia
  • Cymru
  • Hibernia
• Britannia has a significant fleet of over one hundred aether ships.
  • Britannia's fleet of aether ships defeated the Hispanian Armada during an unsuccessful invasion of Albion during the reign of Elizabeth I.
• The state religion of Britannia is Albian Refactored Communionism, although Eternalism and other sects of Communionism are also widely practiced.
  • The Albian Church of Refactored Communionism was founded during the previous century, as a result of a dispute between Henry VIII of Albion and Architectus Clement VII.
  • Eternalists have faced persecution in the past, most notably under Elizabeth I, who presided over more religious executions than any other monarch in the European Expanse.
  • Henry's father, King James I, had attempted to establish an environment more tolerant toward Eternalists, with mixed success.
  • A period of persecution of Eternalists followed the assassination of King James I, under the direction of regent Sir Robert Cecil.
  • When Henry IX gained full control of his government in 1615, he formally ended the persecution of Eternalists. This displeased some of the more extreme Communionists.
• Britannia is experiencing a "golden age" of literature and drama, with writers such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Sir Francis Bacon contributing to a flourishing literary culture.

Dominion of Hispania

• Ruled by Queen Anna IV (born Anna Maria Mauricia), age 24.
  • Anna IV ascended the throne in 1621 at the age of 20, upon the death of her father, King Philip III.
  • Anna is lively and beautiful, and has many admirers (including, some say, the Duke of Buckingham).
  • Anna IV's primary residence is the Royal Palace on Valladolid.
• Capital world is Valladolid, in the Castile province.
• Hispania has 14 provinces, and numerous territories, colonies, and protectorates.
  • Aragon
  • Asturia
  • Baleares
  • Bizkaia
  • Castile
  • Cordoba
  • Galicia
  • Granada
  • Jaen
  • Leon
  • Murcia
  • Navarre
  • Sevilla
  • Toledo
• Hispania has a sizeable fleet of nearly one hundred aether ships.
• The state religion of Hispania is Eternalism.
  • Communionists and adherents of other religions are subject to prejudice, persecution, and/or expulsion.
• Hispania is best known for exports of wool, grain, and precious metals brought back from its Vespucian colonies.

Architectal Worlds

• Ruled by Architectus Urbanus VIII (born Maffeo Barberini), the Programmator of the planet Matica and the autarch of the Eternal Church of the Divine Memorial ("Eternalists"), age 77.
  • Architectus Urbanus VIII is more militant than his predecessors, aggressively expanding the Architectal Worlds.
  • Urbanus VIII is concerned less with the hegemony of Eternalism than he is with adjusting the balance of power in the European Expanse to favour his own independence.
  • Urbanus VIII practices nepotism on a grand scale, causing some to wonder if he is creating a Barberini dynasty.
  • Urbanus VIII is a generous patron of the arts -- some would say too generous.
  • The primary residence of Architectus Urbanus VIII is in the Quirinal Palace on the world of Matica.
• Capital world is Matica, in the Lazio province.
• The Architectal Worlds include four provinces and a small number of territories.
  • Lazio
  • Marche
  • Romagna
  • Umbria
• The Architectal Worlds have a small fleet of a few dozen aether ships.
• The state religion of the Architectal Worlds is Eternalism.
  • Communionism is a crime in the Architectal Worlds, punishable by expulsion.
  • Other religions are tolerated, but the rights and privileges of their practitioners are severely restricted.
• The Architectal Worlds are best known for being the center of the Eternal Church of the Divine Memorial.

Osmanian Empire

• Located in the Sinae Expanse.
• Ruled by Sultan Osman II, age 20.
  • The Imperial consort Ayse Sultan is the true power behind the throne.
  • Sultan Osman II's primary residence is Topkapi Palace on Stamboul.
• Capital world is Stamboul, in the province of Anatolia.
• The Osmanian Empire has dozens of provinces, and numerous territories, colonies, and protectorates, as well as vassal states.
  • The Osmanian Empire is the second largest dominion in the Sinae Expanse, second only to the Shenzhou Empire.
• The Osmanian Empire has a massive fleet of hundreds of aether ships.
• The state religion of the Osmanian Empire is Quaestorism.
  • Other religions are tolerated, but the rights and privileges of their practitioners are mildly restricted.
• The Osmanian Empire is best known for coffee, silk, spices, and tobacco.

Tsardom of Moscovia

• Located in (and nearly coextensive with) the Ruthenian Expanse.
• Ruled by Tsarina Tatyana I, age 34.
  • Tatyana I ascended the throne in 1610 at the age of 19, upon the death of her father, Tsar Feodor II, who was himself the nephew of Ivan IV Vasilyevich (commonly known as Ivan the Terrible).
  • Tatyana's reign has been one of turmoil, but over time her reforms have proven to be wise.
  • When Tatyana ascended to power, music was largely dead in Moscovia (except in the folk songs of poor villagers), because of a 12th Century decree from Machinator Cyril Tourovsky that designated it as a product of a "disordered mind" (a very serious concern under Eternalism). Tatyana invited singers and musicians from the European Expanse to Moskva, and European music began to take hold in Ruthenia.
  • Tatyana's most controversial act was to abolish the mestnichestvo system in 1618. This caused great consternation among established boyar families, the Ruthenian nobility. However, in a short period of time it greatly improved the quality of the Ruthenian government and military.
  • In the same year (1618), Tatyana negotiated a treaty with the Dominion of Polska-Lietuva, ceding several contested worlds, but reclaiming many worlds which had been conquered by Polska-Lietuva.
  • Tatyana is publicly and officially an absolute monarch. However, she frequently consults with members of the Zemsky Sobor, the Ruthenian parliament, which meets formally once per year.
  • Tatyana I's primary residence is Teremnoy Palace on Moskva.
• Capital world is Moskva, in the Moskva province.
• Moscovia has over one hundred provinces, and even more territories, colonies, and protectorates.
  • The Tsardom of Moscovia is vast -- even larger than the Shenzhou Empire. It comprises nearly all of the Ruthenian Expanse, such that people often use "Ruthenia" and "Tsardom of Moscovia" interchangeably.
• Moscovia has a massive fleet of hundreds of aether ships.
• The state religion of Moscovia is Ruthenian Eternalism, which broke away from (Matican) Eternalism in 1054.
  • Other religions, including numerous sects of Ruthenian Eternalism, are tolerated with minimal prejudice.
• The Tsardom of Moscovia is best known for its exports of luxury goods and essential trade materials, such as furs, skins, tallow, ash, hemp, and flax.

Shenzhou Empire

• Located in the Sinae Expanse.
• Ruled by Zhu Chang-Xun, the Taichang Emperor, age 39.
  • The eunuch bureaucracy is controlled by Wei Zhong-Xian, whose power rivals that of the emperor.
  • Zhu Chang-Xun's primary residence is the Purple City on Shuntian.
• Capital world is Shuntian, in the Zhili province.
• Shenzhou has 15 provinces, and numerous territories, colonies, and protectorates, as well as vassal states.
  • Shenzhou provinces are larger than most dominions.
  • The Shenzhou Empire is the largest dominion in the Sinae Expanse -- nearly as large as the entire European Expanse.
• The Shenzhou Empire has an enormous fleet of thousands of aether ships.
• The Shenzhou Empire does not have a state religion.
  • The three most popular religions, called the Three Teachings (Ruism, Laoziism, and Sramanism), are practiced by most Shenzhen, often in combination (Shenzhou religions are not exclusive in the way that Epiphanic religions are).
  • A small number of Shenzhou also practice one of the Epiphanic religions, although this has been forbidden by Emperor Zhu Chang-Xun.
• The Shenzhou Empire is best known for tea, silk, and porcelain.
  • The process of making Shenzhou porcelain is a closely guarded secret.

The Void

The vast emptiness between worlds is referred to as "the Void". The Void is not truly empty: an immaterial substance called "aether" or "quintessence" fills the Void, and indeed the entire universe, permeating all matter.

The atmosphere envelope around an aether ship only extends a few meters away from the hull, masts, and sails. If an individual falls (or is thrown) into the Void, their maximum Endurance is reduced by one per minute until they return to a breathable atmosphere, or until their maximum Endurance equals zero. For this reason, aether sailors working above deck usually wear an atmosphere helm.

There is no gravity in the Void. For this reason, aether sailors must take care to be tethered to a jackline whenever they venture above deck.

Aether travel is dangerous, time consuming, and generally unpleasant. Traveling to a nearby world may only take a day or two, while traveling from one capital world to another (Lutetia to Londinium, for example) takes about two weeks. Trips from Gallia to the nearest edge of the Vespucian Expanse take six to eight weeks -- sometimes longer, depending on the occurrence of aether storms, pirates, and other difficulties. A round trip to the Shenzhou Empire can take a year or more. During this time, the passenger suffers cramped accommodations, has infrequent opportunities to go above deck for exercise and fresh air, and subsists on a diet consisting primarily of beer (or watered down rum), rock-hard bread, beans or oats, and, if they are lucky (or wealthy), dehydrated meat and dried fruit.

Religions

Eternal Church of the Divine Memorial ("Eternalists")

• The oldest of the three Epiphanic religions.
  • Tradition states that Eternalism has its origins in Kvellism.
  • Eternalism was founded in the Sinae Expanse roughly 1600 years ago, on the planet Aelia Capitolina in what is now the Osmanian Empire.
  • The year of the common European calendar is based on the date the Eternal Church of the Divine Memorial is said to have been founded. For example, the current year is 1625 CE (consecutio ecclesiae).
• Headed by Architectus Urbanus VIII, the Programmator of the planet Matica.
• Eternalists practice the rite of epiphania: specifically, using an epiphania machina to copy a deceased person's memories into the Divine Memorial, a planet-sized calculator in the heart of the planet Matica. Communionists consider this a perversion of the rite of epiphania.
• The major ranks are Architectus, Machinator, Programmator, and Technicus.
• The most well-known symbol of Eternalism in Gallia is a crux ansata (ankh).
• Primary doctrines are nobility, responsibility, and traditionalism.

Refactored Communionist Church ("Communionists")

• The youngest of the three Epiphanic religions.
  • Communionism began in the Dominion of Saxony a century ago, as a movement against the centralized power of Eternalism.
• Scores of sects exist; some (generally the largest) are headed by a council, but many are loose affiliations without any central ruling body.
  • One noteworthy sect of Communionism is the Society Of Boon Companions. Boon Companions seek truth in inner experience, and place great reliance on conscience as the basis of morality. They emphasize direct experience of the infinite rather than ritual and ceremony. They believe that priests and rituals are an unnecessary obstruction between the individual and the eternal.
• Communionists practice the rite of epiphania: specifically, using an epiphania machina to copy a deceased person's memories into "eternity" (aka, the Void). Eternalists consider this a heresy.
• Most Communionist sects eschew ranks. Each assembly or congregation is led by an individual. Some typical titles for this position are Advocatus, Ministrator, and Servus.
  • The Albian Refactored Communionist Church is unusual, in that the Archministrator of the planet Canterbury is the highest ecclesiastical rank, and the monarch of Britannia is the Supreme Authority (a largely ceremonial title).
• The most well-known symbol of Communionism in Gallia is a lemniscate (infinity symbol).
• Primary doctrines are asceticism, fellowship, and idealism.

Kvellism

• "Kvellism" is the term used to describe the religious practices of the Kvellim, an ethnoreligious group (both a religion and an ethnicity).
  • Unlike the Epiphanic religions, the Kvellim do not proselytize. One is born a Kvell, or not.
  • The core of the Kvellish religion is a set of customs dating from the dawn of written language. Some customs are fairly ordinary (kindness towards all persons, having good hygiene, etc.), while others are harder for outsiders to understand (prohibitions against certain textiles, restrictions on certain foods, etc.).
  • Kvellish people are sometimes thought to be exotic or strange by the wider society, but they suffer no more prejudice than any other religious group.
• While no formal sects exist, observance of the religious customs among ethnic Kvellim vary from strict observance, to casual observance, to complete nonobservance.
• The Kvellim eschew ranks, using the title of Choshuve to designate a cultural leader or religious scholar.
  • Since the destruction of their home planet over a thousand years ago, there is no single body that has a leadership position over the entire Kvellish culture or religion. Various Kvellish communities throughout the European Expanse and beyond elect or appoint their governing bodies, often subdivided by province or world.
• The most well-known symbol of Kvellism in Gallia resembles a capital letter W, or a capital E on its side.
• Primary doctrines are community, pragmatism, and responsibility.

Followers Of The Tradition Of The Quaesitor ("Quaestors")

• The second-oldest of the three Epiphanic religions.
  • Quaestorism was founded in the Sinae Expanse roughly one thousand years ago, on the planet Yathrib in what is now the Osmanian Empire.
• Several sects exist; the bone of contention between most sects pertains to the proper succession from the First Quaesitor. The largest sect is headed by Quaesitor Shahzada of the planet Yathrib.
• Quaestors practice the rite of epiphania; however, Quaestors consider the epiphania machina an abomination. Instead, the immediate family meditates over the body of the deceased for three days, while they each inscribe the deceased's actions upon specially prepared parchment. At the end of the three days, the parchments are burned, and the ashes are buried along with the body.
• Quaestors have a very loose hierarchy. Each dominion has a religious leader, usually a Quaesitor, who then grants lower ranks to respected religious experts. Ecclesiastical ranks granted by a Quaesitor typically include Praesul, Magister, and Favitor.
• The most well-known symbol of Quaestorism in Gallia is a Solomon's Knot (two interlocking ovals).
• Primary doctrines are control, enlightenment, and exploration.

Technology

Aether Ship

An aether ship is similar to an ordinary sailing vessel. However, both the wood of the hull and the fabric of the ship's sails (or oars) are specially treated in order to interact with the aether ("quintessence") which permeates all matter and fills the void of space. This permits the ship to resist the pull of gravity and to sail between worlds. Aether ships typically have additional sails projecting from the hull, which may be withdrawn and stowed before the ship comes to rest in a body of water or on keel blocks.

A common sailing vessel can't be converted to an aether ship: each piece of wood must be specially treated during construction, or the aether ship will tear itself apart when under way. This process is time consuming and expensive. The best Batavian shipyards can construct a 50 meter galleon in just over a year. An aether ship of the same design takes three years to construct.

Airship

The principle of using phlogisticated matter to heat air in a bladder was invented in the Shenzhou Empire hundreds of years ago, but it soon spread through the Osmanian Empire and then to the European Expanse. Airships are widely used for shipping and transportation, but are of limited value in warfare because they can't leave the atmosphere.

Armor Fabric

Armor fabric was invented in the early 1600s by Louise Kwolek Sendivogius, an alchemist in the service of King Sigismund III of the Dominion of Polonia. Made from an aromatic polyamide, the resulting woven fabric is stronger and lighter than steel. However, production of armor fabric is expensive due to the difficulties arising from using concentrated sulfuric acid, needed to keep the water-insoluble polymer in solution during its synthesis and spinning.

Atmosphere Helm

A clear transparent globe worn over the head, which permits normal breathing while in the aether.

Automaton

Automata are advanced clockworks which are capable of independent action and locomotion. Most automata are constructed to resemble the human form. Because of their complexity and expense, automata are rarely seen outside of the residences of the very wealthy. Automata are used in roles requiring precision and repetition, such as accountants, secretaries, assistants to artisans, dueling instructors, and musicians.

The most advanced automata are self-winding: when the mainspring begins to lose tension, the automaton returns to a "winding alcove", where it engages with a key which is constantly turning. Such a key is typically powered by a water wheel or wind turbine.

Clockwork

A clockwork is a mechanical device, usually powered by a mainspring, a spiral torsion spring of metal ribbon. Energy is stored in the mainspring manually by turning a key attached to a ratchet which twists the mainspring tighter. Then the force of the mainspring turns the clockwork gears, until the stored energy is used up.

Clockworks are used for a variety of devices, such as clocks (naturally), calculators (such as the Divine Memorial on Matica), automata, toys, astronautical navigation devices, and artificial limbs ("cybernetiques").

Cybernetique

"Cybernetique" is the term applied to the use of clockworks for anatomical prostheses and augmentation.

Epiphania Machina

The epiphania machina is a clockwork device used during the rite of epiphania. The device scans the mind of a deceased individual, records their memories, and encodes the memories on a series of laminated cards. The cards are then transferred to a repository for such recordings.

Firearm

The technique of using phlogiston to create radiant matter was invented in the Shenzhou Empire hundreds of years ago, but it soon spread through the Osmanian Empire and then to the European Expanse.

The basic principle is that a cartridge containing accelerant and a prepared ball of phlogisticated matter (typically iron) is loaded into the barrel of the weapon, and then ignited. The accelerant is consumed, and the phlogisticated matter is converted into radiant matter, or "plasma", which expands and is expelled forcefully from the barrel of the firearm toward the target. A careful observer can detect the radiant matter projectile as a streak of brilliant light which moves through the air in a straight line.

Portable firearms, such as pistols and muskets, generally use one of three forms of ignition: a lit match, a friction-wheel mechanism, or a flint-striking mechanism. Such weapons are called matchlocks, wheellocks, and flintlocks, respectively. Cannons typically use a fuse to ignite the accelerant, which is loaded into the barrel separately from the ball of phlogisticated matter.

As a historical footnote, flintlocks were invented in Gallia in 1612 by Marin le Bourgeoys, the inventor of the rocket pack. The new mechanism quickly became popular, and spread throughout the European Expanse by 1625.

Rocket Pack

The rocket pack, or pack de fusée, was invented by Marin le Bourgeoys, the inventor of the flintlock, in 1618. A rocket pack uses two tanks, one of granulated phlogisticated matter, and one of accelerant. The user controls the mixture and the rate of combustion with a combination of a chest-mounted control panel and a hand-held switch.

A fully fueled rocket pack will last an hour of constant use, or a few days of intermittent use.

The design of rocket packs is a closely guarded Gallian secret.

Vibro-sword

A vibro-sword, or épée vibrante, uses a combination of clockworks and aetherized matter to vibrate the blade at an incredible speed, making even the slightest glancing blow become a gaping wound. Vibro-swords hum quietly when activated, and they often glow or spark when struck against an unyielding surface, such as armor or another sword.

Vibro-swords were originally conceived by Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci in the early 16th century, although he never built one. It was not until 1598 that Marin le Bourgeoys, the inventor of the flintlock, was able to apply Leonardo's concept using modern clockworks. The design quickly became popular, and spread throughout the European Expanse by 1615.

System

The Queen's Rocketeers uses the ZeroSpace roleplaying game system.

However, due to the nature of the setting, there are some changes.

• Aliens and androids are not available.
• Esoteric orders are not available.
• Energy shields are not available.

Quick Start

Briefly, the character generation works like this:

You start with 40 points.

Attributes

There are six attributes, but Power Level should be zero unless you have routine access to alchemy or clockwork 'cybernetiques.

• Agility
• Brawn
• Endurance
• Presence
• Reason
• Power Level

8 (marked in red) is the maximum of human potential. The cost for each attribute is like so:

Table: Attribute cost

Description	Value	Cost
Typical	1	1
	2	2
	3	3
Great	4	5
	5	7
	6	9
Fantastic	7	12
	8	15
	9	18
Inconceivable	10	22

Skills

There are 20 skills (but don't buy Starship Combat -- this game will use a "Gambling" skill, instead). Each skill costs 1 point. Having "expertise" in a skill costs another point. Expertise allows you to re-roll each 1 or 2 until the number on the die is higher than 2.

• Athletics
• Computing
• Culture
• Deception
• Diplomacy
• Engineering
• Finesse
• Hand-to-hand Combat
• Investigation
• Manipulation
• Medicine
• Mental Combat
• Perception
• Performance
• Piloting
• Ranged Combat
• Science
• Starship Combat (in this game, replace Starship Combat with Gambling)
• Stealth
• Survival

Gifts

There are 28 gifts. Each costs one point.

• Animal Empathy
• Blindfighting
• Connected
• Cybernetics
• Elusive
• Famous
• Fascinating
• Hard Target
• Headquarters
• Indefatigable
• Leadership
• Lightning Strike
• Linguist
• Master Plan
• Mental Calculator
• Mental Resistance
• Minions
• Perfect Recall
• Pro From Dover
• Second Identity
• Sharpshooter
• Team Player
• Tenacious
• Underwater Combat
• Unsettling
• Wealthy
• Zero-G Combat

Esoteric Powers

You can buy alien traits or esoteric powers if you have routine access to alchemy or have cybernetiques. Each costs one point. Please discuss it with me before you get your heart set on something.

Margin Of Success

Margin Of Success (see the Actions chapter) will be implemented like so:

• Non-combat skill checks: yes
• Combat skill checks against PCs: no
• Combat skill checks against NPCs: yes

Equipment

Weapons which are described as being "two-handed" are more difficult to use with one hand. Someone making a Ranged Combat roll while holding a two-handed weapon with one hand incurs a penalty die on their attack.

The firearms below are assumed to be flintlocks. Flintlocks require two turns to load, and can be fired with a standard action. Matchlocks require two turns to load, and require two standard actions to fire. Wheellocks require two turns to load, and can be fired with a standard action. However, if the person using the wheellock rolls all 1s on their Ranged Combat attack roll (before taking expertise or other bonuses into account), the wheellock mechanism breaks and needs to be repaired by a person skilled in the maintenance of such devices.

Armor

Table: Armor

Type	PL	Notes
Padded Doublet	1	maximum Agility 8
Leather Jerkin	2	maximum Agility 7
Steel Cuirass	3	maximum Agility 6
Armor Cloth Cassock	4	maximum Agility 8

A character may carry a shield or other defensive item in their off hand, such as a buckler, a dagger, or a cloak. Any of these grants +1 PL to the character's armor.

Close Combat Weapons

Table: Typical close combat weapons

Weapon	PL	Notes
Dagger	1	slashing, short range (10 m)
Whip	1	slashing
Axe, boarding	2	slashing
Club	2	bludgeoning
Quarterstaff	2	bludgeoning, two-handed, no sweep attack penalty1
Axe, battle	3	slashing
Cutlass	3	slashing
Rapier	3	slashing, +1 PL if free hand is empty
Scimitar	3	slashing
Vibro-dagger	3	slashing, short range (10 m)
Club, great	4	bludgeoning, two-handed
Halberd	4	slashing, two-handed, no sweep attack penalty1
Vibro-axe	5	slashing
Vibro-cutlass	5	slashing
Vibro-rapier	5	slashing, +1 PL if free hand is empty
Vibro-scimitar	5	slashing
Vibro-halberd	6	slashing, two-handed, no sweep attack penalty1

1. Sweep Attack

Short Range Weapons

Table: Short range weapons

Type	PL	Notes
Pocket Pistol	1	reloading requires two turns
Pistol	2	reloading requires two turns
Hand Cannon	3	two-handed, reloading requires two turns
Grenade	8	exploding, single use

Medium Range Weapons

Table: Medium range weapons

Type	PL	Notes
Arquebus	3	two-handed, reloading requires two turns
Caliver	4	two-handed, reloading requires two turns
Musket	5	two-handed, reloading requires two turns

Long Range Weapons

Table: Long range weapons

Type	PL	Notes
Demi-culverin	6	three cannoneers, reloading requires four minutes
Culverin	7	four cannoneers, reloading requires six minutes
Demi-cannon	8	five cannoneers, reloading requires eight minutes
Cannon	9	six cannoneers, reloading requires ten minutes
Cannon Royal	10	seven cannoneers, reloading requires twelve minutes

Rocket Packs

Table: Rocket packs

Type	PL	Notes
Rocket Pack, Basic	4	walk 4 m, run 8 m, sprint 24 m (14 km/h)
Rocket Pack, Improved	6	walk 7 m, run 14 m, sprint 42 m (25 km/h)
Rocket Pack, Advanced	8	walk 13 m, run 26 m, sprint 78 m (47 km/h)

Useful Links

• Character page template -- "View source", copy the code, and paste it in your own character page
• Secure Dice
• The simplest possible guide to writing Mediawiki
• ZeroSpace roleplaying game system
• Paris in the 17th Century
• French culture in the 17th century
• duael planets (done up to Jinx)
• Star Wars planets
• Planet Maker
• Procedural planet generator
• Vadim Sadovski space art

{{#vardefine:campaignname|Queens Rocketeers}} {{#vardefine:campaigncategory|Science Fiction}} {{#vardefine:campaignmoderator|bblackmoor}}

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