PC Backgrounds and NPC Contacts

Player Character Backgrounds:

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Players
will most likely begin as the Streel new hires that are forced to transfer to <st1:place>PEST</st1:place>.
At GM discretion they could also be PAC personnel from the regular militia or
from the ESO depending on the character created and the player’s temperament.

The culture
of Pale’s space navy is very patriotic in nature with a strong belief in the
constitution. There is near universal resentment toward Streel and politicians
who appear to be sell outs to the mega corp. The Exploration & Sciences
Organization (ESO), though under military control, is largely staffed with
civilian contractors.

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NPC contacts for the Player Characters:

NPC contacts encourage role playing as the help or
information that they can provide is only obtainable through role play. They
also provide the GM with a voice in the adventure but that should be limited to
hints. The PCs should ask for information and the NPC would not be overly
helpful without good reason. Provide the PCs and opportunity to interact with
their NPC contacts and to shop for any equipment they can afford before they
embark on the Serrena Dawn. The info that they may generate in this way should
not give them the whole picture as to what is going on though the developments
on New Pale could be used as a distraction (red herring).

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Lucritia Dolores, a writer for The Star Republic, an
independent and conservative periodical with largely electronic distribution.
Lucritia is known for her patriotic and anti-Streel views. She is a critical
analyst on politics and mega corps. Her contact with a PC could be as family (distant
cousin) or through past association (knew each other in school but not
necessarily close). She’ll gladly answer questions or research info concerning
her areas of expertise since she often feels frustrated over Streels seeming
control of the government and would welcome a sympathetic ear. She could easily
find a corporate division report on RAD (Resource Acquisition & Developement) if asked.

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Ch’S’R T’Seck of House Ch’S’R. House Ch’S’R is a vursk trade
house, focusing on accounting and are reputed to be among the premier
accounting firms in the Frontier. T’Seck's expertise are in accounting and finds
the changes in budgeting at RAD interesting as well as the fact that House Ch’S’R no
longer audits RAD’s books just reviews a prepared book that seems a little too
prepared. House Ch’S’R is still retained for accounting all other departments
and divisions at the Streel headquarters. His association with a PC could be familial;
in the case of a vursk PC or through prior business association (maybe he
audited the books for the PC’s family’s business and is known to the PC).

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Bork the Bartender (race can be flexible for this character),
Bork is a ne’r do well and spacer with a checkered past who has settled into
bartending. His lack of respect for authority bounced him out of 2 separate
militia organizations. He was in the 1st Common Muster and has
little love for pirates but keeps his finger on the pulse of criminal activity
in the capitol of Pale as his bar is in one of the seeder neighborhoods. He’s
an astute judge of the character. His association with a PC would most likely
derive from the PC knowing a friend of his who told them to look him up.

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Saleck Chin (any race) is an aging scientist (lvl 6
environmental skill) in the ESO. He is a civilian contractor and is biding his
time till retirement next year. He will in no way jeopardize his pension but is
generally unhappy with interference by Streel in the Zebulon Survey Project
that first started with loss of funding for the ESO and now the usurpation of
the Volturnus mission by Streel. He’s well versed in environmental issues
concerning Pale and New Pale and the astro sciences of Truane’s Star. His
association with a PC could be as past professor for a PC with a physco-social
PSA or as a friend of someone known to the PC or as past professional
association if the PC’s background started him as part of the ESO.

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Sgt. Grick (any race) is a true blue patriotic Pale citizen
and career militia spacer. Words like crusty and salty come to mind for those
asked to describe him. He works hard and parties hard with a fondness for
strong drink. He recently dodged “the bullet” avoiding transfer to Training
Command to be a drill sgt. for the new Peace Keeper force (an occupation force being raise to strong arm New Pale). He has family on New
Pale and is disgusted with the prospect of being ordered to take action against
them. His new assignment is as quartermaster sgt. and maybe able to issue some
non-weapon equipment to the PCs party by virtue of some creative paperwork and
or proper paperwork issued by the PCs but coached by him. His association with
a PC in the military PSA would be through past professional association
especially if the PCs background started him as a member of the militia or of
the ESO.

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Barlow Kuman, is an undercover star law agent (real name is
?). He has been investigating RAD and may decide to provide some help to the
PCs on the down low as long as it doesn’t risk his cover. He’s obtained a
support personnel position at RAD’s headquarters.