Minor Stellar Empires

The following are but a few of the multi-world star nations Taalismn has mentioned in the past in various parts of the Palladium Books forums, either as belonging to new races, or alluded to in passing, formatted in the Star Kingdom format tables he wrote up.

These are all independent star nations trying to go their own way, and while some may trade and have diplomatic relations with the Consortium of Civilized Worlds, Transgalactic Empire, and other major powers, they are not a part of those entities.

(Color commentary by Aisho Kennet, galactic political analyst and correspondent for Network Omni News, the Three Galaxies largest independent news network)

Interstellar Empires/Kingdoms: (Template)

A. Size

B. History

C. Level of Technological Sophistication

D. General Attitude/Culture

E. Racial Composition

F. Government

G. Administrative Control

H. External Trade

H1. Commodities

Exports:

Imports:

I. Status

Xan Xanti Synoc (Thundercloud Galaxy)“The Xan Xanti are prompt, firm, expedient and unerringly polite when it comes to anybody entering their space without their permission, the polite part being particularly surprising, because with the way they throw anti-matter around like firecrackers, they could be a lot ruder and nobody could do much about it.” The reptilian Xan Xanti and their companion race the insectile Xappish, hold sway over a small enclave of worlds on the edge of the Thundercloud. Their culture and outlook has been shaped by at least one encounter with Dominators in their history. The Xan Xanti tend to be fairly paranoid about outsiders; tolerant but extremely cautious, and they have a powerful military to enforce the security of their space. They are particularly adept at the handling of anti-matter and many of their power and weapons systems utilize it. A. Size: Modest (12 systems) B. History: Independents C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists E. Racial Composition: Mixed, a combination of the large-statured Xan Xanti and the miniature Xappish F. Government: Meritocracy G. Administrative Control: Restrictive H. External Trade: Manufacturing, Energy H1. Commodities Exports: Refined metals, energy materials (including fusionables and anti-matter) Imports: Luxury Goods I. Status: Can be considered to be Established; they are still growing, but slowly, and are consolidating their territorial gains.

New Nigellian Confederation (Anvil Galaxy)“The Nigies are really looking to make a place for themselves at the galactic cassic table; you can see it in their eyes, like a cardsharp who’s just snapping to be dealt in at a high stakes game. You can also see them looking over their shoulders every now and then, like they’re afraid of some hired killer stalking them. The Nigie Confed’s got some secrets, alright, and we can only hope they don’t explode in ALL of our faces.” Founded by survivors of a Rifted military-scientific community from the home dimension of the Mechanoids. They have established a small, but growing, kingdom on the edge of the galaxy while they quietly poke about their region of space and feel out their prospects with the major powers operating there. A. Size: The NNC’s home system is a binary star with several habitable planets. Beyond its home systems, the New Nigellian Confederation also lays claim to at least three habitable planets(though they have as yet only established small research outposts on them), five ‘desert’ systems containing rocky bodies (but no habitable worlds), and has claimed a ‘protectorate’ in effect over two additional habitable planets with pre-space travel sentient species. B. History: D-bee strandees brought to the Three Galaxies by an accidental dimensional rifting experiment(?) C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age, with particularly advanced particle beam and plasma weaponry D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists E. Racial Composition: Mixed; a mix of Human and several other species new to the Three Galaxies (Nigellian, Borellian, Gendo, Ostrac, Psi-Warper, Cybormen) F. Government: Democracy G. Administrative Control: Loose; the Nigellians (and Humans) don’t like a government that interferes too much with their commercial enterprise. H. External Trade: Manufacturing H1. Commodities Exports: Electronics, Mercenaries. Imports: Raw Materials, Technology I. Status: Ascendant; the NNC is looking to take a greater role in galactic affairs, but their positioning with regards to the rest of the major powers may dampen such plans. Still, they are beginning to make their presence felt in their sector and adjacent galactic neighborhood.

Unity of Starholme (Thundercloud Galaxy)“The Unity has good ships, good technology, and smart people. They could be a major player in their sectors if they would just loosen up! Or maybe that’s a good thing that they aren’t; those descendents of genetically-engineered soldiers would be hell to face if they ever got territorially ambitious!” The Unity was founded by dimensional refugees, a mix of various genetically-engineered human castes who were fleeing the oppressive society that created them. They have carved out a small enclave in the Thundercloud Galaxy and would have cheerfully remained isolationists, but for a Mantella invasion that forced them to make a more proactive approach to securing their society’s safety. The Unity works mostly towards the goal of being left alone to live in peace, and has tried to remain free of foreign entanglements. They possess a relatively small, but extremely competent and well-armed military arm, as well as a strong tradition of citizen-soldiery in their culture. Anybody attacking them can expect to be badly bloodied and possibly made a graphic example of to prevent further incursions into Unity space. A. Size: Modest (7 systems) B. History: Newcomers; d-bee refugees from another universe(?) C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists with Warrior tendencies E. Racial Composition: Human and Human-derived genetically-engineered species. The most prominent are the super-soldier Shrakken, followed by the small-statured elven Micra, the winged and psychic Ajemnin, centauroid Rhona, the subterranean Krelk, and various others. F. Government: Democracy G. Administrative Control: Tight

H. External Trade: Manufacturing

H1. Commodities

; the Unity is seeking sources of certain strategic materials and minerals not found inside their own systems.

I. Status: Ascendant, but the paramilitary organization and slightly paranoid attitude of the Unity has led to a cautious expansion.

Syndian Republic (Anvil Galaxy)“They may be small in their number of worlds, but the Syndians are damn fine pilots, astrogators, and merchant-marines. Booking a trip on a Syndian flagged ship is almost a guarantee of a smooth trip!” Though small in size, the Syndians are a very advanced and economically powerful star nation in their sector, owing to their tradition of trade and starfaring. They have been locked in an ongoing feud with the neighboring Valar-Ryzellian Imperium over that prosperity, and they won the last hot shooting war between the two nations. In recent years, however, the Syndian Republic has had to devote more time and resources to (re)building up its military, as renewed conflict with the militant religious extremist cabal that replaced the Valar-Ryzellian aristocractic regime seems inevitable. The Syndian Republic is nominally allied to the CCW, but enjoys its independence. A. Size: Small (5 worlds) B. History: Newcomers, and independents C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Peaceful Expansionist E. Racial Composition: Variant of Existing Known Species---Human variant. Recently the Syndian Republic’s population has been bolstered by a significant influx of refugees from its neighbor, the Valar-Ryzellian Imperium. F. Government: Syndicracy, led by the Space Guild G. Administrative Control: Tight H. External Trade: The Syndians are merchants, and their worlds are the crossroads of several busy trade routes into parts of the galaxy once controlled by the Golgan Republik, but now free and independent.

H1. Commodities

Exports: Raw materials, spacecraft

Imports: Spacecraft(military) and weapons

I. Status: Ascendant, but recently expansion has been curtailed by troubles along its long shared border with the former Valar-Ryzellian Imperium

Valar-Ryzellian Imperium (Anvil Galaxy)“There are three kinds of Valar-Ryzellians around these days-Angry, Desperate, and Crazy - the Angry ones want to kill somebody for losing to somebody else back in the day, the Desperate ones want to sell themselves body and soul to you if it means you’ll protect them, and the Crazy ones want to conquer or kill everybody else.” Neighbors of the Syndian Republic, the VRI is larger and more numerous, but lacks the overall prosperity of the Syndians, leading to protracted conflict between the two star nations. A recent coup in the aftermath of the last war has put an extremist religious faction in charge of the government that has turned the Imperium into an oppressive police state, gearing up for renewed aggression against their neighbors. A. Size: Extensive (19 worlds) B. History: Newcomers C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age, with a particular specialization in biotech. D. General Attitude/Culture: Could be considered to be a Warrior Race, but recently the Imperium have become Aggressive Racial/Religious Supremacists E. Racial Composition: Variant of Existing Known Species; Valar-Ryzellians are a slightly more robust variant of Elves. Also has a small minority of Humans. F. Government: Was a hereditary Aristocracy with Monarch, but has become a Theocracy G. Administrative Control: Was Tight, but has become Draconian; priest-commissars and ‘dogma purity’ squads with authorization to implement corporal punishment on the spot now wander the administration and communities. H. External Trade: Interstellar trade has dried up with the new extremist regime; currently only a thin stream of smuggling takes place. H1. Commodities Exports: Biotechnology, Manpower (slaves or refugees willing to work as Indentured labor) Imports: Weapons I. Status: Imperiled; a recent coup by religious extremists has transformed the Imperium into an increasingly oppressive fundamentalist police-state teetering on the edge of civil war with itself, and all-out war with its neighbor. Some outside observers suspect a Demonic influence behind some of the activities inside the Imperium.

Cisen-Adeta Republic (Anvil Galaxy)“I’m not sure what the Consorties or the Warlocks had in mind when they threw a bunch of totally different peoples together and hoped they stuck. Maybe they foresaw unity, but I doubt they could have anticipated what cultural cross-pollination is doing there now. Give the Adetans another century and they might well be dictating terms to any Consorties or Warlocks who try telling them what to do!” A joint UWW- and CCW-backed experiment in creating an independent kingdom that could serve as a buffer-state in colonizing regions close to the crumbling Golgan territories, the C-AR was founded by economic and political refugees from various other regions. With a newly-minted ‘royal family’ nominated by popular decree presiding over a motivated populace and a booming economy, the Republic is quickly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the region. Currently the C-AR is looking to expand its space capabilities and its defenses, so the star nation has been in the market for spacecraft and aerospace systems of all types. It’s acquired a good deal of military surplus (including at least two old battleships) from the CCW and UWW, but is looking into making deals with any aerospace firms willing to invest in shipyards or relocate. A. Size: Small (5 systems) B. History: Can be considered a Splinter-culture made of relocatees from the UWW, CCW, and Bushido Federation. C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialist E. Racial Composition: Mixed; Human, Ursinoid, and a splinter-faction of the Bushido Federation Oni calling themselves ‘Ta-Ainu’. F. Government: Constitutional Monarchy G. Administrative Control: Loose; the monarchy knows enough to let the people do their thing and the popularity of the current regime has people not wanting to disappoint their sovereigns’ faith in them. H. External Trade: Raw Materials H1. Commodities Exports: Raw Materials (lumber, ore) Imports: Spacecraft, Manufactured Goods

I. Status: Ascendant. Recent trade routes in the area and newly opened colonies in the sector have led to the C-AR enjoying a strong upswing in fortunes.

Kretig Domain (Anvil Galaxy)“The Kretig are arrogant enough to think they can take on the galaxy and ignorant enough that they can’t possibly do it. That’s the problem; they’re just dumb enough to do something with their smarts that they think will put them on top, that will result in a whole lot of people on both sides getting killed.” A human(oid) people who have carved out a fairly large empire in the Anvil Galaxy. Currently the Kretig have painted themselves into a corner with a decades-long grinding war with the CCW. Originally meant to save the government with a quick economy-boosting war, a nice declaration of racial solidarity in the face of foreign oppression, and convenient martial law, the situation has long passed the break-even point and the economy is beginning to strain under the burden of war-debt. And the war has gone on long enough that the CCW just might begin to take them seriously enough to pour some heavy reinforcements in to finish the job before the CCW gets distracted by more pressing crisis's somewhere else. A. Size: Extensive (34 systems) B. History: Independents C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Could be considered to be mild Racial Supremacists with aggressive territorial ambitions. The general Kretig population don’t have enough exposure to other races/species to have anything more than a mild distrust and suspicion of outsiders and a desire that aliens(non-Kretig) ‘go someplace else’ rather than stand in the way of Kretig economic development/manifest destiny. E. Racial Composition: Variant of Existing Known Species; Human, but with extra digits and few other minor cosmetic variations. F. Government: Militocracy, masked as a parliamentary democracy G. Administrative Control: Restrictive; martial law. H. External Trade: Trade outside the Domain has largely dried up due to the increasingly xenophibic stance of the government. Only some smuggling and secret government trade is conducted. H1. Commodities Exports: Weapons(low tech systems, mainly in an effort to destabilize CCW worlds with known internal problems) Imports: Weapons(especially higher-tech equipment), Raw Materials(strategic) I. Status: Stagnant. The long war with the CCW has taken its toll on the economy and there is growing dissidence within the military and civilian populace with regards to how the war is being prosecuted.Gapatrac Syndracy (Thundercloud Galaxy)“The Gapatrac are polite, erudite, and adamant about their neutrality. They offer good terms and prompt service in any business dealings with outsiders, as long as it’s understood that they don’t welcome any long term associations that lock them into a position that might get them into trouble with anybody else. I start to worry, though, when they start asking personal questions about any any unusual traits or abilities in my family.” The Gapatrac Syndracy is an old culture that has advanced slowly over the millenia of its existence, but seems to have reached a dead end in its slow march across time. Currently they avoid confrontations and entanglements and keep to their own sector, doing a little trading and attending various intergalactic science and diplomatic forums, without committing themselves to anything that might align them with one or the other of the larger powers.Though the Gapatrac continue to maintain a staunch and unified front against anybody seeking to invade their space or lock them into any sort of alliance, there are those within the Syndracy who fear that the best days of their culture, and indeed their species, are behind them. Concerns that the Gapatrac genome has become a genetic and evolutionary dead-end have fueled desperate research into ‘kick starting’ Gapatrac biology with infusions of biomaterial from other more genetically varied and vigorous races. This has led to increasingly desperate efforts to enhance the Gapatrac genome, and rumors of Gapatrac gene-pirates ‘harvesting’ promising species and races, or even approaching the Gene-Tech. A. Size: Extensive (18 systems, was once over twenty-five) B. History: Independent C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Neutral Non-Interventionists E. Racial Composition: Unique Alien: the Gapatrac, vaguely humanoid beings with insectile features (though some CCW protestors claim that the Syndracy holds several forgotten Human-settled worlds as slave worlds). F. Government: Pedocracy; the Gapatrac are led by Councils of experts in various fields relevant to the matter at hand. G. Administrative Control: Tight H. External Trade: Manufacturing. The Syndracy does some small trade in electronics and industrial equipment. H1. Commodities

Exports: Electronics, materials processing equipment

Imports: Genetic material

I. Status: Crumbling. The Gapatrac have been slowly losing worlds, and there is evidence of a population growth ‘ennui’ taking its toll on the once-strong species.

Saphian Royal Confederation (Corkscrew Galaxy)“Saphians are real easy on the eyes, but their politics can get kinda shrill. Thing is, under those pretty looks and slick fashions, they got some muscle to them, so you don’t want to be criticizing their politics to their faces.” The Saphian Royal Confederation is a modest, but verbose, and decidedly outspoken in their views. Most of their neighbors consider them to be arrogant, swaggering know-it-alls who can’t keep their opinions to themselves, while others see the Saphians as heroic champions of the underdogs, the downtrodden, and the neglected. Nominal allies of the CCW, the Saphians have come out strong for stronger environmental policies and ‘green’ initiatives. They often support rebellion, civil action, and political activism around the Three Galaxies, and the TGE has accused them of collaborating with Naruni Enterprises(and other armaments manufacturers) in supplying the FWC with weapons. They have reportedly turned their attention of late to the many pristine worlds of the Thundercloud, with an eye towards curbing the worse excesses of rampant colonial development. A. Size: Modest (18 worlds) B. History: Independents C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists E. Racial Composition: Variant of Existing Known Species; Saphian, a race of handsome/beautiful mer-lycanthropic human(oid)s. F. Government: Monarchy G. Administrative Control: Lax; Saphian citizens are pretty much on their own when it comes to the oversight of their government. The Saphian government has thus a lot of ‘plausible deniablity’ when it comes to the actions of the more active citizenry with regards to external politics. H. External Trade: The Saphians do a lot of trade in raw materials, primarily foodstuffs.Their aquaculture is the pride of the sector. Their space also serves as a trade hub, and they make a considerable amount of income facilitating trade through their region of space. H1. Commodities Exports: Foostuffs, luxury goods Imports: Raw Materials (mainly minerals)

I. Status: Ascendant; their economy is booming, and their economic clout is being plowed into political influence. Well-funded Saphian activists (some would call them eco-terrorists) are spreading throughout the Three Galaxies.

Chukta Star Empire (Anvil Galaxy)“The Chukta don’t trust anybody non-Chukta that doesn’t have a steel slave collar welded around their necks. Hell, the Chukta don’t trust other CHUKTA without a collar welded around their necks, or a sharp blade held to their throats! They’re just plain greedy-crazy like that!” The Chuktas are a race of humanoid amphibians and TGE-wannabees who inhabited a planet just outside the limits of Golgan expansion and were thus below the notice of the Republik. Sadly, the Chukta began space exploration soon after the Golgans hastily pulled out of that particular sector of their frontier, leaving a mothballed fleet base that the Chukta discovered. The Chukta acquired advanced Galactic technology practically overnight, but haven’t acquired more advanced moral behavior, and the Chukta soon began a campaign of invading nearby non-spacefaring worlds (worlds the Golgans had left alone as not being threats) and enslaving them. Emboldened, the Chukta have cut a swath through the less-advanced peoples of the local systems, and have swaggeringly set themselves up as lords of creation in their own minds, bullying and abusing anyone who doesn’t have their strength of arms. With no one to offer them any resistance(the Chukta believe that the Golgans left their area of space far longer ago than they really did) the Chukta Empire feels now is their time to reach for greatness and galactic supremacy. With their three slave worlds whipped to produce war material for their small (but powerful) space fleet, the Chukta were gearing up to take on the next nearest inhabitable system....which unfortunately for them was also claimed by the larger and equally expansionist Zyganian Empire. The Chukta may have had three systems under their thrall, but three pre-FTL slave worlds(especially with the sort of heavy-handed mismanagement the Chukta practice) does not a galactic power make. This time, the Zyganians got to play hero. The Zyganians, assisted by several other contingents from other independent systems, trounced the Chukta and rolled their empire back to their home systems, taking away two of their slave worlds. The Chukta are currently being blockaded, until such a time as either the alliance gets tired of holding the line and gears up to blow away the Chukta, or the Chukta implode under their own cutthroat politics. A. Size: Small (2 systems (originally 5)) B. History: Independent newcomers given a boost by found Golgan technology C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Mature Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Aggressive Racial Supremacists E. Racial Composition: Dominated by the Chukta, with a smattering of abject slaves (mostly Humans).

F. Government: Oligarchy

G. Administrative Control: Tight

H. External Trade: Little external trade, given that the Chukta regard most outsider species as potential threats or potential targets. Almost all trade that gets through the blockade is meant to shore up the Chuktas’ military capabilities or the bargaining position of individual factions in the government.

H1. Commodities

Exports: Slaves, Raw Materials

Imports: Weapons

I. Status: Imperiled; the Chukta got steamrolled by an alliance of their more advanced neighbors, backed by the Zyganian Empire. Currently the Chuktas’ remaining star systems are blockaded by the alliance.

Zyganian Empire (Anvil Galaxy)“Zyganians may be crazy for brass and braid and their whole royal manifest destiny thing, but they’ve got some real justified pride in their engineering and their culture. If they can survive their own crazy bravado for the next century, they’ve got it made.” This star nation recently (as in within the last century) regained its freedom from the Golgans, and have been making up for lost time carving out a small empire along the crumbling borders of the old Republik. Since their explosive ascendancy the Zyganians have been cheerfully tweaking the nose of the Golgans with relative impunity, but the recent change of regime in the Republik may signal that the Zyganians aren’t likely to get away with that for much longer. The Empire may have to seriously defend itself against Golgan encroachment again, sooner than they’d wish. A. Size: Extensive; 8 habitable worlds, twenty ‘desert’ systems staked as resource/border systems (with either industrial outposts or military stations on them), and lays claim to two more habitable planets on the borders of their space, and three more desert systems known to hold important resources. Four more systems are provisionally part of the Empire (Alebia, Mazzerhine, Temus, and Oargaiga). B. History: Independent; former satellite/colonial possession of the Golgan Republik C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists E. Racial Composition: Variant of Existing Known Species (Human), but are fairly tolerant of other species/races (except the Golgans) F. Government: Constitutional Monarchy G. Administrative Control: Loose H. External Trade: Manufacturing H1. Commodities Exports: Manufactured Goods (textiles, consumer goods, vehicles) and Raw Materials Imports: High-Tech, especially robotics systems for both military and industrial use. I. Status: Ascendant, but curtailed currently by renewed Golgan aggressionKybyree Supremacy (Thundercloud Galaxy)“Galactic termites they are, with smarts! They know enough to cater to the richer and more depraved segments of galactic society, selling off the harvest they’ve scooped and looted off the worlds they’ve conquered, making the buyers willing accomplices in their criminal enterprise! If they and the Splugorth ever teamed up, well, nobody would be safe on the frontier!” An expansionist empire based on conquest and slavery, the Kybyree have been cheerfully and relentlessly gobbling up worlds in the Thundercloud, enslaving their populations, and strip mining their planets of anything usable. The Kybyree are particularly fond of capturing psychics and other meta-talents, having perfected the means of turning those beings into living batteries to power their technology. Both the CCW and the Exiles regard the Kybyree as a growing threat to stability in the region, though major action may still be decades away. A. Size: Extensive (32 systems) B. History: Independent Newcomers C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Aggressive Supremacists E. Racial Composition: Coalition of minion races dominated by the Kybyree. The KS is dominated by the insectile Kybyree, strongmen Bumbyun, the cerebral Egon, avian Mumyar, the orc-like Thralfur, and the reptilean Seshquec. F. Government: Oligarchy G. Administrative Control: Draconian H. External Trade: Conquest! The KS takes what it wants and gives little in return. They’ve cut several lucrative deals with unscrupulous outsiders to sell some of their ill-begotten gains, especially slaves. H1. Commodities Exports: Slaves Imports: High-Tech, especially weapons I. Status: Ascendant. Regarded in some circles as a growing threat to the freedom and security of worlds in the region. The Exiles in particular have been aggressive in resisting the Kybyree Supremacy(the rumor has begin circulating that the Exile homeworld was one of those gobbled up by the Supremacy).

Peoples’ Freewheeling Association of Bakalapona (Anvil Galaxy)“Under the greasepaint and the honky-horns and the straitjacket uniforms is something in the Baka psyche that anybody with a phobia of clowns would recognize as reason to fear. Not so much terror of being personally assaulted as much as fear of having somebody assaulting and totally overthrowing your preconceptions of all reality.” Founded by the descendants of the abandoned population of a Golgan Republik planetary insane asylum. They’ve managed to expand in their sector, assimilating worlds left abandoned by the retreating Republik. Though not taken seriously by most of their neighbors, they’ve managed to astonish (and frighten) some of them recently by revealing a surprisingly potent military and space capability, especially after they (literally) stomped out a Star Hive incursion in the sector.The PFAB is distinguished by their own particular and peculiar brands of science and engineering that apply across the width and breadth of whatever they manufacture. Their R&D has been described as ‘insane’ (to which the Bakalaponan scientists reply “Thank you!”) and their technology as credibility-bending (their first natively-developed FTL system involved giant slingshots...that actually WORKED).Tolerant and friendly towards most everybody and anybody who can tolerate their own peculiar takes on diplomacy, but generally regarded as too crazy by most nations to associate with, the Bakalaponans only really have any real dispute with the Golgan Republik. A. Size: Small (4 systems) B. History: Splinter of the Golgan Republik; descendants of a Golgan psychiatric gulag. C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Advanced Space Age D. General Attitude/Culture: Enlightened Imperialists (you get a free toy and 50% off on your next behavior-modification drug prescription if the Bakalaponans take over your planet). E. Racial Composition: Mixed; one of the largest communities of Golgans outside the Republik, plus Humans and other former Golgan Republik subject races. F. Government: Clownocracy - A lot like democracy, only a lot less pretentiously serious. G. Administrative Control: Loose and fairly freewheeling. There’s a lot of plausible deniablity floating around the PFAB, and their authorities are quick to cite ‘insanity’ as an explanation for the actions (legal or illegal) for their citizens outside their borders. H. External Trade: Raw materials; Bakalapona exports a lot of foodstuffs and natural fibers.

H1. Commodities

Exports: Novelties, manufactured goods.

Imports: Agriculture, Foodstuffs (especially bananas and coconut analogues)

I. Status: Ascendant; the Bakalaponans have fairly exploded onto the scene (or as one CCW observer put it; “it’s like seeing a mob emerge from a clown car”.

Boktor Agramacy (Thundercloud Galaxy)“If you’re dealing with the Boktor, don’t let them pause for a break; they’ll more than likely dash out to take a hit of lashyar or whatever it is they’re all addicted to. After that, their business acumen goes up like crazy...almost like they’re reading your mind. Which is exactly what one of my psychic friends told me they’re doing. So if you can’t prevent them from psying up, invest in some solid psi-shielding or hire a defensive teep to sit with you during negotiations. The Boktor don’t abide by those terms, they can find some other gullible shmuck to deal with.” The native Agramacy rose to power only after neighboring sectors and systems were claimed in the wave of colonization taking place in the Thundercloud. The Boktor have made it pretty much clear that they want to be left alone and only deal with outsiders on their own terms, and for the most part the Agramacy has scrupulously maintained its neutrality. However, increasing political and economic factionalism between self-serving elements of Boktor society have caused problems that threat that stance towards their neighbors. Political turmoil in the Agramacy is being fueled by the growing popularity and abuse of Lashyar, a drug that unlocks the Boktors’ latent psionic abilities. Unfortunately, Lashyar is derived from the nervous systems of humans and similar humanoids, and the cartels’ ability to obtain donors from nearby human colonies is being overtaken by the rampant demand for the drug, which could well drive the Agramacy into the arms of those (like the Kybyree or the Splugorth) willing to provide the Boktor with the raw materials needed to fuel their drug dependencies. A. Size: Modest (12 systems) B. History: Newcomers, Independents C. Level of Technological Sophistication: Mature Space Age (low efficiency FTL drives) D. General Attitude/Culture: Were Non-Interventionists, but have slipped to Aggressive Racial Supremacists E. Racial Composition: Boktor (Humanoids) F. Government: Oligarchy, dominated by the narcotics cartels. G. Administrative Control: Lax H. External Trade: Fairly self-contained, but do a little trade. Have been increasingly suspected of sponsoring piracy/slavery. H1. Commodities Exports: Raw Materials, Organics (fibers and organic chemicals)

Imports: Slaves (Lashyar donors)

I. Status: Imperiled. Rampant corruption linked to the Lashyar trade is eroding the stability of the government (it’s already slipped from a democracy to a feuding oligarchy dominated by the Lashyar cartels).