Exiles Corebook.pdf

E X I L E S v 3 . 5

EXILES

The many men, so beautiful!

And they all dead did lie;

And a thousand thousand slimy things

Lived on; and so did I.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

TABLE OF CONTENTS

History

1-4

Game Systems

5-9

Character Creation

10-20

Psi

21-25

Equipment

26-34

Vehicles

35-37

World of 293

38-49

The Oceans

50-72

A Roleplaying Game

by Jason Camp

David Fleming · Brettwick Gordon · Erich Wambach

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E X I L E S v 3 . 5

HISTORY

Following the unprecedented population growth of the late

2000s, it became painfully obvious to the nations of the world

that overpopulation would become a worldwide crisis much

sooner than anticipated. Early forecasts, a decade before the

millennium, estimated the world’s population to reach eight

billion by the year 2030. However, by the year 2014, the popu-

lation was already approaching six billion, and was likely to

double in another twenty-ive years.

The Hydrosphere

By the year 2018, UNAP and Owata-Tsumi had begun construc-

tion of a dozen new city-sized hydrosphere arcologies, includ-

ing the gigantic New Shanghai mega-sphere. Completely self-

suicient through the use of extensive recycling processes and

hydroponic farms, undersea living proved to be cost-efective,

and only slightly more technologically demanding than life on

the surface. Using and trading the hydrosphere technology

(Owata-Tsumi almost exclusively), all other major world powers

had similar city-stations in development by the end of 2019.

The colonization of space, while possible, proved to be a slow

and hazardous task. While both the United States and Japan

had fairly extensive orbital stations in use, their rising costs

and a requirement for trained personnel separated them from

the common citizen. Following the nearly-avoided disaster of

the experimental Armstrong Moon Colony in 2006, the scien-

tiic community all but abandoned the space program, and

began searching for other possible solutions.

The Push to the Oceans

The irst to reach operational status was Israel’s catastrophic

Leviathan, which became operational in 2021, despite many

structural complications and substandard safety measures.

Leviathan was evacuated nine times in its irst year due to

technological malfunctions, and was eventually abandoned

in 2056 following a total pressure breach which looded the

entire station.

The coming of the Hydrosphere

The irst permanent underwater habitation, Hydrosphere 3,

was constructed by the Owata-Tsumi Corporation in 2008.

This was a natural extrapolation on the increasing trend of

urban encroachment of the oceans, and was the culmination

of the two previous hydrosphere stations, originally devel-

oped for exploratory research. Hydrosphere 3, with an outer

sphere measuring over one-half kilometer in diameter, and

one hundred meters at its highest point, contained housing

and workspace for ifty families, all dedicated to exploring the

new undersea environment. Sponsored by the newly formed

UNAP government (The United Nations of Asian Peoples), the

Hydrosphere 3 station met and exceeded all expectations,

and standardized the process of underwater habitation and

urbanization.

Following a close second, the combined resources of SATO (The

South Asia Treaty Organization; India, Bangladesh, Nepal,

Myanmar, and Bhutan) completed Lemuria in 2025. Despite

being one of the largest hydrosphere arcologies ever designed,

Lemuria quickly overpopulated, and became the irst hydro-

sphere to expand, growing beyond its original boundaries.

The Unites States, following the peaceful annexation of Canada,

Mexico and Central America, becoming the United States of

North America (USNA), simultaneously completed two major

hydrosphere arcologies in 2024; Angelo Mar, of the coast of

Los Angeles, and Tenochtitlan, in the Gulf of Mexico. Gotham,

spreading eastward from Long Island, was completed in 2032.

These three were joined by two more in 2033; the Bering Sea-

located Fort Yukon, and Paradise City, the subPaciic evolution

of San Francisco. Plymouth, founded one hundred miles east

of the original Plymouth Rock, inished in 2037.

Much like the BioSphere 2 project of the early

1990s, hydrospheres are gigantic domed megas-

tructures which are entirely self-sufficient.

Inspired by Paolo Soleri’s arcology designs, each

hydrosphere is a complete city unto itself, capable

of generating its own energy and supporting its

population. The prototype HydroSphere sup-

ported just under 200 people. The largest modern

city-spheres support populations approaching 5

million.

Meanwhile, Europe had taken a course of action all its own.

The Scandinavian countries had collaborated to begin con-

struction of two hydrospheres under the supervision of the

Scandinavian Peoples Union (SPU). The SPU completed Val-

halla in 2019 and Bothnia in 2033. Valhalla, set in the cold

waters of the Norwegian Sea, became the irst hydrosphere

above the Arctic Circle. The other nations of the European

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E X I L E S v 3 . 5

Community (EC) combined in the construction of four more

hydrospheres. These included Lochness in the North Sea

(2021), Brython in the Eastern Atlantic (2032), and both Lyon-

esse and Charlemagne in the Bay of Biscay (2038). Australia

and the surrounding island nations pooled their eforts into

the creation of two hydrospheres, Oceania and Gallipoli, both

of which were completed in 2034.

began construction in 2051 under the title Atlantis. With an

estimated completion date of 2065, Atlantis brought together

hydrosphere experts from all over the globe, each contributing

signiicant advances from their own designs. These included:

New Shanghai’s advanced earthquake countermeasures; cold-

water technology from Polyarny; Lemuria’s super-compact

housing structures; the multi-level hydroponic vats from New

Soweto; Cuidad Del Mar’s super solar lamps; and so forth.

Also in 2034, the Baltic Union (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,

Belorussia and Russia) completed work on Rimsky-Korsakov

in the Baltic Sea. This was followed, in 2036, by Okhotsk in

the Sea of Okhotsk. However, the substandard construction

of Okhotsk led to a catastrophic instability, and the entire

station collapsed in 2049, killing more than eighty thousand

unsuspecting civilians. Tolstoygrad, of the coast of Severnaya

Zemlya, was inished in 2029, and took Valhalla’s place as the

northernmost hydrosphere, seated well above the 80 th parallel.

Eventually, the BU established another Arctic presence, with

the 2040 completion of Polyarny in the Barents Sea. Mean-

while, to the south, the Georgian League (Georgia, Azerbaijan,

Armenia, Moldavia, and Ukraine) built their hydrosphere,

Odessa, into the depths of the Black Sea.

961 Antaeus

With Atlantis well underway, and stringent population-control

measures becoming increasingly common in troubled areas

of the world, the rampant population growth leveled out for

several years, increasing to slightly more than seventeen bil-

lion by the end of 2059. However, in the summer of the next

year, astronomers stationed in the USNA space station Galileo

spotted what quickly became the overriding fear for every man,

woman and child on the planet Earth.

A gigantic asteroid, 961 Antaeus, was dislodged by an unknown

force from its home in the asteroid belt between Mars and

Jupiter, and had passed through the outer edge of Mars’ grav-

itational ield. Defying incredible odds, the pull of the red

planet altered the trajectory of the meteor and brought it onto

a collision course with Earth. While the scientiic community

could not immediately be certain it would actually strike the

planet, it would pass far too close for comfort. 961 Antaeus

quickly became the source of international panic and fear.

Following the announcement of 961 Antaeus’ threat, close to

eight hundred thousand people were killed or injured in the

resultant rioting.

The Southern American Nations (SAN) also took part in the

hydrosphere rush, completing Amazonia in 2043 and Cuidad

Del Mar in 2048. The SAN stations were also the irst to incor-

porate large ‘sunlamps,’ used to illuminate the core domes of

these two cities. Both spheres quickly became popular tourist

attractions.

Finally, in 2037, shortly after the culmination of the Cape Prov-

ince Wars, the National African Congress (NAC) took over the

extremist Afrikaaner’s hydrosphere project (mockingly called

“Under-the-Capetown”) and completed it as Nambia. The NAC

also co-sponsored the construction of New Soweto with the

powerful policorp Masai. Both hydrospheres incorporated a

disproportionately large number of hydroponic farms in order

to help cope with the continents malnourished.

The situation was desperate. The impact of such a meteor,

hypothesized to strike in the Southern Paciic Ocean, would

cause massive looding and destruction, and if enough water

was driven into the atmosphere, theories suggested that a new

Ice Age could be introduced. If this were the case, life on the

surface would become nearly impossible within months, and

there seemed to be only two options for survival: outer space

and under the waves. Neither seemed very promising.

The Lost Kingdom Rises

As eicient and helpful as the hydrospheres were, by the year

2035, with a world population of almost thirteen billion, their

contribution was minimal at best. The combined hydrosphere

population at the time was little more than three hundred mil-

lion, a mere 2% of the world. Another failed moon colony in

2040, the Magellan Project, left the nations of the world few

options.

With only two years estimated before 961 Antaeus would arrive,

there was not enough time to adequately prepare. Atlantis,

given increased funding and workforces, could be completed

in time, but there was not enough time to create any other, new

hydrospheres. Owata-Tsumi began manufacturing cheap, pre-

fabricated emergency hydrospheres, known as ‘hydrobubbles,’

which sold by the hundreds of thousands.

Therefore, following the supervision of the New United

Nations, the construction of a new underwater mega-city was

undertaken. The project, a sprawling, multi-hydrosphere

station containing ive complete, interlocked arcologies and

a proposed population of more than one hundred million,

The International Aerodynamics and Space Association, with

the two failed colonies behind them, insisted that their new

proposed moon settlement, Columbus, had rectiied their ear-

lier laws, and could be built within the allotted time frame.

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With little choice, the governments of the world approved. Spe-

cially selected personnel were given basic astronautic training,

and weekly space launchings began the slow transference of

raw materials and colonists to the moon.

“I never thought I’d wake in darkness. I never

thought I’d wake without the possibility of going

home. All those times I thought,’ Here’s my home.

A small town south of Denver. Born here, raised

here, and die here.’ I had a wife, two sons…oh, God,

how could the world change like this so quickly?

But all of that is gone now. Now I lie here, amidst

the abysmal black waters, in fear. I fear what

has happened, I fear what’s around me, and I fear

tomorrow. I am a a man with no home, no family,

no desires. I am the exile.”

From the Diary of Samuel Henry Judge

(2024 A.D. – 39 E.V.)

The Giant Arrives

In the inal attempt to stop 961 Antaeus, several decommis-

sioned nuclear missiles were itted with orbit-breaking pro-

pulsion systems, and were ired at the meteor when it entered

their limited range. The results were, initially, spectacular.

The missiles blasted away huge sections of the meteor, and it

appeared as if the multiple impacts had actually altered the

path of the giant rock. It was not long, however, before the

truth was known. The impacts had reduced the meteor’s size

somewhat, but the apparent change in direction was an illu-

sion, brought on by the meteor’s new axis of rotation.

Minor skirmishes and arguments born of desperation soon

rose to dangerous levels, and raids on food and weapon sup-

plies became more and more frequent. Pseudo-political fac-

tions formed, and open hostilities developed between, and

even within, varying hydrospheres. Threats of terrorism and

all-out war became increasingly real. After so narrowly avoid-

ing complete annihilation, the human race seemed about to

destroy itself.

On March 21 st , 2062 at 11:44 EST, the meteorite 961 Antaeus col-

lided with the planet Earth at 53 degrees longitude, 52 degrees

latitude, just of the Falkland Islands. The hydrosphere city

Cuidad del Mar was instantly destroyed, killing almost three

million people. Giant tidal waves surged across the Atlantic,

carrying into the Paciic and Indian Oceans as well. Billions of

gallons of water were displaced, either splashed into the upper

atmosphere or evaporated from the meteorite’s extreme heat.

The impact was literally felt all around the world. Massive

earthquakes riddled the planet, and numerous volcanic erup-

tions occurred all along tectonic faultlines. In an instant, the

world was immediately, irrevocably, violently changed.

The Survivor

As the worldwide tension and desperation seemed to be head-

ing for a violent resolution, a young engineer working on a new

hydrosphere expansion near Angelo Mar reported an incredible

discovery. While investigating some unusual sonar readings

from a proposed building site, he had found his small submers-

ible craft face-to-face with two bottle-nosed dolphins, a mother

and her newborn calf.

In the Wake

The years immediately following the impact of Antaeus were

times of sorrow and doubt. Less then 4% of the Earth’s popula-

tion had survived, and there was no time to mourn for the lost.

New construction began almost immediately, for the existing

hydrospheres had been packed to their limits, and were not

designed for such crowded conditions. Thanks to the meteor-

ite, not only had the barely-explored sea loor been altered, the

surface world had become uninhabitable and utterly hostile.

Since all dolphins were believed to have perished as a result of

961 Antaeus’ impact, this extraordinary discovery was heralded

all around the world as nothing short of miraculous. Response

was incredible. The dolphins, studied intently but kept alive,

were looked on as harbingers of hope and endurance. Their

unlikely survival had sparked a deep lame of human spirit, and

almost overnight, the complexion of sea-life changed from an

air of downcast despair to optimistic determination.

961 Antaeus had indeed induced a new Ice Age upon the Earth,

and most shallow-swimming sea life perished within the irst

few months. Severe atmospheric storms and the loss of all

surface equipment prevented any contact from being made

with the Columbus moon colony, although it was known that a

large fragment of Antaeus had impacted with the moon, which

was believed to have crippled or destroyed the colony as well.

Goodwill gestures between formerly hostile factions eased

relations, and the people of the world began to unite behind

the concept that they would overcome and endure. At the

request of the United Sovereign Nations, the year of 2062

was retroactively declared year 1 of a new age: Etiam Vivere,

Latin for ‘Still Alive’

Underwater transportation and communication functioned

well at irst, but those systems had not been designed for

such repeated, intensive use and breakdowns and equipment

failures caused even more frustration and despair.

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E X I L E S v 3 . 5

THE PRESENT

It is now the year 293 E.V., almost three centuries after the

impact of Antaeus and the beginning of the Holocene Ice Age,

and man’s subsequent exile beneath the waves. The surface

world is uninhabitable — fast-moving glaciers cover the land,

and the skies are perpetually illed with powerful electric

superstorms, making even the upper 200 meters of ocean a

virtually unpassable danger zone.

Humanity now exists under the waves, in vast hydrosphere

cities stretching out for kilometers across the loors of the

world’s oceans. It is an advanced technological society, socially

governed by a worldwide system of Corporate Feudalism, com-

bining aspects of both humanity’s future and past.

It is a prosperous world, but not without problems or conlicts.

It is a world illed with unknown and unexplored depths, and

as always the vast restlessness of the oceans is relected in

mankind. It is the world of EXILES.

Welcome.

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