Star*Drive Saturday: Borealis Republic

Last week I covered the gun-crazy nation of Austrin-Ontis Unlimited. Moving on through the stellar nations, today it is the:

BOREALIS REPUBLIC

If you are a character who thinks you are smarter than everyone else (and you most likely are), or might be a clone, then you're probably a Borealin.

• Population: 368 Billion Sentients
• Founding Year: 2154
• GW2 Alliance: FreeSpace Alliance
• Capital World: Sapphire
• Dominant Faiths: Ancientists / Old Earth Faiths
• Notable Locations: Silver Bell, Hammer's Star System (Verge world - now destroyed by an unknown alien force)

Made as a return to aristocracy and nobility. The new state formed during the initial expansion. They established noble classes from its cultural leadership, tracing distant ties to ancient noble houses. They adopted ancient ideas of public service, but the new nobility ruled unchecked, and poured resources into the arts. Drama, literature, and especially philosophy. A new era of mankind among alien races and homes among the stars would add a wealth of new material for philosophers for ages to come.

Before the first Galactic War, a revolution shook the republic. Autocratic governors grew complacent and their experiments in cloning and population control had become unpopular. Moreover the arts and education that the nobility had endorsed had trickled its way down. Most philosophy had little to say about a nation that did not acknowledge equality among men. As a result, during GW1 the civil war distracted them and they didn't pay much attention to it. About 50% of the population had become clones that turned on their masters, and this made an unquestionable advantage for the revolutionaries. So a compromise was reached. Then King Carolev V granted nobility to all Borealins, natural and clone. Henceforth all possessed at least the rank of Knight. The monarchy had dissolved and the conclave of nobles took its place. In essence, the King's decree formed a democracy.

Today most Borealins prefer to stay removed from the politics of the rest of the galaxy, preferring a life in the ivory tower. A dozen colleges of philosophy dominate the republic, and every Borealin attends one of them as part of their higher education. It's traditional to attend the school of ones parents, but not required. Borealins remain the best historians. The libraries on Sapphire contain the best records of humanity outside of earth itself. Indeed the Borealin histories of humanity since it left the Sol system are probably superior to those of the Solar Union. In the Borealis Republic, no one questions knowledge as the noblest pursuit.

Paraphrased from: David Eckleberry, and Richard Baker. Star*Drive Campaign Setting. Wizards of the Coast, Inc. P.O. Box 707 Renton, WA. 98057-0707: Wizards of the Coast / TSR, 1998.

Rogue Space Character Ideas
Thanks to a fantastic, highly adaptive early education system and centuries of breeding for intelligence, Borealins are very smart. A player may choose to be a Borealin for his/her race (human only) during character creation. Doing so they gain a +1 bonus to any general knowledge and history tests.

Celebrity Clone
Character Background: Actress
High Attributes: Empathy and Scientific
Archetype: Rogue
Due to their focus on the arts, Borealin cinema is considered some of the finest in the galaxy. Actors would generally have clones made of themselves to meet the high demands of the celebrity lifestyle, and even be stunt doubles. In this case the famous actress died due to a freak set accident, leaving her clone jobless. Out of respect for the beloved actress, they refused her clone any duplicate roles. She now gets work where she can, but in the less cultured reaches of the Verge, her likeness to the beautiful talented actress can give her an advantage wherever she goes, regardless of whether or not anyone has ever heard of her original's death. She can try making a name for herself independently, or ride the advantage of her famous likeness.

Obsessed Explorer
Character Background: Explorer
High Attributes: Scientific and Acquiring
Archetype: Technician
In this day and age, for a Borealin to establish himself as an authority figure on any given subject, it can be publish or perish. Obsessed with a new great discovery, this explorer will want to go to the farthest reaches of space and document whatever he can. Hopefully to discovery new anomalies, strange alien environments, and ideally make contact with a new sentient alien race. Anything that can spark a philosophical and ethical discussion back home would be considered a huge success for any Borealin.