Star*Drive Saturday: The Galactic Concord

Last week it was the rigid corporate nation of VoidCorp, now it is the final stellar nation:

THE GALACTIC CONCORD

If you are a member of a new body of people that believes the future of humanity is not the conquering of all other nations, but a treaty of working together, then you might be a Concordan.

• Population: 631 Billion Sentients
• Founding Year: 2472
• Capital World: Concord
• Dominant Faiths: Orlamism and Humanity Reformation
• Notable Locations: T'sa Cluster (stellar ring, Concord Prime. The T'sa have no allegiance to any nation and remain completely independent under their own governing. The Concord acts as their protectors from outside threats), Kendai Station (stellar ring, Concord Taurus. The only drivesat that connects all communication between the stellar ring and the Verge. Was destroyed through most of GW2, plunging the Verge in a 121 year information blackout. Just recently repaired and the Concord's primary effort is establishing contact with the remote Vergers), The Lighthouse (Traveling fortress ship in the Verge. Also headquarters to Galactic Concord presence in the Verge. Donated by the Orlamu Theocracy in the Treaty of Concord)

(Note: For more information on the formation and the Treaty of Concord, see A Brief History, and the Orion League.)

Formed from the wreckage of the Second Galactic War, the Galactic Concord stands as mankind's hope for the future. Cobbled together from the losers and leftovers of the war by the surviving nations, the Concord is an arbiter in the affairs of stellar nations. The Concord has been described as humanity's jury, a moral compass intended to keep all the stellar nations in line.

The Treaty of Concord established the groundwork. It finalized the borders between the stellar nations, established Concord Neutralities (highlighted in the map above), allocated resources from the existing governments into a pool that became the property of the Galactic Concord, protected the T'sa by establishing their cluster of space as a Concord protectorate, and created the 13th stellar nation. The nation created by the treaty is a hybrid unlike any of the other stellar nations. Its borders are scattered accross Old Space, creating neutral territory between wartime enemies. Its governmental bodies contain members from all of the stellar nations. The Concord military is likewise composed of members from every nation and species. In the years since the war, Concord authorities have successfully brought numerous small conflicts to close.

Members of the Galactic Concord have a knack for reading the political climate of the times, and they realize that they have both great power and responsibility in dealing with the other stellar nations. A Concordan in a position of authority knows that rash decisions-even moral decisions, in some instances-could catapult human space into another war. While most Concordans have a strong sense of right and wrong, they realize that such tender sensibilities must sometimes be sacrificed to insterstellar diplomacy and peace. Concordans take extraordinary risks to do the right thing, even if it means ruffling a few feathers along the way. Concordans excel at knowing where the thin gray line begins and ends, having an innate understanding of just how far to push before backing down.

The political pressures that ignited the Second Galactic War still prevail in the stellar ring and the Verge. With commendable foresight, the Concord recognized that these problems are spilling over into the Verge. Unable to address the danger directly for fear of starting another conflict, the Concord is using the Verge as a testing ground for resolving the bitter rivalries of old space. Perhaps if a particular approach succeeds in the Verge, it will have a similar effect back in the stellar ring.

Sesheyan, VoidCorp Employee, Concordan, and T'sa

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
The Concord is still a fairly new nation. It comprises primarily of people moved to it from other nations, and some from territories that were 'donated' to the Treaty of Concord from the dead and surviving nations of the Second Galactic War. To become a Concordan means to cast of prejudice and your old allegiances and bias and join with an open mind. Many often still bring in their quirks, customs, and possessions, so long as it doesn't interfere with their duty as mankind's jury. A player may choose to be a Concordan for his/her race (human only) during character creation. If they specify what nation (if any) they originally came from they may either keep that nation's benefits, or gain +1 luck. Concordans are known to be extremely resilient and resourceful.

Concord Administrator
Character Background: Diplomat
High Attributes: Empathy and Fighting
Archetype: Rogue
The Administrator's motto is "Our duty is peace." You are of the few invited and trained in the elite college, Ascension, to oversee the lawless edges of humanity. By Concord law, Administrators are authorized to arrest, convict, and sentence criminals out in the lonely depths of space. Sometimes they are left with little choice but to execute summary punishment. You are a wandering official of the Concord, a judge, diplomat, and law enforcer. You carry authority like a shield, display your commitment like a lantern in the darkness, and wield the Tri-Staff with the strength of your conviction. You have the power to remove corrupt politicians, law enforcement agents, and other Concord appointees from positions of authority. Naturally Administrators are subjected to the most rigorous examinations of physical fitness, intelligence, and moral fiber. They wouldn't give this power to just anyone.

The Tri-Staff
An impressive looking weapon that is the Concord Administrator's badge of office and an effective means of self defense. It consists of a massive 3-pronged blade at the end of a 2 meter long staff. When the device is activated, it is capable of dealing out large amounts of energy damage-and it exudes a force field that grants the weilder a +1 to action tests vs range and melee attacks.

Concord Tri-Staff - Damage: V - Range: Melee - Special: +1 to action tests vs range and melee attacks - Cost: 1,000 cr (standard issue for Administrators, but on the black market the price can double)

Concord Marine
Character Background: Soldier
Hight Attributes: Fighting and Acquiring
Archetype: Warrior
The motto of the Concord Marines is "Eager to strike". You are from a highly trained force of soldiers used for interstellar peace-keeping operations. When the Concord expects trouble, or wants some, they send you in. The Marines, by their very nature, must be ready for a state of war at all times. The Concord is trying their best to prevent another Galactic War, but in case they do, they have the Star Force, the Concord Defense Corps, and of course, the Marines.