There was a time when your people were a part of the land. That was many years ago, when the great Kanto Floating Cities were still moored to Tokyo. But the War changed all that, casting the Cities adrift and forcing you to become a separate people. Tossed by storms, harried by pirates, protected by only a few brave defenders, you learned how to fight back, survive, and eventually prosper. Now the “Lost Cities” are nations in themselves. Webs of steel and cryptoplan plastic mesh with abandoned ships, floating platforms and the original Kanto structures to make each City a unique environment tailored to its thousands of inhabitants. When the Great Migration of the Universal Century began these people were among the first and the best at adapting to the new worlds in Orbit. Many of the srtuggles and trials of sea-borne living are shared in the setting of space-borne colonization. These hardy men and women applied their vast reserves of inginuity and stubborn refusal to die to the original colonial efforts and proved that man CAN live in the emptiness of space.
But steel and cryptoplan aren’t what really holds Rip together. What really holds Rip together are the bioforms. In UCEX, you’ve been dubbed the “beastmasters”—the Altcult that bends the laws of genetics to its whim. On Earth bioengineered creatures process elements from the sea to supply your autofactories. Gene tailored meat-beasts, fish herders and vegetation mats provide all the food you need. Mutated sea monsters defend your territories from pirates and aggressive corporations and former nations. In space, personal servant creatures and biomorphed protectors work in tandem with humans in a symbiotic fusion that rivals anything mere cybernetics can achieve. Bioforms at your side, you’re ready to take on the future and anyone who stands in your way had better watch out. The Lost Cities are no longer lost, they just moved into Space. Welcome to Rip.
Background
On Earth the core Rip drift cities were constructed as vast floating spaces moored offshore in Tokyo Bay. Constructed primarily of cryptoplan plastics, they were used to absorb the overflow population of the heavily populated Kanto Plain, and were dubbed the “Kanto Floating Cities.” During POSEIDON's successful bid to take over Japan, the Kanto Cities lay between the corporation’s stronghold and the Japan Self Defense Fleet. To save thousands of civilians, JSDF Adm. Masumaru Hattori had a portion of his fleet tow the Cities far out to sea where he hoped they would be safe. As the battle for Japan raged, a vast typhoon arose and scattered the Kanto Floating Cities far into the Pacific. For several months, defended only by a four elderly JSDF destroyers and a light carrier, the Cities fought off pirates, starvation and the considerable POSEIDON navy. By the time help finally arrived from China, they had banded together with other floating cities abandoned during the 4th World War and established the independent Confederation of the Riptide, or Rip.
On Earth the core Rip drift cities were constructed as vast floating spaces moored offshore in Tokyo Bay. Constructed primarily of cryptoplan plastics, they were used to absorb the overflow population of the heavily populated Kanto Plain, and were dubbed the “Kanto Floating Cities.” During POSEIDON's successful bid to take over Japan, the Kanto Cities lay between the corporation’s stronghold and the Japan Self Defense Fleet. To save thousands of civilians, JSDF Adm. Masumaru Hattori had a portion of his fleet tow the Cities far out to sea where he hoped they would be safe. As the battle for Japan raged, a vast typhoon arose and scattered the Kanto Floating Cities far into the Pacific. For several months, defended only by a four elderly JSDF destroyers and a light carrier, the Cities fought off pirates, starvation and the considerable POSEIDON navy. By the time help finally arrived from China, they had banded together with other floating cities abandoned during the 4th World War and established the independent Confederation of the Riptide, or Rip.
In space the Riptide altcult is often called "Riah" after it's home clony at Side 6, which is also known as Riah, until recently, the colony was located at Lagrange Point 4. Side 6 declared autonomy from the Earth Federation on April U.C.0077, and adopted the name Riah Republic. They also declared neutrality in the opening weeks of the One Year War, and managed to avoid most of the major conflicts. Side 6 was targeted by the NEO for a nuclear attack late in the war after a Federation R&D base was discovered here, but was rescued by Federation fleets. It was annexed by the Earth Federation sometime after Operation Stardust. During the reorganization of Sides in U.C.0084, Side 6 was moved to L5.
Turf
Drift Cities are not part of land cities; they are moored in the ocean adjacent to a city, connected by breakaway bridges and span cities. The links to the land are always temporary, and can be cut in a matter of minutes, allowing the Drift Cities to escape any landbased conflict. Each Drift City is an amalgamation of the original city core plus whatever salvage has been available. With high tech, interlocking rafts combined with refurbished ships, tethered balloon habitats, and underwater domes clustered like grapes on or below the surface, they are all different. The result is like a free floating Venice laced with canals and tied together with sweeping bridges, but which can, in a matter of minutes, batten down all hatches and ride out the most powerful storms the open sea can throw against it.
Cultural MemesDrift Cities are not part of land cities; they are moored in the ocean adjacent to a city, connected by breakaway bridges and span cities. The links to the land are always temporary, and can be cut in a matter of minutes, allowing the Drift Cities to escape any landbased conflict. Each Drift City is an amalgamation of the original city core plus whatever salvage has been available. With high tech, interlocking rafts combined with refurbished ships, tethered balloon habitats, and underwater domes clustered like grapes on or below the surface, they are all different. The result is like a free floating Venice laced with canals and tied together with sweeping bridges, but which can, in a matter of minutes, batten down all hatches and ride out the most powerful storms the open sea can throw against it.
• Live in harmony with nature and Nature will take care of you.
• Violence is to be avoided if possible. But every thing in Nature has the right to fight for its survival.
• Honor the past and your ancestors by your actions.
Cultural Traits
As refugees of a terrible war, Drifters have a strong desire to avoid conflict. But that doesn’t mean they are all zoned out idealists—like the temple monks of old, Drifters are quite capable of taking care of themselves when the group needs defending.
Each City also maintains a cadre of dedicated City Fighters—specialized professional samurai who are highly skilled in many forms of combat.
As refugees of a terrible war, Drifters have a strong desire to avoid conflict. But that doesn’t mean they are all zoned out idealists—like the temple monks of old, Drifters are quite capable of taking care of themselves when the group needs defending.
Each City also maintains a cadre of dedicated City Fighters—specialized professional samurai who are highly skilled in many forms of combat.
Alliances & Antipathies
• Solos: City dwellers like us. But too addicted to violence. We’ll trade with them, but nothing more—the risk of cultural contamination is too great.
• Rollers: Also very similar to us. And they’re nomadic. Possibly our closest allies; especially with their respect for Nature.
• Zoanoids: The Transformed men were once our allies. But they are too defensive and ready to go to war.
• Evoluder: Are they still human? Can we trust them? Good thing they prefer the desert.
• OLYMPUS-POSEIDON: Although we share history from a common homeland, they have chosen a questionable path for mankind.
Lifestyle
• Where you live: Most housing is made up of boxy “Homat” modules holding four to six apartments; each apartment has a waterproof, sealable entry, porthole-like windows, and major furniture molded into the floor. In the event of a city breakup, each Homat is capable of floating by itself until it is recovered, supported by its own onboard solar arrays and water processors. Furnishings are simple molded plastics, with beds, couches and tables folding into the walls and floor; over this layer, you’ve added your own touches; colorful hangings, animé holos, sculptures, trophies and trade goods from the places your City has moored at.
• Where you live: Most housing is made up of boxy “Homat” modules holding four to six apartments; each apartment has a waterproof, sealable entry, porthole-like windows, and major furniture molded into the floor. In the event of a city breakup, each Homat is capable of floating by itself until it is recovered, supported by its own onboard solar arrays and water processors. Furnishings are simple molded plastics, with beds, couches and tables folding into the walls and floor; over this layer, you’ve added your own touches; colorful hangings, animé holos, sculptures, trophies and trade goods from the places your City has moored at.
• What you wear: As a Drifter, you favor natural color fabrics, most woven from bioengineered sea-plants and animal byproducts. On Earth, the cut is tight, waterproof and easy to swim in (you never know when you might end up in the ocean). Florescent glo panels are often integrated into the fabric—these can be activated to create a stroboscopic emergency flare that can be seen for miles away. Most of your clothing is padded with places for your bioform Companions to roost on; shoulder and forearm pads are the most common. In space, airtight clothing replaces watertight and small, integrated maneuver verniers at reinforced, padlike locations at the knee, elbow, hip and shoulder.
• What you eat: Lucky for the cities, their Japanese heritage has made fish and seafood a traditional staple. The Drifter diet is also supplemented by a variety of rice engineered to live in saltwater ponds, gene-tailored meat-beasts, and a variety of vegetation grown in hydroponic labs around the City.
• How you hang: Drift Cities and Rhia Colonies are relatively peaceful places, so you get most of your action the way old-time sailors did—going ashore and visiting the local ports. SAlong with OLYMPUS-POSEIDON, Rip also produces much of the entertainment found in the DataPool; concerts, sporting events, live action vid and animé-styled programs.
Drifter Gear
Heavy Weather Coverall: thermal coverall with auto inflating lifebelt, boots and hood. Can protect a man for 72 hours at -30°
Homing Beacon: wristwatch sized beacon with strobe flasher and signal up to 50km
Petglove: 30SP armored glove for dealing with bad tempered bioforms. Also contains small medical kit on wrist, grooming pads on palms.
Typical Drifter Weapons
Shok-Knuckles: Electrically charged stun knuckles. Can be switched from stun to killing damage (1D6) at 2x power costs
MELEE...+2...J...U...STUN...100...2...ST
Stun Stave: Quarterstaff or bo version of shokknuckles. Can be switched from stun to killing damage (4D6) at 2x power costs
MELEE...+1...N...U...STUN...100...2...ST
Stun Tonfa: Tonfa version of shok-knucks. Can be switched from stun to killing damage (3D6) at 2x power costs
MELEE...+2...L...U...STUN...100...2...ST
Duo Katana: Central rod about 1 m/yd long, which extend mono-glas blades from either end. Can be used like a staff or as a sword.
MELEE...+2...N...U...6d6†...NA...2...VR
† EACH BLADE.
Typical Drifter Transport
Powerboards: One man surfboards with a single T-shaped hydroplane engine providing power up to 50mph.
TOP SPD: 50MPH
CREW: 1
ACC/DEC: 30/30
SP 0
SDP: 5
MANEUVER: +4
Albatrosses: Fan-jet assisted gliders with folding wings that can extend up to three times their length upon takeoff. They are commonly used to travel the immense ocean distances between drift Cities and for intra colony travel. Think of the flying wing from the anime "Nausicaa, of the Valley of the Wind"
TOP SPD: 150MPH
CREW: 4TOP SPD: 150MPH
ACC/DEC: 30/30
SP 15
SDP: 75
MANEUVER: +4
Waterskoots: Two man water cycles developed from earlier personal watercraft. Waterskoots are used for in-city travel or for short excursions beyond the Drift City.
TOP SPD: 90MPH
CREW: 1
ACC/DEC: 30/30
SP 0
SDP: 10
MANEUVER: +4
MiniZeps: Powered lighter than air vehicles favored by Rip. They are not fast, but are very stable and can stay airborne indefinitely, running on a mix of electric motors and solar batteries.
TOP SPD: 50MPH
CREW: 1
ACC/DEC: 30/30
SP 5
SDP: 50
MANEUVER: +4
P...+1...J...NA...SPECIAL...4...1...ST...50M
Triphibians: resembling a cross of submarine/spaceshuttle and groundcar, with stubby wings and a powerful ducted jet array. Triphibians normally travel on the water’s surface, using their wings as hydrofoil skids to attain speeds up to 90mph. They can also dive up to 100m, or fly for short distances (up to 400 miles) by repitching the angle of their jet array.
TOP SPD: 50MPH (UNDER WATER) / 90MPH (SURFACE) / 250MPH (AIR/SPACE)
CREW: 4
ACC/DEC: 30/30TOP SPD: 50MPH (UNDER WATER) / 90MPH (SURFACE) / 250MPH (AIR/SPACE)
CREW: 4
SP 10
SDP: 60
MANEUVER: +4
WEAPONS: ONE 12.7 GATLING
Cybertech: Bioforms
Vat grown, totally artificial creatures that can be used like tools, Bioforms have no reproductive capacity and are created by splicing “geneneutral protoplasm” with designer genetic material. Developed from the research of a secret corporate biolab during the 4th World War, bioforms come in three major types which define their temperament. Companions are general domesticated “pets” that are only aggressive in self defense, and aren’t well armed in any case. Protectors are well armed and specifically aggressive to anyone that is not their master or considered to be part of the master’s “pride.” Tools are totally non-aggressive, usually not very bright and pretty much have only simple functions.
Advantage: A personal “army” of living weapons, servants and tools at your command.
