Blazing Umbra in a Nutshell

The purpose of this document is to describe to people the required information they would need to know in order to play a character native to the Blazing Umbra universe even if they are not very familiar with that universe.

The Basics

Blazing Umbra is roughly based on Star Trek. I say roughly because it diverges in some very key points.

Basics of Star Trek

The following can be considered to be the basic element of Star Trek that carry over to the setting.

Major Powers

Within the show a decent amount of races see the Federation as powerful, honest, but ultimately homogenous where to join one has to accept their ideals which they hold to be superior to others encountered. This is an undercurrent in the show, however, and rarely directly addressed making it appear as if it is the feeling of malcontents. Conflicts are almost always broken down within the series and its movies to be a difference between cultures clashing with each other.

• United Federation of Planets / Starfleet Command

Starfleet is the military branch of the Federation, they also handle exploration and scientific research for the governmental organization that is the Federation.

Includes most of the known races seen within the series (Vulcans, Andorians, Bajorans, etc.).

• Klingon Empire

Warrior race with heavy reliance on the ideas of honor, legend, and stories told. Military service is mandatory and the primary means for gaining power and influence.

They judge deeds most, gaining the favor of a Klingon can be done through some brave act of honor.

During the original series and the series Enterprise, they are antagonists to the Federation, it is said throughout the story that most of this is due to neither side understanding the culture of the other. By the Next Generation series, Voyager, and Deep Space 9 this has largely been overcome and most of the time they are seen as allies but do not intermingle or communicate often.

• Romulan Star Empire

For those that have seen the newest movies, the game takes place, at the time of this writing (2018), prior to the destruction of Romulus.

A cunning race behaves as a kind of conceptual cross between Vulcans (logic, strength, intelligence) and Humans (passion, high emotions, intrigue, violence). The government is an antagonist to the Federation throughout the series.

• Cardassian Union

Throughout the show they are displayed as aggressive, militaristic, selfish, and entirely centered around the welfare of their own people no matter the cost to others.

They occupied the planet Bajor for some 50 years enslaving its people, there have been several conflicts with the Federation. They are also known for a cruel and "backwards" legal system throughout most of the show.

• Breen Confederacy

Almost nothing is known about the Breen except that they are powerful, do not like humans, and generally are against the Federation. The race of people use environment suits to interact with most other races as they require it to be extremely cold.

• Ferengi Alliance

Within the series they are the extreme of a capitalistic economy. The entire government is based on bureaucracy, capitalistic acquisition of wealth, and money is king. They have rules of acquisition which are learned from a very young age and seen as an almost religious doctrine.

Historically they are antagonists of the Federation due to the Federation not recognizing the morality of the rules of acquisition. They are seen as cheats and swindlers throughout most of the show, embodying the idea buyer beware.

• Orion Syndicate

The Orion Syndicate are not all of the Orion race, but rather the most major criminal element to the Star Trek universe. This forms a galactic version of organized crime.

Economics

One of the more confusing parts about Trek for the non-Trek fans is the economics. As a whole the Federation does not use money or currency habitually. When required, however, they are known to engage in trade, essentially a barter system is dominant in dealing with other worlds. Within the Federation there is an energy surplus and with the advent of replicators - that can fabricate almost anything - the most precious thing is energy. Citizens of the Federation are given resources in this way in a government and economy based on Democratic Socialism where resources are generally given based on requirements of the person. This is never really delved into too much in the show, except that the Federation seem to see money as the root of most problems for others.

Other worlds do not share this view, especially the Ferengi, use a currency known as Gold Pressed Latinum or colloquially just called Latinum, as the substance itself (unlike normal Gold) cannot be replicated. The series depicts Latinum itself as being a liquid in its natural state but difficult to carry and spend as currency. It is mixed with Gold to form a substance that cannot be replicated and shares most of the visual qualities of Gold. It comes in Bricks, Bars, Strips, and Slips (in descending order of value).

During the Original Series of Star Trek, the Dilithium Crystal is used as an almost-currency, several times crystals are shown to be used in a way that is almost a currency since it is required for space travel they are an excellent way to store wealth. In actuality it is probably something similar to converting currency into something tangible such as buying Gold, Diamonds, or other things with money in order to gain money over time on a commodities market.

Currencies

• Gold Pressed Latinum
• Credits (Energy Credits)

Technology

Star Trek embodies an extremely advanced society. They have a lot of technologies which are so common as to be just as well used (and commonly understood) as things like cell phones, cars, and computers are in the modern day.

• Warp Drive

Method of faster than light travel, most races use a version that employs a matter / antimatter reactor using a dilithium crystal to regulate the reaction. Each of those is a consumable item and it can be said that the matter / antimatter are fuel while the crystal is longer lasting but no less required. Often the public see's all three items are fuel sources. Matter is a form of hydrogen called deuterium and antimatter it is's opposite (anti-deuterium). All three items are extremely valuable and anti-matter does not occur in nature and must be manufactured. Dilithium crystals are mined and cannot be replicated.

It is widely known that if the matter and antimatter mix they will result in an incredibly destructive explosion. Colloquially this is called a core breech, though those with a more detailed knowledge of engineering would know that a core breech is where the core itself builds up too much pressure and exploded where as the fuel mixing is called a containment breech, the terms to the public are used almost interchangeably though most people know on some level it isn't accurate.

• Tractor Beam

A method of locking onto something from a distance and pulling it toward or keeping it attached to a vehicle or stationary point. Similar to a tow line or mooring line only no physical connection is made between the two points.

• Replicators

A device that uses energy to create something. There is some amount of ambiguity within the show on how this is done, it is widely accepted, however, that a raw material is used to de-materialize into energy and then re-materialize into a new form transmuting this raw matter substance (that is never defined in the show) into something new of equal mass. Another way of operation is to actually use pure energy in order to create something.

Replicators can replicate most things but many things it is noted are not perfect, within the show Wine and several foods are said to be made not-quite-right. Replicators are used as the primary means within the Federation to produce food, clothing, and the other necessities of life.

• Transporters

Devices that break a person's body down into energy and transmits that energy and the pattern over long distances to materialize on the other side. It is the primary method of going from one point to another on a planet, between ships that are nearby, ship to a planet or a station. It is considered to be the safest mode of travel, generally not used to travel at a longer distance than from a a planet or station into orbit, but exact ranges are not widely discussed in the show. This processed is called "beaming" or being "beamed".

There are a number of people, though relatively small in percentage, that do not like to be beamed out of fear. Famously within the show Doctor McCoy of the Original Series did not like to be beamed, in the Next Generation Doctor Polaski and Redinald Barclay did not like to be beamed - preferring to go over on the shuttle craft.

• PADD's

While the acronym stands for Personal Access and Display Device, no one uses the term like that. It is simply said to be a "Pad" and they are used about as freely as notebooks and clipboards are today. While one can store a lot of information (well more than a conventional tablet can) and can be reused and store multiple different things are different times they are generally used in practice as tradable devices that can be given away and exchanged freely as if they hold very little value and another one can be obtained easily. In the Next Generation movie Insurrection an image of Picard's desk shows it full of PADD's and during the show Next Generation Doctor Crusher is seen packing up a large number of PADD's in the same way one would pack books as if each one stores something specific and is used only for that.

• Tricorder

A scanning device that is used generally by most races (in some version or another) to detect and record information from the environment. Some are better than others, a lesser version of the Tricorder is simply called a scanner. The Tricorder is a very versatile device with a powerful computer, several sensors, and sophisticated capabilities to communicate with others, share information, and process information.

• Phaser / Disruptor

The primary handheld and ship-board weapons. They are particle-energy weapons, firing out a beam that can be set to stun or kill. Both can be used to heat rocks, melt doors, stun people, or kill people. With enough power they can disintegrate matter. They are usually powered through some kind of high energy battery pack also called a power pack, used much the same way a magazine is used in a conventional firearm.

The idea of everyone having fire arms is not addressed much during the show, Klingons and Romulans are often seen to be carrying side-arms in the military but the Federation are not seen this way. Within the shows most individuals are not shown to be armed in civilian life but are seen to be somewhat trained in how to work one of the weapons.

Phasers are used by the Federation mostly.

Disruptors are a not-as-refined energy source or beam output to a phaser, but no less deadly. They are used mostly by Romulans, Breen, Klingons, and some other races.

• Photon Torpedo

Primary ship-board missile weapon, using an antimatter warhead (matter and antimatter) which is used to detonate on or near an object to cause damage or destroy it. These weapons are extremely powerful but have a variable yield. At their highest power they are more destructive than conventional nuclear weapons but with relatively no lasting environmental impacts.

• Communicator

Generally communication is done through use of a device known as a Communicator or Com Badge. These devices are analogous to older cell phones, they do not have text messaging or other data features in and of themselves. They are used almost entirely for voice to voice communications. They are, however, often used as a relay in a method we would refer to as tethering to nearby devices such as Tricorders, PADD's, and such things. The public knows how to use them, for the most part without knowing a lot about how they work.

• Subspace

Similar to modern day radio communications but travels faster-than-light to facilitate communication over vast distances quicker than radio can. Also used as a generalized term for the "subspace communications network" which is like the modern day Internet.

Differences

In our version of the universe it isn't as white-knight as it is within the series. Within the show of Star Trek the Federation is seen as a do-good organization which is neigh incorruptible, seeing the best in people. Within our game it is much darker, where we turn up the idea that the Federation and its citizens largely believe since the organization is so prosperous that they are right and others are not-so-right. The Federation is thus known for an undercurrent of benevolent racism that many races do not care for. Those who do not share the ideals within the society of the Federation are shunned and generally there is a large talk about diversity and certainly many races are welcome - so long as they adhere to the party line. It doesn't matter what color a person is, so long as everyone believes similarly.

Political Powers

Most of the political powers are the same, there is the addition of the Serenity Concord, which was formed only a few number of years ago and is the civilian government to Solas Tempus, which operates much the same way Starfleet does to the Federation. Solas Tempus, is an organization well known for its engineering and scientific skills, lauded by many races as being some of the best engineers in the galaxy. They trade these skills for alliances and resources, but their true purpose is to protect the timeline from incursion and alteration. Most powers have alliances with them as they offer engineering services to any who which to contract or trade with them.

Operatives of Solas Tempus have been known as honest and with many of the same beliefs as the Federation but much more welcoming, being task and outcome oriented as an organization. They don't care as much (generally) if they are agreed with so long as a job gets done.

Technological Additions

Most technology is the same, there are some additions taken from other franchises.

• Stargates

Recently discovered and able to produce wormholes to distant areas, generally used in pairs they don't have to be and because of the energy production capacity many of the rules from the show Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis are fudged.

Stargates are rare and have yet to be reproduced, the technology was found not made, thus they only exist in a few sparse locations but are used to move people between these areas.

• Star Wars Ships

A number of ships are produced based on Star Wars designs. Some come from Star Wars and have arrived through the play of the game while others are just fudged to be produced within the universe but just look like Star Wars ships.

• Other Propulsion Methods
  • Dimensional Fold Drive

  A method of traveling through time, similar in concept to Hyperspace, using an alternate plane of reality to move through space and time. Only Solas Tempus has this, it is the most advanced method of propulsion available.

  • Gravitational Displacement Drive

  A method of long range travel by small vessels, jumps from one location to another using a gravity well. It is very energy efficient and does not rely on a conventional warp drive but doesn't scale well to large vessels.

  • Hyperspace / Jump Gate

  Uses a gate to create a wormhole into hyperspace, based on Babylon 5's version of Hyperspace. The gate allows moving into hyperspace and out of, a network of gates throughout known space make travel without warp drive possible, though at slower rates. This is used very often by cargo haulers to save power between stops. It is incompatible with warp drive and a warp drive system cannot operate within hyperspace, if it did it would destroy the ship.

• Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is a real thing and different governments deal with them differently. The Federation is still embroiled in politics, developing AI systems is illegal there but those that exist don't quite have the same rights as people. Within the Serenity Concord there are actual guaranteed rights for AI's.

Economic Distinctions

The universe runs on an energy economy, largely buying and trading in the means of producing that energy when the currency of Gold Pressed Latinum is not used. Since GPL (Gold Pressed Latinum) is similar to gold bars in the real world, they are a commodity and most transactions are traded based on the worth of an object or service in energy used to produce or provide it or rather Energy Credits. These credits are not perfect representations of the actual power and energy required to do something but are abstract, similar to any currency.

Since Companies are nearly never mentioned within the series except in reference to the Ferengi, we have added the idea the companies exist. Business is alive and well both inside the Federation and outside. People work to produce and trade in goods and services. The details are usually worked out that compensation is given in either credits themselves or in services provided to the people who work for a company. The details are left vague within game to allow players to have more room to work.

Physical Representations of Wealth

• Gold Pressed Latinum
• Dilithium Crystals
• Deuterium
• Antimatter

All of the above are the common ways to convert credits into a physical substance of worth. The most common, however, is GPL and is used widely by non-Federation groups as their primary form of currency. However, most space trades in credits as well which is the basis for the economy in general.