K24: The Encounter at the Chapel of St. Lumina of Makipola

A necromancer had recently taken residence in the abandoned cemetery of a ruined town, once known as Makipola, now infamous as "Bad Ground" due to its destruction in the Great Scourging during the Twenty Years War. The area had been plagued by restless spirits, angry at the long neglect of their graves, creating a malevolent atmosphere. The necromancer, who had moved in about a month prior, began reanimating skeletons, causing unrest in the nearby village of Hiddleton, home to the descendants of Makipola’s survivors. Desperate for help, two villagers from Hiddleton with little money and no connections, sought aid from the Armsman’s Guild. The guild, seeing an opportunity to engage the newly formed group of adventurers, especially as they included two priests, directed them to assist.

ETI: Characters

Character generation on the Earth That Is setting is largely normal for SWADE, with a few specific modifications. 

ETI: Psionics in the Earth That Is

There are two main varieties of psionically endowed people in the Earth- That Is setting —"Latents" and "Adepts", both of which are detailed below. 

ETI: Space Technology and Interplanetary Travel

Space travel in the Earth That Is setting is unthinkably fast by the standards of the 21st century. Thanks to technological breakthroughs, energy is easy to produce, and thrust is extremely high. Travel times anywhere in the inner system are only a matter of days, while travel in the outer system is still only a matter of weeks. There are three core technologies: the Gravitic Reactor, the Gravitic Thruster, and the Moghadam Regimen. 

ETI: Luna

Initially founded by political dissidents fleeing the Saturn Federation, Luna has developed into a technologically advanced, relatively prosperous society. By 2500, the Free Luna Soviet is a well-established lunar society with a population of around twelve million, spread across a dozen underground and surface cities. The Free Luna Soviet prides itself on democratic governance, meritocracy, and a robust social safety net. However, this society is not without its contradictions. 

ETI: Technology in the Earth That Is

Technology in Earth That Is can be thought of in three primary levels. Not just a game construct, this is how technology is often discussed in-setting. This will affect all personal equipment and technology in general. Each category listed includes discussion of specific equipment affected by the level. 

In general, any personal equipment listed in the Helping Stick entries on Equipment is fair game in this setting. 

ETI: Sol System Politics

Despite the vastly reduced population compared to centuries past, the Sol System's politics remain complex and often dangerous. The system is home to a variety of political entities, each vying for power, resources, and influence.

ETI: Sol System Economics

The Sol System is divided by culture, time, and distance. Despite this, ties of commerce connect many worlds into various loose networks. 

ETI: Earth

The Earth that humanity abandoned was subject to a "moist greenhouse effect," largely due to instabilities in the sun. Scorched for nearly a century, the planet’s environment was ravaged by unbelievably intense storms and extreme heat. Much of the Earth's oceans boiled into the atmosphere and then escaped into space, leaving the surface extremely hot and humid. The Earth is now a largely lifeless world, covered in steaming mud, industrial toxins, and the ruins of human civilization. While most of the planet’s biosphere has been wiped out, replaced by heat-tolerant fungi and microorganisms, rogue genetic engineering from before the collapse has given rise to a strange and unsettling new ecosystem.

ETI: The Outer Solar System

Beyond the orbit of Saturn, the solar system becomes a vast and mostly empty expanse, with points of interest separated by hundreds of millions of miles. The sheer distance and difficulty of travel deter most from making the journey. Still, despite these challenges, the outer regions are home to a small but determined population of prospectors, exiles, and dissidents. Though isolated, the areas surrounding Uranus, Neptune, and the Kuiper Belt hold valuable resources and strategic significance, drawing the attention of various factions and fueling a sense of lawlessness and frontier spirit.

ETI: Saturn

Saturn is home to about fifty-five million people living in the solar system's greatest industrial power, called the Saturn Federation. Inheritors to GEA and the Exodus Fleet, the Saturnians see themselves as the rightful masters of the solar system of 2500. 

ETI: Jupiter

Once considered an ideal target for colonization, Jupiter has largely been abandoned due to insurmountable environmental challenges. The planet’s immense gravity and violent atmospheric storms, coupled with its powerful radiation belts, make atmospheric exploitation impossible. These dangers extend to many of Jupiter’s moons, where intense radiation levels and unstable environments continue to present severe risks for human habitation, even in the year 2500. Despite these factors, the Jovian system remains a frontier of human activity, drawing individuals and factions attracted by the abundant resources and vast, open spaces. It is a region marked by frequent clashes between the spacefaring powers of the solar system, as rival factions vie for control of its strategic assets.

ETI: The Belt

The Main Belt and the Kuiper Belt were settled predominantly by spacefaring people who were too independent to submit to the GEA rule. 

ETI: Venus

 Venus was already immensely hot before the Sun became unstable in the 21st Century, and the Sun's increased output has only made it more so. 

ETI: Mars

Terraformed Mars is the breadbasket of the Solar System, as well as the home for most humans living in the Sol system in the 2500's. 

ETI: Mercury

Two settlements exist on Mercury; "Dar-ul-Muraqab" on the northern pole, and "Chandra" on the southern pole.  These two very different colonies have maintained peace by keeping to themselves, though Chandra is definitely the more outward looking of the two.

ETI: Earth That Is - Introduction

Three centuries after the world's end, humanity is doing fine in the Sol system.

K24: The Escaped Slaves of Makipola

These are the eight escaped slaves that the PC's encountered in the ruins of Makipola. Based on their accounts, they were onboard an Imperial Kehler slave ship bound from Niemi to the city of Hyrkala, on the western end of the Kehler Sea. This city is one of the empire's larger slave markets. The ship foundered during a storm about a week ago, and the slaves attempted to escape in the chaos. This group is the only one that made it to the safety of the dozens on board. 

K24: NPC - Adelwulf Kerner, Landsknecht

 

Adelwulf Kerner is a Tempelhoff Landsknecht who has fought for and against other Tempelhoffers. Dieter and Adelwulf crossed paths during a brutal campaign in the ongoing war between Mismallon and the Empire. Initially rivals, their mutual respect grew as they fought side-by-side in numerous battles. Dieter’s strength and bravery complemented Adelwulf’s strategic acumen and leadership. Their camaraderie was forged in the fires, skirmishes, at least one siege, and a desperate retreat. Dieter encountered Adelwulf again at the Armsman's Guild Hall in Dinas Halak, a welcome sight indeed. 

K24: City of Dinas Halak

Dinas Halak is the capital city of Halleck, where the selected Prince reigns from the “Green Palace,” so-called for the dense growth of ivy vines that cover the stone walls. The city government is a blend of princely authority and local civic administration. As a princely burgh, Dinas Halak enjoys privileges granted by charters from the Prince of Halleck, allowing it to self-govern and manage trade. The town council, led by the provost and supported by bailies and elected councillors, oversees municipal administration, law enforcement, and public works. Trade guilds, each headed by a deacon, regulate economic activities and have significant influence in local governance. While the council maintains considerable autonomy, the Prince's influence remains strong through tax collection and the appointment of key officials. The Ordainer Church also plays a crucial role in governance, particularly in social services and education. 

The city is moderately large (ca 25,000), sitting astride several minor trade routes, but has few features to commend it over the other great cities of the Kehler Lands. The town grew in the shadow of a vast rocky hill called Malmon Hill. This huge granite rock towers several hundred feet above the plain where Halleck’s capital city now sprawls. Sages claim that the rock is the remnant of an ancient volcano, but few Hallecks pay them much attention. The sloping dome of the rock, which has been marred by attempts to quarry rock and build there, is covered with the ruins of several different forts and castles. Each has fallen over within five years of being built, confounding numerous Dwarven engineers hired at great expense. Malmon Hill frequently emits low, eerie groaning noises, and occasionally, strange lights are seen among the ruins at night. Numerous attempts have been made to explain this phenomenon, resulting in as many theories as there are sages to expound upon them. Clerics who venture onto Malmon Hill have sometimes reported a disturbing sensation of being “unwelcome” at the summit, but this likewise has no clear explanation.