Space 1889: Core Rules

255 Pages·2014·40.853 MB·English

by  Clockwork Publishing

Credits
Based on the original concept of Frank Chadwick
Editor-in-Chief:
s Stefan Küppers
t
di Editor:
e
Cr Nicole Heinrichs
Written By:
Bjorn Beckert, Tilman Hakenberg, Stephan Johach, Stefan Küppers, Christoph Maser,
Clemens Meier, Daniel Neugebauer, Ralf Sandfuchs, Martin Schmidt, and Ingo Siekmann
English Translation By:
Daniel Brockdorff, Kathrin Dodenhoeft, Nicole Heinrichs, Julia Kleine,
Daniel Jung, Uli Lindner, Thomas Markwart, Helge Stuckenberg
Ubiquity Rules Designed By:
Jeff Combos, with Jadon Carl, Chris Goe, and Tyler Running Deer
Cover Art:
Slavomir Maniak
Logo Design:
Arndt Drechsler, based on the original logo of the Space: 1889 Core Rulebook by GDW
Interior Art:
Juha Makkonen, Jan-Hendrik Sonnwald, Michael Jaecks, Mia Steingräber,
Markus Holzum, Rich Longmore, Eric Lofgren, Andrew Hepworth
Proofreading:
Matthew Pook
Index:
Nicole Heinrichs
Layout:
Kathrin Dodenhoeft
Graphic Design:
Ralf Berszuck
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Jonathan Friebel, Werner Hartmann, Jörg Raddatz, Matthias Reppisch, and Ulf Peschel
from Sternwarte Radebeul and Dr. Uwe Wolter from Sternwarte Hamburg.
Space: 1889 is © 2014 Frank Chadwick. All rights reserved.
This edition is © 2014 Clockwork Publishing, under license of Frank Chadwick.
The Ubiquity Roleplaying System and logos are trademark of Exile Game Studio, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the
purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the
trademark or copyright concerned.
This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people,
organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.
This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
SKU: CW3000
Printed in the EU
2
Table of Contents
T
Preface .................................................................................................4 The Exploration of Mercury ..................................126 a
b
Flora and Fauna of Mercury ..................................129 l
e
The World of Space: 1889 ............................................................5 Princess Christiana Station ....................................131
o
The Riches of Mercury ..........................................131 f

Storytelling in Victorian Space ....................................................10
C
The Ether .........................................................................................133 o
n
Earth ...................................................................................................17 Scientific Theories .................................................133 te
n
A Survey of the Planet .............................................17 Traveling through Space ........................................134 t
s
Chronology of Historic Events ................................17
Secrets between the Stars ..........................................................138
Flora and Fauna on Earth ........................................25
Countries of the Earth ..............................................28
Characters .........................................................................................139
Europe .................................................................37
Character Generation Overview ............................139
America ...............................................................45
Character Creation Description .............................141
Africa ..................................................................50
Archetypes ...........................................................141
Asia .....................................................................54
Motivations ..........................................................144
Australia ..............................................................56
Attributes .............................................................145
International Relations – A brief Summary .............57
Skills ....................................................................149
The Rest of the World ..............................................58
Talents .................................................................159
Adventurous Earth ...................................................58
Resources ............................................................169
Minorities ................................................................59 Flaws ...................................................................174
Luna ....................................................................................................62 Rules ..................................................................................................194
Dice .....................................................................194
Mars ..................................................................................................63
Rules Overview ...................................................194
A Survey of the Planet .............................................63 Time ....................................................................195
The History of Mars and His Inhabitants ................64 Actions ................................................................195
Martian Geography ..................................................67 Style Points..........................................................200
Flora and Fauna of Mars .........................................70 Experience Points ................................................201
Martians ...................................................................78
Combat, Damage, and Healing ................................................203
Languages of Mars ..................................................86
Combat Rules ........................................................203
Cities and City-states of Mars .................................87
Damage ................................................................211
Empires and Powers of Mars ...................................92
Health ...................................................................211
The British on Mars .................................................93
Attacking Objects ................................................213
Other Earthmen on Mars .........................................95
Environment ........................................................213
The Treasures of Mars .............................................97
Example of Play ....................................................218
Phobos and Deimos – The Moons of Mars .............99
Equipment and Inventions .........................................................220
Venus ..................................................................................................101
Weapons ................................................................220
A Survey of the Planet ..........................................101
General Equipment ................................................227
The Exploration of Venus ......................................102
Transportation ........................................................229
The History of Venus .............................................104
Triumph of Science ...............................................234
Venusian Geography ..............................................105
Flora and Fauna of Venus ......................................106
Inspiration .......................................................................................238
Lizard-men ............................................................113
Settlements and Colonies on Venus .......................117
Glossary ..........................................................................................242
Human Settlements and Outposts ..........................122
Treasures of Venus .................................................124
Index - Background ....................................................................243
Mercury ............................................................................................125
A Survey of the Planet ...........................................125 Index - Rules ................................................................................248
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Preface
Welcome to the world between ether and steam, in a time of Space: 1889 is perfectly suited for classic adventure novels and
progress and journeys to the stars! science fiction adventures with a bizarre or nostalgic touch.
It has already been 25 years since Space: 1889 was brought The term ‘steampunk’ is often associated with off-the-wall
to existence. In 1988, the first American edition of this roleplay- technology before the ages of Diesel and nuclear power. Space:
ing game was published. Numerous products such as tabletop 1889 has as many (or as little) steampunk elements as the stories
roleplaying games, board games, computer games, audio dra- of Jules Verne. Not all of the technological inventions that ap-
mas, e-books, and other products have been since published pear in this game are steam-powered, but many that are function
– proof if it was ever needed of the continuing interest in this in ways that are inexplicable or even completely crazy accord-
e
c unique game setting. The German edition published in 2012 was ing to our understanding of technology and physics. Ether flyers
a
f received with great enthusiasm, and the production of this En- push forward to alien planets, mole drills bore down into caves
e
r glish edition was realized thanks to the amazing support of fans in the Earth’s interior, and mechanical men stand ready to do
P
and gamers! the work of ten men. Everything an inventor wants to invent
is possible, be it radiotelephony, an energy weapon, or a time
With this core rulebook, Space: 1889 finally returns, ready to
machine.
lead players into a world full of adventures, ancient secrets, and
technical revolution. The laws of physics and nature may be bent or ignored if it
makes for a good story. Nevertheless, the world of Space: 1889
Since 1870, mankind has been able to visit the inner planets
has physical rules of its own which should be respected during
of the Solar System by means of ether flyers. He has discovered
the game. Occultism might be quite popular in 1889, however,
the ancient civilization of Mars, set foot in the primeval jun-
‘real’ magic or the supernatural are not part of the game. Still,
gles of Venus, and prospected Mercury for the many precious
supposedly supernatural events might turn out to be very real
raw materials it offers. Yet there remain many places waiting to
phenomena.
be explored, primarily the Asteroid Belt and Luna, the Earth’s
moon, but also beyond the Asteroid Belt – if mankind can yet The end of the 19th century was a time of colonialism and
make the technological breakthrough to travel so far from the imperialism, both of which caused many atrocities, but this was
Sun. The Earth too, is an exciting place. There is adventure to be also a time when the view of the world was very different and
had under the gas lamps of the streets of London just as much such incidences were perceived very differently by many. Such
as in the Academy of Sciences in Berlin or at the banks of the views are very much part of the historical background for the
Amazon or the Nile. game, which is why we chose not to make any judgment of any
actual or fictional historical crimes. Every gaming group should
On Mars, the archaeologist and thief alike explore ancient
decide on their own how they are going to deal with colonial
Martian palaces, but one searches for forgotten knowledge while
crimes and the rights of suppressed minorities as well as how
the other hunts for forgotten treasure. Daring adventurers start
and if they are going to include these subjects into the game.
anew in the colonies of Venus or in the pioneering stations in the
Twilight Zone of Mercury. Inventors have solved the problems Space: 1889 is a roleplaying game in a more civilized time.
of flying between the planets and are now trying to develop the Normally, each player will choose a gentleman as his character,
device that will conquer the ice desert of Mercury or the jungles bravely defying villains without putting the boot in when he suc-
of Venus. Big-game hunters go after Venusian dinosaurs, while ceeds in flooring him – and neither would the culprit, even as he
the ladies enjoy a cup of tea in a salon cooled by modern tech- lies on the floor swearing that he will return to take his revenge.
nology. While many explorers have turned toward other planets, Even so, this should be done in style, knowing that humankind
other bold researchers range across the primeval forests of South is at the height of its culture and its work.
America and the icy wastes of the Antarctic.
Have fun with this rather special journey to the stars!
The world of Space: 1889 is the home of explorers and ad-
venturers as it was told in the novels of Kipling, H. G. Wells,
H. R. Haggard, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, or films like
20,000 Leagues under the Sea, The Man Who Would Be King, Stefan Küppers,
Steamboy, The Lost World, or King Kong. Würselen, October of 2013
4
The World of Space: 1889
It was the brilliant mind of one man, or rather the deed of two men now all striving for dominance over as many of its sources as
that in 1870 was to change the world forever. With the invention they can. While the Earth powers are fighting over the best slice
of the ether propeller, genius Thomas Alva Edison succeeded in of the ‘colonial cake’, honorable canal princes vigorously cling
overcoming the distance between the planets. Accompanied by to their territories lest they fall into the hands of the Earthmen or
the adventurer Jack Armstrong, he eventually reached the Mars are lost under the encroaching sands of Mars, and as merchants
and discovered the Martian civilization. For many millennia, from Earth work to enrich themselves from Mars’ resources, ae-
this ancient people had fathomed out many a secret, and sadly rial pirates seek to make a profit in their own way as well.
forgot a good few of them as well. They crossed the skies with T
On Earth, tradition and modernity stand side by side. In
flying ships; built cities inhabited by thousand or even millions h
1889, Britain and the German empire are constitutional mon- e
long; and in the Grand Canals, constructed a planet-wide feat of
archies; the U.S.A. is a stable republic, France an instable one;
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engineering that would save their civilization, all long before the
Russia is ruled by an autocratic, hereditary monarchy, and the
Sumerians built their first cities on Earth, using clay bricks. Yet o
Japanese society is shifting between progress and old traditions. r
by the time Edison and Armstrong reached Mars, the Martians’ However, all of them strive for dominion, and by the year 1889, ld
knowledge about their ancestors’ technical relics was lost, and
this is over interplanetary colonies and trade, as well as lift-
nobody today is capable of building those Grand Canals that the
wood. Only Belgium, or rather the King of the Belgians, flies
ancient Martians had once constructed.
in the face of this drive for dominion. Executed by his private
Many daring adventurers followed in Edisons’s footsteps and enterprise – neither his people nor his government share his co-
set out to explore the planets of the inner Solar System. Not lonial visions –King Leopold II is known for his aggressive and
everyone returned though, for it takes more than thirst for ad- exploitative actions in the Congo as well as on Mars, and thus
venture and action to withstand the dangers of space. However, contributes more to the destabilization of these regions than any
every setback drives men ever onward, presenting a challenge other colonial power. Unnoticed by the public, the king’s mer-
to be overcome and so free explorers to once again venture into cenaries are looting their way through his two territories, the
the unknown. African Congo basin, and the Martian Coprates.
After Mars had begun to be explored, men set their sights on Even though the year 1889 might seem long ago, there are
Venus, but when several expeditions sent out to Venus failed to many famous people from the period that have since become
return, Mercury became the new focus of attention. Closest to legends. Authors like Jules Vernes, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan
the Sun, this planet is a world of extremes, one face broiling hot, Doyle, Rudyard Kippling, Mark Twain, Karl May, and H.G.
the other frozen solid. Its plentiful resources would tempt many Wells tell stories, realistic and fantastic alike, which sometimes
a venturesome engineer and scientist, but the daunting challeng- are overtaken by the reality.
es that Mercury presents means that even thirteen years after
Besides various crowned heads, the characters could en-
the first expedition, attempts to exploit the planet are still at an
counter carny Buffalo Bill, zoo owner Carl Hagenbeck, free-
early stage.
dom fighter Sitting Bull, or Wild West legend Wyatt Earp. They
Eventually, an expedition returned from Venus to tell of a could also go on adventures with explorers and venturers such
misty jungle world whose dangers had sealed the fate of the as Cecil Rhodes, Emin Pasha, Fritjof Nansen, Henry Morton
first three expeditions. Prehistoric monsters, great dinosaurs, Stanley, or Charles Gordon; they could share thoughts with
strode through the jungle, tribes of spear wielding lizards lurked Sigmund Freud, Robert Koch, or Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche;
in the swamps, and the very air seemed to rot everything that they could compete with engineers, scientists, and artists like
man brought with him, but none of this has been enough to dis- Thomas Edison, Werner von Siemens, Nikola Tesla, Alfred
suade the intrepid from travelling to Venus. Not only will di- Nobel, Otto Lilienthal, Gustave Eiffel, Heinrich Schliemann,
nosaur hunters find their prey here; precious resources attract Paul Gaugin, or Claude Monet. It could also be quite interesting
businessmen, industrialists, and settlers just as well. Cultivation to encounter Winston Churchill or Albert Einstein in their early
of this inhospitable planet began ten years ago. Yet it takes the years before they found fame.
Terran colonists a great effort to slowly wrest some ground from
Today, in the year 1889 and 19 years after Edison and
this tropical planet in order to build plantations and settlements.
Armstrong’s historical flight, archeologists and linguists con-
The planet’s many dangers still remain though and so just like
duct investigations into the ancient high culture of Mars while
Mercury, Venus also remains widely unexplored.
venturers dig for gemstones in old vaults. Engineers are try-
Nineteen years after humans first set foot on the red sand of ing to build transport routes throughout the Venusian swamps
Mars, Earthmen are expanding their influence on the planet: The as British gentlemen hunt for steppe tigers on Mars and tyran-
Earth powers have established colonies and other political struc- nosaurs on Venus. Inventors work to improve or develop new
tures through which they struggle for power with the Martians ship designs to take account of the miraculous substance that
as well as with each other. Such conflicts are mainly about eco- is liftwood while adventurers race their cloudships through the
nomic interests, sometimes about military interests, but one in- skies above the red steppes of Mars chasing down aerial pirates
terest on Mars has been the cause of conflict between the Earth aboard their sky galleons. Anthropologists work to decipher the
powers more than any other. Right after his landing, Edison mythology of the Venusian Lizard-men as diplomats negotiate
made another discovery – liftwood, cut from a Martian tree, new settlements for the hundreds of colonists that arrive every
has for millennia provided the Martians with the resource that year on the ’new’ worlds. Mercenaries find work in Africa as
enabled their cloudships to take to the air. The Earthmen soon on Mars whether with Imperialist or native masters while mer-
came to understand the strategic importance of liftwood, and are chants expand their empires from the Earth to Mars or Venus.
5
Yet while Martian priests and warriors are confronted with On the other hand, scientific developments pose a threat to
the seemingly strange rites of the Earthmen, proud and confident many things Victorians consider sacred. Darwin’s On the Origin
Martian women make human gentlemen blush, while Martian of Species (1859) revealed the conflict between traditional
merchants cheat tradesmen from Earth by selling them faked Christian beliefs and the consequences of the latest discoveries.
spices. The upheaval caused by Darwin’s research is mirrored in the
literature of this period. Many literary figures of that time went
As tempting as the distant planets are there are still many
through a crisis of faith, as can be seen, for example, in Matthew
things left to discover on Earth. The Amazon Basin and the cen-
Arnold’s (1822-1888) famous poem Dover Beach, which sym-
ter of Africa have only been partially explored yet by the white
bolically pictures a retreating “Sea of Faith”. Biologist T.H.
men, and the newly discovered cloudship technology not only
Huxley (1825-1895), who led a crusade for the sciences in a
enables explorers to reach their darkest hearts, but even makes
series of debates with Bishop Wilberforce, is of the opinion
it possible to travel to the ice poles. Other ingenious machines
that science has rendered religion virtually redundant. This is a
of daring construction might solve the mystery of Oak Island or
frightening idea to devoted Anglicans, Methodists, or Catholics,
d the treasure of the Nibelungs, yet other adventurers might track
l who in no way feel the need to withdraw from either their reli-
r down the lost treasure of the Knights Templar the old-fashioned
o gion or the blessings of science.
W way – through extensive research in old libraries.
Another question that poses a threat to the established society
New technologies are not solely based upon discoveries on
e is the question of the future position on educational matters, a
h other planets though. In Essen, the steel company town of the
T battle fought under the heading “art versus usefulness”. Huxley,
Krupp dynasty, German engineers are working on the develop-
founder of the journal Nature, suggests in a number of articles
ment of new materials and metals, such as Wilhelmium, which
written in opposition to Matthew Arnold, that poetry, the hu-
enable the design of innovative constructions. Such technologi-
manities, and the classical pattern of Greek verbs and Latin vers-
cal advancements arouse the interest of agents of foreign powers
es, which constituted the education of the landed gentry, would
or rival companies wherever they are developed.
be swept aside. This revolution would be accomplished by the
Meanwhile, the first voyage to Mars organized by Thomas most dangerous weapon (from the aristocrats’ point of view) in
Cook is expected to depart soon. It will offer paying guests the the hands of non-noble engineers and industrialists – modern
opportunity to see the wonders of Mars with their own eyes. technology and the natural sciences. Thus for modern society,
Those unwilling to leave the Earth may find animals from for- science is a double-edged sword – a blessing and a curse at the
eign worlds in the big zoos quite soon. same time.
The world is changing and the interesting days of 1889 of- Although the debate is never fully concluded to either side’s
fer many chances to shape and explore the Earth, Mars, and satisfaction, the solution that follows is a typical Victorian com-
beyond… promise. Science becomes an accepted playing field for ‘talented
amateurs’, gentlemen who tinker with their inventions or engage
with unobjectionable theories, always anxious to protect society
from any revolutionary discoveries or heresies that could under-
Technological Progress
mine the status quo. A quite enthusiastic representative of this
type would be Lord Salisbury. His experiments with hydroelec-
tric energy (which lit up Hatfield House, frightening its visitors)
Space: 1889 follows in the steps of early Science Fiction (for
could hardly compromise his pre-industrialization mentality.
more on this topic, see p. 10).
Player characters are certainly likely to be more open-mind-
You can find any sort of invention that might have arisen
ed when it comes to their research and the application of their
from the tales of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Kurd Laßwitz, or
findings. They will probably accelerate the development and
Arthur Conan Doyle. Submersibles, time machines, invisibility
lead the world into a new future.
elixirs, steam-powered space vessels, flying ships, all this and
much more is possible in the universe of Space: 1889. Most of
these inventions are actually intended as an inspiration for the
Energy
Gamemaster – they are not commonly available in the Space:
1889 universe. Space and ether vessels are expensive, tripods
In 1804, the first mobile steam engine was invented, and with it
are only used in small numbers, land juggernauts are single ex-
a way to harness its mechanical workforce outside of a factory.
perimental copies, and submersibles are just as rare – it is ulti-
It was a small step to use these snorting monstrosities for the
mately the Gamemaster’s decision as to which device he will
transportation of goods and passengers. In the following years,
allow in the game and which he will not. Nevertheless, the play-
steam engines not only lead to the development of a continuous
er characters may also own such a device, or even invent one,
railway system throughout Europe, but they also power diggers
which would thus give them a unique Artifact (suggestions can
and construction vehicles, making it possible to erect buildings
be found on p. 234ff.).
which dwarf even the pyramids at record speed. Pumps and ir-
rigation systems ensure an explosive growth in agriculture, and
thus a better supply for the population.
Science
Electricity is widely known and utilized, but widespread res-
idential electrification is still a long way off. In the larger cit-
The Victorian Age views the sciences with a mixture of excite-
ies, many houses are lit by gas lamps, and all appliances are
ment and concern. On the one hand, the blessings of modern
hand-powered. Indoor-plumbing, on the other hand, is already
medicine and engineering allows any reputable citizen to have a
widespread throughout the cities of the industrialized nations.
more prosperous and comfortable life. He believes in ‘progress’,
as he can observe the progress of science all around him, not Industry is almost universally powered by coal-fired steam
only with steamboats and telegraphs, but also in domestic mat- boilers. Oil-burning boilers are in use wherever oil is plentiful.
ters such as electric light and reliable sanitary facilities. In the mid-1880s, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz developed
6
the gasoline engine, and Rudolf Diesel is working on his own Solar System and the Outer (or Transasteroidal, that is, lying
oil-burning internal combustion engine; outside of Germany beyond the Asteroid Belt) Solar System. However, the four
however, combustion engines are still rare. transasteroidal worlds – (Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus
– are considered too cold and distant to allow for genuine life to
Steam is also used in space. Steam boilers are heated up by
develop or life forms from Earth to survive. What lies beyond
the power of the Sun, and then provide the energy for the ether
Neptune is unknown to the people of 1889.
propulsion. As of yet it is impossible to leave the Asteroid Belt,
at that distance, the Sun’s power is insufficient to heat up the Due to technical limitations, the outer planets are beyond the
steam boilers, but the technology and resources needed to over- current range of ether flyers, and thus are of little concern. It
come this threshold are already available… is the inner, cisasteroidal worlds of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and
Mars that are of genuine interest.
It is generally assumed that when the Solar System formed,
Communication
the planets cooled out of the primordial stellar matter individ-
T
ually at intervals about 150 million years apart. Consequently,
When in 1833 the first telegraph message was sent in Germany, h
the planets’ geological time periods are also about 150 million e
the inventors of this technology did not yet imagine that they had
years apart.
W
made the world a considerably smaller place. It would take an-
other few decades before a universal telegraph system spanned This is why scientists assume that the first of the inner plan- o
r
the greater land masses of the world and connected them with ets to coalesce and solidify has long since broken into pieces. ld
each other. Under the terms of the telegraph agreement of 1857, Following this theory, the Asteroid Belt consists of the shattered
the nations of Europe created a wide-reaching net of stations remnants of the hypothetical planet of Vulcan. There are fierce
and with the successful laying of the transatlantic cable in 1866, debates among scientists as to how and why the planet broke up,
telegraphy between England and America was made possible. but no one has found a real answer yet.
Thanks to the dial telegraph, Morse code no longer has to Following in succession to this first planet were Mars, Earth,
be learned to use a telegram, which makes it possible even for Venus, and finally Mercury. For the Earth’s scientists, this rela-
laymen to quickly send and receive messages. In 1889, a short tionship provides valuable information about the history and the
message of 80 characters is almost as cheap as a letter, even future of the Earth. How Mars appears today is probably what
though one demand had still not come true: “Sending a telegram the Earth will look like in 150 million years, while the shattered
through your own country must never be more expensive than remains of the (hypothetical) planet Phaeton possibly foretells
having a pint in the village pub!” the ultimate fate of all of the inner planets. Venus resembles the
Earth as it must have been like 150 million years ago, during the
In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was the first to make the
age of the dinosaurs, and Mercury gives us hints of a much more
telephone ready for the market, and it is already in limited use in
distant prehistoric past.
major metropolitan centers.
Wireless telegraphy (the radio) has not been invented yet.
The closest approaches to date are the heliograph and the photo-
phone, which converts speech into light. The latter is in ongoing
development as a means to simplify short-range communication
between the ether flyers.
The heliograph consists of mirrors that reflect the sunlight
toward the receiver, who then detects a series of flashes. The
sequence of these flashes produces a readable code, just like the
dots and dashes of Morse code on the telegraph. Field helio-
graphs, with a range of a dozen miles, consist of nothing more
than a five-foot tripod and a lens. The largest heliographs are the
Harbinger and the Foresage, the two British orbital heliograph
stations above the Earth and Mars respectively. Their giant lens-
es have been powerful enough to flash messages between both
planets since 1882.
Unfortunately, depending on the position of the planets, there
are times during which there is no direct line of sight between
the stations, making communication impossible. When Mars is
in conjunction to the Sun, that is, when to viewers on Earth,
it disappears behind the Sun, it is basically invisible for half a
year, and no signals can be received during that time.
The Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and all its orbiting planets
and satellites, as well as the Asteroid Belt which orbits the Sun
between the planets of Mars and Jupiter.
These bodies are generally divided into the Inner (or
Cisasteroidal, that is, lying on this side of the Asteroid Belt)
7
The Inner Planets the Inner Solar System. It is of course, once there, vital to act as
a model of civilization and development for the alien peoples
on those planets, that often invoked and oh so heavy “White
In this section, we will have a closer look on the inner planets of
Man’s Burden”, surrounded by savages on foreign worlds far
the Solar System and provide you with some general informa-
from home.
tion about their characteristics. On the following page, you will
also find a chart on the most pertinent physical data concerning
all known planets of the Solar System. Luna
Of all the inner planets, only Earth has a companion of any sig-
Mercury nificant size, the Moon (p. 62ff.), known more properly by its
astronomical name, Luna.
The innermost planet (p. 125ff.) constantly keeps one face
toward the Sun and as a result, is a broiling desert; the other Luna has no surface atmosphere and no surface water, two
ld hemisphere of Mercury eternally faces the depths of space and aspects which make it extremely inhospitable to visitors and dif-
r
o is locked in a perpetual winter. ficult to explore without specialized equipment.
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Between these two extremes is the twilight zone of Mercury

e – a band about 300 miles wide of temperate climate which cir- Mars
h
T cles the entire planet. The twilight zone of Mercury is trapped
The planet next outward from the Earth (p. 63ff.) is a barren
between a sun that never really sets and a night that never real-
world which long ago lost the water of its seas to the iron oxides
ly falls. This area encompasses a many-channeled river which
of its desert sands and the ice of its polar glaciers.
makes its way entirely around the planet, crossing deep river
valleys lined with rocky cliffs and exotic plant life. The twilight Centuries ago, ancient civilizations dug vast networks of ca-
zone is inhabited by occasional prehistoric shelled creatures just nals to carry what water there was to the drying, dying fields and
beginning to emerge from the water onto land. cities. Today though, even after herculean efforts, Mars is a dy-
ing planet. Yet, its inhabitants are proud on their ancient culture,
existing for many millennia, and react with indignation towards
Venus
the arrogant pretention with which the parvenus of Earth place
themselves at the center of the universe.
Beneath its constant shroud of clouds, the second planet of the
Solar System (p. 101ff.) is a swamp world drenched with near- One mystery which continues to confound scientists is the
ly continuous rainfall and withering heat, transforming the plan- Red Planet’s comparably high surface gravity, almost equal to
et into a genuine greenhouse. that of Earth or Venus, although it is considerably smaller in
size. While the orbital period of Mars indicates that it is indeed
The main part of its surface is covered with water, but the
denser than its two sunward companions, it is not sufficiently so
average depth is less than 10 feet. The mainland is mostly cov-
to account for this discrepancy.
ered with thick jungle. Life on Venus has adapted to these en-
vironmental conditions and consists mainly of large dinosaurs
similar to those that could have been found on Earth during the The Asteroids
Mesozoic Age. Beside these lumbering giant reptiles, there also
exists a race of intelligent Lizard-men that mostly subsist on What was supposedly once a large planet, named Vulcan by as-
foraging or primitive agriculture. Large parts of the planet how- tronomer-historians, today merely consists of rocks orbiting the
ever, remain unexplored and who knows how many surprises Sun at a distance of about 200 million miles. Some scientists
Venus might still hold. claim that this world exploded more than 300 million years ago
as a natural consequence of its age, others however, reject this
theory and prefer to assume a cosmic catastrophe. Whatever its
Earth
causes, this cataclysm created a band of rocky asteroids that to-
day circle the Sun in an otherwise vacant orbit.
As the original cradle of humanity, the third planet of the Solar
System (p. 17ff.) is the standard against which all other The individual asteroids are gathered in a swarm of chunks
worlds are judged. It has a great variety of life forms and pos- of several ounces up to large pieces of several miles in diameter.
sesses a rich number of natural resources. Above all though, it Some however, are surface pieces revealing evidence of what
might have bred the most advanced culture of the Solar System some ascribe to a long-extinct civilization.
– at least according to the opinion of its inhabitants.
There have already been several attempts to reach the
Driven by boundless curiosity and the prospect of a better Asteroid Belt, but the large distance to the Sun makes such an
life, many humans set out on a journey to the other planets of expedition highly dangerous.
8