Bric-a Brac of the Third Imperium

[Matrix Cypher]

Scout Brew!

What? there are so many spacers tales on this stuff it's kinda a a component....if less well known


Ona different note, not to much a Bric-a-Brak, but a Icon of All Starports Has to Be Starbase Qwik-Shoppe, The place where spaces can find any odds and ends for the ships locker (and snack trunk) including such items as.

"Sol-Chips!" A tasty product rendered from Terran Chorn in fried meat sauce (BBQ), Nacho flavour, Tako, 4-Cheese (the Solomani never say which exactly), and Rhutabega.

"Speed" Phosphate Drink: A drink laced with natural stimulants in Green Flavour, Orange, Cherry (very popular), and Kola-nut!

Those Parts you always seem to be missing from the repair kit.

Space Blankets

Temple of the Illuminated Elvis: Eternal Salvation or Triple your Money Back! Tracts.

Lol Starbase Quick shop, loved that place. I just noticed that you are in lincoln Nebraska......

Ron used to have that in his "The Road" Game, heck just about ever game he ran had that.


(psst this is Scott)

 

[Astromancer]

Iris Crystals


Named for the greek goddess of the rainbow, these stones change color. On more than 87% of those who wear these stones, the color aways changes to a hue that is a striking constrast with the coloring of the person wearing the stone. They are always the perfect fashion accessory and highly sought after.

 

[FreeTrav]

Iris Crystals


Named for the greek goddess of the rainbow, these stones change color. On more than 87% of those who were these stones, the color aways changes to a hue that is a striking constrast with the coloring of the person wearing the stone. They are always the perfect fashion accessory and highly sought after.

Hmmm... How do they work? Are they natural stones/crystals, or man-made (sophont-made)? Do different ones have different color ranges, or are they uniform? What is the color range? Would they be effective with e.g., Bwaps or Hivers, or only with Humans? ...

 

[Astromancer]

Hmmm... How do they work? Are they natural stones/crystals, or man-made (sophont-made)? Do different ones have different color ranges, or are they uniform? What is the color range? Would they be effective with e.g., Bwaps or Hivers, or only with Humans? ...

Not really known. They only seem to work with a few species. They don't seem to be psi. It's assumed they're an artifact from a culture the predates the Ancients. The range goes from Infrared to ultraviolet, with the extreims seeming black to most humans.

As they are harmless and fashionable, they're ignored. However some fringe groups seek the stones out. They believe that the Iris Crystals are the key to great wealth and power.

If that's true or not I'll leave to individual GMs.

 

[Astromancer]

Please throw in more ideas for cool junk for the 3rdI!

Especially if it's simply culturally KEWL!!!

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Aerosol toilet-seat warmer. Spray on and sit in comfort, no matter the temperature—sanitises too!

Several fragranced and race-specific types available.

(I'm not being facetious here, people do invent this type of product and sell billions of them, so why not in the 3I?).

 

[FreeTrav]

Aerosol toilet-seat warmer. Spray on and sit in comfort, no matter the temperature—sanitises too!

Several fragranced and race-specific types available.

(I'm not being facetious here, people do invent this type of product and sell billions of them, so why not in the 3I?).

Nor am I being facetious when I ask you to expand on this, and allow Freelance Traveller to print it.

How does it work? How fast does it heat up the seat by how many degrees? How convenient is it to carry around, and how long does it last? If it works as I expect, how do you avoid the hazard issues? What happens if when you deliberately or accidentally mix versions for two different races, or species? How much does it cost, for what size container? Work this up as an article for "In A Store Near You", and repost it here as well as sending it to editor@freelancetraveller.com or submissions@freelancetraveller.com, and you'll make me happy.

 

[Astromancer]

Nor am I being facetious when I ask you to expand on this, and allow Freelance Traveller to print it.

As far as I'm concerned, you can use any of my stuff if you like it.

 

[Astromancer]

Book Crystals

These are simply holographic crystals that store books. The Image of the book is generally fitted to the topic. I.E. tech manuals are plain vanilla, Gothic Romance is in elaborately ancient tomes, ect.

The Crystals are powered by the heat of the hands of those reading them.

Imformation is often hidden within innocuous seeming texts.

 

[Chuckhazard]

Wow love this thread!! I'm especially fond of the basic needs stuff. MTU is sort of gritty and I love to populate the setting with the sort of future junk you'd find in a truck stop or ghetto gas station... Or spaceport gift shop.

Particularly like the dog head, emergency suit and sanitizer/warmer.

I'll get some writeups of my own out this evening.

 

[Astromancer]

Wow love this thread!! I'm especially fond of the basic needs stuff. MTU is sort of gritty and I love to populate the setting with the sort of future junk you'd find in a truck stop or ghetto gas station... Or spaceport gift shop.

Particularly like the dog head, emergency suit and sanitizer/warmer.

I'll get some writeups of my own out this evening.

Thank-you! I love knowing this thread is fun for folks. Use whatever you like as you like.

 

[Chuckhazard]

Henry Hiver(tm) Franchise initially a cartoon* for the 8-12 year old human demo, Henry Hiver(tm) is produced by the GalaGraphic media corporation. The franchise has been strong for nearly twenty years, and has expanded into Games, toys, and spinoff cartoons.

Originally little more than a ten minute vignette depicting the misunderstood hiver trying to do simple tasks like scrub a starboard running board or hail a taxi in the skyways of Gallus*, the brand has evolved in response to political, cultural and especially economic pressures.

The show now runs a contiguous fifteen minutes and includes companions Kerry K'Kree, Vince Vargr and recurring human villain, vaguely portrayed as a psion but not exactly a Zhodani. The show primarily keeps to it's slapstick roots but occaisionaly broaches more complex issues.

Henry Hiver virtual playset goggles made to look like a pair of engineers goggles, these superimpose fully lifelike miniature Henry Hiver and space station playset into the wearers environment. The miniature actor will operate by itself using a very primitive algorithm to drive it's antics, or fuction as a poseable action figure if the user chooses to interacct.

Playset chip may be disabled allowing the actors to be played with in puppet mode, but without the playset space for referecne they will not act independantly.

Additonal play sets are available as micro-chips that slot into the goggles, as are additonal figures of Kerry KKree, Vince Vargr and others.

Base goggles (one playset and Henry Hiver): 1000 credits
Hydroponic farm set with Kerry Kkree actor: 300 credits
cityzone set with Vince Vargr actor: 400 credits
other set and figure combos 300-500 credits

Henry Hiver Ice candy a common sight in gift ships and convenience stores, these are brightly colored Henry Hiver figures on a stick. and come in a variety of flavors. When unwrapped and exposed to air a chemical reaction causes the candy to swell slightly and become cold and creamy similar to ice cream.

5 credits

Kerry Kkree ineractive shirt featuring an image of Kerry Kkree, the fabric is woven with primitive sensors and display fabric. The image of Kerry will move about on the shirt, and even resize it self to avoid soiled spots. Intended to inspire kids to keep clean, instead many children find great humor in flinging meat based foodstuffs at the shirts and watching the kkree bolt away.

350 credits

I don't have a good handle on tech levels or cred values yet. I've priced them as seemed right, assuming a rough 10 credits = 1$.

* it's assumed at this point all cartoons are 3d so I don't specify.
* my traveller geography isn't too good yet so I just make things up.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Actually, for a kids cartoon astrographics wouldn't be a problem. Other popular characters:

Artie Aslan and his little sister Betsie.

Artie has trouble dealing things like money and almost always calls women sir and men ma'am. Betsie is much better dealing with people (and money) and is very popular amongst the "Girl Power" crowd.

 

[Astromancer]

Standard Candy Colors of the Third Imperium


Red is normally Strawberry, normally strawberry comes with a good dose of black pepper. Near the Aslan areas, red is Red Pepper.

Pink is normally Talloc Melon. Solimani explorers, when they first tasted this melon said it had a Honey-Vanilla flavor and was unpleasent and perfumy. But the 3I loves the stuff.

Orange is Tangerine/Kumquat.

Bright Yellow is Lemon.

Pale Yellow is Vilani Moonberry, Solimani describe this as a bannana/cantalope flavor.

Dark Green is Lime.

Light Green is Shigonc Melon, Solimani's say this has a Watermelon/Cucumber flavor.

Blue is either rasberry or black pepper, it's hard to predict.

Indigo is blackberry.

Violet is sloe.

Clear is grape.

White is Cherry.

There are many surprising local variations.

 

[Astromancer]

Stereo Earrings

These are so common in the 3I that they're often simply called earrings, and no common term really exists for them.

They look like common earrings but perform the functions of I-pods and bluetooth phones. The works normally being hidden in the jewels.

Some of these earring have other functions and many covert opperatives often disguise their survalence by passing themselves off as an out of it music fan listening to the latest tunes all dreamy-eyed. The kind of minor pest no one looks at twice ;-)

 

[Jame Rowe]

Stereo Earrings

These are so common in the 3I that they're often simply called earrings, and no common term really exists for them.

They look like common earrings but perform the functions of I-pods and bluetooth phones. The works normally being hidden in the jewels.

Some of these earring have other functions and many covert opperatives often disguise their survalence by passing themselves off as an out of it music fan listening to the latest tunes all dreamy-eyed. The kind of minor pest no one looks at twice ;-)

And most TL-12+ versions would be able to patch into a computer and help you interface with it. I.E. a removable neural interface.

Just a thought for you intrusion experts there...

 

[cbrunish]

Konar the Rugged

A series of books about a barbarian from the outlands. Most stories involve him in saving maidens from a Psionic villian. Konar adventured thru the Spinward Marches with the following careers: Pirate, Mercenary, Scout, Drifter and finally as the Duke to the Five Sisters Subsector. Written by Howard Erving Roberts and is a favorite within the TI in the Marches. Was told that the books were banned in Zhodani space. :shock:

Editors Note: It should be noted that the Five Sisters Subsectore does not have a Duke and is under Naval control. The above series is fiction and any resemblence to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

 

[Astromancer]

Holo Shrine

A common divice in most spaceports. Generally a small "Chapel" with a computerised list of religions. You pick your religious preference and holographic projectors create the look of your prefered sactuary.

An interactive Holographic guide aides you in concecrating the site so you may preform your rites.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Nice!

Glad to see people still adding to this list.

 

[FreeTrav]

Astromancer, please work this up in a bit more detail and turn it into a facility that might be found selling its services on the starport Promenade, and send the more detailed version with your real name for credit to BOTH editor@freelancetraveller.com AND freetrav@gmail.com (explanation forthcoming when I announce the next issue of the magazine) for inclusion in a future issue of the magazine. If you do this, it's credited entirely to you, as is the practice for the magazine.

Alternatively, PM me or email me with permission to expand on it for the magazine, credited as "by Jeff Zeitlin, based on an idea by {your real name}", and include your real name.