I've been working on a sourcebook for the Ghosts of Sindal, IE their robots, which will be something of a list of robots and possible groups/adventures. It's been a while since I wrote for anything other than regular fiction or academic writing, so how does this look as a section? in terms of tone and well, "I enjoy reading this." I generally prefer to have as much as possible "in universe" since it gives the GM maximum freedom to say: 'No, that's not entirely correct', without making the passage entirely useless.
I hope this is the section for it, let me know if it isn't.
A short history of Sindalian robotics by Dr. Jelani Vashari.
While most splinter nations formed during the long night tended to be fairly low tech, often struggling to even maintain a few starships, this was not always the case. The Sindalian empire benefited from a rare confluence of circumstances, being in a region with few competing powers, a tech base that they were able to expand on, and abundant resources.
As was all too common during the Long Night, their society sowed the seeds of its own destruction, leaving little more than legend and ruins to point to their achievements, and yet the Sindalian’s made strides in some fields that even the Third Imperium has yet to generally exceed. Perhaps most notably among them was the science of robotics and computer systems, a science whose apogee, unfortunately, came at the very time the Sindalian Empire was entering its final, savage era of collapse. Unfortunately, without the moderating influence of Vilani culture, the Sindalian Empire failed to understand the dangers of unrestricted technological advancements.
While the Sindalian Empire at first used robotic systems as labor and combat units, the government of the Empire was marked by internal and external conflict, especially as it grew in strength. As the Empire became both more unstable and predatory, the use of “loyal” robots, androids and force-grown clone forces became more common. Perhaps the most widely fielded (and known) were the Sindalian Deathbots, of which examples turn up now and then (and often prove to have hidden security directives which can be lethally surprising for the unwary collector)
This resulted in growing reliance on near autonomous units, where a single “trusted” imperial representative might be the only organic soldier in the region, directing dozens or hundreds of advanced robotic combat units, some of them as advanced or even more advanced than anything commonly found in the Third Imperium or its neighboring states. Entire ships were crewed only with robotic units, prepared to unleash the vengeance of their masters upon the disloyal—or those the ever more paranoid rulers believed were disloyal. This specifically included the living commanders of those ships.
Ultimately, the Empire collapsed in a fury of nuclear and biological bombardments. As with every tyranny, the Sindalian Empire found that terror only went so far, and a house divided between competing factions could not stand. Little is known from that time—few individuals had the time or inclination to make detailed records. What is known is that the long-oppressed worlds of the Empire reserved their greatest hostility to the AI and robotic systems of the Empire, and in turn, rogue AI units and robots, carrying out their last instructions, continued to plague the region for decades after the Empire’s fall. The fall was in fact so complete that today, the Empire is remembered as a glorious era, not the tyranny it became, and the robotic systems that helped enforce its rule are seen as curiosities, not the warnings they should be seen as.
And yet, relics of this forgotten era continue to be found, many of them fetching impressive prices on the market. In addition, there are rumors of robots and AI’s that have been active since before the fall of the Empire. If so, the legacy of that long-fallen Empire might not be as dead as we had assumed—or hoped.
Dr. Jelani Vashari.
Capital, 1097.
*****
Sindalian AI technology; an Introduction:
Sindalian AI technology had advanced beyond that of the Imperium by the end of the Empire. While most Sindalian tech ranged from TL13-15, computing technology stood at TL16, with TL17 conscious AI prototypes coming into service, though they remained rare and expensive designs.
However, these designs tended to be restricted to serving the Empire, especially the most advanced TL15-17 minds, which served as loyal bodyguards, advisers, enforcers, and soldiers for the Empire, especially in the last few decades of its existence, when programmed loyalty became a vital commodity among the growing internal conflict.
The ultimate achievement of the Sindalian empire, TL17 conscious robotic brains (as opposed to lower tech, but much larger, conscious computer systems), may have also been its downfall. Fragmented records from the few surviving sources speak of “Project Golem” and “Steel Legions” which appear to have been projects to create a fully automated military, one loyal only to the Emperor, ending the need for any dependency upon noble houses or organic militaries. If true, this would explain the cataclysmic final days of the Empire—rather than simply a revolt by oppressed colony worlds, it started with revolts on the part of the military and nobility, which led to rebel forces taking advantage of the Chaos. It also explains the dedication all sides showed in destroying industrial centers rather than preserving them for the future. Lastly, the long decline after the fall of Sindal can be explained as remaining robotic systems either being hunted down, or hunting “rebel” forces, remaining loyal to their dead Emperor, and incidentally smashing attempts to rebuild.
Mark Wiliamson
University of London 1100.
*****
Sidebar:
Transhumanism in the Empire.
While advanced compared to the Third Imperium in terms of AI technology, the Sindalians never developed technologies such as Agent Wafers or brain uploading. In general, such technologies appear to have been neglected due to the threat they posed to the social structure of the Empire, with some recovered fiction prominently showcasing ‘villains’ who attempted to rule forever by uploading themselves. Whether representing a true social fear of uploaded minds or simply the product of government propaganda, it is clear that such technologies were heavily opposed and never developed to any great degree.
I hope this is the section for it, let me know if it isn't.
A short history of Sindalian robotics by Dr. Jelani Vashari.
While most splinter nations formed during the long night tended to be fairly low tech, often struggling to even maintain a few starships, this was not always the case. The Sindalian empire benefited from a rare confluence of circumstances, being in a region with few competing powers, a tech base that they were able to expand on, and abundant resources.
As was all too common during the Long Night, their society sowed the seeds of its own destruction, leaving little more than legend and ruins to point to their achievements, and yet the Sindalian’s made strides in some fields that even the Third Imperium has yet to generally exceed. Perhaps most notably among them was the science of robotics and computer systems, a science whose apogee, unfortunately, came at the very time the Sindalian Empire was entering its final, savage era of collapse. Unfortunately, without the moderating influence of Vilani culture, the Sindalian Empire failed to understand the dangers of unrestricted technological advancements.
While the Sindalian Empire at first used robotic systems as labor and combat units, the government of the Empire was marked by internal and external conflict, especially as it grew in strength. As the Empire became both more unstable and predatory, the use of “loyal” robots, androids and force-grown clone forces became more common. Perhaps the most widely fielded (and known) were the Sindalian Deathbots, of which examples turn up now and then (and often prove to have hidden security directives which can be lethally surprising for the unwary collector)
This resulted in growing reliance on near autonomous units, where a single “trusted” imperial representative might be the only organic soldier in the region, directing dozens or hundreds of advanced robotic combat units, some of them as advanced or even more advanced than anything commonly found in the Third Imperium or its neighboring states. Entire ships were crewed only with robotic units, prepared to unleash the vengeance of their masters upon the disloyal—or those the ever more paranoid rulers believed were disloyal. This specifically included the living commanders of those ships.
Ultimately, the Empire collapsed in a fury of nuclear and biological bombardments. As with every tyranny, the Sindalian Empire found that terror only went so far, and a house divided between competing factions could not stand. Little is known from that time—few individuals had the time or inclination to make detailed records. What is known is that the long-oppressed worlds of the Empire reserved their greatest hostility to the AI and robotic systems of the Empire, and in turn, rogue AI units and robots, carrying out their last instructions, continued to plague the region for decades after the Empire’s fall. The fall was in fact so complete that today, the Empire is remembered as a glorious era, not the tyranny it became, and the robotic systems that helped enforce its rule are seen as curiosities, not the warnings they should be seen as.
And yet, relics of this forgotten era continue to be found, many of them fetching impressive prices on the market. In addition, there are rumors of robots and AI’s that have been active since before the fall of the Empire. If so, the legacy of that long-fallen Empire might not be as dead as we had assumed—or hoped.
Dr. Jelani Vashari.
Capital, 1097.
*****
Sindalian AI technology; an Introduction:
Sindalian AI technology had advanced beyond that of the Imperium by the end of the Empire. While most Sindalian tech ranged from TL13-15, computing technology stood at TL16, with TL17 conscious AI prototypes coming into service, though they remained rare and expensive designs.
However, these designs tended to be restricted to serving the Empire, especially the most advanced TL15-17 minds, which served as loyal bodyguards, advisers, enforcers, and soldiers for the Empire, especially in the last few decades of its existence, when programmed loyalty became a vital commodity among the growing internal conflict.
The ultimate achievement of the Sindalian empire, TL17 conscious robotic brains (as opposed to lower tech, but much larger, conscious computer systems), may have also been its downfall. Fragmented records from the few surviving sources speak of “Project Golem” and “Steel Legions” which appear to have been projects to create a fully automated military, one loyal only to the Emperor, ending the need for any dependency upon noble houses or organic militaries. If true, this would explain the cataclysmic final days of the Empire—rather than simply a revolt by oppressed colony worlds, it started with revolts on the part of the military and nobility, which led to rebel forces taking advantage of the Chaos. It also explains the dedication all sides showed in destroying industrial centers rather than preserving them for the future. Lastly, the long decline after the fall of Sindal can be explained as remaining robotic systems either being hunted down, or hunting “rebel” forces, remaining loyal to their dead Emperor, and incidentally smashing attempts to rebuild.
Mark Wiliamson
University of London 1100.
*****
Sidebar:
Transhumanism in the Empire.
While advanced compared to the Third Imperium in terms of AI technology, the Sindalians never developed technologies such as Agent Wafers or brain uploading. In general, such technologies appear to have been neglected due to the threat they posed to the social structure of the Empire, with some recovered fiction prominently showcasing ‘villains’ who attempted to rule forever by uploading themselves. Whether representing a true social fear of uploaded minds or simply the product of government propaganda, it is clear that such technologies were heavily opposed and never developed to any great degree.
